remingtonman_25_06
Well-Known Member
I shot this bruiser of an Oregon whitetail during our rifle season. I spotted him very early morning. I think he was a tad late getting to the brush. I was such in a hurry and in amazement from seeing this buck, I was dumbfounded. I had my friend get my 25-06 out from the backseat, I was scrambling for my rangefinder and drop card. All the while the big bruiser is still moving swiftly towards his draw. He was about 300 yards across a little canyon when I first spotted him. By the time I got set up with everything, I ranged him at 440 yards. My heart had never pounded so hard in my life. I could just not believe this rack was a whitetail. Where I was hunting, there is muleys and whitetail. This is by far the biggest whitetail I have ever seen. Anyways, I had just received richards 125g ULD about 2 weeks before and had worked up a .6" load at 200 yards. I tested it out to 525 and was confident with it. The shot seemed easy but with all the confusion and trying to hurry up, I forgot about the 5mph breeze that was full value coming from 3 oclock. I just clicked my scope up to 450 setting and put it on his shoulder. At the shot, I heard the loud thump, the buck reared up, put his head down and was trucking for the thick draw. I was thinking its ok, he'll go down anytime. Then I got to thinking, I dont want him making it to that draw. I emptied my rifle trying to hit him on the trot, all to no avail. I was getting very worried by this point in time. I marked the last spot he went in the brush and was waiting about 10 minutes. I thought about the shot over and over and over again. I knew I had hit him either in the guts or flank area after thinking about it. I was very worried at this point that I would never find my trophy of a lifetime buck. I crossed the canyon and made my way up to where he last was. I found very little blood. This had me very worried. I was about to cry. I searched that whole draw running up and down, then back up and back down again. I did this 3 times before I was really about to cry. I sat on the hillside where he last in and thought to myself, "I finally get a shot at a trophy buck and I wound him and blow it." About that time, I decided to cross the draw and get to the other side. Something just came over me. I made it to the far side of the edge of the draw and I was in some scrub brush that was about waist high. I stopped at the edge and scanned the area out in front of me which was big wheat fields. About that time, I had a weird feeling come over me. I looked behind my left shoulder to see this buck bedded down looking directly at me. I have always heard to never look a buck in the eyes or he will bolt. Well I looked him in the eyes, I saw his big horns and knew this was my big whitetail. He was only a truck length away, holding very tight. I slowly raised my 25-06 and put the crosshairs on his neck and squeezed the trigger. The big boy was now mine. I was so **** happy and lucky to find this buck. I dont know what I would have done if I did not find it. My 1st shot hit him in the flank. Not the guts or the hams, but that little part between. He did not go far, about 200 yards before he bedded down. I was just lucky to find him. I was happy with the performance of the 125g uld considering the shot placement and 440 yards. I feel if I would have put on the correct amount of windage, he would have been knocked off his feet for good and not went anywhere. He is getting shoulder mounted as I write this. Still waiting for it to get back. He greenscored about 145". According to that score, it will put him about #40 in the ORegon record book. I could not be happier, except his 3rd points are a little weak. There only about 3 inches long. But his eyeguards sure are nice. The biggest whitetail I had ever seen up untill this point was not even anywhere close to this big. Cant wait to get him back.
