Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,828
- 6,289
Just returned from our whitetail hunt in northeastern Washington, a bit north of Spokane.
I was "coaching" not hunting, though I was tempted at one point to take a buck. We lucked out and really got into them. One brand new hunter. One who has hunted very little. And my youngest son, who is becoming a pretty good deer & bear hunter.
Don't have any photos of my son's buck, as I wasn't present for that hunt/kill. It is a cool looking younger buck. I'm calling it a "lumber buck" because the rack is a "2x4" :grin: Looks like one side got damaged somehow and grew into sort of an odd-shaped spike, while the other side is pretty much normal. He took it from about 70 yards he said, from kneeling, with his old 6mm Remington 700 BDL, and a single 95 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip. He said the buck was facing him, so he shot it high in the chest/throat junction. It hit the spine, then ranged down along the top of one lung and lodged just inside the skin, not quite making an exit. John said it was an instant drop & kill. He told me that he remembered my training and instantly chambered a second round, but that no second shot was necessary. He's doing well.
Hoping to get photos of my son and his buck within a couple of days. The bullet was recovered. Base and expanded mushroom. Doesn't look very big, but I'll weigh and measure it later.
I was with each of my friends, Mike & Dani, as they got their bucks. Dani and I were in a pop-up blind yesterday morning, overlooking an old orchard. We watched a younger buck move in from a quarter mile out. We watched the buck approach, and she eventually took a shot at about 120 yards. A high shoulder shot dropped it instantly, but it did need a finishing shot as is frequently required with those high shoulder shots. I thought it was a dandy first buck! I handloaded her ammo, with the 125 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip. She had never hunted before but we had worked at the range together, getting her dead on at 200 yards with her .308 Win, Sako 85. Her last group, last week, was three shots in about an inch, at 200 yards. We have not shot any of it over a chronograph, but I'd estimate it at 3000+ fps. The bullet was recovered under the skin on the off-side. I'll photograph, weigh and measure it later.
Mike got his buck this morning, with one shot from a .257 Weatherby. Range was about 140 yards. Mike has hunted before but it's been a while. We were all pretty doggone happy for him! He was using 100 gr factory ammo, the Hornady "spire point" bullet. The bullet was not recovered. There wasn't much left of the heart & lungs. Buck made about a 50 yard run and was easy to find.
With three tags filled, we headed for home. Ran into a little weather on the way, but otherwise a smooth trip.
It was one heck of a great hunting trip and I'm so glad that all these hunters tagged out! I've worked with my son and my two friends quite a bit at the range over the past few years, and it very satisfying when they all made excellent shots on game over the past two days.
Regards, Guy
I was "coaching" not hunting, though I was tempted at one point to take a buck. We lucked out and really got into them. One brand new hunter. One who has hunted very little. And my youngest son, who is becoming a pretty good deer & bear hunter.
Don't have any photos of my son's buck, as I wasn't present for that hunt/kill. It is a cool looking younger buck. I'm calling it a "lumber buck" because the rack is a "2x4" :grin: Looks like one side got damaged somehow and grew into sort of an odd-shaped spike, while the other side is pretty much normal. He took it from about 70 yards he said, from kneeling, with his old 6mm Remington 700 BDL, and a single 95 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip. He said the buck was facing him, so he shot it high in the chest/throat junction. It hit the spine, then ranged down along the top of one lung and lodged just inside the skin, not quite making an exit. John said it was an instant drop & kill. He told me that he remembered my training and instantly chambered a second round, but that no second shot was necessary. He's doing well.
Hoping to get photos of my son and his buck within a couple of days. The bullet was recovered. Base and expanded mushroom. Doesn't look very big, but I'll weigh and measure it later.
I was with each of my friends, Mike & Dani, as they got their bucks. Dani and I were in a pop-up blind yesterday morning, overlooking an old orchard. We watched a younger buck move in from a quarter mile out. We watched the buck approach, and she eventually took a shot at about 120 yards. A high shoulder shot dropped it instantly, but it did need a finishing shot as is frequently required with those high shoulder shots. I thought it was a dandy first buck! I handloaded her ammo, with the 125 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip. She had never hunted before but we had worked at the range together, getting her dead on at 200 yards with her .308 Win, Sako 85. Her last group, last week, was three shots in about an inch, at 200 yards. We have not shot any of it over a chronograph, but I'd estimate it at 3000+ fps. The bullet was recovered under the skin on the off-side. I'll photograph, weigh and measure it later.
Mike got his buck this morning, with one shot from a .257 Weatherby. Range was about 140 yards. Mike has hunted before but it's been a while. We were all pretty doggone happy for him! He was using 100 gr factory ammo, the Hornady "spire point" bullet. The bullet was not recovered. There wasn't much left of the heart & lungs. Buck made about a 50 yard run and was easy to find.
With three tags filled, we headed for home. Ran into a little weather on the way, but otherwise a smooth trip.
It was one heck of a great hunting trip and I'm so glad that all these hunters tagged out! I've worked with my son and my two friends quite a bit at the range over the past few years, and it very satisfying when they all made excellent shots on game over the past two days.
Regards, Guy
The smiles say a lot!
