Hi Guys,
The short version:
Took this buck Nov 22 - 278 yards lasered
30-06 TC Icon - 165 gn Sierra Game King
The long version
It had been a pretty frustrating season. There was enough snow to make getting to my scouted spots pretty tough. Got the truck stuck four times in the first two days. Wood stove could barely keep up with overnight lows. I also wasn't seeing many deer. Almost none for the first week, and after that only one or two a day.
I was well within the 'just shoot a deer and go home' frame of mind.
I had arrived at this area just after noon, and was set up by just after 1:00. One set of human footprints was going into and out of the area. It had snowed the night before, so I knew this had to be this morning. No drag marks, so he may not have taken anything. Hopefully he hadn't spooked the critters.
The best spot to set up is on a grassy hilltop overlooking a linear slough on public land. The far side of the slough is a ridge covered with very tall poplar and alder, bog birch, and beaked hazlenut undergrowth. From the hill top you can see almost the entire slough for 400 yards on the left and right. There were houses on either end of this long slough, so safe shots could only be taken across the slough, not along it. I had set up by installing two treestand gear-hooks into a big tree. These hooks give a rock steady rest for the rifle and allow you to stand rather than sit, which keeps you warmer and gives a better field of view.
There was about 30 minutes left in legal light when I noticed a deer shaped shadow to my left. Got out the range finder - yep, it's a deer - a buck too - at 306 yrds. He's not moving much. Sniffing a twig - probably a scrape under there. Shift the rifle to the other gear hook and adjust the magnification. I have hash marks on my reticle and have worked out the MOA drop for each hash mark at each magnification. At this range and temperature the first hash should be dead on at 6x magnification.
Guns up - deer is moving towards me. How far has he moved? 50 yards maybe? More? New plan - wait until he is at 200 yards and hold dead on. Wait. He's stopped. He's looking into the trees. He might go back into those trees and he'll be gone.
He's nibbling at something now. Since he is facing towards me, lowering his head exposes his entire spinal column and associated major vessels. A long linear target just like a standing gopher. I center the crosshairs between his sholders. there is almost no wind, just very slight from left to right. I know from shooting about a million gophers that when I miss in low wind, I tend to miss high or low, not side to side. By centering between his shoulders, I know that will still have a kill even if I am off my mark by several inches in the vertical plane. Rifle is rock steady - center - squeeze - boom!.
The report echos back and forth between the hills - can't hear if I hit or not. Recover. Where's deer. Still there - hasn't moved a step. Tipping over to his left. He never even raised his head! He's on his side now. Back legs are kicking up the snow. CNS hit! Dead deer.
Now the shakes come. I'm trying to get a final range to target but it takes several tries to steady my hand enough. Ok, be safe. Eject shell, rechamber, safety ON! Put the gun down. Get your stuff. Pick up your casing. Backpack on. Zip your coat. Pick up your gun. Now go get your deer!
Took me probably 3.5 hours to drag this guy out. The cold kept the sweat away and the snow made the drag easier.
For the first time this season, I was actually happy with the weather.
Fat.
The short version:
Took this buck Nov 22 - 278 yards lasered
30-06 TC Icon - 165 gn Sierra Game King
The long version
It had been a pretty frustrating season. There was enough snow to make getting to my scouted spots pretty tough. Got the truck stuck four times in the first two days. Wood stove could barely keep up with overnight lows. I also wasn't seeing many deer. Almost none for the first week, and after that only one or two a day.
I was well within the 'just shoot a deer and go home' frame of mind.
I had arrived at this area just after noon, and was set up by just after 1:00. One set of human footprints was going into and out of the area. It had snowed the night before, so I knew this had to be this morning. No drag marks, so he may not have taken anything. Hopefully he hadn't spooked the critters.
The best spot to set up is on a grassy hilltop overlooking a linear slough on public land. The far side of the slough is a ridge covered with very tall poplar and alder, bog birch, and beaked hazlenut undergrowth. From the hill top you can see almost the entire slough for 400 yards on the left and right. There were houses on either end of this long slough, so safe shots could only be taken across the slough, not along it. I had set up by installing two treestand gear-hooks into a big tree. These hooks give a rock steady rest for the rifle and allow you to stand rather than sit, which keeps you warmer and gives a better field of view.
There was about 30 minutes left in legal light when I noticed a deer shaped shadow to my left. Got out the range finder - yep, it's a deer - a buck too - at 306 yrds. He's not moving much. Sniffing a twig - probably a scrape under there. Shift the rifle to the other gear hook and adjust the magnification. I have hash marks on my reticle and have worked out the MOA drop for each hash mark at each magnification. At this range and temperature the first hash should be dead on at 6x magnification.
Guns up - deer is moving towards me. How far has he moved? 50 yards maybe? More? New plan - wait until he is at 200 yards and hold dead on. Wait. He's stopped. He's looking into the trees. He might go back into those trees and he'll be gone.
He's nibbling at something now. Since he is facing towards me, lowering his head exposes his entire spinal column and associated major vessels. A long linear target just like a standing gopher. I center the crosshairs between his sholders. there is almost no wind, just very slight from left to right. I know from shooting about a million gophers that when I miss in low wind, I tend to miss high or low, not side to side. By centering between his shoulders, I know that will still have a kill even if I am off my mark by several inches in the vertical plane. Rifle is rock steady - center - squeeze - boom!.
The report echos back and forth between the hills - can't hear if I hit or not. Recover. Where's deer. Still there - hasn't moved a step. Tipping over to his left. He never even raised his head! He's on his side now. Back legs are kicking up the snow. CNS hit! Dead deer.
Now the shakes come. I'm trying to get a final range to target but it takes several tries to steady my hand enough. Ok, be safe. Eject shell, rechamber, safety ON! Put the gun down. Get your stuff. Pick up your casing. Backpack on. Zip your coat. Pick up your gun. Now go get your deer!
Took me probably 3.5 hours to drag this guy out. The cold kept the sweat away and the snow made the drag easier.
For the first time this season, I was actually happy with the weather.
Fat.
