pre6422hornet
Handloader
- Jan 24, 2012
- 974
- 12
Last December I found this NIB Browning Model 71 Carbine and since I have always wanted a 71 I figured what the heck. Well fastforward to this fall. I have worked up a load it likes and with the lyman peep sight I was 1 inch high at 50. I committed to myself to use this rifle until I scored. I have never carried anything but a model 70 or a Ruger M77.
Well today marked my 15th time in the woods since Nov 1st. Tomorrow is the last day of Rifle season in Missouri, which opened on Nov 10th. I have had an awesome couple weeks here in Missouri with some unreal Rut action, albeit mostly little 1.5 and 2.5 year old bucks.
I rattled in 8 bucks and possibly a 9th or 10th ( not sure because they came in 1/2 hour after I stopped rattling. One of those bucks was a massive nontypical. I have been plagued with a large one horn spike hanging around me no matter what stand I parked my butt in, or if I was two ridges over still hunting, he would show up. I went out on Saturday and finally saw a good group of does and they were being pushed by the old one horn again.
I left the house at 4:50am with a 10mph south wind, and I figured I would try stand # 2 and rattle a bit at 7am since the bucks should be out cruising again and # 2 is 3/4 of the way up a valley with great visibilty down to the water. I settled in around 6am, texted Scotty, Mike and Tom a few times, then put the phone down. It was warm, already 49 degrees)but I held high hopes as this valley cuts two big bedding areas in 1/2 and I always see deer in the mornings.
Around 6:40 I heard some footsteps behind me and it sounded like the deer was coming right down the trail that would take them by on my left. The 348 was already on my lap so I started to slowly stand up. I peeked around the tree and I had a tough time making out the deer in the pre dawn grey. I brought my Steiners up and confirmed that it was good old One Horn stopping to say "hello". He sat there scent testing the wind ( he was upwind of me) to see if any does where up in the bedding area. About 10 minutes went by and he kept slowly coming down the valley toward me. All of a sudden he stops, turns directly into the wind and grunts. Then he stomps. I then hear another deer up the valley come out of the bedding area and it is grunting with every step. I again grabbed the binos and I see horns. A quick confirmation of 4 points on one side ( we have a 4 point to a side here in Missouri), and a HUGE spike on the left. He stops at 70 yards slightly quartering too me and in the open. The hammer on the model 71 came back silently and I looked through the peep and drew the bead tight to his front shoulder. I started to squeeze and the 348 belched a 200 grain Hornady flat point powered by a max load of IMR 4350. There was a pretty good muzzle flash, I quickly ran the lever, depositing the pop can sized brass into the air in what seemed like slow motion, and watched the buck run back up the valley. I didn't see any sign of being hit or hit hard. Then after about 5 seconds of silence a huge crash up around the bend in the valley. " YES" I thought and I quickly gatherd my stuff, and climbed the 20 feet down out of the walnut tree. I thought I had marked the spot where he was standing pretty well, but when I got there.....nothing.... no blood, and just a couple brown hairs.
I then got that " oh no" feeling in my gut. I then went back to my stand and started looking up into the trees for any sign of a deflection. Nothing. I then went back to where I thought he was standing and started doing small circles. Sure enough, what I had marked and where he was standing was about 10 yards up the valley. Here is where he took the hit:
10 yards further I found this:
another 10 yards further I found this:
then this: ( if you look closely there is blood on 90% of the leaves in the picture probably)
By now there were chunks of Buck clockwork showing up in the trail. I looked up and saw him, laying next to a log. That is the entrance wound.
His rack is really cool and wierd at the same time:
I took some pics and dressed him out and started the 3/4 of a mile drag back to the truck. I didn't know it at the time, but after getting home I measured his girth and according to the charts, a 45 inch girth is 267 pounds live weight. :shock: I never measured last years 10 point from the same woods ( same valley actually), but I know he was bigger.
I am hunting public land here in Missouri that does not allow vehicles so it is walk in and walk out access. My closest stand is about a 3/4 mile walk in and my two other stands are almost a 1.25 miles as the crow flies. In the 15 days of hunting I hoofed it close to 40 miles by my pedometer.
here is the trailhead where I start each adventure. I thought it was fitting to take a pic here:
Now I must say, that even though the Hornady did its job, I expected the deer to be hit a little harder. The entrance wound was nice and finger hole sized and the exit wound just poured blood out. The onside lung was completely destroyed. The heart had a 4 inch gash from the bullet as well. The liver was centered and it looked like a golf ball or raquet ball had been shot through it. The Hornady exited the off ribs and kept going. He made it about 60 yards before piling up and the blood trail was tremendous. I am not complaining.
