My first Deer!

[taylorce1]

Going through some stuff and found this old picture today!

Got this guy on Dad's property with my $175 .243 Win and 105 grain Federal factory ammunition. We never owned big game rifles growing up and I'm the only one in my family that hunts. I got this guy in 1991, this picture is the only one I've found and the antlers were lost (intentionaly by mom I think) during my first stint of active duty for the Army. She probably got tired of them hanging on her porch.

I never got another decent deer until 2006, but I saved the antlers this time.

 

[DrMike]

Yeah, mom's can be like that. That was a right fine deer, and the second isn't bad either. You done good! :grin:

 

[JD338]

taylorce1

Nice bucks! Congratulations.

JD338

 

[jmad_81]

You shoot the second one with a 243 as well?

Both of those bucks are pretty dang nice ones!

 

[SJB358]

Those are great muleys. Congrats to you buddy. That is awesome you were able to find the picture. Sorry about the horns! Do you still have the 243? Scotty

 

[longwinters]

Very nice.

Long

 

[Powerstroke]

Darn nice Mulie for your first buck ! I'd get hook after that for sure.

Your thread brings up a interesting tid-bit of or if we still all have those first pics & antlers.

 

[taylorce1]

You shoot the second one with a 243 as well?

Both of those bucks are pretty dang nice ones!

No second buck was taken with a .270 Win. I probably wouldn't have ever bought another big game rifle if I hadn't been invited on an elk hunt and was told my .243 Win wasn't a good idea. The .270 was my second ever centerfire rifle legal for big game in Colorado. After I bought that one I was hooked and kept playing around with different calibers and cartridges. Last check I'm up to 15 rifles and 3 muzzle loaders legal for big game in CO and got a few more I want to try.

Other than a few does and some fork horns inbetween those are the only two good bucks I've ever taken. Can't seem to reach that magic 30" buck but I've learned since the first that few people get those bucks. It seems that in the area I hunt the antlers grow tall instead of wide. The second buck measures right at 20" inside spread, and I'm guessing the first measures close to the same. Both have good mass, but I've never had either measured and one never will be to find out how big they really were. I do know that both bucks were close to 300 lbs, the second one gave me over 125 lbs of pakaged meat.

 

[DrMike]

Last check I'm up to 15 rifles and 3 muzzle loaders legal for big game in CO and got a few more I want to try.

Yup! It's a disease.

 

[taylorce1]

Those are great muleys. Congrats to you buddy. That is awesome you were able to find the picture. Sorry about the horns! Do you still have the 243? Scotty

Still got the .243 and probably always will until my daughter (7) gets it or one of her future kids. I found it at an estate auction after I found out that I had drew a buck tag. I was going to just borrow a neighbors rifle until I got the rifle and ammunition.

It has been through a few variations over the years. A piece of the toe of the original stock broke off and was lost so I put it in a Butler Creek synthetic stock for several years. It had a cheap 4X scope on it, that eventually broke and I went to a 3-9x40 Bushnell Sportview after I got out of the Army in 1996. A couple years ago I had the stock repaired,the rifle reblued, installed a Timney trigger and it now sports a gloss VXI 3-9X40.

I don't know much about the rifle other than it is a Parker Hale commercial 98 Mauser and was built in Midland England and imported by Jana Corp of Denver.

 

[SJB358]

Sounds like a very cool 243. Scotty