444 Marlin bullet recovered on whitetail

Joined
Nov 19, 2021
Messages
377
Not sure if this is the right place to post this, so if there is a better place feel free to let me know.

I was fortunate to shoot a nice whitetail in Ohio yesterday and for the first time recovered the bullet. I was shooting my 444 Marlin with the Hornady Superformance 265 grain bullet. This load chronographs at 2325 fps out of my rifle. The deer was at 75 yards and strongly quartering away. He was actually turning to leave and I figured I better send it now or I wouldn't get another chance. The bullet entered just behind the last rib on the left side (see pic) and lodged just under the hide at the base of his neck just left of center.

The retained weight is 250 grains which is 94%. I've always been impressed with this load and now even more.

The rifle has a Leupold VX-3 2.5-8x36 and was set on 2.5 power. I normally leave it on the lowest setting unless I need to go higher.

444 marlin 2021 ohio.jpg444 marlin bullet.jpg2021 Ohio.jpg
 

rayporter

WKR
Joined
Jul 3, 2014
Messages
4,270
Location
arkansas or ohio
we recovered the first 45-70 bullet this year after my stepson shot a buck in its bed. the bullet hit bone on the way in and was recovered on the opposite shoulder.

the was in SE ohio.
 
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