Leupold BX-4 Rangefinding Binoculars

Recovered Bullets

Alas, i don't have any pictures of it, but in the years of hunting i've done i have only recovered one " bullet" from game.
Shot was 415 yards on broadside whitetail doe. Stevens 200 chambered in 7mm-08AI shooting 140gr Berger VLD Hunting at 2,916 fps at muzzle.
Found jacket laying under hide on offside.

I've never recovered any of my other bullets.
 
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225 grain Barnes smurf x bullet. Elk at 40 yards with 358 Winchester @ around 2400 fps. 208 grains recovered.

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165 grain Barnes smurf x bullet. 30-06 @ 2800 fps for elk at 200 yards. Recovered 165 grains and 155.

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My 11 y/o shot her first deer today with her 6.5 loaded with 135 Berger Hybrid hunters. Deer was facing at us, 640 yards, bullet recovered along the spine about half way the body length under the back strap.

MV 2810
Impact velocity mid 1800 FPS

This is my first experience with the hybrids as we shoot almost exclusively vld’s. Mixed feelings, although this deer dropped in its tracks instantly I will be loading 140 vld’s for this gun going forward. 9254FD81-5978-4178-A946-928F35921C60.jpegB4D71EE7-4F5B-4889-ACFF-A3D30F52D329.jpeg
 
200 grain Nosler Partition, fired from my 30-06 at 2600 fps. Recovered from a grizzly which I shot at about 30 yards as it was quartering away from me, wounded and moving towards the willows. I shot into the hindquarters, and dropped the bear, keeping it from reaching the willows. The bullet was recovered from the off-side hide. It weighs 144 grains. I'll have to go measure it again to get the expanded diameter.

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Recovered bullets, from game, or from test materials, have long fascinated me and I've kept most of the bullets I've recovered over the years. Obviously, the many "pass through" shots weren't recovered. Am hoping that some of you will share your recovered bullet photos & info here too. I'll try to note range, muzzle velocity, animal the bullet was recovered from, expanded diameter and weight:

My standard hunting load: 165 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip, fired from a 30-06 at over 2900 fps. Recovered from a mule deer buck at about 140 yards. Deer was facing me, bullet went into his chest and traveled through much of his body. Buck dropped on the spot. Recovered weight was 106.5 grains and it measured .54" diameter:

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165 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip, fired from a 30-06 at over 2900 fps. Recovered from a black bear at about 325 yards. Bear was quartering away from me. Bullet entered his flank, went through the vitals. Lead core exited, and the bullet jacket was hanging in the off-side hide. Bear went less than ten yards after being hit. Recovered weight is 73 grains, and it measured .574" dia:

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I'll share more in time, and hope you will too.

Regards, Guy
WOW ! This situation would make me nervous . Good job keeping it together
 
131gr Hammer Hunter, MV of 3415 fps, impact velocity about 3000 fps. I harvested a cow moose this fall and it was the first critter I’ve taken with Hammers. First shot went through, this was the second shot. She was quartering away, it went in about the 4th or 5th rib from the bottom and I found it on the far shoulder under the skin. Pretty amazing penetration.
 

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Two petals from 174 grain 30 cal hammer, recovered in offside shoulder meat on cow elk last week. The main projectile was a pass through, exit wound also in offside shoulder. Roughly 200 yard shot, 300WM, 3125 MV.
 
25-06 115TSX handload at 3050fps

Three whitetail, one neck shot and 2 broadside, all at @ 200yds.
Maine bull moose thru the shoulder at 150yds.
 

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From left to right
270 WSM 150 gr xp3. From dirt pile
270 WSM 140 gr trophy bonded tip. From a dirt pile
300 wby 180 gr trophy bonded tip. Mule deer buck 100 yds
300 wby 180 gr trophy bonded tip. Mule deer buck 200 yds
257 wby. 110 gr accubond. 310 yds whitetail buck.
 
Interesting seeing all these bullet's. I've never managed to collect a bullet I killed something with. Some of these ain't as pretty as maybe we'd like to see but they seem to all have one thing in common. They killed the animal shot with them! Does make something pretty obvious to me. The bullet you use is no where near as important as how you use the bullet you have!
 
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From left to right
270 WSM 150 gr xp3. From dirt pile
270 WSM 140 gr trophy bonded tip. From a dirt pile
300 wby 180 gr trophy bonded tip. Mule deer buck 100 yds
300 wby 180 gr trophy bonded tip. Mule deer buck 200 yds
257 wby. 110 gr accubond. 310 yds whitetail buck.

Really surprised that you recovered 180gr bullets from deer, Trophy Bonded Tip, even!
 
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Really surprised that you recovered 180gr bullets from deer, Trophy Bonded Tip, even!
I loved the performance of the trophy bonded tip on game. I just had less than stellar accuracy from both the guns that shot them. I am suspicious of consistency of the seating depth. Which is why i have switched to accubonds. I took 2 mule deer and 2 cow elk with the trophy bonded tips. The elk we didnt even think about looking for the rounds. The first mulie was on the next hillside. Super steep angle behind him and you could see where the bullet passed through him and entered the hill. The second mulie took multiple shots. When we field dressed him it just rolled of him with the guts/chest cavity. I would absolutely love to shoot the trophy bonded tips still. And my 300 wby only has a 24” tube. Remington 700 classic.
 
30-06 Nosler 168 eTip at 150 yards. Only bullet recovered this season, four pass through shots. First season using copper and very pleased with the results.20201102_144717.jpg
 
140 gr trophy bonded tip from a moose. Was found in a rib after all day in the slow cooker. Wife found it. She wasn't nearly as impressed as I was. Shot was about 20 yards head on. 7mm08 at about 2850fps.
 

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The 4 bullets on a plate are from this year's whitetail. 3 150gr Sierras and a 155 lapua scenar. Things got a bit western on this hunt but I got him. The barnes is a 150ttsx from a moose this fall mv is 2915. Moose was about 150 yards facing me. Bullet was found in front of back hip just under hide. About 40" of penetration. Im always impressed by the lack of meat damage and bloodshot from monos.
 

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