Boy !! have I got a story to tell!!
01-08-2009, 06:29 PM
#12
Guest
Posts: n/a
RE: Boy !! have I got a story to tell!!
Ok Forget getting cleaned up,I'll do that later. If someone told me what I'm about to tell you I would have a hard time believing it. But it happened to me ,so I know it's true. Tomorrow is the last day for leftover rifle tags . Muzzleloader tags are still good til the 31st. I decided to go hunting today because I didn't want to waste any tags and I haven't been for a little while. My wife took off from her afternoon bus run so I wouldn't have to worry about being home before 3:00pm. At 7:30 am she called me while on her morning bus run to tell me that she had to stop for about 30 Mule deer to cross the road.That determined where I thought i might go hunting. When she returned from her morning run I did my chores and got ready to go. It was a late start(10:30am.) I headed to the guys house who owns the property where she saw the mulies. Luckily he was home. I asked him if he wanted to go hunting. He said you want whitetail or mule deer. I said it didn't matter. He thought we should go out in the sandhills when i told him bout the mulies . I unloaded my 4 wheeler. I had brought both my Triumph with the Nikon Omega scope for the rifle tags and my 54 cal. Lyman for Muzzleloader tags. I wasn't sure which might work out. Since he was home and wanted to go on the 4 wheelers to the Sandhills I took the Triumph and left the Lyman in the truck. We headed into the hills and spooked a buck right away. I only have anterless tags so we watched him hop away in 4 legged mulie fashion.
We spotted a group of 5 about 400 or so yards away. one was standing and the others bedded. We decided to drive around the hill and see if we could close the distance before stalking. As we headed around the hill we had only gone about 150 yards when we spooked a herd of about 12 or 15 mulies . They ran west for several hundred yards then stopped. The sandhills are up and down ,so we worked our way south around the hills trying to stay beneath their sight. Once we were within about 400 or 500 yards we parked and and started walking around the hill to the south and then west. We came over a little knoll and saw them about 300 yards due west about halfway up the next hill. I knew we couldn't get close without being seen so I belly crawled to the top using the soapweed to try to hide behind. I was so excited that I didn't pay enough attention and got several cactus stuck in me. (ouch!) I made it to the top and they were still there. I took my range finder and it was 222 yards. Kinda far. I had 100 gr. 777, 250 gr. shockwave superglide. I threw my coat over top of the soapweed to try and use it for a rest. I steadied,aimed and fired. Then I saw a big puff of dust.( darn!!) I plain missed. They milled around for only a second then headed south but not very fast. I realized I didn't have any patches with me. They were on the 4 wheeler. I cannot get a bullet down the Triumph without cleaning with a spit patch. I hiked back to the 4 wheeler while the guy with me stayed there. It took about 15 minutes to get there clean,load and get back. I brought 2 speed loaders and several patches with me. I arrived back where he was watching the deer as the last one moved down a draw now heading back north and east. It made it possible for us to follow them. We worked around the draw and up over the knoll where we thought they might be. When we creeped up over the side we saw that they were farther east then we had anticipated. I raned it at 250+ yards. I crept straight up over the hill toward them , a couple of them were watching but not super nervous yet. I reached the top and ranged it at 213 yards. After missing the last shot I wasn't to confident. I tried to blame the gun but knew better. Plus there was absolutely nothing to use as a rest. I set down with my left arm braced on my leg( the way I always shoot the most) There were about 8 grouped together and a few spread out. I saw the one big doe stamp her foot and I knew my time was limited. The one that was almost totally broadside was in front of the group. I drew a bead and sqeezed off the shot. all I saw was smoke. The guy with me said I think you wounded her. I saw her run down the hill and she was limping. You must have shot her in the leg or something. I cleaned and reloaded. We saw them disappear over the hill going east but i didn't see one limping. I said let's get the 4 wheelers and go take a look. I sure don't want to have a wounded deer left behind. We got the 4 wheelers and drove back to where we had shot at them.As soon as we arrived we saw her . She was down and dead. I felt relieved. I looked to see how far off the