Puzzled

[midwesterncrosshair]

I processed my deer early last week, and went in order of the deer I killed. But the goofy thing I discovered was my first archery buck I had an arrow pass through both shoulder blades. My last deer was a doe taking during the IL shotgun season. I had gut shot it and found the next day still alive. I got withing 30 yards of her and I believed I shot her in the kill zone. She sat for more than 5 min and is sucked seeing her the way she was but she didn't die. So I got 10 yards away and put one in her melon to expire her. The ugliest deer death I have partaken in. After cleaning her last week I found that first shot I took to try to expire her was in the shoulder blade. Mushroomed out as if I hit a steel plate, no penetration beyond that. I used what everyone recommended for slugs the Hornady SST slug... $3 a slug. Did I get a fluke slug or what? I'm not much of a shotgun fan coming WI using rifles. So I'm left puzzled... are shotguns that much weaker because I have blown through shoulders with rifles.

 

[Muskeez]

Probably just a fluke deal with the angle. If the meat had a different smell to it from the other deer I would not blend it in with the other one(s). I always process each deer individually and label them as to who shot it and species and date. That way if we would happen to get one meals worth that smells or tastes bad we can pull another package of the same deer and try again. If that would be bad it would be easier to throw that entire deer out, vs. everything that got blended together from that season. Knock on wood, hasn't happened yet but guessing it could someday.

 

[COEngineer]

Any chance the slug nicked a branch on the way to the shoulder? Even a small branch could have caused the slug to tumble and lose a lot of energy. Bullets do weird stuff.

 

[CUElk]

Any chance the slug nicked a branch on the way to the shoulder? Even a small branch could have caused the slug to tumble and lose a lot of energy. Bullets do weird stuff.

yep, even heavy grass or briars could affect that big softball you were chunking at her.

 

[midwesterncrosshair]

Nope clear shot... maybe the way she was bedded down with her legs meant more hide do go through?

 

[mplane72]

I find it surprising the SST didn't get through the shoulder. I really don't care for them but not for their lack of penetration. My experience with them in 20 ga and as a muzzy bullet is they zip right through. They have always been very accurate though, which is why my friends and I kept using them. I have seen them go though multiple shoulders including a couple bucks. All were standing.