DanWalker
09-18-2010, 02:21 AM
Took the shortguns out hunting today. Tried several stalks before getting in good on a herd, just before sundown. I picked put a big doe, standing broadside to me and ranged her at 110 yards.
I was sitting with my wrists braced between my knees and had what felt to be a very stable position. At the shot, the herd ran over a ridge, and she followed them. She was hunched up and we both had heard the boolit hit her.
We ran over to where we saw them go over the ridge and saw her laying down, about 75 yards away. She got up when she saw us, and I was unsure as to the quality of my hit, so I shot her again. Instead of putting her down, it seemed to have the opposite effect. She went on a stumbling tumbling run, with me shooting at her, for about 50 yards and stopped again. I was pretty rattled and missed her twice more before sending 2 more shots into her. She was trying to get up when my last shot connected and put her down for good.
We were losing light fast, so a detailed autopsy wasn't performed. I was really shocked when I got her skinned, hanging in my garage. My first shot had hit right behind her shoulder, but a bit low, breaking her elbow, and exiting low behind the far shoulder. This was a fatal wound, but I pushed her, instead of giving her time to just lay down and die. The other 3 shots were all lethal wounds as well. One of them was a hard quartering away shot that penetrated through her femur, and wound up under the skin behind the far shoulder. The finisher was also a quartering shot, and blew an entrance wound big enough to stick 3 fingers into.
For those interested, I was shooting my 5.5" ruger blackhawk 45 Colt. The load was 18.5 grains of 2400 under a 454424 SWC that has had a cramer HP conversion done to it.
I took a pic while waiting for my bud to make it back with the truck. unfortunately it's a crappy cellphone pic in fading light, but it's all i have. I'll post a pic of the recovered boolit tomorrow if I get the chance.
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e179/crowshooter223/RUGERGOAT21010.jpg
I was sitting with my wrists braced between my knees and had what felt to be a very stable position. At the shot, the herd ran over a ridge, and she followed them. She was hunched up and we both had heard the boolit hit her.
We ran over to where we saw them go over the ridge and saw her laying down, about 75 yards away. She got up when she saw us, and I was unsure as to the quality of my hit, so I shot her again. Instead of putting her down, it seemed to have the opposite effect. She went on a stumbling tumbling run, with me shooting at her, for about 50 yards and stopped again. I was pretty rattled and missed her twice more before sending 2 more shots into her. She was trying to get up when my last shot connected and put her down for good.
We were losing light fast, so a detailed autopsy wasn't performed. I was really shocked when I got her skinned, hanging in my garage. My first shot had hit right behind her shoulder, but a bit low, breaking her elbow, and exiting low behind the far shoulder. This was a fatal wound, but I pushed her, instead of giving her time to just lay down and die. The other 3 shots were all lethal wounds as well. One of them was a hard quartering away shot that penetrated through her femur, and wound up under the skin behind the far shoulder. The finisher was also a quartering shot, and blew an entrance wound big enough to stick 3 fingers into.
For those interested, I was shooting my 5.5" ruger blackhawk 45 Colt. The load was 18.5 grains of 2400 under a 454424 SWC that has had a cramer HP conversion done to it.
I took a pic while waiting for my bud to make it back with the truck. unfortunately it's a crappy cellphone pic in fading light, but it's all i have. I'll post a pic of the recovered boolit tomorrow if I get the chance.
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e179/crowshooter223/RUGERGOAT21010.jpg