Whitetail... take the shot

[Polaris]

Well, the Elk take the shot was a good pastime for cabin fever, so here's one for the Midwestern folks.

Scenario: You've sat out the bitter cold back side of a snowstorm as long as you can stand, the wind's kicked up and nothing is moving. Time for hot coffee, you're walking in! Well lookie there, fate has really smiled on you and dropped a heck of an opportunity right in your lap. You're walking, a bit sweaty by now, skylined. Distance by best guess is 200ish. Hard to estimate across the open field this guy is on the other side of and he definitely isn't giving you time to pull a rangefinder out of your pack. Maybe a ranging reticle if you're so equipped. Wind 15-20 gusting higher, and swirling, mostly quartering towards you R X L. Decent downslope probably 8%. Assume safe backstop. Snow has stopped falling, so little concern about immediately losing blood trail.

Yes or no? Gun, load, aimpoint, sling? I'll post mine later tonight so as not to bias the responses.

 

[c. schutte]

Yes I take that shot, right after I crapped my pants................

200 yards with a slightly heavy for caliber bullet from a .270 or higher. Not the best shot possible but, I would aim for just inside his left shoulder between it and the neck. About 3" off the bottom of his chest.

My best set up for this shot would be a 300 wby with a 180 grain rapidly expanding bullet. I would want plenty of initial shock/expansion with enough mass to defiantly exit. My estimate would be a 50/50 chance of dropping him there or if he did run two large holes is better than one. Trailing would not be all that bad considering the snow.

No range finder needed. My rifles are sighted in between 200-300 yards for such an occasion.

Not worried about quartering wind @ 200 yards using a heavy bullet. Maybe a little drift but, it aiming for just inside that shoulder any drift would put it closer to the center.

What a nice buck!!!!!

 

[SJB358]

Same here, I would favor a touch into the wind, but honestly, anything I'd be carrying wouldn't be hugely effected by the wind at 200 yards, chances are it'd be a 270 Win and I'd plant the reticle on the lower third of the chest and give him the business.

Oh, I'd likely take a knee and shoot like that for that shot. Beautiful buck of a lifetime there!

 

[sask boy]

Their is no doubt that my 280AI would be speaking to him at 200 yards using a 150gr. ABLR, I would hold just inside his left shoulder and it would be BBD :wink:.

PS. Do you think he is in rut look at that neck :mrgreen:!!

Blessings,
Dan

 

[Polaris]

Yeah, I said I'd wait until tonight, but it's killing me. There are a few x factors here. Part of the point of this one is to highlight the difference between field shooting/hunting and number cruncher shooting.

X1. I mentioned you're a bit sweaty and uncomfortable from your walk out, probably elevated pulse and breathing. You're as surprised to see him as he is you, he just hasn't decided to bolt yet.
X2, Buck of a lifetime, buck fever surely taking a toll
X3. He sees you, you're skylined, he's about to bolt. You're likely shooting this one offhand or hoping for better luck next time.

With my .280 Rem/145 Speer, 3x9 Burris, I have little concern for the wind or distance effect on my bullet. Hopefully my scope isn't fogged, it is likely partially obscured. I'm zeroed for 200, so even if I'm off by 50 yards, he's a dead deer. Wish he'd stepped in front of my stand with the nice padded rail to rest the forend on! Best I have is an M1907 leather in hasty sling configuration. I'm going to cheat into the wind just a touch, cheat up just a touch for the slope/impact angle. Aimpoint is about midpoint on the right side shoulder. My big concern now is the wind's and exertion's effect on the steadiness of my aim. I've shot high power in similar conditions, and it's hard to hold the 8 ring offhand. That's a marginal hit on this guy. Playing this one by feel. If everything comes together between pulse, breathing and wind and I feel the shot, I'm squeezing. If after a few seconds I haven't fired, I'm going to chance it and drop to sitting, try and draw a really rapid bead and fire before he wises up.

 

[ShadeTree]

Heck yes and not think twice about it. I'd try to impact mid height right on the crease between his neck and left shoulder because that gives you decent leeway for a still very fatal shot if you're off either direction.

 

[Blkram]

As above for shot placement.

I would use my trigger stick if available, and if not, I would immediately drop to a sitting position.

All of my rifles are zeroed for 200 yards, and even if range is under estimated by 50 yards, it isn't going to affect bullet placement by more than 2-3 inches and still be in the vitals, as long as I do my job correctly.
Most likely carrying my 280 or 7MM STW, with 140 or 160 gr AB's respectively. Always hunt with scopes at lowest setting, unless needed, so will not have to worry about taking time to rest magnification setting.

 

[rodell]

300 Weatherby, 168 grain TTSX. Wind is swirling, so, I'll decide at the last moment but likely ignore. I'd follow a line up from between the front legs, 1/3 to 1/4 up and prepare to field dress.

 

[SJB358]

300 Weatherby, 168 grain TTSX. Wind is swirling, so, I'll decide at the last moment but likely ignore. I'd follow a line up from between the front legs, 1/3 to 1/4 up and prepare to field dress.

I like the way you roll!

 

[PJGunner]

Well I'd probably have my 30-06 pushing a 165 gr. AccuBond at close to 2900 FPS (2880 to be exact) so if I can drop to a sitting position and get on him without spooking him, yeah, I'd take the shot.
Paul B.

