Doe today

[richhodg66]

Some deer hunts stand out in memory, for example, the buck I killed with cast in a .308 Savage 99 is probably my most perfect deer hunt ever, everything went right, he wasn't the biggest buck I ever took, but a pleasing hunt.

Today is probably the most unsatisfying successful deer hunt I ever had. Been stressing, I only killed one last year and we are almost completely out of venison, a situation we haven't been in for years and years. To add problems to it, I didn't get one during muzzle loader and it seems everything is becoming a perfect storm to keep Rich from deer hunting. The lake flooded and my honey hole stand is out in the lake now. Even my secondary sits, some pretty good, have been affected by it, large areas where I hunt were under water a month ago. The herniated disc in my back and bone spur that's pinching the big nerve to my left thigh has gotten worse too, and long sits on cramped tree stands aren't easy anymore, did it a couple of times during muzzle loader and payed for it. This weekend is out early antlerless segment and has been a good time to get meat.

So I had to change some things if we were gonna have meat. God forgive me, but I resorted to jacketed bullets, used my old Model 70 in .30-06 which I knew responded real well to 165 grain Sierra Game Kinds and Winchester 760 powder and it did indeed shoot it well just as I remembered (hadn't done this in ten years or more). Got a good chair and carried it out to overwatch a really sorry soybean field which was more Johnson Grass than beans and waited. I know the area and knew I had a good chance of seeing deer, sure enough, half an hour before sun set, a few presented themselves including this mature doe. Shot was 100 yards or a tad more. She ran maybe 35 yards into some thick brush, took me a few minutes to find her. The cart trip back to the truck was fun, about a mile and the flooding washed all kinds of big drift wood along the route and grew thick grass to conceal it. At least the weather was good and a nearly full moon helped. Took her to a processor with a walk in cooler. I usually do my own anymore, but I was already tired and irritated and I want to take my dad to a gun show tomorrow so I took the easy route.

Haven't used a jacketed bullet to kill a deer since 2009, just cast and the occasional broadhead, and kind of hate myself for having to resort to it, but I really had some set backs to my usual routine and was low enough on venison (the only red meat we keep in the house) and I really felt like I couldn't take a chance of not being able to make a good shot with cast. I think I'm going to make a resolution here and now that if I can't do it the way I want to do it, I just won't do it at all. This was basically a grocery shopping trip, not a hunt.

[sixshot]

Sometimes things don't work out they way we want them to but when it comes to eating or not eating you just have to change tactics once in a while. Not using cast isn't illegal, you did what you had to do to get some meat, that's the important thing.
Next time you'll do it your way most likely & the venison will taste just fine, just like this one, enjoy!

Dick

[Winger Ed.]

Look on the bright side.
You didn't come home with only burnt blankets and a hangover.

Oh, 165s of any pedigree are the best I've ever found for a .30-06.

[CastingFool]

Doesn't matter what you used, fresh venison is always good. Congrats, sounds like it was a great hunt, to me.

[richhodg66]

In many respects, I'm less of a purist than I used to be. When I got into bowhunting, I'd have never dreamed of even a compound, used a long bow, cedar arrows and Zwickey broadheads. Kansas legalized crossbows a few years ago and I broke down and got one and have used it several seasons now.

I like using a pleasing, vintage rifle and cast and I really like hunting from a well placed tree stand and shooting them at close range. This one was about twice my usual shot distance and despite the fact that I've had it and used it for years, this is a kind of boring rifle really. I forgot how easy it is with jacketed bullets, wife was in town, I texted her and asked her to pick me up that box of Game Kings and found some 760 I had, rifle was shooting one inch groups at 100 yards as soon as I got it zeroed which took two groups, I shot a couple of groups with it for good measure, then went hunting, still have most of that box of bullets left. No load development needed, no muss, no fuss.

I like cast and I think anything bigger than .25 is only gonna be cast from here out for deer.

[skeettx]

Chomp, chomp, YUM!!
Well done
Mike

[richhodg66]

This also reminded me of something after shooting mostly cast on my range here at the house; a full house .30-06 is a rather formidable thing. That rifle is no lightweight, but holy cow it's loud and kicks hard.

[ole_270]

Son n Law got a young doe on the bean field at our place yesterday. Used his "one rifle and load for everything", even coyotes. Late M70 Fwt 30-06, McMillan Edge stock, 165 gr Partitions, H4350. I've seen him use it with no trouble on everything from armadillos to elk.
I'm getting to where I agree with you on the full power '06 being a bit much. My joints aren't what they used to be, nor the muscle padding. That's why I've pretty much settled on the mid-sized 25's or cast for most of my shooting and hunting.

[Gofaaast]

Great job! fresh venison yum. I was successful during this years CO archery elk hunt or I would be out for a doe in this short season.

