The .44 Special Does it Again; #2 For the Season

[35 Whelen]

Saturday morning, cold, windy, ice on everything. But he didn't make me wait long:

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Hunting/GregsBuck-redmore_zpse2f5a792.jpg (http://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Hunting/GregsBuck-redmore_zpse2f5a792.jpg.html)

Details to follow.

35W

[Lefty SRH]

Wow what a nice buck. I got out this morning but only managed to get busted by 3 does. I did later find some buck sign in my small woods though....i carried my 44spl also.

[AlaskanGuy]

Holy **** batman, nice work.... What did you use for a boolit and load?? Did you find the bullet or was it a pass through?

[youngda9]

WOW, what a monster !!!

[jaystuw]

Wow! impressive. The layout of the horns is great, well matched! The setting with the ice on the ground could not be better and the saa has that perfect amount of honest wear. Makes for a neat picture. Jay

[No_1]

44 Special, the little caliber that could. So many folks don't believe in it. This should make a believer out of some. I am looking forward to the story behind the hunt.

Take care,
R.

[nicholst55]

Although I have given up all but predator hunting, I'm still jealous! A very respectable buck; when taken with a fixed sight handgun, it's even more impressive!

[phonejack]

Wow! Double Wow !

[35 Whelen]

He looks a little bigger in the picture than he actually is, 18" inside spread. Rather ho-hum for this state. But judging from handling him I put him at 150 lbs. or a hair more field dressed. That's the second deer in 3 weeks I've taken with that pistol. Fixed sights aren't near the handicap most folks think them to be. I have a NM Blackhawk in .44 SP I could've used, but I much prefer the light weight and handiness of the little Uberti.

35W

[sixshot]

Very well done, any buck taken with a sixgun is well deserved. What bullet, load, distance, etc. Fixed sight guns can be very accurate.

Dick

[TheGrimReaper]

Too Cool, great job sir.

[harley45]

Awesome!

[tuckerdog]

very nice!!! I'm green :mrgreen:

[DougGuy]

Kudos mister 35 Whelen! What load and did you recover the boolit?

[Djones]

Nice job 35. Great picture too!

[LuckySavage]

Nice work! Really impressive with the Uberti. Waiting on the story.....

[35 Whelen]

Well let me start by saying that this kill didn't go quite a smoothly as the last one I related in this thread (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?218535-First-Deer-with-a-Handgun-The-44-Special-Works!).

I was running a little late getting to my brush blind and hadn't sat there but about 10 minutes when the feller pictured came ambling by less than 20 yds. to my right. It was a little early in the morning to be able to see the Uberti's sights very well, but I just couldn't pass him up. So as soon as he cleared a little mesquite tree, I fired. He ran, but had his tail down so I knew he was hit. I stayed put for about 20 minutes then started following his trail expecting to find him a few yards away. Nope. I tried to track him but didn't have any luck. I learned a long time ago that a wounded deer will head for the nearest thick cover and lay down, so I backtracked and started up the side of a shallow draw that held a little cover. I hadn't gone far when I saw him trotting through some mesquites to my right some 80 yards away. Fortunately I had carried my Uberti 1873 short rifle (.44 Special as well) in case a herd of hogs cam in. I took a shot at him as he ran through the trees, but missed. He ran right to the fence at the edge of my property some 125 yds. away and stopped quartering steeply away. It was a pretty long shot for the carbine, but I took a careful offhand shot and got him.

Post mortem: It appears the shot from the pistol was deflected by an unnoticed branch somewhere along the way and the bullet hit the buck in the last rib on his right side. The hole was somewhat oblong so I assume the bullet was unstable. As such, it didn't penetrate very deeply and when I gutted him I didn't bother looking for it.
The shot from the rifle that did him in hit him in the left flank and travelled all the way to the point of the right shoulder where it stopped under the skin. I'm thinking I might have the buck mounted so I haven't cut the bullet out yet. I'm going to let him hang in the shop for a couple more days before I take him to the processor and taxidermist at which time I'll get the bullet.

The Loads: In the pistol I used 7.5 grs. AL 20/28 and a 260 gr. SWC cast from WW's from an RCBS 44-250KT mould. The bullets were sized .430" and lubed with Ceresin Red. Velocity was 947 fps last time I checked. In the rifle I was using 14.0 grs. of AL2400 and a 260 gr. SWC cast from WW's from an NOE 429421 mould. It too was sized .430" and lubed with Ceresin Red. Velocity was around 1350 fps last I checked.

So there you have it!

35W

[Djones]

Great job knowing the signs of a hit deer. I'm glad you were able to recover him with out much grief. Thanks for sharing.

[alrighty]

Nice buck , great picture, and thank you for sharing the details of your hunt.Job well done , that is what being a hunter is all about.

[35 Whelen]

Thanks for all the kind words guys. I may have a chance to take another deer with the .44 if things work out just right. I'll keep y'all posted.

35W

[Djones]

Good luck!

[357maximum]

wow...good job/nice buck/nice recovery... and good luck on the next one.

[joehaberxxx]

Good going from a 44 special fan. I'm impressed with the looks of your handgun as well

[gray wolf]

Great story, and a good ending, You sound like a fine hunter and sportsman.
Enjoy your trophy.

Sam

[Crawdaddy]

Congrats 44!

[35 Whelen]

Thanks again guys. I finally skinned him today and after seeing the entrance wound from the pistol shot, firmly believe the bullet was tipped when in entered. Not only was the hole oblong:

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Hunting/bullethole_zpsb4d7424a.jpg (http://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Hunting/bullethole_zpsb4d7424a.jpg.html)

...there was hair pushed into the entrance wound which I'd never seen.

I did recover the bullet fired from the carbine. Impact velocity, near as I can figure was about 1080 fps. As I mentioned earlier, the bullet entered the left flank and came to rest in the outside of the brisket. Judging from the skid mark on the nose, it hit a bone; like the sternum or maybe the right shoulder.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Hunting/44-250KT4_zps7228710d.jpg (http://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Hunting/44-250KT4_zps7228710d.jpg.html)

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Hunting/44-250KT2_zpsd9b41e59.jpg (http://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Hunting/44-250KT2_zpsd9b41e59.jpg.html)

35W

[doctorggg]

great buck. great job tracking and an excellent offhand finishing shot with the carbine. Go 44 SPL