Main Discussion Area > Shooting and Hunting
How much kinetic energy is needed for elk?
Mohawk13:
Might be dating Myself here, But the first 6x6 I tagged, was shot at 15 yards with a Bear Kodiak Magnum, #45@28 with an Easton 2217. 30" with a Savora Sattelite broad head. Pass through, and the Bull piled up in 40 yards
Second one took 5 rounds through the heart at 20 yards with a .30-06....went 1/2 mile into the deepest steepest draw it could find. Took me 2 days to get it packed up the hill and 5 miles to My VW Baja...Should have seen the MP's face at the Main Gate of Ft. Lewis...That one was a huge 5x5 and the antlers were sticking out either side of the front deck...to funny
Shot placement is key, But Mr. Elk will surprise the heck out of you sometimes...Sometimes will drop in its tracks, other times he will make you work for your meal...
JW_Halverson:
I have always wondered about the animal that takes huge punishment and runs forever, versus the single shot and a quick death. I have never had a deer run with one of my .50 cal roundballs in 'em. I shoot a light load of 70 grains, so the ball isn't exactly setting any land speed records either.
On the other hand, I have a friend that is a much better shot than me, shoots a .54 and he hot loads 115 grains of powder. His loads are something like 75% more ft/lbs of energy and he has had to follow deer over a mile after he has shot them. Granted, I tend to shoot deer while their heads are down, but I have also shot them when they were looking me in the eye.
5 rounds from a dirty-ought-six and half a mile vs 40 yds from a broadhead out of a 45 lb bow? I dunno. How come some of us get lucky and drop animals clean and how come others go forever? It's more than kinetic energy, it's more than whether the animal is aware of the hunter, it's more than broadhead vs bullet.
I know I have often held my breath and given thanks for never having to bloodtrail a deer. I know the basics of how to, read some articles, but I have virtually no experience and no faith in my ability to understand where a deer instinctually chooses to go. Lucky I guess, but I'll take it!
Hope you get a large dose of my luck and all your own well earned skill on this hunt, Brother Mohawk! Like most of us in here I can't wait to see the pics and hear the story when you get back!
killir duck:
Jdub I think your answer is adrenaline, when the animal is real hot and worked up they tend to run a lot farther than if they've got their head down in the grass.
JW_Halverson:
Doesn't answer for the deer I have spooked at close range, and shot when they stopped and looked back! One doe was visibly trembling with her tail straight up and every hair standing on end! She went 40 yds and stopped again to look at me. Meanwhile I looked like the Keystone Kops meets the Three Stooges meets Jeremiah Johnson as I was trying to reload my smokepole.
It took me longer to find all the accoutrements that I had dropped on the ground than it did to field dress her!
killir duck:
well i don't have an answer for that one, every big game animal i've shot either dropped or or didn't go very far if they were relaxed, the couple i've shot that were real hot ran almost twice as far. what i said in that last post was purely my observations from animals i've shot .
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