Opening day success

[6GUNSONLY]

Weather forecast here for opening day of firearms season was dismal - strong winds, warm temps, and thunderstorms brewing by afternoon. Decided to go this morning anyway, I was afraid the season wouldn't open if I wasn't out there. About 8 am this gnarly 8-point came by and met one of Ray Thompson's 429244 hollow points. Old Model Ruger flattop .44 7 1/2". Recovered bullet did expand some, the hollow point section fragmented, gas check came off (found it). Recovered bullet shank weighed about 150 grs. This buck came by on the run and never stopped, though he was close (25 yards). I hit him a little farther back than I would have liked but as I was in a 16 ft ladder stand, the downward angle resulted in a spine hit and he went down like a bad investment. Spinal cord was completely severed about 6" in front of the hips. I think this deer had been hit by a car, his rack showed evidence of a pretty major injury on both sides while in velvet. He was otherwise in very good shape though, probably a 3.5 year old deer. BTW, that dark spot you can see on the buck's side is where the bullet was found, just under the hide on the off side.

[skeettx]

Well done
Thank you for the posting
Mike

[Texas by God]

Were you excited? I sure would be. Great job!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Larry Gibson]

Well done.

What alloy?

What load?

[6GUNSONLY]

Tex, I'm 59 years old and have killed multiple deer every year since I was 15 - but I still get excited every time. Especially with a more "challenging" weapon choice like handgun, muzzleloader (traditional, not scoped/inline) or bow (again, traditional - I shoot longbows). When I stop getting excited it'll be time to hang it up or just take the little uns hunting and let them get excited. By the way, here's my grandson Colt with his first deer taken Friday evening with a .243 Winchester with one of my handloads. I also got to do the field dressing chores for him.

[6GUNSONLY]

Larry, my bullets are mostly wheelweight metal with a little pure lead added to soften them a bit; idea being I want my hunting bullets to expand, if possible. I've shot several deer with this bullet, but this is the first one I've recovered. It hit fairly heavy bone, but the hollow point section shearing off makes me think maybe I'm still a little too hard? Not sure, it's just one deer/one bullet.

The load was 17 grs. AA-9, which chronographs just under 1300 fps from this revolver.

[Hamish]

Great pic of the Grandson!

[runfiverun]

the most penetration through bone I have ever got was by using a .0030 thick copper wrap on a cast bullet and slowing it waay down to 2350 fps.
that only made it 8"s through the shoulder and spine and through the other shoulder.

[EMC45]

Great write up and pics. Those deer are hogs! Nice big bodies.

[6GUNSONLY]

They were both big-bodied deer, especially the one Colt killed. We didn't have access to a scale but I'd guess he was pushing 200# live weight; big for our part of the country.

[Rcmaveric]

Awesome. Congrats.

[RugerFan]

Congrats to both of you! Your grandson will be telling his grandchildren about that day.

[Thundarstick]

Congratulations!
Especially with the awful conditions we endured yesterday! First time I can remember opening day of rifle season in jeans and t-shirt! High of 73F wind 20 -30 in the morning, a squall line around 2pm, winds changed to the North, wind 30-50 mph and temp dropped from 70F to 40F in 3 hours. I only heard 2 shots all day! Again, congratulations!

[white eagle]

way to go awesome deer for sure

[6GUNSONLY]

Congratulations!
Especially with the awful conditions we endured yesterday! First time I can remember opening day of rifle season in jeans and t-shirt! High of 73F wind 20 -30 in the morning, a squall line around 2pm, winds changed to the North, wind 30-50 mph and temp dropped from 70F to 40F in 3 hours. I only heard 2 shots all day! Again, congratulations!

It was nasty weather (for hunting) and got really rough here right after dark last night. I think some kind of microburst, not tornados,but thee was a lot of local damage. Advance Auto Parts store about a mile from my house was totally destroyed. The roof just lifted off and was deposited right behind the store. It looked like a bomb went off in the building.

[richhodg66]

Congrats on a good deer and your grandson's too. I don't have any grandson's, but remember both my son's first deer. I'm tagged out now, but in about ten days, our general rifle season opens and I hope I can get my oldest son one, he hasn't deer hunted since he left for the Marine Corps five years ago.

[white eagle]

we have had those micro bursts as you call them here as well
make for terrible hunting only once in 48 years of hunting have I
seen a deer when high winds are the days norm
congrats again

[Shuz]

Congratulations to both you and your grandson! That's bringing them up right!