[rking22]

Hey, sometimes you just go out to “shoot some food”, all is good. I will be hunting this year with an 87gr hotcore, first planned hunt with jacketed in near 20 years. Got to experience the M99 and I am not real comfortable with lightweight 25 cast bullet, yet. Hear you on the 06 being loud and plenty nuff gun. I have gotten so used to shooting 200 grain bullets at 1700 ish that a few rounds of factory (junk box misc) thru my Mauser really surprised me. Next time I think I will just pull the bullets, that thing has a steel but plate.
That doe looks like some good eats, some hunts are successes in different ways, eat well.

[white eagle]

no shame in filling the freezer and providing for the family
no matter how it's done,good job
as for cast
I had a sweet shooting load for my 358 win always shot real good
this year it's all over the place so I ditched it and went like you to jacketed
a full case of rl-7 and a 200 gr bullet gets your attention

[nagantguy]

I’ve also suffered from some set backs and weather /terrain related unsuccessful deer seasons- Two years of no deer! I know the frustration and angst as we also primarily eat venison as a staple red meat, so this season may not be the hunts you want with the tools you prefer but you used the tools you had to cleanly and humanly harvest a deer- and made good on your promise to take your dad to the gun show! You should be pleased with the out come, I promise the doe didn’t know the difference so don’t morn the meals she provided!

[Texas by God]

It’s still Way Better than going to the store! Last year I had the 30-30, 8x57mm, 38-55 and 44-40 all lined out to get some venison with cast.
The only shot I got all season was a cull spike. I shot it. From the tractor seat(while feeding cows) with a 22-250 @ 100 yards. It fell dead on the road. Dang the luck.....

[725]

Enjoyed the report. As long as it's a quick, humane kill, it's all good. Meat in the fridge is a good thing. I've toned down my .30-6 load some, but you're right anything around 165 in the '06 is a natural. I was banging the silhouette with my 1943 '03A3 & a 168 Sierra Match this weekend at 385 yards. Open sights! Even managed about a 50% hit unsupported standing off-hand. Keep 'em coming.

[versa-06]

Meat Staples Accomplished!! May the next one be the way you want it, Boolit Style!

[Dthunter]

Up here in Northern Alberta, I have had the last 3-4 years just evaporate on me! Before I knew it, it was hunting season, and then it was over.

With the way work has been here, and our "SLIME MINISTER" doing his best at destroying our once fine country, it has left us struggling to make ends meet! Hunting has been only a distant hope to enjoy!

This year I have used any free time I could find to throw together a few cast boolet loads for my Savage 99EG in 30-30 Winchester.
I had a total of three range visits, and managed a solid load shooting 311291 180 grain boolets!
Last weekend I had an unexpected opportunity to go hunting, and I packed my 5 year old son, the rifle, hunting pack, and snacks for my boy, and ran out to my truck and took off like a scaled cat before something changed and made the hunt fall through.

As luck would have it, the day turned out as good as it gets! WE got our Mule deer doe and were headed back home in less than 2 hours!
some times it just works out, sometimes it doesn't.

AND as the op states, shooting animals with j-words is almost too easy. But it is so awesome that we still have the privilege to hunt!

Enjoy your deer! She will fill the stomachs of those you care about the same as if you shot it with cast. Congrats either way!

[Hamish]

Rich,

There is ZERO reason to feel anything but good about your hunt and using a jacketed bullet. From your posts over the years it's pretty obvious how ethical an outdoorsman you are.

You used the most ethical choice for the situation you were presented with. You didn't force it by trying to use cast when the accuracy required wasn't as good as you knew it needed, thereby begging for a cripple or a lost kill.

You did right by my book.

[trails4u]

Rich,

There is ZERO reason to feel anything but good about your hunt and using a jacketed bullet. From your posts over the years it's pretty obvious how ethical an outdoorsman you are.

You used the most ethical choice for the situation you were presented with. You didn't force it by trying to use cast when the accuracy required wasn't as good as you knew it needed, thereby begging for a cripple or a lost kill.

You did right by my book.

Spot on! Clean kill and meat for your family. nuff said in my book.

[White Oak]

When I was younger I thought nothing of giving someone a hard time for not hunting in the fashion I deemed the “right way” Traditional bow only.
Now that I am older, I realize it is the tradition of hunting that needs preserved not the style one chooses.
I am happy for your success and hope you find joy in it.

[richhodg66]

Gave some thought to this, yes, the shot was a lot farther than I normally have shot them with cast, but it wasn't outside what I think a good shooter with my cast deer loads could do. The ones I have shot with cast generally didn't run as far as this one did. That could be attributed to other factors, but shot placement was good in this case, considering the amount of energy a loading like that carries, I'm a little surprised she stayed on her feet as long as she did.

This particular rifle has been rather finicky with cast in my experience. I might ought to work with it and try to get that figured out.