Duffy, I was not looking at taking a long shot that particular morning, bu like I said conditions were absolutely perfect and the shot did present itself. The conditions were, about 40 for temp (late Oct. down east here in NC), zero wind vaule, I had set up a ground blind the week before on the edge of the field and woodline, and had placed a portable shooting bench in the blind. I had parked my truck next to the blind and walked the the fields with my laser range finder to laser back to my truck for ranges, and set up range flags on the drainage ditches that intersection the field at 75-90 yds intervals.

That morning when the 6 pointer came out along with about a dozen does and a couple smaller bucks to feed in the cut corn field, I watched them thru my M-49 spot scope for atleast half an hour. I was not only wathcing the deer, but I was watching for any sign of wind, mirage, etc, that might have an impact on the shoot. I also was watching the deers behavoir. Were they spooky or antsy, or were they somewhat relaxed and comfortable. It been my experience that a spooy or spooked deer will run a good ways after being hit, even with a 2x lung or heart shot, as compared to an relaxed or unaware deer. Anyway, the longer I watched the buck the more I knew I could make the shot. I had walked the field and had set range flags out to 1,200 yds. That morning, I was shooting off the portable bench and had my Wtchita rest set up and was just like shooting off the bench back at the range. The buck was standing still, perfectly broadside, and with his head down feeding.

The rifle I was shooting that morning was my 1,000yd competition gun. It is a .257 B&B Mag. My match load is also my hunting load and is good for deer, groundhogs, and 1,000yd comp. shooting. It pushes a 100gr at Nosler ballistic tip ou the muzzle 4,022 FPS and clusters them into 1/8-1/4" groups at 100yds. Once I had the range doped out, it was just a matter of making the correct scope adjustment (clicks of " up" ) and hold the dot where I wanted the bullet to hit.

At the point of impact it was still travling 1,700 FPS and had about 650 FPE. I know the rough rule of 1,000 FPE. Anyway at the moment of impact, it almost knock him off his feet. It spun him from 90 degree broadside to 45 and leaned him over. It took a second or two for him to gather himself back up and he started to trot toward the woodline, but he fell after going about 75yds, still about 50-60yds shy of the woodline. I watched it all thru the Premier Recticle modified Leupold 8.5x25 scope. I had my father in the blind with me and later that morning another buddy help me retreive the deer. We drove to it while my father stayed a tthe blind with the laser finders. Once we found were the buck was standing at the shoot, I parked my truck there so my father could laser the range, while me and my buddy drug the buck out. The range was 1,056yds.