Faster Powder For Hammers?

[longbow51]

Anecdotal but real world experience update: took two mature Alabama whitetail does this weekend in the 110-120lb range with the 95gr. HHT and Varget combination.

Both shots quartering on (first at about 75 yards, second just under 200). Both shots impacted just forward of the near shoulder and traversed the vitals diagonally, exiting in the last offside rib of the first doe and an inch or so behind the ribs on the second. Penetration was fantastic and the near shoulders were entirely compromised.

Doe 1 ran approximately 100 yards before expiring. Doe 2 made it about 50 yards. I was pretty surprised by the lack of blood trails, though. We hunt very thick areas in and abutting serious swamps, so an immediate blood trail is pretty important. Doe 1 left no blood at impact and a few small pinheads between 25 and 50 yards, followed by nothing and then massive smears beginning about 15 yards from where she was recovered. Doe 2 left precisely zero observable blood until the point at which she was recovered. I was pretty lucky to just walk up on her very thick cover. The TTSXs I shot last year gave mixed blood trail results, as well— little to none on a doe, good but not great on a heart-shot buck.

Overall I’m pleased with the Hammers’ performance. Two shots, two deer dead within seconds after impact. I was anticipating a little more visible blood trails, so I may experiment with traditional leadcore projectiles (thinking the NAB or NBT) in the off-season.

I’m thinking the lack of visible blood trails may be more due to pushing a quarter-bore than the specific projectile. Any thoughts or feedback would be appreciated.

That's probably because you only reached 3199. At 3200, DRT

 

[Sheltowee]

That's probably because you only reached 3199. At 3200, DRT

I got to 3218… should’ve known I should keep pouring it on until I hit 3300!

 

[Sheltowee]

My guess is you’re shooting higher than I do. I get fantastic blood trails.

Good point. I was intentionally trying for the high shoulder shot to break them down and to test the bullet at that angle. Next year I’ll go back to my low and tight behind the shoulder hold if the angle arises.

 

[yakimanoob]

Blood trails are sporadic.

To get an immediate blood trail you typically need to rupture an artery and have an entry or exit wound fairly low in the chest cavity; otherwise, most of the blood moves from the artery into the chest cavity before beginning to spurt out as the animal moves/breathes. [or you need to get lucky enough to punch a hole shaped exactly so that the artery drains directly to the entry/exit without going into the interstitial spaces first, but that's pretty low probability.] So I'll buy the idea that lower shots tend to produce more immediate blood trails than higher ones.

But in general Wind Gypsy has the right idea. There's no way to know the exact path a tumbling bullet will take through the animal even in the simplest (broadside double lung) case, nevermind the complexities of shoulders, etc.

From the sound of it @Sheltowee, you did just fine tracking and finding the animal even with the blood trail starting later! I get how having a big splatter right at the impact location is convenient, but I think you might be chasing a ghost trying to develop loads and/or select shot locations that produce "immediate" trails. IMHO if you're worried about finding the animal, anchoring through both shoulders is a far more reliable than finding the load that gives you the best probability of good blood trails.

Anyway congrats again on the hunt!