.50 BMG for Whitetail Deer

Zee

I’ve had the desire for YEARS to take a deer with a .50 BMG!  I have one for work, but that kinda doesn’t “work out” in a deer blind. 

Last week, a buddy asked me if I would take him shooting with his Armalight in .50 BMG. I said, “Sure. As long as I can use it to take a deer afterwards.”  He agreed so we set out to accomplish. 

Long story short, something is wrong with his gun or the scope. We tried shooting 700 yards and it never would hit the same place twice. Impacts wouldn’t make sense with adjustments. It was expensive and terrible. So, we tried 300. Unfortunately, the same result. Couldn’t hit the same place twice. And the impacts were irrational. 

But, shooting a .50 BMG is wicked fun. 

Ground effects. 

Anyway, it didn’t work out that day. So, my buddy left the gun with me and I was going to try 100 yards the next day. See if I could keep reasonable accuracy at bayonet range to take a deer. 

So, the next day I tried 100 yards. 

And was able to hit a piece of tape on demand. FINALLY!!!

So, my boy and I loaded up and went hunting. 

Using an Armalight AR-50 and a 650gr ball round I pulled out of a belt link. 

Zee

Set up on the hill next to my friends house. Put out corn and waited. Once the deer arrived, it was a matter of picking out the right doe and waiting for her to turn broadside. 

My boy started the video and I let fly. I lost sight of her in recoil, but the video showed her jump straight up in the air. Then, take off running with the rest of the deer across the pasture. My boy lost track of which one was her in the melee. So, watching the video afterwards it looked like she was perfectly broadside. Running with the herd, I see one doe turn back and enter a patch of brush but not come out. Figured that was her. So, my boy and I loaded up on the ATV after about 20 minutes and drove over there. 

As I pulled into the brush, right next to the deer laying on her side with a HUGE hole further back on the exit than I would have anticipated...........she lifts her head, looks at me 3’ from her, gets up and takes off!!!!  I had an empty .50cal next to me that was no use. A .22lr and a left handed .223 in the overhead gun rack. I tried to retrieve the .223 from the rack but she was gone and in the next patch of brush before I could undo the Velcro. 

Learning point. I will NEVER go after a downed deer (assumed dead or otherwise) without at least a pistol ready. I assumed she would be dead. After all, it was a .50cal........right?!?  Well, I’m standing there with nothing in my hand as this deer lifts her head and takes off. Had I had a pistol, I could have popped her multiple times and saved myself the long nigh ahead. Stupid mistake. Learn from mine. 

And so the night began. 

Zee

Not willing to make the same mistake twice, I went back to my truck and got my G19. Then, took up the trail at the base of the thick rocky hill with a headlamp, a flashlight, and a G19. 

Crawling on hands and knees through the brush, I followed the blood trail. Not excessive, but adequate dark blood, I figured a liver hit. Though it shouldn’t have been from a broadside deer. It would be spot, spot,spot, then a hand side splash of blood. After about 100 yards, I heard a snort in front of me. In the thick brush, I saw a deer get up about 10 yards in front of me and take off. 

I figured it was her. But, keep in mind, I can’t go firing my pistol at every deer I jump unless I can somehow confirm it’s the deer I previously shot. All I saw as she got up was her head as she turned and ran. Couldn’t confirm it was my deer and had no shot. Following the blood, it was confirmed it was her. But, after the fact. 

The trail continued up over the hill and down the other side. I jumped her again after about another 100-150 yards but I didn’t see her. Just saw where she had been laying down. She broke out of the brush and started going along the edge according to her blood trail in the dark. 

Following it about another 200 yards, up and down another hill, she entered the brush again. It was cold and I knew it was supposed to freeze that night. A voice in my head said, “Mark this spot where she’s entering the brush and come back in the morning.”  The idiot in my said, “Just a little further.”
Well, not 20 yards into the brush, I jumped her again. Too think to see her. But, 10 yards in front, I heard her get up and break brush in her escape. Blood later revealed it was her. 

Well, I was done. Learned my lesson. I’d gone 400 yards with ample to sparse, to no blood at times. Just following tracks. 

