....80 Amax .... SUCKS for DROPPING Deer....HELP

dan brothers

New member
I'll tell you Boys the skinny, and see what you have to say about it.

I had a 22-243 AI built this year for shooting long range coyotes... but I also used it for deer hunting.

Early in the year I shot a small 6pt buck at a ridiculously close range of 40 yds, as it came towards my stand in the swamp,with a 22 cal 90 gr Berger VLD. The bullet blew through it... of course... BUT... it was able to run about 40 yds before giving up the ghost.

Later on in the year I change to 80 amaxes, thinking it would knock deer and coyotes over in the dirt. I haven't shot a coyote with it yet to see what would happen, but I did shoot a doe today at 170 yds... hitting it spot-on behind the shoulder... and it also made a 40 yd death run.
The exit hole was only about a nickel size.

I was expecting them to become Dirt Droppers... but they ran... WHY...?

Was 3558 fps with the 80's too hot for expansion...?

I have a 8 twist barrel, so I'm limited to bullet size... but what are your thoughts on a different type of bullet that will knock the daylights out of deer... and coyotes...?

40 yds is not much of a run off... but I don't want ANY... got any ideas...?

 
LOL... but I don't want them even thinking about it with those 40 yd runs... because they don't bleed worth a crap... you have to find the bodies in the general area of their runs.
 
Dan, been in a similar place but on coyotes. The 80gr VLD out of a 22-243Win at 3350fps is very hit or miss on expansion. As in if it does not hit bone she pencils through.

I've been away from that gun for a couple years now but when I go back I'm gonna try to shoot 75gr Amax at 3600fps. DAA was giving some great advice a while back saying velocity and varmint or hunting bullets put animals down. He'd tried the high velocity fast twist .22 and went back to higher velocity coyote getters.

Did shoot a coyote at 552 at 815 but they were pass through and without ideal circumstances I may not have recovered them. Broadsides under 200 yds were giving me 150yd runners too.

My 17-204 with 30gr Golds at 4000fps was about as good as DRT as I've used without the mess my 22-250 might give me once in a while. I'd trust a 22-250 and 55gr NBT's even more as it is plain bad medicine for coyotes, fur is touchy but most of the time its great.
 
Last edited:
I'm sure someone will chime and say that the problems you are having are due to match bullets, I however have personal experience with Amax bullets and can say that they are phenomenal game bullets.

The deer I shot this year had his heart and 1&3/4 of his lungs completely liquefied and he still managed to run almost a 100 yards, sometimes it happens. If you want drt everytime pretty much you have to spine shoot them.

Not sure what you mean by limited bullets because it's a 1 in 8, you can shoot 35 through 80 grains through a 1 in 8 easily.
 
Fairchase nailed it... if you want DRT, then don't shoot lungs. Lung shots are a guaranteed "run" with any premium bullet. IF you are going to shoot that hot .22 at deer, I would recommend an entirely different projectile. Something on the order of a Sierra 55 should work. At the velocity you are getting, that bullet should enter and fragment, destroying the lungs and transmitting a world of trauma to the CNS. Additionally, since you are shooting lungs, meat damage should be minimal.

But DON'T screw up and shoot shoulders!
 
Lung shots don't drop deer. CNS shots do, but can be iffy due to the size and how much the noggin moves around.

If you want DRT, get the 70 gr TSX like Ken said and break the shoulders. They don't do too far that way. But I like eating meat...shoulders have a good bit of it.

A neck shot may work, but that's a tasty roast I'd like to save as well.

I shoot lungs, and track the deer after. Blood trails not necessary.
 
With a faster round I have had very good results with high lung shots. Doesn't ruin much meat and has given consistent DRT's.
 

The faster you push them the more they expand. Too fast for expansion is a myth.


Hit bone and drop them, shoot them in the lungs and watch them run is pretty universal no matter what you are using.
 
our last day of deer hunting is tomorrow... Jan 1 st... and it's either sex day... and I should get another whack at a deer in this clear cut that I'm watching... so I'll try more for the shoulder area this time. I've always been a bowhunting... and always shoot for the lungs... so I always did it with a rifle too... and have killed several with a rifle or muzzleloader... and even had a doe run about 40 yds after being hit in the lung area with my 50cal CVA muzzleloader at about 100 yds.... last Saturday... so I'm used to runners... but I can't stand the idea of them running anymore... and neck-head shots are out, because they are tough to hit when they may cross a dirt logging road at 300-400 yds or so. The pie plate area of the lungs and shoulders are my aiming spots... but I'm wanting Dirt Droppers... not Runners... surely there is an answer... maybe the TX's are the answer... I'll have to give them a look-see.

I have dropped a lot of coyotes with lungs shots...but with 40 gr vmaxes... so why not a deer implosion bullet.
 
I shot the 62grTSX and 65gr Sierra game king and got good expansion at low velocities(223Rem). The TSX was better on coyotes than the sierra but neither I would say are ideal coyote bullets but deer? The TSX actually gave me only DRT's on broadside shots but low sample count. I had to do a lot of tracking to get all of the ones shot with the 65gr gameking.
 
The coyotes lungs are much closer to the spine. (More condensed organ area) The reason they drop is due to a jolt to the spine. Be it bullet fragments and/or hydraulic shock. Break or stun the spine, they go to sleep right now.
 
I shot a yote a while back coming straight at me at 35 yards. Hit center of chest w/ 88 berger varmint @ 3050 FPS. Dropped her, but when I went to go look at her, she was still breathing. I didn't do an autopsy, but come on! Her insides had to be mush! Had to giver her another one.
 
High shoulder or neck shots will be DRT but at the distance you stated just shoot the shoulder or just behind. They are tough animals and can take some lead and carry it off. I always expect a short tracking job unless you get the CNS as others have stated.
 
I have come to DAAs conclusion that was mention above. For coyotes nothing is more important than speed, with the exception of accuracy (gotta hit em first).
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: pahntr760The coyotes lungs are much closer to the spine. (More condensed organ area) The reason they drop is due to a jolt to the spine. Be it bullet fragments and/or hydraulic shock. Break or stun the spine, they go to sleep right now.

Look at this picture... Where are you aiming? The motor appears to be in front of the leg. Stop the motor, and it stops the coyote. To Me? its not about breaking the spine. Its about stopping the motor.
 
I aim just behind the front legs, 1/2 way between the chest and top of the back.

There is less space between the bottom of the chest and the top of the back. That's why with a similarly placed bullet, a coyote will often fold and a deer may run. Less squishy stuff to absorb the shock before it hits the spine.

Also, IME...the coyotes heart is about dead in line with their front leg. Not in front of it. That picture is off IMO.





Here's an XRay of a coyote. The dark spot just behind the shoulder bone is the heart. Right inline with the front leg. Also notice how little area there's between the heart and spine. This is why I suspect coyotes fold easier. Lots of shock gets to the spine and the brain shuts off




http://twcdoc.blogspot.com/2011/10/update-on-coughing-coyote.html?m=1
 
Last edited:
Back
Top