How do YOU judge a caliber's effectiveness on game??

[Daniel75]

Do you judge sucess as a DRT behind the shoulder kill like they're struck with Thor's hammer? Or do you judge it on terminal performance on game: excellent bullet performance, short track and a dead animal? Head and neck shot aficionados need not comment as your method works from .17 HMR on up to whatever elephant gun is your flavor.

I used to always think I needed that struck by lightning kind of kill but I don't think it's a "failure" if I get 2 holes and a good blood trail with a short track like a good archery shot. I still like to see a lying deer (or insert animal of your choice) quivering in my scope after recovering from the recoil but I'll take a short track and game recovery. I'm interested in hearing y'all's opinions.

Currently using .30-06 165 grain Trophy Bonded Tips, 1 buck killed, 60-70 yard death run, no blood trail, entry and exit, blew up heart and lower lungs , gonna try and get a larger sample size.

[Artos]

Big game / broad side / boiler room...I want an exit, every time for trophy animals.

Yeah, I'll gamble with a swift on the occasional doe as they will die, but no fun if they run off & have to find.

[lovemylegacy]

Accuracy is paramount, after that, either one is good. Good bullet expansion while maintaining its integrity

[mikemorvan]

I'm no ballistic expert by any means. But i shoot a Remington 7mm Rem Mag Sendero Special w/ 149 grain hand loads my brother did for me. I shot two deer last week. Both good heart / lung shots. Buck dropped in his tracks. Doe traveled about 8 yards. Both work for me.

It's a results oriented business. As long as you have a good result, what does it really matter what the setup is? I like mine.

[kd350]

I've never had a deer just fall over with a In or behind the shoulder shot on a whitetail even with a 7 mag. Now straight on at the base of the neck they flip over backwards

But I judge it by what the insides look like (like a bomb went off inside, or just signs of expansion with some damage), how far did it go, how much of a blood trail was there, if the Bullet passed through or not

Here recently I like what the sst bullet does to the insides, don't get passthroughs but the insides are jello and they don't go very far

[Huggybear]

If the bullet is a pass through with a good blood trail to recovery. I consider this a good shoot. If you don't shoot long distances with your 30-06 I would recommend 200 or 220 grain.

[Mike D]

I really enjoy the bang-flop kills but if I don't get that for some reason, I want en exit every time with good blood trails to follow.

Now granted that's more dependent on bullet performance than caliber performance since all high powered rifles have enough energy to cleanly kill.


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[M16]

I shoot 120 grain Nosler ballistic tips in a 7mm08. They usually exit but if they don't it doesn't matter. Every deer has died within 30 yards of impact.

[MONSTERKEN]

I shoot an almost 20 year old Savage 270. My first 2 years with my rifle I shot darn near every single manufacturer of cartridge's and every factory grain. My old tried and true is 130 gr Winchester Supreme Ballistic Silvertips. I have never had a deer run off, always DRT (probably just jinxed myself). That 130gr has always been the money shot, always a through and through.

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[snipermedic]

Shot a deer and a turkey and a hog with a 270 130sst going over 3300. Deer shot behind shoulder perfect ran 30-40 yards but dead the whole way.

Put it away and got my new heavy barrel 7.62x39 bolt action that I have dreamed over for a very long time. 5 animals all behind shoulders only 2 exits. But not a single one move an inch. That's using the Tula and wolf SP and hollow points to test cheap bullet factory ammo effectiveness. Wow all I can say.

[Brute Killer]

I've never had a deer just fall over with a In or behind the shoulder shot on a whitetail even with a 7 mag. Now straight on at the base of the neck they flip over backwards

But I judge it by what the insides look like (like a bomb went off inside, or just signs of expansion with some damage), how far did it go, how much of a blood trail was there, if the Bullet passed through or not

Here recently I like what the sst bullet does to the insides, don't get passthroughs but the insides are jello and they don't go very far

My daughter shot a doe recently with Hornady Custom Lite in 243, which shoots an 87 Grain SST.
That bullet did just what you described. Caliber sized entry hole with bits and pieces of deer scattered throughout the inside. Bang flop.

[Brute Killer]

This is the entry side. Like I said just a caliber sized hole in the hide and then destruction beyond that.

This shot broke the spine, BTW.

[Colton]

The goal is bang/flop, but if that doesn't happen I want pass through and good blood trail.

I've had great success with 270 130 grain silver ballistic tips

[Daniel75]

I think a lot of bang flops are due to shockwave from the round in the chest cavity snaps or damages the spine and they die from the bullet damage but never run. Best bang flops on my end have been from a .270 and federal premium 130 grain Nosler BT. Never had a deer run (one pig ran 50 yards with good blood trail) but usually didn't have an exit. Made me nervous.

[lnester]

Shot a nice buck last week with a .270 130 grain Remington Core Lokt. DRT at 160 yards. Lungs were jello, back shoulder broken.

Doe I shot last year, exact same setup at 90 yards, DRT.

Love that gun and bullet.