 

[Anonymous]

I'd go prone if possible and drop him like a bad habit.

 

[Elkman]

chances are it'd be a 270 Win

OMG, with all the real guns you have???
I would be carrying my trusty 300 WM, 180 gr PT, or its 7 MM clone, with a 160 AB, rodell called my shot for me.

 

[Guy Miner]

Nice Buck!

Doesn't seem like wind is going to be a big factor. My 30-06 Rem 700 CDL is sighted-in at 200 yards with the 165 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip at 2970 fps. I've got the 6x Leupold with LR dots, but won't need the dots.

I'd want to drop to a sitting position, slip my arm through the sling in "hasty sling" position. Let the crosshairs settle on his on-side shoulder, about 1/3 the way up his body. I'm figuring that any of that right-to-left quartering wind will still blow the bullet into the chest. Bang! Rack the bolt, and prepare to send another.

In my experience, that 165 Ballistic Tip is going to expand rapidly, break bones and exit after destroying lungs. I'm thinking it's likely to be a short tracking job.

Nice photo! :grin:

Regards, Guy

 

[cloverleaf]

OK- I'll play- and go real SW Mn on ya. 12 Ga Mossberg slug gun (cause that's whats legal :evil: ) ported and rifled - worked on trigger, 2-7 VXII set at 4x with a 2 minute dot in a target cross hair. (Leupold custom shop) If I read the scenario right, wind is right to left in the photo. Gun is zeroed at 100yds I inch high, shooting a 300Gr Federal trophy copper slug at @1900 FPS. Hes not gonna stand around.... Dot in the scope covers his nose/ covers an eye+.... Hold on the back line, at slightly behind the shoulder to allow for drop and drift towards the left... If I can lean on the window sill of "the rolling ground blind"... Probably take the shot, depends if I can get on him before he's moving.....or as some one else said just cr@p my drawers. FUN to see ones like that! 200 is a long poke w/ a slug gun. CL

PS - got him on the trail cam in back of your place Polaris!?!?

PSS- It took me longer to write this and think it through than we are going to have. He's got your number and the gig is up. Next thing we see will be flag and fanny......

 

[Polaris]

Unfortunately not on my game camera. This one lives on the internet. The nice one on my game camera would have been a confirmed kill with a pointy stick, and he never left that cover!

I guess the point of this was to get you folks to think beyond the ballistics and what your rifle does from a stable position, and consider the x factors of making a shot without the deer going bye bye. As TO replied in private, shot is doable with a .348 and irons ballistically speaking, or even a good slug gun by Cloverleaf. The reason it came to mind was that I was planning a range trip today in similar conditions. With my .280, I was able to connect on the 200 yard 12" plate 9/10 wind Left x right around 15 and squirrely. The miss was by a significant margin, into the wind when it let off just as I broke the shot, and I shoot probably 1000 rounds offhand at 200 in a year in all conditions. IMHO, quartering into your strong side (RH shooter) as in the scenario is the worst for offhand as you push into it and overcorrect when it lets off. I did not run any laps to get my pulse up first though! That being said, I have taken this shot successfully in the field (unfortunately on eater deer) from 100-200 yards. Never in that much wind, but all have been successful, however some of the hits were not as nice as I'd have liked.

 

[longrangehunter]

I'm right behind Scotty, and Rodell on this one.......... there to help take the pictures after the fact, and drag that bad boy out for one of those two guys to mount on the wall! :mrgreen:

 

[Bruce Mc]

drop to one knee, get a quick wrap with the sling, line up the vertical crosshair on the inside of the left leg line, horizontal crosshair just a tab below center line, a good breath, let it out, and let the 130 Partition from the .270 win do its thing.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Either a 165 or 180 AccuBond from my 30-06 right at the point of the shoulder in the half way between the back and brisket. I usually carry shooting sticks in my left hand walking in since I have been slow on the draw in the past on similar scenarios, so dropping to a kneeling position and steadying quickly with the sticks will keep me on target. I’m not adjusting my hold for windage or elevation, as I usually sight my rifles 3” high at 100yd.

 

[hunter24605]

I would take it, Hold just inside his left leg, about 1/3 up into the chest..I also always have my sticks in my left hand. Take the shot or not, it's amazing how much information your brain processes in those few seconds..Last year I had one of those "made for TV" seasons when it was down to the last few minutes of the last day when my opportunity presented itself..I happened to spot a buck walking at about 250 yds atop a very steep, wooded hill. I made a quick whistle and he stopped, I made the shot and dropped the buck where he stood, but afterwards I was recalling just how much I was thinking about; bullet drop, wind, uphill shot, walking deer, range, through timber, trying to pick a clear spot just ahead of him where he would pass and present an unobstructed shot, and making quick calculations all in about 4 seconds. Pretty impressive how much the human brain can accomplish in very short order.

 

[Gunner46]

That's a gimmy shot, hands down. Plant my a$$ in a tight sling sitting position & as soon as the cross hairs crossed one of those little snow flakes on his lower front shoulder ...Bang. 7/08 140gr Nosler......Cell Phone conversation...."DUDE !!! Get yer ass out here and help me drag this monster outta here" !