Three days before Christmas 1982 I killed a little 7point with my Christmas present that was given to me early. It was a Smith & Wesson 1000P 12ga pump. The buck was shot at about 40 yards with a load of 00 buckshot. He ran maybe a hundred yards and then piled up. What a wondrous morning it was! I was 14.
What did you use to kill your first deer?
- Thread starter 358Goat
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filmjunkie4ever
Handloader
- May 4, 2011
- 2,157
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I was 13 and very gangly. The Savage 99 EG .300 had a steel buttplate which seemed much too friendly with my bony shoulder. Still, despite missing more bucks than I care to admit, on the last day I got a little 2x3 Mule Deer buck at about 75 yards. The factory loaded 150 grain Silvertip bullet did the trick. I was excited, and yet solemn, proud to finally be a big game hunter. I used that rifle for a few more animals before moving on to others. I still have it though.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,916
- 7,780
My first deer was a big-bodied mule deer taken with a 356 Winchester loaded with 250 grain Power Points. I had called in a nice buck earlier, but I was unable to seal the deal because he surprised me by coming up on my right side while I was secreted under a large bush. He stopped and head-faked me a couple of times to see if I would move before he slowly backed away and bounded away. Disappointed, I surveyed my surroundings before deciding to climb onto the branch of a large white pine. I gave a gentle doe bleat, and was answered by a grunt from a 4x4 buck coming in to look for what he assumed to be a hot doe. He stoppped some yards from the tree in which I was perched and looked up at me. I'm certain I read in his eyes, "Now, how did she get up there?" I didn't give him time to consider much beyond that as I dropped him with those 250 grains of lead travelling at roughly 2200 fps. He was a nice fat buck that tasted doubly good because he was my first.
What is especially memorable is that an even larger buck, a 4X5 with an incredible spread walked up to examine the firt buck lying there before I could even move from my perch. This big boy didn't wait around to see what might happen. However, having only one tag, he was safe from me. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
What is especially memorable is that an even larger buck, a 4X5 with an incredible spread walked up to examine the firt buck lying there before I could even move from my perch. This big boy didn't wait around to see what might happen. However, having only one tag, he was safe from me. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
I used a Remington 11-87 with Remington 2 3/4” Sluggers. Cheap old Bushnell 4x Banner on top. I’ll look and see if I can find the picture. Still have the shotgun and man the memory is still alive in my brain. It was a cold Thanksgiving day around 10 degrees if I remember right. I believe he was a 3x2 or 5 point by eastern standards. Might as well have been the Jordan buck to me at 12-13 years old.
I was a couple years under the legal age back then to hunt but I think the law might forgive me since the time has passed.
I was a couple years under the legal age back then to hunt but I think the law might forgive me since the time has passed.
RL338
Handloader
- Mar 23, 2017
- 4,074
- 7,137
Remington 7400 in 308 Win. with 150gr Remington Core-Lokts.
leadchucker
Beginner
- Sep 19, 2012
- 222
- 73
1991 i believe, with a ruger m77 ultralight in .270 win. 130gr bt. Hauled him out of the bush with my yammy bravo 250 lots of snow that winter
longrangehunter
Handloader
- Jun 19, 2011
- 1,703
- 466
A PSE Compound bow! I had about $250 invested into the entire thing, case and all. Used it to take a lot more deer too. Not fancy, but it worked as long as I did my part of the job.
Blkram
Handloader
- Nov 25, 2013
- 3,169
- 3,707
A whitetail doe that crossed the road in front of us as we were returning to camp for dinner. I climbed the bank to the railroad tracks and found her at the bottom of the other side at 20 yards. One shot from my grandfather's Marlin 336 in 30-30 did the trick. My first big game animal. After cutting its throat to bleed her, and dragging her up th bank and to the truck on the other side we returned to camp. I watched as my grandfather taught me and some of my cousins how the clean and hang the deer.
Took him less than 20 minutes with his little Old Timer pocket knife!
Took him less than 20 minutes with his little Old Timer pocket knife!
leadchucker
Beginner
- Sep 19, 2012
- 222
- 73
And because i am a antler nut, i kept him. 7×3 funky monkey1991 i believe, with a ruger m77 ultralight in .270 win. 130gr bt. Hauled him out of the bush with my yammy bravo 250 lots of snow that winter
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leadchucker
Beginner
- Sep 19, 2012
- 222
- 73
He had a left club rear foot. I assume thats what caused the antler derform..
TackDriver284
Handloader
- Feb 13, 2016
- 2,873
- 3,018
It was a .244 Remington Model 760 with 6mm 80 grain Remington soft point. I was young and excited and rode in the back seat of a truck. A friend of my Gramps invited us to hunt on his 10,000 acre ranch. We rode down a dirt road, and a small 8 pointer was on the road and it jumped into the brush in front of us at about 100 yards away, I got out and walked up the road slowly in search for him. I saw him staring at me from about 30 yards away from inside the brush, I raised the .244 which belonged to my Gramps, aimed offhand with a vintage Redfield 4X Bear Cub Scout scope at its neck and squeezed slowly. The bullet found its mark on the neck and it slumped on a tree limb with blood squirting from its ruptured jugular, it expired pretty quick. I jumped with joy on my first deer. I never forgot that moment.
- Nov 4, 2004
- 26,372
- 12,036
Remington 700 BDL 30-06 loaded up with 180 gr SPCL factory loads.
JD338
JD338
xphunter
Handloader
- Sep 15, 2005
- 1,534
- 3,163
14" 7mm TCU Contender
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,916
- 7,780
Isn't it amazing how the first buck is burned into the mind? I daresay most of us can recall the smells, the feel of the wind on our skin, and every detail of that first buck. And likely it is true for the first of each specie of game animal we tagged.
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