1st Grendel deer and erratic SST bullet path

[BjornF16]

Even so, you should always shoot with the notion in mind of where you want the bullet to exit and what is between the entry and exit points. Too many people consider their targets like the 2D images that they see and never take into consideration that the targets are actually 3D.

I don't disagree with ^^^

But a level shot, especially broadside as mentioned in OP, is a far sight different than a high deflection shot. Now a quartering, level shot...

[BjornF16]

I replied to a thread a while back on similar subject. I shot a doe last thanksgiving from a ground blind with a LBC .264 and 123 SST factory round. 100 yard shot. Thought a normal broadside shot. Waited 30-45 minutes and went to look for blood. Plenty of blood but also a lot of evidence of gut shot! I was pretty stunned and worried. Found her after a pretty long search and it looked like someone had taken a razor and opened up a 4 inch incision of the belly. Entry was low just behind front shoulder. Did not hit much bone at all and clipped lung. My only guess is that she was quartering to and I did not realize it. Maybe fragmented at rib? Still a surprising result but dead deer anyway. Don’t have the LBC anymore but going to try again with my new to me Howa!

I shot an axis deer a few years back with Grendel 115 gr Berger...it ricocheted quite a bit and even though it was a shoulder shot, it tore through guts and made a chocolate mess. I abandoned the tenderloins on that deer and stopped using 115 Berger to hunt.

[joedirt199]

Shoot them in the head and save all the meat. Shot 2 small deer by accident one time. Shot the first one with head shot and as I was walking up to her I saw a head and thought no way I missed. Leaned on a tree, took the shot and dropped that one. Got up there to find 2 deer laying right next to each other. Good thing as they were 150 lbs together.