Deer with .30-30 125 gr hollow points -- read this!

My son started deer hunting this year with my Winchester M94 .30-30. Since he is lightly built and only 11 years old, I thought I'd try the lightest bullet I could find in the hopes that he'd shoot it more accurately. I came across some 125 gr. hollow points made by Winchester. Although I was skeptical of the bullet design for deer, especially on a shoulder shot, I went against my better judgement and bought them. He shot them well, and off we went to the woods.

The first evening in the stand, he shot a small spike. The deer was only fifty yards out, broadside, and completely still when he shot. It took me nearly an hour to find a single drop of bright, red blood and a small piece of lung. I knew the shot was a good one, and I expected to find the deer at any minute. I spent the next hour and a half on my hands and knees moving from drop to drop trying to track the deer. Several times the trail seemed to run out, and I had to move back a few yards and start again. I eventually found the small buck. He had run about 200 yards before piling up.

My son made an absolutely *perfect* shot

I feel strongly that they are woefully inadequate for deer. Which begs the question...what are they good for?

Chris, If your son hit the buck about 4' up from the chest, the shot was actually a bit low. Personally, on a broadside shot I'd rather hit too high than too low. A low shot would cause hemorrhaging, but a high hit in the lungs kills much more quickly in my experience and if the shot is too high you're going to hit the spine or at the very least severely disrupt the nerves running along the spine. I once hit a buck low like your son did with a 6mm 100 gr. Sierra. I had to trail him through yaupon thickets with a scant blood trail to follow. It was quite a pain. Granted the 125 gr. bullet isn't ideal, but on a 50 yd. broadside shot I would think the bullet would be more than capable. I say this because I have killed 6 or 8 deer with a 220 Swift and bullets that didn't exit. I do think however you are wise by switching to heavier bullets. Greg

try going up to 140 or 150gr but u still r going to take achance at trailing a deer no matter what size round an did the bullet exit

Go to a 150 grain bullet, they don't kick much more...they might even have that round in reduced recoil...a high shoulder shot leaves more more for error and usually drops them in their tracks.

Your choice for weapon was fine, and the 125 grain bullet would have done fine with a direct shoulder shot.
I use cast bullets of 160-175 grains, 28 grains Re-7, a shoulder shot and everything is dropped in it's tracks, including 240 pound pigs.
The ear;ier comment regarding shot plaxce emnt was also correct better hogh than low, and sagain, I'd move it forward 4" too. there's just not thatmuch meat l;oss with the shoulder shot, and I've never had to track a pid or deer OR elk from a 30-30 round placed there using my own cast bullets.
I like to see kids start right and make it EASY on Dads too.
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