6pt-sika
11-15-2015, 04:13 PM
We've had sunday hunting for two seasons now . Last sunday and today were the first times I did it in VA . Hunted sunday in a couple other states years ago . Anyway I got out in a new stand site at about 6:15AM this morning . Carried along my refinished circa 1967 Marlin 444 with a nice old Leupold Vari XII 3-9 on top . The gun had 4 rounds of RCBS 44-240GC SWC pushed with 52 grains of H322 in the magazine . Also had my circa 1899 Parker EH 10 gauge #3 frame with 32" IM/IM barrels loaded with #3 buck in the right barrel and 00 Buck in the left barrel .
Had a doe come by at about 07:30 closely followed by a spike and for some strange reason I didn't try to kill either of them . Watched and listened awhile and ate a snack then I "accidently" dozed off for about 20-30 minutes . Woke up about 09:45 and started thinking about getting my stuff together and coming down . I pulled up my scent candle and had it put away when I heard something about 60-75 yards behind me and saw a rather fat doe . I was thinking I might blast her when I saw movement behind her a second doe , then rather quickly I saw another deer with antlers .
They were directly behind me , but the Trophy Whitetail stands I've been using for about 25 years are good for standing turning around etc . Got the gun up and cranked the scope up the buck was better then I anticipated so I waited about 30 seconds for him to step out from behind some brush . When he did I let fly with a home cast RCBS 44-240GC SWC pushed with 52 grains of H322 and set off with a CCI200 primer . At the crack of the rifle he dropped on his chin and headed straight down the hill in my direction and stopped about 20 yards from me . Blood was pouring out the side , so I didn't think he was gonna get away from me , but I have this thing about not wanting them to suffer even though I like shooting them and I put a second in his neck . He flipped over and ended up 10 yards from the base of the tree I was perched in !
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Deer/IMG_8944_zpswixzd65a.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Deer/IMG_8944_zpswixzd65a.jpg.html)
That pic was taken from my treestand .
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Deer/IMG_8945_zps1zckczww.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Deer/IMG_8945_zps1zckczww.jpg.html)
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Deer/IMG_8946_zpsmbnsqw4h.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Deer/IMG_8946_zpsmbnsqw4h.jpg.html)
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Deer/IMG_8947_zpsvzwg945h.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Deer/IMG_8947_zpsvzwg945h.jpg.html)
He's a 3 1/2 possibly 4 1/2 year old deer . A friend that hunts the adjacent piece of property told me about this deer three weeks ago . If the left beam wasn't broken in front of the G3 tine I might have gotten him mounted he has a 20"+ outside spread . That's the widest whitetail I've taken to date . Also the first deer I've taken on a sunday !
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Deer/IMG_8951_zpsqzhplqp7.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Deer/IMG_8951_zpsqzhplqp7.jpg.html)
I would say this makes something like the 30th or so deer I've taken with my home cast bullets . And I might add of those I've taken with cast probably 2/3's to 3/4's were taken with the 444 Marlin !
Had a doe come by at about 07:30 closely followed by a spike and for some strange reason I didn't try to kill either of them . Watched and listened awhile and ate a snack then I "accidently" dozed off for about 20-30 minutes . Woke up about 09:45 and started thinking about getting my stuff together and coming down . I pulled up my scent candle and had it put away when I heard something about 60-75 yards behind me and saw a rather fat doe . I was thinking I might blast her when I saw movement behind her a second doe , then rather quickly I saw another deer with antlers .
They were directly behind me , but the Trophy Whitetail stands I've been using for about 25 years are good for standing turning around etc . Got the gun up and cranked the scope up the buck was better then I anticipated so I waited about 30 seconds for him to step out from behind some brush . When he did I let fly with a home cast RCBS 44-240GC SWC pushed with 52 grains of H322 and set off with a CCI200 primer . At the crack of the rifle he dropped on his chin and headed straight down the hill in my direction and stopped about 20 yards from me . Blood was pouring out the side , so I didn't think he was gonna get away from me , but I have this thing about not wanting them to suffer even though I like shooting them and I put a second in his neck . He flipped over and ended up 10 yards from the base of the tree I was perched in !
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Deer/IMG_8944_zpswixzd65a.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Deer/IMG_8944_zpswixzd65a.jpg.html)
That pic was taken from my treestand .
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Deer/IMG_8945_zps1zckczww.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Deer/IMG_8945_zps1zckczww.jpg.html)
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Deer/IMG_8946_zpsmbnsqw4h.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Deer/IMG_8946_zpsmbnsqw4h.jpg.html)
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Deer/IMG_8947_zpsvzwg945h.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Deer/IMG_8947_zpsvzwg945h.jpg.html)
He's a 3 1/2 possibly 4 1/2 year old deer . A friend that hunts the adjacent piece of property told me about this deer three weeks ago . If the left beam wasn't broken in front of the G3 tine I might have gotten him mounted he has a 20"+ outside spread . That's the widest whitetail I've taken to date . Also the first deer I've taken on a sunday !
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Deer/IMG_8951_zpsqzhplqp7.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Deer/IMG_8951_zpsqzhplqp7.jpg.html)
I would say this makes something like the 30th or so deer I've taken with my home cast bullets . And I might add of those I've taken with cast probably 2/3's to 3/4's were taken with the 444 Marlin !