I had killed four deer in the last 24 hours and was about to take my fifth. I was fortunate to be one of four veterans to take part in a hunt organized by Montana Wounded Warriors. (No connection with Wounded Warrior Project.) We were on a private ranch, in a valley in Southwestern Montana, during the rut.
The deer are so plentiful in this area that we were allotted four does and one buck and all five tags were over the counter. I saw more mature bucks in two days than I have seen in a lifetime of hunting. My guide, appropriately named Hunter, was a classy young man with a wildlife biology degree and a quiet excitement for the hunt that was contagious. He said, "It's too big to shoot.", so many times it seemed like a mantra he was repeating. You see, we were the only ones allowed the use of firearms, all others being relegated to archery. The deer had to be no more than a four point and at least four and one half years old.
Prior to arriving at the hunt I asked if I could use a pistol to take the deer. I was granted permission as long as I was able to demonstrate proficiency at the mandatory confirmation of zero on the first morning. I was also asked to bring a rifle because of the chance for long shots and limited time on the ranch. I brought three guns.
The first was a blued 10" Contender in 357 Magnum with a Leupold 4x scope. I had recently reamed it to 357 Maximum. The inspiration for this pistol was an article written by John O'Renick titled Magnum to Maximum for Handloader Magazine. I found the article on Mike Bellm's website. I did not test any 357 Maximum loads after reaming it because I wanted to see for myself what Veral Smith, Marshall Stanton and others on this site have said about the use of a WFN in 35 caliber at moderate velocities on deer. So I used my 357 Magnum load of a NOE 360-180-WFN GC at 13 BHN using 15.7 grains of H110 with a Federal small pistol primer and Starline brass for 1500 fps. This load producing the best 100 yard groups of all primer and powder combinations, with a best three shot group of one and one quarter inches and five shots opening it to two inches on the nose. The next gun was the newest to me.
A stainless Encore pistol in .223 Remington was not on my list of guns to get, anywhere. The price for the like new barrel and frame was less than a factory barrel, so I had to buy it. I ordered a 15" 308 Winchester stainless fluted barrel and a Simmons 4X pistol scope. I loaded 125 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips with CCI standard large primers and IMR 4895 that averaged 2775 fps. Good enough, next is the long gun.
I borrowed my son's stainless Winchester Model 70 Classic in 270 Winchester and used an older box of Winchester 130 grain Silvertips that grouped favorably. The scope was a Nikon 3-9X with BDC. I have actually shot this rifle as much or more than any of my current hunting rifles. All three guns grouped well and I was given the thumbs up to shoot any of them. I decided on the Encore first based on the area we were assigned for the first night.
A cold front moved in that afternoon as we made our way to our seated position. From our position under an old Locust we watched fence lines, cultivated fields and an area around a pond. We watched as 30 deer turned in to 40 then over 50 deer for 300 yards around us in a semi circle and all of them to young to shoot. One of the other guys reported counting 500 deer from his position.
While there I watched as the largest buck I have ever seen walk up within 35 yards of us. He looked fake. Like a joke. Like a yearling with an obscenely tall, thick, wide and perfectly symmetrical rack. It just looked wrong. Hunter did not need to say, "It's too big to shoot.", but he did.
A couple hours of this and I could not feel my fingers and I told Hunter I needed to move or I would not be able to steady the pistol to shoot. Fortunately he saw three deer about 400 yards away that would allow us to warm up and maybe one was old enough to shoot. We moved within 200 yards of them walking bent over at the waist.
I was finally in position to take my first deer, a doe, with a pistol. And I missed. Bad. So bad the deer didn't move. I reloaded, fired and it went down but not out. I moved to a steadier position 20 yards closer. I quickly realized what was going wrong with my shooting. It is what plagues me every time I miss, not calling the shot. Which translates to: I was blinking before or at the shot. You can't call the shot if your eyes are closed, even slightly before or at the shot. I refocused mentally and eyes wide open through the recoil watched as the deer went down for good. I have found that the intense awareness and focus on cross hairs or sights I have in practice has not made it to the field every time. The next 15 minutes would prove I had ended this bad habit.
From behind us another doe came out of the wood line 189 yards away. One shot to the heart lung area and she went straight down. Five minutes later a second doe came out and nearly stood where the first deer was. I aimed at the same spot and she died 15 yards away. We had three deer on the ground. We loaded them up and headed to the meat locker.
The next morning was to be spent looking for a buck. I brought the 270 as the distance was going to be 300 yards. We watched many nice bucks walk by. While trying to get in to a decent firing position I missed an opportunity at what Hunter called the nicest four point he has ever seen, then he described it. I never saw it, but it still hurts to think about it. I have always been a meat hunter, I never thought a deer would make me feel like that. Especially one I never saw. We returned to the meat locker empty handed.
When we pulled in one of the other veterans commented that there were some deer out in a field about 400 yards away. I started glassing and watched as so many, to big to shoot deer, were chasing does around in this field. I saw what I thought was a nice four point. Hunter started glassing and after 15 minutes it returned. He got me on to it, ranged it and I had my buck, at the meat locker. One left.
That afternoon our group lost a guide to some other business on the ranch so we had to double up. I was asked if I would bring my rifle because the other veteran still had a couple of deer to get and we would be in a long range set up again. I agreed and asked if I could also bring the 357 in case a short shot presented itself. All agreed but I knew the chances were close to zero. I love being wrong.
The range finder said 75 yards. We were moving to our final position. Not only was the pistol in my pack unloaded, she was standing frozen just inside the wood line staring at three guys on open ground. I put the rifle down, took off my pack, loaded the Contender, laid out my pack as a shooting rest, could not find her in the scope, put the pistol down picked up my binoculars, found her, picked up the pistol and shot.
I don't know what made me do it, but at the last moment I moved the cross hairs off the heart area and on to the shoulder. The bullet hit where I aimed. The doe ran 100 yards and died. Reflecting back on it I think I did not trust the cast bullet to take out the heart lung area and to make a quick kill. I wanted to anchor the doe in case a follow up was necessary. What I found proved otherwise.
I have never seen a shoulder blade so broken. It was as if you dropped a dinner plate and it shattered in to many pieces on the ground. It took the top of the heart out. It ripped a three quarters of an inch hole through the lungs. It broke a rib and left a large exit hole. I will shoot the heart lung area next time.
This was a great hunt. It was not expected but appreciated. I am grateful I have the chance to relive it here with the forum members.
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Originally Posted by outdoorfan
