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How to Preserve Velvet Deer Antlers | Deer & Deer Hunting

January 31, 2024

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Velvet deer antlers are beyond cool, especially when you come across a velvet buck during hunting season. It’s pretty rare, because most (but not all) bowhunting season start after bucks have shed their velvet. There are a few exceptions. States like Florida, Wyoming and Montana are a few that come to mind when it comes to early deer hunting seasons that coincide with white-tailed bucks still having full or partial racks covered in velvet.

I’ve had the good fortune of hunting several such locations over the years, and I’ve taken about a half-dozen bucks that had either full or partial velvet crowns. The most recent one was last fall in Wyoming where I shot a really cool-looking white-tailed buck as he was in the process of shedding his crimson velvet. We captured that hunt on video, and the show just aired on Pursuit Channel. If you haven’t already seen it, check it out here on our YouTube page:

The unfortunate thing about all of those bucks I’ve shot is that I really don’t have one that has been properly preserved. For the most part, the velvet bucks I’ve taken were mostly hardened underneath. That makes for a really difficult job for a layman (me) or even an experienced taxidermist. With the deer hunting season already upon us (in Florida) and approaching fast (Sept. 1 in Wyoming), I spent some time on my lunch break today searching for ways to preserve velvet antlers. This video by Dick’s Taxidermy is a great tutorial for how to do it yourself. Thanks to Curt from DT for taking the time to make this video and share it with everyone!

See also .22-250 Remington vs .243 Winchester Ammo Comparison - Ballistics Info & Chart Caliber Ballistics Comparison 07 Dec, 2018 Posted By: Foundry Outdoors The following ammunition cartridge ballistics information and chart can be used to approximately compare .22-250 Remington vs .243 Winchester ammo rounds. Please note, the following information reflects the estimated average ballistics for each caliber and does not pertain to a particular manufacturer, bullet weight, or jacketing type. As such, the following is for comparative information purposes only and should not be used to make precise predictions of the trajectory, performance, or true ballistics of any particular .22-250 Remington or .243 Winchester rounds for hunting, target shooting, plinking, or any other usage. The decision for which round is better for a given application should be made with complete information, and this article simply serves as a comparative guide, not the final say. For more detailed ballistics information please refer to the exact round in question or contact the manufacturer for the pertinent information. True .22-250 Remington and .243 Winchester ballistics information can vary widely from the displayed information, and it is important to understand that the particular characteristics of a given round can make a substantive difference in its true performance. Caliber Type Velocity (fps) Energy (ft-lb) .22-250 Remington Rifle 3790 1620 .243 Winchester Rifle 3180 1950 [Click Here to Shop .22-250 Remington Ammo] [Click Here to Shop .243 Winchester Ammo] VelocityAs illustrated in the chart, .22-250 Remington rounds - on average - achieve a velocity of about 3790 feet per second (fps) while .243 Winchester rounds travel at a velocity of 3180 fps. To put this into perspective, a Boeing 737 commercial airliner travels at a cruising speed of 600 mph, or 880 fps. That is to say, .22-250 Remington bullets travel 4.3 times the speed of a 737 airplane at cruising speed, while .243 Winchester bullets travel 3.6 times that same speed.Various calibersEnergyFurthermore, the muzzle energy of a .22-250 Remington round averages out to 1620 ft-lb, while a .243 Winchester round averages out to about 1950 ft-lb. One way to think about this is as such: a foot-pound is a unit of energy equal to the amount of energy required to raise a weight of one pound a distance of one foot. So a .22-250 Remington round exits the barrel with kinetic energy equal to the energy required for linear vertical displacement of 1620 pounds through a one foot distance, while a .243 Winchester round exiting the barrel has energy equal to the amount required to displace 1950 pounds over the same one foot distance. As a rule of thumb, when it comes to hunting, muzzle energy is what many hunters look at when deciding on what caliber of firearm / ammunition to select. Generally speaking, the higher the muzzle energy, the higher the stopping power. Again, the above is for comparative information purposes only, and you should consult the exact ballistics for the particular .22-250 Remington or .243 Winchester cartridge you're looking at purchasing. [Buy .22-250 Remington Ammo] [Buy .243 Winchester Ammo] Please click the above links to take a look at all of the .22-250 Remington and .243 Winchester ammo we have in stock and ready to ship, and let us know any parting thoughts in the comment section below.Foundry Outdoors is your trusted home for buying archery, camping, fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and outdoor gear online.We offer cheap ammo and bulk ammo deals on the most popular ammo calibers. We have a variety of deals on Rifle Ammo, Handgun Ammo, Shotgun Ammo & Rimfire Ammo, as well as ammo for target practice, plinking, hunting, or shooting competitions. Our website lists special deals on 9mm Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 45-70 Ammo, 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, 300 Blackout Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 5.56 Ammo, Underwood Ammo, Buffalo Bore Ammo and more special deals on bulk ammo.We offer a 100% Authenticity Guarantee on all products sold on our website. Please email us if you have questions about any of our product listings. 6 Comments Justin - May 08, 2020You guys are full of crap. This is misleading Bologna, you know the 45 -70 grain .243 Win destroy the 22 250 in velocity and distance. The range of the 243 also defiles the 22-250 . I wish I could sue you for misleading crap like this. Tyson - May 09, 2020@Justin – i think they are right, what is your source? everything I’m seeing agrees with the above info 22-250 is faster, 243 has more energy. compare PP22250 vs PP2432 for examplePP22250 – 1655 ft lbs, 3680 fps PP243 – 1945 ft lbs, 2960 fps Paul Nelson - Dec 06, 2021Tyson is correct. I shoot a Tikka T3 22-250. Although I load my own for long distance shooting, I trade kinetic energy, stopping power for muzzle velocity. I would not shoot a large game animal at the distance I shoot, although my round is very fast and accurate beyond belief, at distance beyond 500 yards my 85 gr.Nosler round lacks the punch to pierce beyond the shoulder blade. The rounds small weight and lose of it’s kenetic energy just doesn’t hold together upon bone contact. Soft targets see the perform at it best. Paul Nelson - Dec 06, 2021Justin, meant no disrespect. For anyone who takes thier shooting very personal, I have the ultimate book for you. It’s called, Game loads and practical ballistics for the American hunter. Covers all basic civilian calibers from .17 varsity to .375 H&H. Cover drop at 100 yard intervals, temperature effect on performance, which powders and primers are best for your caliber and more. Took the author 25 yrs to compile the data. Excellent book for any shooters library. The author is Bob Hagel, writer for many outdoors and firearm publications. Also gives you creditable facts when challenged by another shooter. Bradley - Nov 16, 2022@Paul Nelson What’s the barrel twist rate in your Tikka T3 22-250? I’ve been checking some ballistic value data and the info would suggest that a long bullet like the 85 gr Nosler you use would require 1:9 or faster. But the experiment always outweighs the theory! That’s why I’m looking at a Browning X-Bolt with 22 in barrel and 1:9 twist rate. It’s possibly on the high side for smaller and lighter projectiles but perfect for the longer heavier ones. Greg - May 23, 2024I agree with the first guy to comment…while if what you shoot is what you can find at the store, yeah, the 22-250 is way faster….If you handload….well, my 243 will be right with the 250 in terms of velocity with a bigger heavier bullet. Want a good comparison, 22-250 with a 40 gr. Around 4000-4100, 243 with a 55-58gr at around 3900-4000. 22-250 with a 55gr at around 3600-3700 vs my go to varmint load in my 243 with a 70 gr at a little under 3600. Yeah, the 243 wins Leave a commentComments have to be approved before showing up Your Name * Your Email * Your Comment * Post Comment

The 5 key points to preserving velvet deer antlers are:

Remove all meat and tissue from the skull plate BEFORE even thinking of doing anything else. This meat and tissue will eventually dry up and then rot, making your rack a target for insects. That’s a bad thing!
Once the skull plate is perfectly clean, soak the velvet rack in a mixture of water and 37 percent formaldehyde. To do one rack, find a container that can easily hold at least 6 gallons of fluid (and more for headroom). The mixture should be 2 gallons of 37 percent formaldehyde (available online) and 4 gallons of water.
Let the rack / skull soak in the formaldehyde mixture for 10 days. Do not disturb the rack while it is soaking. This soaking allows the velvet to obtain 100 percent saturation. This is absolutely critical. A lot of guys try to inject velvet antlers with syringes filled with formaldehyde. As Curt explains in this video, injections only go so far, and they leave a lot of room for error (untreated areas). This will eventually lead to decay (and a stinking mess!)
After 10 days, remove the rack from the solution, rinse it lightly with water, and screw the rack to a piece of plywood. Place it in an area where it won’t get disturbed (back room of a garage works fine), and set up a box fan to keep air circulating. This will help dry up the formaldehyde and “cure” the antlers. Keep the fan on the rack for at least 48 hours.
That’s it .. you are now ready for the next steps in preserving your trophy — whether that means affixing the rack to a wall plaque or having the rack prepared for a shoulder mount.

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