Tuning FPE for whitetail ethical dispatch?

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ray1377

ray1377

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Jul 1, 2015
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New Albany, Mississippi, United States
Fellows

I'm curious to know from the ones of you who have and do still hunt whitetail deer with a big bore air rifle.
Could you please tell me what you believe to be the most "REQUIRED" FPE at say 50 and 100 yards to dispatch a whitetail with a body shot, no brain or head shots.
Also, which caliber and brand gun did you use?
Which brand and size of ammo did you make the shot with?
How far did the deer go after being shot?
And lastly, was the shot a complete pass through with a decent blood trail?

Thanks
Ray
 
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In my experience, even a .50 black powder rifle struggles to lay down a good blood trail on a classic double lung shot.

For FPE, .357 mag muzzle energy would be the minimum for me on deer. Getting a pass through is imperative.

I highly recommend going powder burner just because more power is always better when it comes to ethically harvesting large game.
 
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You need to get lungs no matter what. It is going to be more like an archery harvest vs a PB harvest. Everybody says passthru, but all you need is both lungs and/or heart. 150fpe will do 50-75yds no problem. I have seen plenty of does down out to 100 also with the same power. Shot placement is critical so you really need aslightly quarterring away shot to be sure the shoulder is not in the way. 250fpe will have ple ty of energy to 150yds but the drop is horrendous, so is best to stay close to 100yds and under, unless you really know your yardage to the yard and you dope is 100% on. It does take more skill to harvest with lower power, so If You Doubt Yourself, Do Not Attempt. Archery, 40fpe is minimum for humting and speed loss is crazy fast, half power at 30yds,so 20fpe. So you dont need 1000fpe, just skill and extended knowledge on deer anatomy.
 
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There are going to be mixed results. Some does are just looking for an excuse to die. A rutting buck can run dead on his feet for longer than seems possible. Go talk to a deer processor in Ohio and ask how many holes were in most of the bucks brought in back when it was shotgun slugs only for gun season.
 
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FYI: At roughly 1000fps the 255gr. .510 from Mr, HP is insanely accurate and can easily drop a whitetail at 100+ yards. Complete pass through is unlikely, but double lung/heart 100%. How far did they go? lol... how good was your shot? Shot placement is everything, shoot the dear in the ass and they can run for a very long time with little to no blood trail.
 
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I can honestly say that using a .510 Tx2 Texan with 460 grain slugs at 840 fps its a crapshoot honestly. Maybe they 30 yards and dead but half the time they can eat a .510 to the chest and go a long ways...No blood trails even on chest shots with solid slugs. Have used hollow points too zero blood...The only way I know I'm not doing any tracking with my .510 is if I keep my shots close and shoot them in the neck....They drop like sack of potatoes...
 
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i have made many pass-thru shots on whitetail from 20 to 50yrds with my .457 piledriver
with my cast lyman 405gr RNFP slugs sized to .457 delivering 720 FPE at the muzzle.
shot placement is just as important as power, but for DL pass-thru shots... power and
projectile type are important also.... :sneaky:
 
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gendoc said:
i have made many pass-thru shots on whitetail from 20 to 50yrds with my .457 piledriver
with my cast lyman 405gr RNFP slugs sized to .457 delivering 720 FPE at the muzzle.
shot placement is just as important as power, but for DL pass-thru shots... power and
projectile type are important also.... :sneaky:
Click to expand...
Dang 405gr, that is a chunk of lead :LOL:
If you don't mind me asking, what kind of accuracy do you get at 50 yards sir?
I'm strictly assuming here, but with that grain weight the drop at 50 must be a good bit?
Thx
Ray
 
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it depends on the shot and your strategy .. generally bigger is 'always' better especially in a situation requiring only 'one' shot, unlike general smallgame pesting where youre shooting for long stretches at multiple targets repeatedly ..in that case a larger gun is just a waste of air and expensive ammo .. so its like that .. i could take out deer no problem with a .25 or .35 if im set up in a spot at short range and set up and choose my shot, but if its deer specifically a larger caliber opens up options for shots and range and thats exactly what id use is a .45/.50 and then tailoring my ammo, not for 'spansion' or power blah blah stupid sht .. but to suit how i got it zeroed, ranges i expect, cover conditions, and flight trajectory ..
 
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Here's something to ponder...

Screenshot_20240729-220504~2.png
 
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Bowhunter73 said:
The first deer I harvested was with a Badger 40cal 180 gr Mr. Hollow point slug at 890fps at 69 lasered yards with a neck shot she dropped in her tracks it figures around 300fpe.
Click to expand...
The neck shot.is more.important than caliber and foot pounds!!!!!! Its not A gaurnteed deal with subsonic slugs unless you break the spine😀 You are wise my friend......
 
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ray1377 said:
Fellows

I'm curious to know from the ones of you who have and do still hunt whitetail deer with a big bore air rifle.
Could you please tell me what you believe to be the most "REQUIRED" FPE at say 50 and 100 yards to dispatch a whitetail with a body shot, no brain or head shots.
Also, which caliber and brand gun did you use?
Which brand and size of ammo did you make the shot with?
How far did the deer go after being shot?
And lastly, was the shot a complete pass through with a decent blood trail?

Thanks
Ray
Click to expand...
 
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ZekeZX10 said:
Click to expand...
All I have experience with is .510 with solid and hollow points in weights ranging from lightest at 450 grain to 650 gr at 750 to 860 fps...In the chest or shoulder. Mixed results. Consistently... They can run a mile with .510 hole through the chest..pass.through no blood trail...Hollow points zero blood like magic no pass.throughs. Either dead 30 yards or run a mile or live another day.. I'm handicap and can't wound and track deer.for miles...So regardless of big bore and foot pounds if you don't break. The spine its a crapshoot... Subsonic 300 blackout have mixed results hunting subsonic..for.comparison... Speed kills...Subsonic is cool and quiet... But not deadly like 3000 fps plus....
 
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RM.510bigbore said:
All I have experience with is .510 with solid and hollow points in weights ranging from lightest at 450 grain to 650 gr at 750 to 860 fps...In the chest or shoulder. Mixed results. Consistently... They can run a mile with .510 hole through the chest..pass.through no blood trail...Hollow points zero blood like magic no pass.throughs. Either dead 30 yards or run a mile or live another day.. I'm handicap and can't wound and track deer.for miles...So regardless of big bore and foot pounds if you don't break. The spine its a crapshoot... Subsonic 300 blackout have mixed results hunting subsonic..for.comparison... Speed kills...Subsonic is cool and quiet... But not deadly like 3000 fps plus....
Click to expand...
Headshots, I don't understand why people don't go for headshots. Doesn't ruin meat, they don't run....
here's 90 yard headshot on a squirrel....deer are bigger so no reason not to. headshots = drt https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/head-shot-thread.1312648/post-1779147

85 yard headshot on a sparrow https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/head-shot-thread.1312648/post-1776694

Nothin but headshots
 
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