FTX Turkey Day 2-fer
 

OK, not turkey day but close enough. I unexpectedly got one last day in the field this morning. All the corn was off but as expected when light came all the deer were already hunkered down. Nobody was pushing them around so when a coyote ambled by at 7:30am he received a 325gr FTX at 110 yds right where I was aiming in the heart/lungs. The entrance hole was not visible in the fur, however the exit was larger than a golfball. When I recovered from the recoil and the smoke drifted off all I saw was 4 paws sticking up out of the corn stubble before toppling over. DRT.

A few hours later as I was still-hunting the ditches, the property owner and another nearby hunter left about the same time and flushed a doe and her yearling across in front of me. They did not see me and I did not have time to range them, but it looked to be in the 100-150yd ballpark. No time to extend the bipod, I got solid kneeling and bleated to stop her before she reached the ditch and I lost sight. She would not stop but it slowed her down to a trot and I felt comfortable with being able to compensate for that, and fired from what turned out to be 140 yds. Unlike the last deer I hit bone this time, sending shoulder blade fragments into the chest and pretty much liquifying everything. Good exit hole again, and a DRT deer.

I also got my karma for shooting a tiny 7-pt on opening day. As soon as I had shot this doe a really nice 8-pt ran out into the field after there and just stood there at 150 yds while I reloaded, oblivious to my presence. I easily could have doubled on him had I not already punched my buck tag :(

3 animals with the 325gr FTX this year, three DRT. I'd hoped to test further than 140 yds but it's clear the bullet works VERY well out to at least this range with a MV of 1950 fps. While I always had good results with the 200SW it's obvious when I'm shooting the 325gr FTX that I'm delivering a much bigger whallop.

That is some great shooting there Spanial:barmy:

spaniel

Nice job and congrats.... better to have some luck than not luck at all...

good shooting. Congratulations on the deer.

Congrats on the 'yote and deer. Sounds like you have your rifle shooting pretty darn good.

Congrats on the success!!! What's the recoil like with the 325 grainer as opposed to the 200 grainers? Seems like a good combo you got going on there.

congrats & good shooting

The nice thing about the 325gr is that the max charge (defined by where accuracy goes away) seems to be velocity-dependent. I could only push the 200SW to 2050 fps accurately (110gr) but can take the 325gr to max charge (135gr) getting 1950 fps and duplicate the smaller bullet's ballistics with twice the energy.

There is a price in recoil but it is not bad. The little 200SW hardly seemed to recoil, it was very comfortable. The 325gr certainly kicks harder but I would say it has not reached the level of my 300WM with 200gr bullets.

Yeah, I had to redeem myself for having my scope get bumped off 4 MOA to the right on opening day and miss twice.

DITTO :party0005: