strange bullet behaviour

[Muntiacus 0]

I shot a second year roe buck last night in thick woodland after stalking to about fifty metres. When I took the shot, the animal was hindquarters away, at about 30 degrees to me. I moved the point of aim forward to just on the point of shoulder to compensate and let fly. The bullet struck more or less spot on, certainly not far enough out for me to be worried. What was odd though was the fact that on hitting the deer, the bullet turned through about 90 degrees, entering the chest cavity before re-emerging on the same side. The bullet just about totally removed the shoulder in doing this.

 

The rifle is a 7mm-08 remington with a nosler ballistic tip over 44 grains of Reloder 15. This combination has been chronographed at 3040 feet per second with low variability. I don't think it's a reloading issue as all the remaining rounds from this batch have performed perfectly with good accuracy. In addition, there was nothing unusual about the report or the recoil.

 

Do you think that it's just one of those oddball occurances or should I spend time trying to investigate this?

 

Any suggestions greatly welcomed!

 

Regards

 

Aaron

[SNAP SHOT 194]

What weight bullet head are you using, also do you notice any tumbling on paper targets.

maybe just hit bone. also what brand are you using...............

[v-max 2]

Just bullets mate if you shoot enough with them you see funny things sometimes. I have had a few funny shots & some with the 22cf deflecting off a rib.

[Muntiacus 0]

Sorry guys, I should have said that these are home loads. The bullets are 120 grain Nosler ballistic tips with 44 grains of Reloder 15 and Federal 210 primers. The brass is Federal. On the range, if I do my bit, this combination will group 3 shots under 1" at 100 metres. At no point have I noticed any tumbling.

 

As has already been suggested by V-Max, it may be that the bullet hit a bone on the way in. I wanted to hear the opinions of others before I put this down to experience.

 

Thanks for all the feedback so far.

 

Regards

 

Aaron

[FJager 0]

Hit bone I would say Aaron, perhaps the bullet was travelling a little too fast, there are a lot of variables. Bullets don't tumble, when they hit an object the spinning stops and the physics involved actually try to force the bullet to do a 180 degree turn, this is why a lot of the time bullets hit bone and then do a 90 degree turn as the forces involded are actually trying to turn the bullet tail to nose and hitting bone gives it bthat little more push to turn.

[SNAP SHOT 194]

I think you will find that bullets do tumble mate not nit picking here but when it happens its usually to do with to heavy a grain of a bullet not being stabilized in the approprate twist rifle, and the bullet strikes the target namely always slightly side on, As i said i'm not nit picking just check out the net. http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/ballistics.htm

[FJager 0]

I am talking terminal ballistics SS, not the bullet in flight, yes if a bullet isn't stabilized from the barrell ie, worn rifling the bullet will tumble, but a bullet tumbling through an animal DOES not happen like people believe, if the bullet is tumbling in flight it will have very little and inconsistent penetrive effect, the physical happenings of the bullet that I have described above is what happens on impact providing the projectile is still above a certain velocity, diferrent velocities for different BC's also. ALL bullets meeting this criteria will stop spinning on impact and start to turn arse to head, too often people feel that their is something wrong in their set-up when they notice this happening, there isn't a problem it is just what happens with terminal ballistics. The scenario described at the start of the thread is almost certainly from hitting bone and the wound ballistics of the projectile have probably attributed to it as well, sorry to nit pick.

[Muntjac Man 0]

I had a similar one with a Roe buck a couple of weeks ago, with a .243 RWS 100gr. Roe was absolutely square on to me, range about 60 yds - a perfect shot opportinity!!.

 

Entry point almost spot on (just above the heart so the heart was still in one piece, much to my delight, as I love roast venison heart!!).

 

When I got there, the stench immediately indicated 'gut shot', and it certainly was a mess inside.

 

I too put it down to having been deflected by hitting bone, but am interested to learn from others views...

 

MM

[SNAP SHOT 194]

I am talking terminal ballistics SS, not the bullet in flight, yes if a bullet isn't stabilized from the barrell ie, worn rifling the bullet will tumble, but a bullet tumbling through an animal DOES not happen like people believe, if the bullet is tumbling in flight it will have very little and inconsistent penetrive effect, the physical happenings of the bullet that I have described above is what happens on impact providing the projectile is still above a certain velocity, diferrent velocities for different BC's also. ALL bullets meeting this criteria will stop spinning on impact and start to turn arse to head, too often people feel that their is something wrong in their set-up when they notice this happening, there isn't a problem it is just what happens with terminal ballistics. The scenario described at the start of the thread is almost certainly from hitting bone and the wound ballistics of the projectile have probably attributed to it as well, sorry to nit pick.

Not a problem crossed wires................is all your thinking terminal i wasn't....................

[FJager 0]

SS it is something I don't really understand, I have been told by the boffins that this is what happens, I honestly didn't really agree with them, but who am I too argue with their testing and the like. They use this as the reasoning why the M4 has trouble 'finishing' targets outside 100 metres, they say the 5.56 loses to much velocity out of the short barrel at this range, and as it doesn't turn 180 it does very little damage as opposed to a faster travelling bullet, but in my experience a rapidly travelling 'non mushrooming' projectile never causes bulk damage, they all seem to punch straight through. I put it down to the slower velocity being slowed even more when trying to pass through the thick woollen clothing worn by the combatants. My honest opinion is that it is the penetration that is not happening. Interested on anyones thoughts here as this is info the 'experts' go by.

[martin 332]

I had a very similar incident last night,I shot a Roe Buck at approx 130yds,and,I did hit it slightly too far back,and,it had clipped the gut,but,there was no exit wound.So,on butchering the carcase I found the bullet,and it had very little distortion,and believe it or not it was in the right haunch just under the hide,so it was almost out but on the same side as it went in,and,at the other end of the beast.

Here is the bullet head.............

[FJager 0]

At least you got the deer mate, what calibre and make of projectile?

[martin 332]

At least you got the deer mate, what calibre and make of projectile?

 

It was a .243 FJ,but,as I had shot it with Foxdroppers rifle I am uncertain what make of bullet he uses to be honest.

[FJager 0]

Cheers Martin, the bullet certainly held together didn't it.