James Jones
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2002
- Messages
- 2,854
The rifle season is winding down here and I haven't got much in the freezer so I figured I better quit being picky and start killing. I got into my shoothous at just after 5am and snuggled in for daylight , I'm overlooking a big cut over thats planted on each end , the front plot is 50yds deep and runs 100yds left t right offering shots from 300-350'ish the next lot on the back side is 100yds deep by 300yds long and offers shot from 900-1000yds (in the center) I have seen deer in this plaot several times this year but all does so I passed. At 6:47am I could see deer in the back plot so I setup on the bags and scoped out the situation , three does in the middle of the plot feeding. it looked like they were right in the middle of the plot so I dialed in for 950yds , the Leica LRF1200 said 938 the two times I could hold it on the deer and press the hard button !! I watched the deer for about 5 min looked at the wind appeard to be zero to 5mph, I picked out the bigger of the three which looked a little bit thinner than the other two , she was broad side head down feeding , take two steps feed for 15-20 sec take two steps and feed so I setup on her and started into my shot sequince when she took her two steps I exhale, pause squeeze BANG.... Nothing all three deer looked to the end of the food plot and went back to eating , I checked the wind and the needles in the pines were moving a little bit so I dialed in for 10mph wind , went throught he shot sequince again , she took two steps head down I brought the cross hairs back to the midle of the rib cage and started over, exhale, pause , squeeze , BANG , I was able to spot the hit ,she stepped sideways one step fell over then got up ran about 20yds and feel again obvoiuse that the front shoulder was broke , never got back up the other two deer looked at her like "what are you doing" turned and trotted off. I sat their for around ten min and called paw-in-law to let him know I had one down and relized that their were two deer in the close food plot , both bucks one of which had a main froam 3 on one side and a big defunct cow horn on the other and is significanlt smaller 120'ish pounds, this buck has been seen for 3 years now with the same rack problem. I bolted another round settled the cross hairs on the mutant deers neck and bang , they both looked toward the shoot house put their tails up and loped to the back edge of the food plot? I then relize i was still zeroed for 950yds!! , bring scope back to zero and settle the crossback on his neck squeezed , bang -flop
The doe was hit just behind the front shoulder on the entrance side and the bullet exited though the scapula on the off side , POI was around 6" from POA , wind was a bit more than expected apparently. Butllet performance of the 140gr Berger VLD was great exit wound was about 1.5-2" diameter , both lungs were ruined up front as well as top of the heart , most of the shoulder meat from the on side was salvaged but the off side was pretty much ruined. The buck was hit exactly where the crosshairs were placed exit was abut 4" but the spine was hit , zero usable meat lost and a cull deer was taken from the heard.
Ranged back to the shoot house from where the doe was standing and ranged 944yds three times.
The gun used is a custom built 260 rem , shooting 140gr Bergers out at just over 2850fps , topped off with a 4-16x50 Nikon tactical scope. The guys in my club are totaly convienced that you need at least a 7mm mag to kill these deer at "long range" which for them is 300yds. Even after seeing the damage to these two deer they bashed the capibilities of my "little , oversized varmint rifle" just because it doesen't burn 80grs of powder or shoot cannonball sized bullet at 3500fps.
Ohwell , I diden't get any pics this time as the wife has the camera with here in L.A. , I guess I'm gonna have to break down and buy my own.
The doe was hit just behind the front shoulder on the entrance side and the bullet exited though the scapula on the off side , POI was around 6" from POA , wind was a bit more than expected apparently. Butllet performance of the 140gr Berger VLD was great exit wound was about 1.5-2" diameter , both lungs were ruined up front as well as top of the heart , most of the shoulder meat from the on side was salvaged but the off side was pretty much ruined. The buck was hit exactly where the crosshairs were placed exit was abut 4" but the spine was hit , zero usable meat lost and a cull deer was taken from the heard.
Ranged back to the shoot house from where the doe was standing and ranged 944yds three times.
The gun used is a custom built 260 rem , shooting 140gr Bergers out at just over 2850fps , topped off with a 4-16x50 Nikon tactical scope. The guys in my club are totaly convienced that you need at least a 7mm mag to kill these deer at "long range" which for them is 300yds. Even after seeing the damage to these two deer they bashed the capibilities of my "little , oversized varmint rifle" just because it doesen't burn 80grs of powder or shoot cannonball sized bullet at 3500fps.
Ohwell , I diden't get any pics this time as the wife has the camera with here in L.A. , I guess I'm gonna have to break down and buy my own.