I guess I am just used to the good old 270 win and animals not going more than a step or two :grin:
Well today marked my 15th time in the woods since Nov 1st. Tomorrow is the last day of Rifle season in Missouri, which opened on Nov 10th. I have had an awesome couple weeks here in Missouri with some unreal Rut action, albeit mostly little 1.5 and 2.5 year old bucks.
I rattled in 8 bucks and possibly a 9th or 10th ( not sure because they came in 1/2 hour after I stopped rattling. One of those bucks was a massive nontypical. I have been plagued with a large one horn spike hanging around me no matter what stand I parked my butt in, or if I was two ridges over still hunting, he would show up. I went out on Saturday and finally saw a good group of does and they were being pushed by the old one horn again.
I left the house at 4:50am with a 10mph south wind, and I figured I would try stand # 2 and rattle a bit at 7am since the bucks should be out cruising again and # 2 is 3/4 of the way up a valley with great visibilty down to the water. I settled in around 6am, texted Scotty, Mike and Tom a few times, then put the phone down. It was warm, already 49 degrees)but I held high hopes as this valley cuts two big bedding areas in 1/2 and I always see deer in the mornings.
Around 6:40 I heard some footsteps behind me and it sounded like the deer was coming right down the trail that would take them by on my left. The 348 was already on my lap so I started to slowly stand up. I peeked around the tree and I had a tough time making out the deer in the pre dawn grey. I brought my Steiners up and confirmed that it was good old One Horn stopping to say "hello". He sat there scent testing the wind ( he was upwind of me) to see if any does where up in the bedding area. About 10 minutes went by and he kept slowly coming down the valley toward me. All of a sudden he stops, turns directly into the wind and grunts. Then he stomps. I then hear another deer up the valley come out of the bedding area and it is grunting with every step. I again grabbed the binos and I see horns. A quick confirmation of 4 points on one side ( we have a 4 point to a side here in Missouri), and a HUGE spike on the left. He stops at 70 yards slightly quartering too me and in the open. The hammer on the model 71 came back silently and I looked through the peep and drew the bead tight to his front shoulder. I started to squeeze and the 348 belched a 200 grain Hornady flat point powered by a max load of IMR 4350. There was a pretty good muzzle flash, I quickly ran the lever, depositing the pop can sized brass into the air in what seemed like slow motion, and watched the buck run back up the valley. I didn't see any sign of being hit or hit hard. Then after about 5 seconds of silence a huge crash up around the bend in the valley. " YES" I thought and I quickly gatherd my stuff, and climbed the 20 feet down out of the walnut tree. I thought I had marked the spot where he was standing pretty well, but when I got there.....nothing.... no blood, and just a couple brown hairs.
I then got that " oh no" feeling in my gut. I then went back to my stand and started looking up into the trees for any sign of a deflection. Nothing. I then went back to where I thought he was standing and started doing small circles. Sure enough, what I had marked and where he was standing was about 10 yards up the valley. Here is where he took the hit:
10 yards further I found this:
another 10 yards further I found this:
then this: ( if you look closely there is blood on 90% of the leaves in the picture probably)
By now there were chunks of Buck clockwork showing up in the trail. I looked up and saw him, laying next to a log. That is the entrance wound.
His rack is really cool and wierd at the same time:
I took some pics and dressed him out and started the 3/4 of a mile drag back to the truck. I didn't know it at the time, but after getting home I measured his girth and according to the charts, a 45 inch girth is 267 pounds live weight. :shock: I never measured last years 10 point from the same woods ( same valley actually), but I know he was bigger.
I am hunting public land here in Missouri that does not allow vehicles so it is walk in and walk out access. My closest stand is about a 3/4 mile walk in and my two other stands are almost a 1.25 miles as the crow flies. In the 15 days of hunting I hoofed it close to 40 miles by my pedometer.
here is the trailhead where I start each adventure. I thought it was fitting to take a pic here:
Now I must say, that even though the Hornady did its job, I expected the deer to be hit a little harder. The entrance wound was nice and finger hole sized and the exit wound just poured blood out. The onside lung was completely destroyed. The heart had a 4 inch gash from the bullet as well. The liver was centered and it looked like a golf ball or raquet ball had been shot through it. The Hornady exited the off ribs and kept going. He made it about 60 yards before piling up and the blood trail was tremendous. I am not complaining.
I guess I am just used to the good old 270 win and animals not going more than a step or two :grin:
