Post by bigmuddy on Dec 15, 2009 21:45:41 GMT -5
A couple weeks ago I spent some time hunting with JT, my oldest son. I had been hunting all week with my handgun, and while I was seeing deer none were giving me the shot I was looking for. I was hunting with my Power Custom #5 44 special. I have killed deer with various caliber revolvers, but had never hunted with the special. This gun has pretty much been at my hip constantly since Ron finished it for me, and I have several rounds through it. I was confident I could place the shot, and was anxious to see how the "little" 44 would do.
JT and I were out Friday around noon so that he could shoot his rifle. He had not fired it for quite some time, and he needed to see that everything was still on the mark with it. He shot it well out to 200 yards, and we were ready for the late afternoon hunt. I took him down to a corner in one of my pastures where I had been seeing several deer all week. They were coming in from across the pasture, and were staying out in the field around 100 yards. I shoot targets at that range a lot, but won't shoot live targets at that range with open sights. His scoped rifle may be just the ticket.
After showing the spot to him, we were walking along a creek heading back to get all of our gear for the hunt. I looked across the creek, and there 35 yards away was a nice mature doe. She appeared to be feeding at 1:30 in the afternoon, and she saw us about the same time we found her. She new something was up, but did that "deer freeze", not moving. She was broadside to us, but there was ONE tree limb hanging down about half way between me and the deer that was protecting her vitals. I crawled to the edge of the creek, but that shot was even worse. Then, as if she had a death wish, she took about 3 or 4 steps to my right, and there was the wide open shot I wanted. I aimed right behind her shoulder and fired. I saw a high leg kick and she ran angling away into a small field that we had not cut hay in. The grass was very tall and I lost sight of her, but JT said he could see her and thought she had laid down. I was hoping more for her FALL down, but either way I could not see her at all. I moved to where he was standing, and I could see the deer's head and neck in the tall grass. I told JT that she was not laying down, she was still standing. I had to guess where her chest would be due to the high grass, and I fired again. At that shot, she bolted to my left and piled up in about a 20 yard dash.
I had my first 44 special deer, and since I have gotten quite fond of the cartridge, this added to it. The first shot had gone through the deer, in and out behind the shoulders taking out the lungs. I am not sure how she was still standing, but we have all seen similar things. The second shot hit the deer behind the last rib, and she was quartered away more than I thought. The bullet exited through the opposite side shoulder blade.
My load was a 250 gr. Keith cast by a friend of mine, backed by 17 grains of 2400, the old Elmer load. This load clocks right at 1200 fps from my 5 1/2" gun. Obviously the second shot was not needed for this one.
JT did not see any deer until it was too dark to take a shot, but the next morning he saw 3 does in another pasture mid morning. He got into a prone position, and took a 225 yard shot with his Winchester Model 70 7mmSTW. He got his too after a short tracking job.
Now why am I calling this my best hunt? Well, the reason that JT had not fired his gun much, and the reason he did not start to hunt until Friday was due his deployment in Iraq with the 82nd Airborne Division. He surprised me by calling and saying that he scheduled his 2 week R&R so that he could come home to deer hunt. We have not gotten to hunt together since he enlisted, and with this his second tour in the sand box I had no plans of us doing so this year either. Getting deer was really secondary on this hunt. The feeling I had on this one, well makes it my best hunt I think.
We went out a few more times, and since our freezer was pretty full, we did not shoot anymore. (His mom shot two on opening day and I had one earlier with my bow). Each outing was just super, spending time with him and seeing him enjoying things that he had taken for granted sometimes. It was hard to send him back "over there" after the two weeks, but the time was sure special.
The Ron Power #5
My doe
JT's doe
JT and I were out Friday around noon so that he could shoot his rifle. He had not fired it for quite some time, and he needed to see that everything was still on the mark with it. He shot it well out to 200 yards, and we were ready for the late afternoon hunt. I took him down to a corner in one of my pastures where I had been seeing several deer all week. They were coming in from across the pasture, and were staying out in the field around 100 yards. I shoot targets at that range a lot, but won't shoot live targets at that range with open sights. His scoped rifle may be just the ticket.
After showing the spot to him, we were walking along a creek heading back to get all of our gear for the hunt. I looked across the creek, and there 35 yards away was a nice mature doe. She appeared to be feeding at 1:30 in the afternoon, and she saw us about the same time we found her. She new something was up, but did that "deer freeze", not moving. She was broadside to us, but there was ONE tree limb hanging down about half way between me and the deer that was protecting her vitals. I crawled to the edge of the creek, but that shot was even worse. Then, as if she had a death wish, she took about 3 or 4 steps to my right, and there was the wide open shot I wanted. I aimed right behind her shoulder and fired. I saw a high leg kick and she ran angling away into a small field that we had not cut hay in. The grass was very tall and I lost sight of her, but JT said he could see her and thought she had laid down. I was hoping more for her FALL down, but either way I could not see her at all. I moved to where he was standing, and I could see the deer's head and neck in the tall grass. I told JT that she was not laying down, she was still standing. I had to guess where her chest would be due to the high grass, and I fired again. At that shot, she bolted to my left and piled up in about a 20 yard dash.
I had my first 44 special deer, and since I have gotten quite fond of the cartridge, this added to it. The first shot had gone through the deer, in and out behind the shoulders taking out the lungs. I am not sure how she was still standing, but we have all seen similar things. The second shot hit the deer behind the last rib, and she was quartered away more than I thought. The bullet exited through the opposite side shoulder blade.
My load was a 250 gr. Keith cast by a friend of mine, backed by 17 grains of 2400, the old Elmer load. This load clocks right at 1200 fps from my 5 1/2" gun. Obviously the second shot was not needed for this one.
JT did not see any deer until it was too dark to take a shot, but the next morning he saw 3 does in another pasture mid morning. He got into a prone position, and took a 225 yard shot with his Winchester Model 70 7mmSTW. He got his too after a short tracking job.
Now why am I calling this my best hunt? Well, the reason that JT had not fired his gun much, and the reason he did not start to hunt until Friday was due his deployment in Iraq with the 82nd Airborne Division. He surprised me by calling and saying that he scheduled his 2 week R&R so that he could come home to deer hunt. We have not gotten to hunt together since he enlisted, and with this his second tour in the sand box I had no plans of us doing so this year either. Getting deer was really secondary on this hunt. The feeling I had on this one, well makes it my best hunt I think.
We went out a few more times, and since our freezer was pretty full, we did not shoot anymore. (His mom shot two on opening day and I had one earlier with my bow). Each outing was just super, spending time with him and seeing him enjoying things that he had taken for granted sometimes. It was hard to send him back "over there" after the two weeks, but the time was sure special.
The Ron Power #5
My doe
JT's doe
