OK guys, here's my story - and I'm sticking to it.

I had my last range session with the .45 GM/TC Renegade back on December 1st. As usual, during that session I had the set trigger set very light for target shooting.

At the end of that session I cleaned the gun thoroughly and loaded it up for hunting with the same load I had been shooting - 85 grains GOEX FFg under the .451/465 grain soft lead flat point and a 1/8" unlubed felt wad.

What I didn't do.......what I forgot to do.....was readjust the set trigger to a pull weight more suitable for a hunting situation.

So far this season I've passed on a nice large doe (on opening day) and a small spike buck (the second weekend). But haven't seen another deer for the last three weekends. And darn it, I need a deer roast as a companion for the Christmas turkey. So this weekend I was prepared to take the first mature deer I saw, whether buck or doe.

Now, fast forward to yesterday morning.

After sitting over two different food plots Friday morning and Friday evening and seeing nothing, I was in a box stand Saturday morning staring at another empty food plot. Then, on a shooting lane through the pine woods off to my left I spotted movement. It was a decent doe, standing broadside, with two yearlings browsing the brush behind her.

I eased the Renegade out the window, found the doe "generally" in the scope, cocked the hammer and set the trigger in preparation for taking a sight picture on her heart/lung area.

However, as I started to move the scope to the target area I placed my finger on the front "hair" trigger, and BOOM!

DAMN, I did not intend to shoot yet. But when the smoke cleared she was down in the grass, kicking her front legs in the air. After about ten or fifteen seconds she flopped down still and dead.

I'd hit her high in the hip. Massive blood loss and surprisingly little meat loss. Go ahead, call me dumb. But you've got to call me lucky too.

Semi

Been there done that one myself - after setting the set trigger it really doesn't take much - just the weight of a glove finger in my case....

Thanks for the write up & the pics of the harvest...

Congrats on the doe and thanks for the good report.

Yes, pretty lucky but cool. Congratulations!!!

That bullet must have broke her spine. And if that artery was hit it would have been blood loss of course.

I had that same thing happen when on the range one time. Not killing a deer. But I was getting the rifle into position and BOOM... set trigger.

I'll take being Lucky over Good any day!! Way to go Van!! Looks like you won't have to go to the local meat market to get your Christmas Roast! LOL.

See those bullets of mine will kill a deer no matter where you hit them. GRIN

My son shot a 6 pointer this year with a bow practically in the same place but hit the major artery in the leg. He was dead on the ground within 50 yds. My son said the blood trail was unbelievable.

Cayugad, it took out the hip bone just above where the femurs connect. As I said, there was surprising little meat loss. No hematoma below that area. If I had hit that same spot with my 25-06 both hams would likely have been bloodshot.

Well Ed, we all know what happens when a freight train hits a deer.

Nice work Semi! Take that luck when you can... at least you didn't miss, or worse yet wound her. Glad you got your meat, that's a nice doe.

But then again, like Ed said... his bullets kill wherever you hit em

At least you carefully avoided damaging those delicious ribs!