Shot a buck yesterday....

[First-light]

One thing here I have never heard of was finding the slug after the shot. I could see that happening in a muzzleloader but a factory made load??

What would be the cause of this, has anyone else found slugs after they have shot? I believe the story just can't figure out the cause? Help?

[WNYBuckHunter]

Sorry to hear you lost your deer....That always sucks....

If you lack confidence in your slugs, you should definitely change to a projectile that you have more faith in..

However, a 20 gauge that does not expand at all still would leave a 63 caliber hole through the deer... Seems like that would be enough to do the job with a good hit... I killed quite a few deer with 20 gauge slugs in past years ( probably 30-40) and I don't remember many of them leaving exit holes a whole lot bigger than the entrance wounds..

I'm guessing that perhaps you hit your deer in a non-vital area, considering the amount of white hair you found...Hopefully he will survive the wound..

Yes, they kill even if they dont expand, but the deer tend to run a long way. I shot a doe with the slugs two years ago that ran 500 yards with a double lung/ top of the heart shot. Whaen I looked at the hole on both sides, it was a small hole in and out, the slug did not expand and the deer ran a long way. I am not blaming the slug for not getting this deer, it was a bad shot on my part, but the fact that I hit it in the brisket, which shouldnt take much out of it, and I still found the slug in the dirt, about 2 inches in, mostly unexpanded, is disparaging. Thats why I started the other thread about it.

[WNYBuckHunter]

One thing here I have never heard of was finding the slug after the shot. I could see that happening in a muzzleloader but a factory made load??

What would be the cause of this, has anyone else found slugs after they have shot? I believe the story just can't figure out the cause? Help?

The pics are uploading now, they will be in the other thread.

[First-light]

W,

Why do you think this happened?

[cprsailor]

I shot a buck one time that dropped in his tracks with a shot that was a through and through (double lung shot). As I prepared to drag him out, I saw my slug laying on top of the grass right next to him. If the the slug expends all its energy in the animal with just enough to punch out the other side, I would consider that just about ideal. Of course, the slug needs to travel through some vitals for that to be the case.

[Pygmy]

WNY... Good luck in your search for a better 20 gauge bullet...

There are a good number of good high performance options out there today.. Back when I was hunting with a 20 gauge  ( 60s, 70s, early 80s)  there were only a few options to choose from..Rifled Foster style slugs from Remington, Federal or Winchester, and a couple of brands of Brenneke slugs, Fiocchi and RWS if I remember corrrectly...

There were no 20 gauge rifled barrels or 20 gauge sabot slugs available at that time... That is why I switched to a 12 gauge slug gun around 1990.. I was able to buy a fully rifled cantilever barrel for my ( 12 gauge) 1100 and  sabot slugs  , which gave me a significant accuracy advantage over the smoothbore 20 gauge that I had used for 20 years..

[WNYBuckHunter]

W,

Why do you think this happened?

Why do I think what happened? Me not making a good shot on the deer or the slug only penetrating the ground a couple of inches? As far as the shot goes, 100% my fault, I aimed a little too low and the deer's body was moving up as I pulled the trigger. As for the round only hitting meat and only going into the ground 2 inches from 60 yards away? I dont know, and dont really care, Ill be switching slugs. Ive had too many bad experiences with these ones.

[WNYBuckHunter]

WNY... Good luck in your search for a better 20 gauge bullet...

There are a good number of good high performance options out there today.. Back when I was hunting with a 20 gauge  ( 60s, 70s, early 80s)  there were only a few options to choose from..Rifled Foster style slugs from Remington, Federal or Winchester, and a couple of brands of Brenneke slugs, Fiocchi and RWS if I remember corrrectly...

There were no 20 gauge rifled barrels or 20 gauge sabot slugs available at that time... That is why I switched to a 12 gauge slug gun around 1990.. I was able to buy a fully rifled cantilever barrel for my ( 12 gauge) 1100 and  sabot slugs  , which gave me a significant accuracy advantage over the smoothbore 20 gauge that I had used for 20 years..

Thanks. I love my 20s, they are faster and flatter than a 12 and they dont pound your shoulder as much. I cant wait to see what happens with testing the different slugs.

[First-light]

W,

Why do you think this happened?

Why do I think what happened? Me not making a good shot on the deer or the slug only penetrating the ground a couple of inches? As far as the shot goes, 100% my fault, I aimed a little too low and the deer's body was moving up as I pulled the trigger. As for the round only hitting meat and only going into the ground 2 inches from 60 yards away? I dont know, and dont really care, Ill be switching slugs. Ive had too many bad experiences with these ones.

Stop blaming the slugs and practice more! lol

[WNYBuckHunter]

What are you talking about? I already said I made a bad shot, thats not the issue.

Oh, and if I could practice for the deer making an unexpected jump or bound, Id already be doing it. I spend alot of time and money each year to keep my shooting skills up to par lol. 

[First-light]

He outsmarted you, didn't he! It was just a joke lighten up!

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I thinkk he was spending too much time looking at that big non-typical rack....probably and ear/antler deflection shot...lol

[WNYBuckHunter]

Im not upset, just trying to clarify.

Bob, Ill bet it hit the antlers, they were so darn big, the shot had to have hit them.