Personal firearms data saved - what about you?

[Markbo]

In order not to step on 86ers thread, I thought I'd just start another to see if anyone here has done the same thing. I kept the same sort of data while deer hunting all over Texas & several other states for 25+ years. not as long as I have been hunting, but as long as I have kept the information. I have the caliber, load and result... not quite the detail of 86ers, but have put together some interesting information. Here is some general rifle (no handguns included) data:

With .45-70 (300gr & 405gr) & .444 Marlin (240gr only): 8 deer shot, all recovered. 1/2 fell where they stood, but 1/2 ran. A few ran WAY over 100 yards.

With a .25-06 (exclusively 115gr-117gr bullets). 3.5 deer per year average for 20+ years. No deer shot ever took more than 5 steps. No deer was ever lost. Only animal ever needing a follow up shot was a large Mouflon Ram that I messed up by hitting him too high with the first shot. Boxfuls of Coyotes and Jackrabbits killed as well.

.270 Winchester (130+140gr bullets): 5 deer per year for 2 years. EVERY deer ran a minimum of 75 yards. 3 deer required follow up shots. 2 deer were never recovered, including 1 shot in the neck at 75 yards!

.223 Remington (55 gr bullets exclusively): minimum 2 deer per year for 10 years, no deer ever required a second shot. No deer ever took a single step. No deer was ever lost.

Don't think that there are not a few misses mixed in there! FWIW my handgun data is too boring. All were shot once, all ran 35-75 yards and all were dead before they realized it. I keep handgun shots close range. What do you find most surprising about the above data?

[awp101]

What do you find most surprising about the above data?

The .270 and .25-06 surprise me. Never having used either I can't say what's "normal" or not.

Maybe the .270s over penetrated/under expanded?

[deerwhacker444]

Haven't kept track, but wish I had.

.270 Winchester (130+140gr bullets): 5 deer per year for 2 years. EVERY deer ran a minimum of 75 yards. 3 deer required follow up shots. 2 deer were never recovered, including 1 shot in the neck at 75 yards!

I'm surprised by your .270 experience as well. That's by far what I've killed most of my deer with and all but 1 were down within a few steps.

Do you remember what bullet you were using in the 270?

[RKrodle]

Markbo, do you go for neck shots with the 223 or heart lung?

[TedH]

I've done the same thing for 30 years of deer hunting. I include the location, weather, firearm used, what happened after the shot, etc. Not so much for collecting data, just more of a diary.

[kimwcook]

I've never kept any of that type data.

[Markbo]

Do you remember what bullet you were using in the 270?

I don't offhand but I will look in the morning.

Markbo, do you go for neck shots with the 223 or heart lung?

I wondered if someone would ask. Head shots.

[RKrodle]

Do you remember what bullet you were using in the 270?

I don't offhand but I will look in the morning.

Markbo, do you go for neck shots with the 223 or heart lung?

I wondered if someone would ask. Head shots.

Good shooting. I took a nice buck with my 22-250 one time, we won't discuss my shot placement , but it was impressive the amount of damage a 55gr bullet stepping out around 3800 fps does.

[M. M. Wright]

My experience with the .270 is very similar. Shooting the 130 grain Sierra in one of 2 Ruger No.1As. About half of the deer ran a long way and one 150+ class just ran away with his right front leg flopping up over his back at every bound. Didn't worry about it because the hold was right where I wanted it and just knew he would fall any second. Trailed him up and jumped him twice but never found him. Only shot 12 head with those 2 guns before I got rid of them. My old Browning Hi-wall in 30-06 has killed over 40 with nary a one lost.

When I was very young, (30 ish), I built up a 25-06 on a Springfield action with a thumbhole stock. I killed 16 with it, all one shot kills. I remember one in particular that I hit at a dead run that did about 3 cartwheels in the edge of a pond. That deer was dead and just didn't know it. The thumbhole slowed me down about half a second when getting on a target. Wing safety on the Springfield had be flipped off, then insert the thumb through the hole and by then that shot had vanished for a couple of huge heads. Bye, bye thumbhole!

M. M.

[Markbo]

Double checked my .270 records. Hornady SST 130gr and Federal Hi-Shock in 140gr. I have 4-5 others in the ammo bin, but I chose those two because they shot really well accuracy wise. I doubt anyone could say the bullets are the problem.

I honestly think sometimes it may just be chance. I know an awful lot of hunters that swear by the 7mm mag. But I have personally witnessed more lost deer shot with that round than probably all others combined. I can't explain it... I just know what i have seen.

[86er]

Your 270 results are statistically similar to my data.

[Markbo]

Fascinating.