shot was and saw that it was in front of the shoulder and at the top instead of behind the shoulder. The shot was about 5 inches forward but other than that it looked good. I got my knife out and got ready to field dress her . I drug her so she was a little down hill . I was getting ready to start to cut her open when he said . Hey!! there's another deer here.I said WHAT!! He said you must have shot 2 deer. I was really puzzled. Here we go from thinking I wounded one to killing 2 with one shot. We pondered the situation and studied both deer. the little one was down right were they were standing . the big doe ran down the hill about 10 yards.He thought I must have shot the little one ,dropped it on the spot and the bullet passed through and hit the other one. I could not find an exit wound on the little one so we decided to dress them out and see. Luckily i had 3 tags with me. I dressed out the big doe first. It turns out she had the hole going in front of the shoulder ,the top of one lung was missing and there was an exit hole behind the other shoulder. I dressed out the little guy which happened to be an anterless yearling boy. He had a entry hole perfect behind the shoulder ,both lungs destroyed and he had dropped on the spot. No exit wound. I tried to find the bullet but could not. I loaded them up and headed back home. To make it an even better day, as I am headed home I get a voice mail that my Hawken and other barrels had arrived. COOL is all i could think. I took a detour and picked them up and went home. It was almost dark ,so no photos. I hung them, gazed quickly at the hawken and then gulped down supper to report all this.
What is amazing is not the miracle shot but the fact that while so many people tell me that 150 grains is required I have taken 3 deer over 200 yards with only 100 gr and a 250 gr shockwave.. i took a buck earlier at 234 yards witha 100 gr 777 and 250 gr shockwave. Today i took a doe and a yearling at 213 yards with only 100 grains 777 and a 250 gr shockwave. 2 deer with one bullet.The shockwave had enough energy at 213 yards to pass through the doe and into the yearling. I still have a hard time believing it, so if you do too I understand. Goes to show that good shot placement(even if luck) matters more than velocity or energy. Any way that's my story. I am glad i have a witness
We spotted a group of 5 about 400 or so yards away. one was standing and the others bedded. We decided to drive around the hill and see if we could close the distance before stalking. As we headed around the hill we had only gone about 150 yards when we spooked a herd of about 12 or 15 mulies . They ran west for several hundred yards then stopped. The sandhills are up and down ,so we worked our way south around the hills trying to stay beneath their sight. Once we were within about 400 or 500 yards we parked and and started walking around the hill to the south and then west. We came over a little knoll and saw them about 300 yards due west about halfway up the next hill. I knew we couldn't get close without being seen so I belly crawled to the top using the soapweed to try to hide behind. I was so excited that I didn't pay enough attention and got several cactus stuck in me. (ouch!) I made it to the top and they were still there. I took my range finder and it was 222 yards. Kinda far. I had 100 gr. 777, 250 gr. shockwave superglide. I threw my coat over top of the soapweed to try and use it for a rest. I steadied,aimed and fired. Then I saw a big puff of dust.( darn!!) I plain missed. They milled around for only a second then headed south but not very fast. I realized I didn't have any patches with me. They were on the 4 wheeler. I cannot get a bullet down the Triumph without cleaning with a spit patch. I hiked back to the 4 wheeler while the guy with me stayed there. It took about 15 minutes to get there clean,load and get back. I brought 2 speed loaders and several patches with me. I arrived back where he was watching the deer as the last one moved down a draw now heading back north and east. It made it possible for us to follow them. We worked around the draw and up over the knoll where we thought they might be. When we creeped up over the side we saw that they were farther east then we had anticipated. I raned it at 250+ yards. I crept straight up over the hill toward them , a couple of them were watching but not super nervous yet. I reached the top and ranged it at 213 yards. After missing the last shot I wasn't to confident. I tried to blame the gun but knew better. Plus there was absolutely nothing to use as a rest. I set down with my left arm braced on my leg( the way I always shoot the most) There were about 8 grouped together and a few