Most unusual kill shot ever?

[Cousin Bruce]

My cousin just shot a spike buck at 50yds quartering away from him with a 7mm 150gr Remington Core Lokt bullet. The bullet entered about 1 1/2 inches behind the heart and exited on the same side of the deer with the the heart hanging out of the second hole! He found the deer lying with the heart laying outside of the body cavity but still connected to the arteries, etc. ( bottom half of heart completely gone). Exit wound and entry wound essentially covered by what’s left of the heart. First photo shows the two wounds.

I’ve never seen anything like this. Have you??

 

[longbow]

I bet he couldn’t do that again! Not sure how that happened. Nice to have you on the site Cousin! Hope you stick around!

 

[Mikejd]

Any pics.

 

[longbow]

Pics posted.

 

[Cousin Bruce]

Thanks for your help with the pictures Longbow. Don’t worry as long as I have deer camp stories I’ll be here!

 

[Mikejd]

That is wacked. I dont think you will se that again.

 

[Cousin Bruce]

Exactly!
PS- Spoke to a ballistics expert at Federal Ammunition. His first impression was some sort of ricochet scenario involving the opposite shoulder bones etc. My interpretation involves more of a sling shot/ trampoline scenario where the bullet strikes a rib starts spinning sideways then strikes the heart which absorbs most of the impact but due to its suspended nature is able to redirect the bullet back out of the same side of the deer while still involved with the forces from the bullet the heart follows the bullet out of the body cavity.

The one thing we did agree on...The bullet did it’s job! No tracking necessary!

 

[longbow]

Looks like something pulled the heart out and was eating it. Heart is quite a bit lower and forward of the holes.

 

[NHbucktrack19]

How long after the shot did he recover the deer? Longbow may be right if there was some time between shot and recovery. We’ve all seen certain animals that recognize a gunshot as free dinner. Otherwise if it was a quick recovery I Suspect the bullet hit the opposite side shoulder as I think you mentioned a quartering away shot and it hit the opposite side shoulder bone turned and followed a similar trajectory back out clipping the heart and would have force towards the enter and exit holes the heart could follow out

 

[Cousin Bruce]

The deer fell to the ground instantly and my cousin simply got down from his stand and walked over (approx. 50 yds) to recover his deer. I don’t believe he ever lost sight of the deer nor was there time for any other animal involvement. I think longbow was just stating an analogy as to what the damage to the heart looked like. The ricochet theory was the ballistic experts first impression too. I’ll never forget when we met back at camp and the deer was still lying on the ground and I asked my cousin if that was an exit or entry wound and he replied “both”! Thankfully he had the presence of mind to snap a quick picture of the deer exactly as he recovered it. Without that picture I’m not sure I would ever have appreciated what he was saying.

 

[longbow]

Are you saying that the picture of the deer lying with the heart out was taken where it layed after being shot? I don't see a blood trail, and it looks like something has been moving the heart around, maybe chewing on it. I see pieces of heart above and below. Is that a drag rope or branch around the deer's neck?

I don't think a bullet is going to hit the opposite shoulder turn around and come back out the way it went in. Doesn't happen.

Not trying to be argumentative just trying to figure out what is going on .

 

[Cousin Bruce]

Yes, that’s where it dropped. According to my cousin it dropped immediately and just “shook” for a moment. That’s just a stick(s) in the picture with the heart. My cousin’s drag rope can be seen in the second picture after it was gutted. Like I’ve always said this is something I’ve never seen before, but the end result is undeniable, only trying to figure out how a 7mm bullet did this. Sorry any other suggestions about animals are not helpful just distractions from a serious quest for answers. Unfortunately the ballistics expert at Federal (their parent co just bought Remington Ammo) was not necessarily surprised by the results, he just could not narrow the possibilities down to just one due to “all of the variables involved with the bullet and the deer”. He did lean toward a ricochet theory though.

 

[longbow]

Yes, that’s where it dropped. According to my cousin it dropped immediately and just “shook” for a moment. That’s just a stick(s) in the picture with the heart. My cousin’s drag rope can be seen in the second picture after it was gutted. Like I’ve always said this is something I’ve never seen before, but the end result is undeniable, only trying to figure out how a 7mm bullet did this. Sorry any other suggestions about animals are not helpful just distractions from a serious quest for answers. Unfortunately the ballistics expert at Federal (their parent co just bought Remington Ammo) was not necessarily surprised by the results, he just could not narrow the possibilities down to just one due to “all of the variables involved with the bullet and the deer”. He did lean toward a ricochet theory though.

Did he look to see if the bullet hit the opposite shoulder when butchered? Were there any holes on the other side of the deer?

 

[groundtender]

Can’t resist.....Was there another shooter on the grassy knoll?

 

[Cousin Bruce]

I agree Groundtender. Lol Some of these replies were definitely sounding like great conspiracy theories!
Guess that’s why I wanted to post the story and pictures in the first place...The truth is definitely stranger than fiction!

 

[Cousin Bruce]

Did he look to see if the bullet hit the opposite shoulder when butchered? Were there any holes on the other side of the deer?

He only field dressed the deer. He took it to a butcher after that. We both looked over the deer for any other exit wounds and could not find any. That’s when the amazement truly set in over what had happened and wondering how this could have happened. The ballistics expert didn’t offer any other guesses, but didn’t totally disagree with any of the possibilities I raised...Shock wave along with the fragmentation of the bullet on impact? (He noted that the bullet was not bonded in this case) Redirected on impact with the ribs and the heart itself? It’s funny at some point I got the feeling he thought I was calling to complain that the bullet hadn’t blown right through the deer as usual. His last comment was that “ in any event the bullet did it’s job right? “ Absolutely! I said. No tracking necessary!

 

[longbow]

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