Advice needed, .243 knowledge

Daughter shot a decent buck this afternoon. 225 yards. I was watching through my scope, he mule kicked really high and took off 30-40 yards into some thick woods. Was almost dark by the time we got to where I estimated he was standing and never found blood. I tried to cover the edge of the woodline and never picked up blood. Could have sworn I saw the hit just behind the leg about 1/3 up his body. Didn't go in the woods. The shot looked great.

Think he's dead or did she graze him...... ???

Dead if you are pretty sure that is where she hit him.

Sounds like a clean miss.

Call a dog!! Had to be first to say if.

My son shoots a 243 and it's killed every one he has shot at but a couple only left blood at the shot site and the hole seemed to plug up and not bleed until 40 or 50 yards later when he was about to drop.

Dont be surprised if you dont find much blood but if you hit him where you say you did you got him, dont give up on him.

Could be a heart shot. You won't find much, if any, blood. But the deer isn't far away.

[quote=charlie]My son shoots a 243 and it's killed every one he has shot at
X2. My son started with .243 and had this same thing happen a couple of times. You will find it dead within 50-75 yards. Good luck.

Dead. I shoot a .243 and that is pretty much what happens with every deer I shoot. Especially bigger bodied bucks at longer range. She probably didn’t get a pass thru but the deer should be dead within 100 yards if she hit him where you think she did. I usually go mark the spot where the deer was standing when I shot and then i mark the last place I saw him, then I walk in the direction the deer went. Usually i find them dead within 50 or 75 yards. If not, I’ll go back and start crawling around looking for blood.

I have thought about switching guns because I worry that one day I’m gonna lose a deer because of the lack of blood trail and knockdown power...but I have never missed or lost a deer in the 15 years I’ve used this gun and I hate to switch when this one hasn’t failed me yet.

Lord willing I'll find him in the morning. Dang sure not gonna ruin in this weather. I would be her best buck. He was behind a door headed to the turnip patch.

Topcat, I hope y’all find him in the morning. I bet you do. The situation you described is not uncommon for a .243 hunter. It will make you sweat and worry a little bit, but when placed correctly is as deadly as anything else.

I bet it’s dead within 100 yards or so. As stated earlier, no pass through and the entrance probably left one or two small drops. I’ve killed a couple this year that I could not find blood because I was looking in the wrong spot. I started making circles and walked up on both. At 225 yards and dark, it would be very easy not to find any sign - especially with a .243 and no exit. Good luck and show us a nice buck.

this they are usually piled up within 30 yards

Hunt with one for around 30 yrs Decent shot ,,,,,,80 yards or so.

95 gr Nosler ballistic tips will increase your blood trail in the 243, tremendously. Good luck.

This is the same thing I've witnessed with my wifes 243. If she dont drop them,we ain't finding much blood the first 30-40 yards

I’ve killed a pile of deer with a 243 and the only ones I had problems with a blood trail was the ones i shot with Hornady SST’s. Other than that blood trails have never been an issue. Honestly most are DRT. If he’s hit good he’s dead.

Ive killed pile of deer with a 243...what you described sounds like a normal death..kill..destroy...with a 243...very few i shot bled right out the gate....but most all were dead in under a 100. Ive made a buncha 200+ yard shots with a 243....in my experience the farther they are away with that little bullet...the more difficult it is to find the initial blood trail "quickly"...almost always eventually found it tho.

Quinky dink...i was typin..we just happened to say the same thing...haha

Just my .02 but you’re going to find a dead deer. I’d switch to the nosler partition. I started my son out on .243. The partition is one of the better bullets for that round. He shot a heavy deer that ran close to 100 yards, but we had a decent blood trail and blood from the pass/through where the hit was made. Just keep looking.

I’d call Ammon and Woodrow and enjoy watching that lil booger work....or bowtarist, he might not be too far from you.

Did you find the tracks where he mule kicked? I agree with the dead deer within 100yds

Fairly certain I found where he was standing, nothing. Did find one bit of white hair about 30 yards away near where I think he went in the woods. Cover a block of that area and no buck. Think she grazed him
I feel now he is alive and well. Still have a few weeks and I know there's bigger ones as well. Least I hope so. Thanks for input.

Dang

Just keep an eye out for buzzards circling

Hate you didnt find him.

I have had similar experiences with a .243 and finally found blood 30-60 yards away from the shot. Always recovered the deer within a 100/150 yards.

bet that buck is dead within 100 yards ,bucks do die harder than does and fawns,bucks will walk farther and just tip over . I did kill a big buck with a 243 win. that buck mule kicked and made it almost 100 yards in the thick brush. good luck

The last deer I shot with a .243 didn't have a blood trail and white hair/ chunks of fat, but I was pretty sure I had a solid hit. He was dead within 75yd. I shot him a little low from a high angle and the exit was under the front leg

If he is dead I'll find him at some point. Hate stomping around in their bedding area this time of year.

Bought a .243 for my son first and my daughter has it now. Good round. Left us frustrated with anything under .95 grain. Specifically 95 grain Hornady works well. Hopefully the deer made it and you just grazed him. She will get him next time. Good work.

Flipped a yoke yesterday in almost the same spot that buck was standing. I know she is a good shot. Gets me to thinking the shot was good and I just couldn't find him. If I hadn't been watching through my scope I would just believe she missed. I will continue to look after season.

Killed those deer in the "Little man got his first thread" with 87 grain ballistic tip reduced recoil hornsby and neither made it out of the field. Great little guns

I shot a 6 point this morning with a .270 and same thing happened. I knew I got him good but there was no blood. I got lucky and just followed a trail until I found him in the thickets briar patch in Fayette county. I would bet your daughter's gun got it done

Woodrow still might be able to find it. There’s been a lot of 48 hour finds.

I will call if it happens again Casey.

Similar thing with me with a 243. Shot a big buck around 125yrds. Deer dropped in his tracks. Watched him kick flop squirm crawl grunt snort you name it. I could see him pick his head up and down. Against better judgement I tried to sneak down and get another shot on him. He got up, didn’t run or have tail up but just almost trot away. Went to where he was laying and didn’t find a drop of blood. Trailed in the direction he went, followed trails found not a thing. Not really into the call a dog fad but I thought the deer was worth it especially with no blood. Never found him. That was on 1/5 and still holding out hope I stumble up on him.

Get a dog. If it's dead you'll find it. If it's not , you won't have trampled the woods down looking for it.

I think if you shoot a deer you should put forth 100% to find the animal..