I decided to mark the spot. Leave her be. Hope she’d bed again shortly and let her die unmollested. Return in the morning and try to find her. 

From a .50 BMG!!! 

Zee

Returned at daylight with frost on the ground and began the track again. 

Long story short following sparse sign, I find where she had laid up again. Deer bed in the thickest brush around, pool of dried blood. No deer. 

I looked at my boy, who by the way.......I have to give amazing props to. He tracked all that night with me in the cold dark and wanted to return in the freezing morning to continue. He was a great help as he’d stand at the last blood and allow me to cast out until I found the next track or drop. It was amazing help and I couldn’t have done it without him. 

Anyway, I told him that I was afraid of this. Her laying down and stopping the flow of blood. Just to get up and move again without bleeding. I said that maybe she felt the grip of death coming and just got up in a last ditched effort to fight it off. Maybe she wasn’t far. 

So, I started circling her last bed in the thick thorn and cactus. 

BINGO!!!
About 10 yards away, I found her dead and frozen. 

Zee

When I saw the entrance, I thought, how the HELL did she run 871 yards!!!

After measuring........that’s how far she ran and I tracked her after being hit with a 650gr ball round from a .50 BMG!!!

Zee

So, the post mortem revealed that apparently she wasn’t as broadside as I thought. Though I could have sworn she was and even now looks like it in the video. But, the bullet entered for what I would have thought would have been a perfect heart shot. 

But, her angle caused the bullet to miss the heart, pass through the very back of her right lung, make a cookie cutter hole through the edge of her liver, poke the front of her intestines, and exit back on her off side. 

The LEAST amount of damage of ANY deer me, my boy, or anyone else I’ve been with this year have cause. With cartridges ranging from .223 Remington to .404 Jeffery. All.........have caused more internal damage than this instance. With smaller, but more applicable and proper bullet/cartridge combinations. 

I feel confident that, while a bad shot in retrospect and still don’t know how other than I didn’t see what I thought I saw, the same shot with an expanding bullet of any adequate cartridge would have finished her in less than half the distance and with considerably more internal damage. 

I’ve see ELD-M from 6.5cal and .30cal shred lungs and livers with similar hits and cause more trauma and bloodshot while being substantially smaller in caliber and case size than the round I used on this doe. 

I stand amazed and yet not amazed at the result. 

The lesson?  Size doesn’t always matter. 

Right tool, good job. Wrong tool or wrong place, I don’t care how big a hammer you bring.......if it’s wrong........it’s wrong. 

Zee

That 650gr FMG bullet ice picked through that doe. Granted, it was a 1/2” ice pick. But, the round caused zero secondary trauma to the internal organs. No temporary cavity damage, no hydrostatic shock. It poked a hole and that’s it. 

Zee

Due to the freeze, the meat was still good and was donated to a family who appreciated it. 

sakodude

Quite the adventure and learning experience no doubt. As hard as the jackets must be on those rounds can't say I'm surprised it penciled through. 

Zee

It turned into a fiasco. But, after finding the deer, still resulted in a successful science experiment. 

And I can add the .50 BMG to my list of cartridges I’ve taken medium game with. 

Diver43

Good on you and your Son not giving up.  Seeing first hand what a .50 can do to things like trucks. Ships and shipping containers, it doesn't surprise me it went straight through the doe. But I thought a hole like that would do more damage. 

Did you ever figure out why the gun wasnt shooting constant?

Zee

I haven’t yet. I tightened every screw on the gun. My next thought is the Millet Scope. 

I don’t understand the concept of spending that money on a rifle and skimping on the optic that rides the beast. 

sakodude

The "mystic"of the 50 BMG would not lend itself to the result you proved. Most certainly scientific discovery was achieved and, one more line item on a very impressive list.

Zee

sakodude said:

The "mystic"of the 50 BMG would not lend itself to the result you proved. Most certainly scientific discovery was achieved and, one more line item on a very impressive list.

In reality, disproving the 
Movie Show Reality was my true purpose. I knew it wouldn’t be a dramatic as portrayed. But, it was even less than I thought!!
I was planning on a 700 yards shot to not damage the deer as much. Hell, 100 yards away and you can eat up to the bullet hole!!

