1 hour into season...
 

And this bruiser wandered into my path! He's one solid bruiser! He doesn't have the biggest rack in the woods (although he is my biggest rack to date) but he makes up with it by being just a great size deer. At the butcher shop he was larger than a 10 and a 12 point buck.

At just 1 hour into season in central PA just outside of Altoona, this guy came through the snow and ice just over a steep hill side almost immediately scenting me and stopping in his tracks. He was hidden from clear view by the tree he came to rest beside in the picture and some brush between he and I. I was standing next to a tree wearing my ruck sack with all my cold weather gear. I drew the model 700 30-06 with bronze tipped 180 grain hand loads, and saw just 2 points on one side. He moved slightly forward and turned his head exposing 3 more on the other side. He was legal but I didn't have a clean shot. We had a stare off at about 40 yards for what seemed like forever. At least 3 minutes passed. He was wearing me down and winning. My arms couldn't take much more holding the rifle unsupported. I was bobbing the barrel all over the place. Suddenly he took a step back behind the tree covering his head but exposing his hind end. It was then I saw his tail begin to flap alerting the doe that was trailing him to my danger. I gauged the shot at 4" low at that range so I adjusted my sights and let one go. I couldn't be sure it stuck it's target but I didn't see him, or hear anything! Something my grandfather always said "don't rush right over to your kill, give it time to pass." So I picked up my brass, dropped my pack and waited for everything to calm down. After another 5 minutes, I decided enough time passed and walked over to where I had seen my buck standing. There I found him laying, barely bleeding but taking his last breath.

The rest isn't nearly as exciting but everyone needs to have a hunting story. This one is as fresh as it gets so less embellishments than it will have next year at the hunting camp!

congrats on your personal best buck, hope ya get many more
RR

Hey a bucks a buck congrats.

Congrats on the deer

Great buck and great story!

Congrats :)

congrats on ur buck!!

Congrats!!

Grats on your buck. Still looking for my first.

Glad you got your deer.

But, from your story, I think you need to reconsider how you are sighted in. You did say you aimed low (or somehow adjusted the sight) because the shot was 40 yds, right?

You are obvioulsy hunting in the woods. For woods hunting I'd have a 30/06 sighted in for about 3" high at 100 yds. You'd be in the kill zone out to 250, and you'd likley never shoot that far in the woods anyway.

Then, when you need to shoot at a deer anywhere between the muzzle and 250 yds, you simply aim and shoot. No adjustments or compensation for range needed.

I'm sighted in at 100 and 250 for the 30-06. I believe this is the correct ballistics arc. At the farm I hunt, I have had everything from 350 yard shot to bayonet range. I was at the range 2 weeks ago and took some shots to get the placement at closer yardages. Last year I took 3 shots at 25 yards to take down a doe. She was running past me and stopped on #2 which gave me the chance at shot 3 but I was confused at the time and aimed low on the deer's shoulder giving me a much lower round. At 35 yards on paper I was shooting 3-4" low with the 180 grain rounds. It gave me an idea of the hold over I would need at the closer range. I think I get what you are saying but for my needs, this works. Also I can still go to the long range shots for paper, ground hogs, reactive targets...

Thanks!