Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Ever hit a bull mortally, with no reaction?

A buddy of mine went on a cow hunt recently and filled his tag. Two mortal wounds with a 6.5 Creed, still needed a finisher. His story got me to thinking about hitting elk hard but seeing little to no reaction.

I killed my first bull, a 4x4, with a 30-06, 180 grain round-nose Core-Lokts. 65 yards maybe, three shots like Lee Harvey, no reaction. Fourth shot broke his shoulder and that was that. First three shots double lung but didn’t hit much bone, maybe a rib or two. None exited.

Second bull, a big 5x5, same rifle and load, 50 yards, first shot through the ribs didn’t even slow him down, neck shot did.

Hit a spike bull at 40 yards or so, 30-06 with 180 Partitions, he just kept walking but he stopped bugling. Double lung and exit, no major bone. Headshot from behind put him down.

A 4x4 at 90 yards with a 300 Wby Mag, 180 Partitions, after the first shot through the ribs he just casually started walking off. Second shot through the ribs stopped him, third shot in the neck dropped him.

And then some dropped like they slipped on ice, similar placement.

So I told my buddy sometimes they just don’t want to die.

Any durability stories?




P

Lung or double lung is not an instant mortality shot. They have to bleed or suffocate.

Not a matter of durability. Have had several that took 1 double lung shot get out of site.
Tracking them always resulted in a dead elk! I just don't think they are wired to DRT
without a CNS hit for the most part.

Yep….walking little bull, 35 or so yards, broadside hit behind the shoulder with a 270 grain bullet from my .375 AI. He May have started walking a bit faster, went about 10 steps, turned hard left, and collapsed about the time I touched the trigger for the second shot! Sometimes they just don’t realize their dead!

This event helps reaffirm my belief that ft/lbs energy mean very little to big game….because he got hit with a lot of it, well big numbers anyway! 😉 memtb

Yes a solid double lung with a hard cast 45-70. Went a 1/4 mile. I thought it was very bizarre and although big, I don’t think elk are all that tough.

My experience as well. A 180 Partition from a 300 Wby Mag carries a lot of mail. The 2 1/2 year old 4x4 shrugged it off like nothing.

Similar sized bull a few years later took a 140 Partition through the left scapula, double lung no exit, from my 7mm-08 at 68 yards. Dropped before I could cycle the bolt and get back on him.





P

I have only killed two bull elk, one with a 7mm rem mag(175gr PT) and the other with a 338-06 (210gr Barnes X). Neither showed any sign of being hit but both fell with 50 to 100 yds of impact.

Several times. Reaching for a second round (Ruger #1 7-Mag) thinking I had somehow missed, and they tipped over.

If it acts like nothing happened, then took some time to go down, likely it was in shock. You hit a major blood vessel and the blood pressure plummeted. The brain was suddenly left dry. Lack of blood to the brain shuts down the entire system. It's like a person who goes into shock after an accident. It's often fatal if something isn't done to immediately restore the blood pressure.

I once put 4 rounds in the lungs of an elk. He just stood there like I'd missed. After 10 or 15 seconds, he slowly started going down. I'd put all 4 in a 4" circle. The lungs were jello and the far shoulder was broken. The 1st one put him in shock and he would have gone down just the same without the other 3. Don't stop shooting, though, as you don't know if he's in shock or not. If the pump's still running, he could still take off.

Come on guys……we all know that any elk will be thrown to the ground when absorbing 3000+ ft/lbs energy! 🤔memtb

Most of mine that I can remember have at least reacted to the shot, though they usually make it 20+ yards before going down, regardless if double lunged or had a shoulder broke.

I do recall one doe antelope that simply wouldn't die. I felt bad about the situation. IIRC, she took a 69 Sierra .224 bullet at about 100 yards which absolutely DESTROYED the lungs. She made it 3-400 yards literally with chunks of lung falling out of both the entry and exit hole, as well as her mouth. I don't recall any animal ever loosing as much blood as she did, let alone by a 60-70 lb animal and go that far without lungs. When I found her she had her head up still and was bedded down. I believe I shot her 3-4 more times at 50 yards and she still wouldn't die. I subconsciously don't like head shots so I kept shooting her in the chest. Finally I came to my senses and put one in the noggin, ending it.

I was SO glad I was alone. It was embarrassing how it went down.

The only bull I ever killed, a rag horn, took a 180 grain Weatherby factory load from a 300 Weatherby at about 60 yards.

He never even flinched that I could tell. I chambered another one quickly and when I centered him in the scope I noticed he was swaying slightly.

I kept the crosshairs on him and after a few seconds he reared up on his hind legs and went straight over on his back and rolled down hill until he hit a tree.

My example of one

KC

Moose sure can soak up lead with little reaction. Never have done a legit elk hunt.

I had a buck this year that fooled me. Double lung shot. Buck walked calmly down the beach and stood there. Thinking i missed I put another one in him. When I went to him I could see a huge blood trail from where I initially hit him. My buddy who was in the boat saw the play by play and saw zero reaction from the initial shot too.

Yup. 20+ years ago, about 180 yards. 7mm Rem Mag, handloaded 175 grain Nosler Partition at about 2900 fps. Went in behind the front leg, took out the big blood vessels and top of the heart, proceeded to exit.

Bull didn't even flinch.

I chambered a fresh cartridge and my buddy whispered "No, he's going to go down." And so he did, about six steps further. Then he dropped. Wow... I was impressed.



Regards, Guy

I called in a fairly heavy 5 point and shot him with a 400gr Power Belt from 35 yd. Broadside lung shot just behind shoulder. He stood there and coughed a bit. While I was reloading, he started walking down the hill so I laid on the call. He stopped and CAME BACK part way. Shot him again in the same place. He walked 40 yds and lay down, but head was up. I reloaded again and crept down there. He got up AGAIN and walked quartering away. Third shot angled forward in the chest and put him down. Brother down the ridge timed it and said 15 min between 1st & last shot! Tough critter for sure.

The common exclamation spoken after each of these events, “if I’d only used a 6.5 Creedmore”! 😂 memtb

Got to give them time to die.

Knockdown power is a myth.

Amen…..Absolutely! But, it sold a lot of new, improved cartridges! memtb

I put three 180 Partitions from my '06 in a large guard cow at 60 yards. All bullets in the left shoulder angling to the right hip. She acted like she had been bit by a horsefly at the second shot, otherwise nothing. I chambered a fourth round and she tipped over dead.

Two went all the way through, one stayed in the right ham under about 1.5 inches of flesh. Found it when butchering.

My new wife bought me a .338 Win Mag after hearing me whine about it for a couple of years. It doesn't seem to kill them much faster. But I do believe I can tell when they are hit. I think they flinch a bit.