It's a puzzlement, ain't it?

by Hoot , Diversityville, Liberal-sota, Thursday, May 18, 2017, 07:27 (2748 days ago) @ Bri A

I can't recall (right now) any "bang, flop" type kills. Nearly all of the big game I've shot traveled at least a short distance. 'Short' might be a step or two or might be a country mile. I haven't taken any game whatsoever with my .45-70's but there have been, ahem, 'a couple' 35 caliber cartridges in the mix.

.35 Remington with 210gr cast FN. First shot on a decent sow was low and broke the off side leg. Hunter error 100%. We chased it for a while and found her in a deadfall and one to the boiler room ended her day.

.356 Winchester with 200gr FTX. Big sow quartering away was hit in behind the ribs and exited the off side shoulder/chest. Turned and took a step or two and fell down.

.358 Winchester with 225gr Game Kings. A decent boar was broad-sided at 3 or 4 yards and took off like it's tail was on fire. We caught up to it about 100 yards later absolutely dead-dead. A second pig was shot quartering towards me at around 35 yards. It wheeled and ran maybe 40 yards and piled up.

.35 Whelen also with 225gr GK's. A ~225lb boar was running along a fence line. First shot was in the front chest angling out the back paunch. Never missed a beat and ran past me. Second shot was the opposite; in the back and out the front. Still never slowed down. We found it piled up in a little draw dead as a stone maybe 75 yards away.

.350 Remington Magnum also with 225gr GK's. We were literally beating the brush and a 250lb or so boar ran out the far side. I hit him on a full run at about 75 yards, back in the ribs, angling forward. I suppose that might have been a 'bang-flop' but he had momentum on his side as he managed a beautifully executed somersault and never got up.

.358 Norma Magnum with 250gr Speer. A 350lb boar was ambling towards me and, as he turned around a tree at 40 or so yards, presented a nice broadside shot which I took. His pace didn't change and he wandered between a couple of downfalls and out of sight. I hightailed it over there and he was another 40 yards or so away when I took the second shot. At that, he took another few steps and fell. There was only a single wound so I assume the first shot was deflected by a branch or some unseen interference.

.35 Newton also with 250gr Speers. Broadside shot at a 300lb sow at probably 30 yards. At the shot, the hog hunched up like it was going to take off and I was thinking, 'Not this again!' (First hog taken after the Bulletproof Pig event.) It took a few steps while I loaded another round and fell down.

.358 STA also with 250gr Speers. Very nice boar quartering towards me at maybe 30 yards. Shot entered near side chest and exited back in the ribs. Took 2 more steps and fell. The skinner, upon opening that one up, turned to me ans said, "What did you DO to this thing?" It was a bit of a mess inside. Book velocity is right near 2900 and may be pushing the upper limit for that bullet.

And finally, not a 35 caliber. A .416 Taylor with a 400gr Hornady. A 400+lb boar was shot in a lovely broadside tight in behind the front leg. Needless to say, it was a pass through. That pig took off at full speed however it was in a circle maybe 20 yards in diameter. I stood there in slack-jawed wonder as it made nearly 3 complete laps with blood shooting out both sides before falling into a heap. It looked like the scene of a particularly gruesome ax murder what with the blood all over.

I've prattled on too long so we'll skip the deer until another day.