Yesterday my 9 y/o son shot at a doe in our field. It was about a 110yd shot with a ruger american .243 shooting hornady reduced recoil loads. I was watching through my scope when he pulled the trigger. The doe was broad side and lifted her left leg off the ground as she ran off the field. I was for sure he hit her, I watched where she entered the woods and listened for the crash (never heard it). We waited 20 minutes and set out to look for her. Three hours later still no deer and no blood (he thought he found a drop but he picked the leaf up before i could verify). I looked all over the field, where she was standing, and where she entered the woods. This is our first go with the reduced recoil loads. I wasn't sure of entry and exit wounds and blood loss. He has killed a deer before with a 22/250 shooting corelokts and it was hard to find a blood trail. After looking I am thinking he just flat out missed. Thoughts please

go back and look today. I had to use a loaner 243 about 20 years ago in Sweetwater after my 7400 messed up. I was shooting the hornady customs . I shot a nice 8 point one evening .I waited a while after the shot,looked for blood with no luck. I went to bed that night sick. went back the next morning still no blood. I found a trail going into the cutover where the deer ran out of the field so I walked down it. 50 yards later there he was and not a single visible drop of blood. good luck with the recovery.

Sounds like a hit, perfectly healthy deer don't walk in on all fours and then run off on three after a shot. Might be a high shot with no exit, therefore little or no blood. Deer may be dead , but very hard to find. Could be hit in the leg, keep an eye out for a doe with a gimpy leg.

Go check near water, or down hill, or some thick stuff close by. If the bullet didnt exit she will habe to fill up with blood until she leaks.

Sounds like a hit to me. Could be a leg hit or it could be a good hit in the shoulder. With a leg hit, unless it just nicked her, you would likely find some bone or something at the hit site. Good luck. I'd look really good for a few hundred yards and see if she didn't pile up somewhere.

Did you go back and look?

Yes went back this morning and looked for an hour... gonna go look again in a second..I pulled camera of the last place she was standing and everything..no blood bone or hair..

Went back out this afternoon did a lot of walking and nothing. So i think he hit her but maybe just a graze. Thanks for the input guys