6mm Creedmoor on Texas WT

BjornF16

WKR
Joined
Dec 12, 2019
Messages
2,518
Location
Texas
Took my APR 6mm CM hunting this weekend in North Texas (along with my 6.5 RPM).

Shooting 108 ELD-M factory load suppressed which has proven to be very accurate out to 565 yards.

I had mixed results with the ELD-M, but could be partly my fault.

First shot dialed for 200 yards. No blood trail, searched and couldn’t find the doe. We found the exact spot doe bolted from and ranged to blind at 220 yards. Spotters didn’t see an impact on doe and didn’t see dirt kick up either. She was on edge of cultivated alley lined with some mesquite trees. They did see her crouch then bolt.

Second opportunity was the following evening. This time 105 yards. Hit doe behind shoulder and knocked her down. She got up and ran about 30 yards and collapsed. Good blood spot where she hit ground at the shot, then no blood trail at all to where she expired.

To be sure, the bullet performance was great internally. Both lungs were mush. She had lung material in and on her mouth. When we picked her up, she literally coughed up a lung.

When hung for quartering, her chest cavity had large pool of blood. Very little blood came from exit wound. If we hadn’t seen her collapse and she had run further in the Texas brush, it would have been extremely difficult to find her.

Which brings me back to the first doe…did I hit her or miss her? Poorly placed shot or deflected shot from mesquite branch? This really bothers me.

Pics show entry wound behind left shoulder and massive wound on opposite shoulder.
 

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gjs4

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 24, 2017
Messages
246
Why eldM? My son uses his 103eldX on Larger NY deer and it does a fantastic job. Had a 4yo buck make it 60-70 once but the blood trail was very easy to follow.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

686

FNG
Joined
Nov 15, 2020
Messages
46
I’m going to say you probably pulled the shot on the first doe and clean missed; I’ve seen it many times. Also, Texas does are pretty small, doesn’t take too much of a pull depending on how the rifle was supported. When you haven’t pulled the trigger on a living thing in awhile (weeks-months-years) the first shot just doesn’t always go right for whatever reason. I’ve seen it with really good marksmen, and pretty decent hunters as well (myself included). Don’t let it rattle you. I’m always extra deliberate with my rifle/body position, cheek weld, breathing, etc. the first time I pull the trigger on a trip/if I haven’t shot anything in awhile. Better to lose the shot opportunity from me taking too long to get comfortable and sorted out on my shot attempt than to make a bad shot.
 
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