Ranch Dog's 2005 Whitetails

[Ranch Dog]

Boolit mold orders are cooking and time to sit back and reflect on last year before things get hot and heavy at the casting stove preping for this year... Here are my two whitetails from last year, both cast boolit kills with my 444 Marlin here in South Texas.

http://home.awesomenet.net/~ranch-dog/Hunting/2005/Deer111605_002.jpg

http://home.awesomenet.net/~ranch-dog/Hunting/2005/LaRucia01A.jpg

[475/480]

Well done RD ,good lookin deer.

Sean

[6pt-sika]

Congrats they are way nicer then any I've ever taken :drinks:

[JDL]

Very nice! What was your load and the range? -JDL

[Ranch Dog]

I was using 280-grain WFNGC BTB in front of 43.5-grains of H4198. At 2100 FPS this load is a true 200-yard point-blank-range shooter (3"+/-). That doesn't really matter to me as I hunt like a bowhunter... up close.

I saw the first deer the evening before I shot it at about 90 yards. A cold front was blowing through and the wind was really kicking. I was hunting with my 44 Rem Mag (Marlin 336-44) and the 290-grain LFNGC BTB. The buck was following a group of does down a creek but with the wind the tree limbs were really jumping around and I was worried about nicking a branch and loosing the deer. I tried grunting but he would not turn, might not of heard me with the wind, so I let him walk. Next evening and the same setup he walked out of the bottom 35-yards from me and I dropped him.

The second buck was shot at the same distance, 35-yards. I was watching a drainage (dry creek) that led out of a thorn and cactus thicket into a mesquite Savannah. I was about 70-yards off the drainage and near dark the bucks started leaving the HEAVY cover for the night's prowl (that drainage is the strip of brush in the background). This was the 11th shooter buck (140+) that walked out nose to tail!!! This buck turned and came straight to me and I dropped him when he reached 35-yards!

Like I said, I hunt like a bowhunter. I've used the Pete Rickard products for years. Wash before each hunt with BO Buster and use Human Scent Blocker during the hunt. It's very hot here in Texas during the day and I've had great sucess remaining scent free for close up hunting. I wash my clothes with their Odor Buster. I'm not big on cover or attractant sents... I would rather find live does and use them to my advantage!

[JDL]

From the photos I thought the rifle was a .444. Did you shorten the mag tube or was it born in that configuration? Looks similar to my 336A, I really like it! -JDL

[Ranch Dog]

It's a 1972 444T (24" barrel). It's my favorite rifle.