Long post below, but I would like to have the skull cleaned with the beetles if it isnt TOO expensive ??
http://www.cornbread.com/~willbird/firstdeer.jpg (not too graphic)
Finally after Oh I dunno 20 times of setting out in the cold and probably 100 hours total, and two shots at deer this season where the bullet hit unseen obstructions that deflected it, I got a shot at this fella (button buck)...at 150-175 yards or so, held a bit high with rifle zeroed at 75 yards...BANG.....heard the bullet "kerTHUMP"....and he went down and kicked and tried to get away with one shoulder messed up and the other broken...finally after about 50 yards travel he lay down and was still
http://www.cornbread.com/~willbird/entrance.jpg (entrance wound)
That hit about 3" below where I aimed
http://www.cornbread.com/~willbird/exit.jpg (exit wound)
It looked like the bullet was deflected down by tissue, but went back UP in it's passage thru the other shoulder...the lungs were totally shredded)
http://www.cornbread.com/~willbird/amiss.jpg (that leg was not working too well anymore...not sure if even Dr. Howie could fix that)
http://www.cornbread.com/~willbird/chest.jpg (bullet hole inside chest cavity, bloody gory picture not for bunny huggers)
I used TC Omega loaded with 105 grains of 777 powder and a 300 grain Hornady XTP bullet. Hogden data does not specify what barrel length (they show 1641 fps for 100 grains) My Omega has a 28 inch barrel and I have clocked the 300 at a staggering 2440 fps with 150 grains of 777, 100 grains shoots a lot better than 150 and it clocks around 2000 fps...typical 3 shot groups at 75 yards go 1.5" with a 9x scope.
I was REALLY happy to hear that bullet hit meat and bone, many people do not hear bullet impacts so I'm not sure if they just don't listen for it or recognise it, or if you have to be half deaf like I am to hear them, I have read about in in magazines and books (UC for one) and I hear them hit woodchucks and pop cans full of water, and now I know you can hear them hit deer too
I had a little help field dressing it but now I know how to do one, you can watch a few times but til you get IN there your not really learning, we didn't spill any nasties inside him so we did good.
We're going to grind him up into ground deer meat tomorrow and get it vacume sealed and frozen..........hopefully the NEXT deer will not take so much work and freezing my arse off
...I know with other animals like woodchucks the following ones are a lot easier than the first one
.
I saved his front legs to have made into a rifle rack for my Omega, and I think I will save the skull too, he was just a young felle so not really worthy of a mount, but the skull naturally cleaned and bleached will be nice.
Bill
http://www.cornbread.com/~willbird/firstdeer.jpg (not too graphic)
Finally after Oh I dunno 20 times of setting out in the cold and probably 100 hours total, and two shots at deer this season where the bullet hit unseen obstructions that deflected it, I got a shot at this fella (button buck)...at 150-175 yards or so, held a bit high with rifle zeroed at 75 yards...BANG.....heard the bullet "kerTHUMP"....and he went down and kicked and tried to get away with one shoulder messed up and the other broken...finally after about 50 yards travel he lay down and was still
http://www.cornbread.com/~willbird/entrance.jpg (entrance wound)
That hit about 3" below where I aimed
http://www.cornbread.com/~willbird/exit.jpg (exit wound)
It looked like the bullet was deflected down by tissue, but went back UP in it's passage thru the other shoulder...the lungs were totally shredded)
http://www.cornbread.com/~willbird/amiss.jpg (that leg was not working too well anymore...not sure if even Dr. Howie could fix that)
http://www.cornbread.com/~willbird/chest.jpg (bullet hole inside chest cavity, bloody gory picture not for bunny huggers)
I used TC Omega loaded with 105 grains of 777 powder and a 300 grain Hornady XTP bullet. Hogden data does not specify what barrel length (they show 1641 fps for 100 grains) My Omega has a 28 inch barrel and I have clocked the 300 at a staggering 2440 fps with 150 grains of 777, 100 grains shoots a lot better than 150 and it clocks around 2000 fps...typical 3 shot groups at 75 yards go 1.5" with a 9x scope.
I was REALLY happy to hear that bullet hit meat and bone, many people do not hear bullet impacts so I'm not sure if they just don't listen for it or recognise it, or if you have to be half deaf like I am to hear them, I have read about in in magazines and books (UC for one) and I hear them hit woodchucks and pop cans full of water, and now I know you can hear them hit deer too
I had a little help field dressing it but now I know how to do one, you can watch a few times but til you get IN there your not really learning, we didn't spill any nasties inside him so we did good.
We're going to grind him up into ground deer meat tomorrow and get it vacume sealed and frozen..........hopefully the NEXT deer will not take so much work and freezing my arse off
I saved his front legs to have made into a rifle rack for my Omega, and I think I will save the skull too, he was just a young felle so not really worthy of a mount, but the skull naturally cleaned and bleached will be nice.
Bill