03-25-2020, 01:41 AM
Hunting season was not really good for me this season. I was hunting a new land in the mountains of TN and just learning the land and where the deer move etc. The weather was bad all season. Record heat during bow season and then rain or high wind many days during rifle season. I did manage to catch a doe one evening about 30 minutes before dark come strolling down an old logging road where I was set up. I can sit on my 4 wheeler and watch a hollow below the road that has a laurel thicket that the deer bed in as well as see an intersection where 4 old logging roads cross that the deer travel. I was shooting my AR with 18" Oden Works barrel in 6.5 Grendel. I was shooting a load that consisted of a Hornady case, CCI 450, 28.5 grs. IMR 8208 pushing a 120 Sierra Pro Hunter COAL 2.250 which averages 2550 fps. Deer came walking down the patch into my view at about 80 yards. It finally turned broadside at about 60 yards away intending to head down into the hollow. When I first saw her I cranked the 1 to 8 Primary Arms scope from 1 up to 8 power and slowly raised the rifle to my shoulder. When she turned broadside I was already tracking her in the scope and when she stopped I slowly started my little circle movement I use with the sight point mark as I squeeze the trigger which makes me more accurate while shooting off hand. At the shot she hit the ground like a sack of concrete. I hit her about 1 1/2" higher up on the shoulder than I planned which got the spine good. I was in a hurry when I got her home to process her because it was cold and would be late before I got done so I did a gutless process. I did see that the bullet penetrated the upper onside scapula took out a couple vertebra but did not exit the offside scapula. Since I was in a hurry I did not look for any bullet. From previous usage of this bullet in my 6.5x55 at this velocity range hitting that much bone it most likely completely expanded with the core separating from the fully expanded jacket. I did loose about 2 inches of the tips of the back strap.
I also took a doe during the muzzle loading season. I had a previously agreed to commitment that took me out of town during all but the last day of muzzle loading season. I went to the property at noon the last day and sat in a ladder stand on a ridge where I could watch a logging road as well as the ridge and a hollow to my left. It was a really nice windless warm fall day and the rut was on. I just knew I was going to get a buck that day. I sat in that stand and saw nothing, not even a squirrel, all afternoon. I could not stay in the stand the last about 15 minutes before dark because my bladder felt like it was the size of the Goodyear blimp. I did not want to stink up the hunting area so I got on my 4 wheeler and hurried out to the field where my truck and trailer were parked. As I came out of the woods into the field I look up to my right and there stood this doe about 80 yards away. I stopped the 4 wheeler quickly put on the brake lock but left the engine running because I have learned never turn the engine off and deer usually will not spook much of the time. If you turn it off they spook and are gone. I pulled my old Knight T-bolt magnum 50 cal. out of the gun rack on the front of the 4 wheeler and brought my left leg to the other side so I could sit side saddle. I cranked the scope up to 9 power got on the front shoulder with my little circle movement while starting my trigger squeeze. BOOM went the 80 grs of FFG Triple 7 sending the saboted .452 Hornady 250 gr XTP on it's way. When the smoke cleared the doe was laying dead as a hammer. Perfect shot to the front shoulder. Those Hornady 250s have been wicked on deer for me for over 30 years.
I also took a doe during the muzzle loading season. I had a previously agreed to commitment that took me out of town during all but the last day of muzzle loading season. I went to the property at noon the last day and sat in a ladder stand on a ridge where I could watch a logging road as well as the ridge and a hollow to my left. It was a really nice windless warm fall day and the rut was on. I just knew I was going to get a buck that day. I sat in that stand and saw nothing, not even a squirrel, all afternoon. I could not stay in the stand the last about 15 minutes before dark because my bladder felt like it was the size of the Goodyear blimp. I did not want to stink up the hunting area so I got on my 4 wheeler and hurried out to the field where my truck and trailer were parked. As I came out of the woods into the field I look up to my right and there stood this doe about 80 yards away. I stopped the 4 wheeler quickly put on the brake lock but left the engine running because I have learned never turn the engine off and deer usually will not spook much of the time. If you turn it off they spook and are gone. I pulled my old Knight T-bolt magnum 50 cal. out of the gun rack on the front of the 4 wheeler and brought my left leg to the other side so I could sit side saddle. I cranked the scope up to 9 power got on the front shoulder with my little circle movement while starting my trigger squeeze. BOOM went the 80 grs of FFG Triple 7 sending the saboted .452 Hornady 250 gr XTP on it's way. When the smoke cleared the doe was laying dead as a hammer. Perfect shot to the front shoulder. Those Hornady 250s have been wicked on deer for me for over 30 years.