Post by featherduster on Nov 16, 2010 13:22:49 GMT -5
This was a year of firsts for me. After asking you folks about your opinion regarding the H&R 44MAG I decided to purchase one. I have for the past 14 years used a muzzle loader because I enjoy the accuracy, however I hate cleaning it.
Opening day morning I passed on 3 small bucks,that evening I didn't hunt because of a family commitment.Sunday morning I didn't see a thing.
Sunday evening with about 30 min left I watched a small doe stand up from a raspberry thicket and walk around a small ditch onto my neighbors property and out of sight. With about 15 min left to the hunt I began packing my stuff figuring that my day was just about done. As I glanced out of the window (I hunt from inside a yard barn at the back of my woods) I got a quick glimpse of what appeared to be a large,dark bodied buck with a white rack in the same place the doe had just crossed over.
I dug out my binoculars that I just packed and tried to get a better view however it was gone,so I repacked them.
I turn around and here he is coming on a steady pace right toward my shed on a lane I had mowed right to that ditch in hopes that deer would follow it toward my shed.
At approx. 40 yards I made a cat meow sound which stopped him broadside to me .
Now I have always tried to make lung shots and it always brings the deer down however they will usually run for some distance before dying.
This year with my new 44 MAG I wanted to try for the perfect heart shot so with the scope on him I fired what I hoped would be that shot. For the first time in 14 years I can now see exactly what happened after my shot because I didn't have that cloud of smoke. The deer bolted, ran approx.10 yards did an about face then ran back 15 yards before dropping grave yard dead.
While I was field dressing the dear the first thing I did when I got his chest opened was locate the heart and boy was I tickled pink when I grabbed it and found that about 1/3 of it was gone!
This deer was a heavy, thick racked 9 point with 4 Tyne's broken off about 1" from the tip. He weighed 171 field dressed. (no pics)
So in summary I killed a really nice buck with a rifle and I shot him right in the heart just like I wanted to.
Interesting note after I field dressed him I brought him to the house to rinse him with the hose.
On Monday after checking him in I wanted to wash him out one more time before I hung him up so while rinsing him off I looked at small pine tree that over the years the deer have darn near rubbed to death and there was a scrape that was made sometime between Sunday night and Monday afternoon.
This tree is no more than 30 feet from my house and is right there where I rinsed out my deer the night before.
For those of you who recommended the H&R 44 mag thanks I am now hooked on that sweet little gun.
And to all of you who have not yet got your buck, GOOD LUCK.
Opening day morning I passed on 3 small bucks,that evening I didn't hunt because of a family commitment.Sunday morning I didn't see a thing.
Sunday evening with about 30 min left I watched a small doe stand up from a raspberry thicket and walk around a small ditch onto my neighbors property and out of sight. With about 15 min left to the hunt I began packing my stuff figuring that my day was just about done. As I glanced out of the window (I hunt from inside a yard barn at the back of my woods) I got a quick glimpse of what appeared to be a large,dark bodied buck with a white rack in the same place the doe had just crossed over.
I dug out my binoculars that I just packed and tried to get a better view however it was gone,so I repacked them.
I turn around and here he is coming on a steady pace right toward my shed on a lane I had mowed right to that ditch in hopes that deer would follow it toward my shed.
At approx. 40 yards I made a cat meow sound which stopped him broadside to me .
Now I have always tried to make lung shots and it always brings the deer down however they will usually run for some distance before dying.
This year with my new 44 MAG I wanted to try for the perfect heart shot so with the scope on him I fired what I hoped would be that shot. For the first time in 14 years I can now see exactly what happened after my shot because I didn't have that cloud of smoke. The deer bolted, ran approx.10 yards did an about face then ran back 15 yards before dropping grave yard dead.
While I was field dressing the dear the first thing I did when I got his chest opened was locate the heart and boy was I tickled pink when I grabbed it and found that about 1/3 of it was gone!
This deer was a heavy, thick racked 9 point with 4 Tyne's broken off about 1" from the tip. He weighed 171 field dressed. (no pics)
So in summary I killed a really nice buck with a rifle and I shot him right in the heart just like I wanted to.
Interesting note after I field dressed him I brought him to the house to rinse him with the hose.
On Monday after checking him in I wanted to wash him out one more time before I hung him up so while rinsing him off I looked at small pine tree that over the years the deer have darn near rubbed to death and there was a scrape that was made sometime between Sunday night and Monday afternoon.
This tree is no more than 30 feet from my house and is right there where I rinsed out my deer the night before.
For those of you who recommended the H&R 44 mag thanks I am now hooked on that sweet little gun.
And to all of you who have not yet got your buck, GOOD LUCK.