spread out. I saw the one big doe stamp her foot and I knew my time was limited. The one that was almost totally broadside was in front of the group. I drew a bead and sqeezed off the shot. all I saw was smoke. The guy with me said I think you wounded her. I saw her run down the hill and she was limping. You must have shot her in the leg or something. I cleaned and reloaded. We saw them disappear over the hill going east but i didn't see one limping. I said let's get the 4 wheelers and go take a look. I sure don't want to have a wounded deer left behind. We got the 4 wheelers and drove back to where we had shot at them.As soon as we arrived we saw her . She was down and dead. I felt relieved. I looked to see how far off the shot was and saw that it was in front of the shoulder and at the top instead of behind the shoulder. The shot was about 5 inches forward but other than that it looked good. I got my knife out and got ready to field dress her . I drug her so she was a little down hill . I was getting ready to start to cut her open when he said . Hey!! there's another deer here.I said WHAT!! He said you must have shot 2 deer. I was really puzzled. Here we go from thinking I wounded one to killing 2 with one shot. We pondered the situation and studied both deer. the little one was down right were they were standing . the big doe ran down the hill about 10 yards.He thought I must have shot the little one ,dropped it on the spot and the bullet passed through and hit the other one. I could not find an exit wound on the little one so we decided to dress them out and see. Luckily i had 3 tags with me. I dressed out the big doe first. It turns out she had the hole going in front of the shoulder ,the top of one lung was missing and there was an exit hole behind the other shoulder. I dressed out the little guy which happened to be an anterless yearling boy. He had a entry hole perfect behind the shoulder ,both lungs destroyed and he had dropped on the spot. No exit wound. I tried to find the bullet but could not. I loaded them up and headed back home. To make it an even better day, as I am headed home I get a voice mail that my Hawken and other barrels had arrived. COOL is all i could think. I took a detour and picked them up and went home. It was almost dark ,so no photos. I hung them, gazed quickly at the hawken and then gulped down supper to report all this.
What is amazing is not the miracle shot but the fact that while so many people tell me that 150 grains is required I have taken 3 deer over 200 yards with only 100 gr and a 250 gr shockwave.. i took a buck earlier at 234 yards witha 100 gr 777 and 250 gr shockwave. Today i took a doe and a yearling at 213 yards with only 100 grains 777 and a 250 gr shockwave. 2 deer with one bullet.The shockwave had enough energy at 213 yards to pass through the doe and into the yearling. I still have a hard time believing it, so if you do too I understand. Goes to show that good shot placement(even if luck) matters more than velocity or energy. Any way that's my story. I am glad i have a witness
01-08-2009, 06:51 PM
#13
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
RE: Boy !! have I got a story to tell!!
Yee-Ha!! Great story chetmarks. That's got to be a hunt you will remember forever, cactus and all. Good thing those deer didn't know about Shockwave failure.
Great story chetmarks. That's got to be a hunt you will remember forever, cactus and all. Good thing those deer didn't know about Shockwave failure.
01-08-2009, 07:25 PM
#17
Guest
Posts: n/a
RE: Boy !! have I got a story to tell!!
And the best part of the whole deal is that I happened to be with the same person when I shot the 4X4 mulie at 234 yards. He doesn't like anyone to go hunting on his property unless he takes them So the only I time I hunt with anyone is when I go to his place. When we unloaded the deer and I got ready to leave he said "you 're getting pretty good with that muzzleloader of yours. I chuckled to my self because I think it was luck. Actually I guess I give the glory to God. He's the one that makes all things possible. Now I have to put away the scope and stick with open sights. Muzzleloader hunting here doesn't allow scopes.So I'm back to 100 yards or less for the remainder of the season
for the remainder of the season
01-08-2009, 07:28 PM
#18
Guest
Posts: n/a
RE: Boy !! have I got a story to tell!!
ORIGINAL: Semisane
Yee-Ha!! Great story chetmarks. That's got to be a hunt you will remember forever, cactus and all. Good thing those deer didn't know about Shockwave failure.
Yee-Ha!!
Great story chetmarks. That's got to be a hunt you will remember forever, cactus and all. Good thing those deer didn't know about Shockwave failure.
