Today i headed into the pictured country to hunt antlerless whitetail. I packed the 45 elite, because as one can see, there is a good chance for a long long shot. The wind was exactly wrong so i walked the edge of the government land for about 1.5 mile, and then turned and walked perpendicular to the breeze, and then into it.
Whilst walking into the breeze, i spied a thicket of Hawthorne, and made a bee line for it, thinking any sensible whitetail would like to be in there. Then i noticed movement and white to the left and above the thicket. This movement turned out to be a whitetail browsing, and it's tail was being blown up onto it's back by the breeze, and falling, and blowing up again. I dropped to the ground, ranged the deer with the laser to be 123 yard out, turned the cds dial to what seemed to be about 123, and pushed the safety forward. The deer never provided a broadside shot, but the prone rest was quite solid, so i went ahead with the less than ideal shot.
Those whom mentioned that the safety is as easy to push forward, as it is to kock a hammer were proven correct. It is indeed quite simple to push the safety forward, and free up the trigger to be pulled.
The shot was taken, and the deer was gone from view. The rifle was reloaded, and i began the walk to the deer. Two fences needed to be crossed on each side of a RR track, and care was taken to set the rifle in a safe place. Whilst crossing the second fence a deer was spied right up where that deer was, but when i moved over to the rifle, which was in a safe place, it went away.
When the deer was reached, i looked back, and saw 2 small bucks a way out at 490 yard. These deer are barely visible in the first picture above. One can pick them out in the first picture by locating them Junipers on the far ridge just below the skyline. They are standing further apart in the first picture.
The bullet was a 200g SST in a blue Harvester sabot, pushed by 120g BH209, ignited by W209 primer. The muzzle velocity of this load has been clocked at 2285 feet per second. What it made going into the chest cavity, was an elongated hole shown in the picture. I guess the entrance hole is so elongated because the deer was standing not so very much from straight away.
I hunted my way back to the truck, but even though the breeze was right, never got another shot. The truck was driven to what turned out to be, about 700 feet from the deer. The cart was pushed to the deer, and the deer was loaded into the truck without a hitch. One can see the exit wound in the neck of the deer in the last picture. It kinda seems the meat from this deer will fit into a shoe box.
Man that's beautiful country! Congrats on the kill.
How far did she travel after the shot-or did she?
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Great report Ron, and a great shot. It sure pays to know your gun and load.
That bullet really did a number on the deer. I assumed it didn't run after the shot with that neck damage.
For a guy who's used to sneaking from tree to tree it's hard to imagine hunting open country like that.
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Today i headed into the pictured country to hunt antlerless whitetail. I packed the 45 elite, because as one can see, there is a good chance for a long long shot. The wind was exactly wrong so i walked the edge of the government land for about 1.5 mile, and then turned and walked perpendicular to the breeze, and then into it.
Whilst walking into the breeze, i spied a thicket of Hawthorne, and made a bee line for it, thinking any sensible whitetail would like to be in there. Then i noticed movement and white to the left and above the thicket. This movement turned out to be a whitetail browsing, and it's tail was being blown up onto it's back by the breeze, and falling, and blowing up again. I dropped to the ground, ranged the deer with the laser to be 123 yard out, turned the cds dial to what seemed to be about 123, and pushed the safety forward. The deer never provided a broadside shot, but the prone rest was quite solid, so i went ahead with the less than ideal shot.
Those whom mentioned that the safety is as easy to push forward, as it is to kock a hammer were proven correct. It is indeed quite simple to push the safety forward, and free up the trigger to be pulled.
The shot was taken, and the deer was gone from view. The rifle was reloaded, and i began the walk to the deer. Two fences needed to be crossed on each side of a RR track, and care was taken to set the rifle in a safe place. Whilst crossing the second fence a deer was spied right up where that deer was, but when i moved over to the rifle, which was in a safe place, it went away.
When the deer was reached, i looked back, and saw 2 small bucks a way out at 490 yard. These deer are barely visible in the first picture above. One can pick them out in the first picture by locating them Junipers on the far ridge just below the skyline. They are standing further apart in the first picture.
The bullet was a 200g SST in a blue Harvester sabot, pushed by 120g BH209, ignited by W209 primer. The muzzle velocity of this load has been clocked at 2285 feet per second. What it made going into the chest cavity, was an elongated hole shown in the picture. I guess the entrance hole is so elongated because the deer was standing not so very much from straight away.
I hunted my way back to the truck, but even though the breeze was right, never got another shot. The truck was driven to what turned out to be, about 700 feet from the deer. The cart was pushed to the deer, and the deer was loaded into the truck without a hitch. One can see the exit wound in the neck of the deer in the last picture. It kinda seems the meat from this deer will fit into a shoe box.
Dang good read... thanks for sharing...
Hopefully my turn will come, I was going to say soon, but I need it to be awhile.
Like you I am packing a small camera and hope to get some shots that way until I see a shot that I can take the other way.
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Keep on Shooting Muzzleloaders they are a Blast
Congratulations. The first one of the season always tastes better. And now only a week away til you take some of them Refuge deer. the freezer is gonna get full fast.
Nice shooting and very good eating there. Congratulations on the shot.
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45 Elite Makes First Kill