CHIRO1989

Time to switch to an A-Max bullet

mitdr774

https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/76053

Time to experiment?

Zee

knitepoet said:

CHIRO1989 said:

Time to switch to an A-Max bullet

That's what I was thinking as I read the ordeal

We use 750gr A-Max at work. But, I can’t see it giving any different of a result. It ain’t gonna expand either. 

CHIRO1989

Zee said:

knitepoet said:

CHIRO1989 said:

Time to switch to an A-Max bullet

That's what I was thinking as I read the ordeal

We use 750gr A-Max at work. But, I can’t see it giving any different of a result. It ain’t gonna expand either. .

CHIRO1989

Zee said:

knitepoet said:

CHIRO1989 said:

Time to switch to an A-Max bullet

That's what I was thinking as I read the ordeal

We use 750gr A-Max at work. But, I can’t see it giving any different of a result. It ain’t gonna expand either. 

Call Hornady and complain they are not properly expanding on whitetails, see what they say

Zee

CHIRO1989 said:

Zee said:

knitepoet said:

CHIRO1989 said:

Time to switch to an A-Max bullet

That's what I was thinking as I read the ordeal

We use 750gr A-Max at work. But, I can’t see it giving any different of a result. It ain’t gonna expand either. 

Call Hornady and complain they are not properly expanding on whitetails, see what they say

That would be a funny call. I’m tempted. 

N454casull

I’ve been wondering about if you got this done. 

I’m not sure there’s “enough there” to get any 50 bullet to expand much. Might be interesting to try though. If I ever go back to Montana I’ll probably take the 50 for a doe. 

Ernie Bishop

Probably more lessons are learned, when things go differently than we expect...Great story and pictures!

Zee

Ernie Bishop said:

Probably more lessons are learned, when things go differently than we expect...Great story and pictures!

Usually how it works.  If what I thought would happen......happened.......I don’t learn anything. 

bullsi1911

Zee said:

knitepoet said:

CHIRO1989 said:

Time to switch to an A-Max bullet

That's what I was thinking as I read the ordeal

We use 750gr A-Max at work. But, I can’t see it giving any different of a result. It ain’t gonna expand either. 

But you won’t KNOW until you try it!

Science!!!

Zee

bullsi1911 said:

Zee said:

knitepoet said:

CHIRO1989 said:

Time to switch to an A-Max bullet

That's what I was thinking as I read the ordeal

We use 750gr A-Max at work. But, I can’t see it giving any different of a result. It ain’t gonna expand either. 

But you won’t KNOW until you try it!

Science!!!

Would be nice to use a gun I trusted!

Ernie Bishop

Zee said:

Ernie Bishop said:

Probably more lessons are learned, when things go differently than we expect...Great story and pictures!

Usually how it works.  If what I thought would happen......happened.......I don’t learn anything. 

Sometimes you are not trying to learn things...You just want to happen, what you have come to expect from experience.  This is one of the reasons you have come to love the AI.

Zee

Ernie Bishop said:

Zee said:

Ernie Bishop said:

Probably more lessons are learned, when things go differently than we expect...Great story and pictures!

Usually how it works.  If what I thought would happen......happened.......I don’t learn anything. 

Sometimes you are not trying to learn things...You just want to happen, what you have come to expect from experience.  This is one of the reasons you have come to love the AI.

Well yes. But, that’s not science. If I want an expected result, I grab the tool that gives me the desired result. 

If I want to learn........I oft need to wander uncharted territory. Try something new. Or.........likely.......leave the reservation. 

Zee

And this...........

Is what I carried the next morning. If I jumped her again......she was getting both barrels. 

Every time I jumped her the night before was sub 20 yards in thick brush. Figured I’d give this a try if need be. 

Ernie Bishop

YES!

CHIRO1989

Zee said:

And this...........

Is what I carried the next morning. If I jumped her again......she was getting both barrels. 

Every time I jumped her the night before was sub 20 yards in thick brush. Figured I’d give this a try if need be. 

Shoulder says "ouch" this week.

GunNut

Wow so she didn’t fly out of her hooves (shoes) like they do in the movies?!?!?!?! Crazy!