If You're Gonna be Dumb, You Need to be Lucky Too
12-14-2014, 05:05 PM
#1
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
If You're Gonna be Dumb, You Need to be Lucky Too
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.
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.
Last edited by Semisane; 12-15-2014 at 12:29 PM.
12-14-2014, 06:00 PM
#5
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
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 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.
12-14-2014, 06:14 PM
#6
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 532
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.
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.
12-14-2014, 06:22 PM
#7
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
That bullet must have broke her spine.
12-14-2014, 06:47 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Virginia / West Virginia
Posts: 4,906
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
But then again, like Ed said... his bullets kill wherever you hit em
