Three weeks ago I was presented with a great shot at a feeding buck that I ranged at 435 three times to be sure. Longest shot I had taken prior to this was about 300. I dialed up two clicks past four hundred on the Leupold scope and put the cross hairs and little red dot on him shoulder, reconsidered and aimed at center chest. I'm shooting from a Bog deathgrip. So I was steady. Pulled the trigger and the buck flinched. *** . looked at my turret to be sure I'd dialed right and realized the wind was about10 to twelve MPH from dead left to right. Crap. Held into the wind, but now he's walking back towards the creek and off the property I'm hunting. Put the dot on front of his chest, pulled the trigger again and saw him falter, but still walking. Bolted another round and held further into the wind, at the shot he went down. When I recovered him my hunting buddy said man you're not going to like this. I hit him in the hip joint. Busted both joints and took out both arteries. I missed the last shot because he dropped out under the bullet. In my excitement to pull off the shot I didn't take into account of all the variables. I'll try those shots again, I'll just be more aware. Thank god for Hammer bullets, wish I'd had a spotter to help and remind me about the wind. I've hunted woods and green fields my whole life, long shot was under two hundred on big green fields. Even killed antelope and mule deer without having to shoot that far. but I've practiced long shots and felt confident in my shooting and equipment. But hunting this cornfield you can see a thousand yards in is a new ball game for me. But, its like my hunting friend of about fourty years says, they are not going to come over here and surrender.
