Posted By: Dan B.
Crop Damage Hunt Report - 02/17/2009 7:35 PM
Finally got to go on my annual crop damage deer hunt. I usually get to do this with my longrange handguns and use the opportunity to test bullets but this time things were different...that's why it's under the "Shooters Bench" forum! I took a couple long guns...we were hunting some new farms and the landowner really wanted the deer knocked out and no goofing around. The deer were eating 50# of corn at three different locations in one night. My host knows my lust for handguns but kindly asked that I bring some LR rifles to really make a statement to the landonwer and earn his trust.
As hard as it was, I left the LRP's at home and took a new Model 7 7mmSAUM along with a trusted Mauser 98 chambered in .243 Win. The SAUM was never uncased and I used the .243 for both days; it's an old varmint rifle built in the '50's, 26" barrel, Weaver bases, Warne rings and topped with a 6-24X Tasco Range Adjustable scope. Loaded with 75gr VM's moving at 3400fps, it will print groups under 3" at 500yds.
After day #1 it was evident the deer were very nocturnal. I did not have a shot opportunity until late evening...there were six deer in the field. I picked the closest one at 280yds and dropped her with a "quartering to" shot. The rest made quick work of exiting the area FAST. The 75gr VM entered high on the near shoulder, absolutely wrecked the shoulder, and severed the spine. There was no exit hole and NONE of the bullet to be found. I shot a deer at 275yds with this same load a could years ago and had the same experience. But...they really are a varmint bullet and they are really zipping along. However, both deer were DRT.
The next day we saw tons of deer before light on the drive in but none once the sun started to rise. That evening they were moving good and were pouring into the field where my partner was sitting. I was watching another field but could see the deer from my location. They were 270yds from him and 400-420yds from me. After a brief phone conversation we decided to have me shoot first, hoping that a hedgerow (and the 400+yd range) would muffle the shot, stalling the deer and allow for John to take another deer.
The deer I wanted was quartering away, facing to the left and the wind was moving to the right. I situated myself in the prone position, laid the gun across my gear bag, ranged a medium doe at 413yds, dialed in the elevation, swagged the wind at 5-8mph, figured a 12" lead (which just about put the reticle off the deers onside shoulder into thin air) and settled in for the squeeze. At the "boom", she jumped and hit the ground running...this was not the plan. I was hoping to drop her on the spot and stall the others. Nope...they all ran like scalded cats...with mine in the group. After gathering my gear, we made tracks for the deer. A quick search placed her down 50yds from the POI. Turns out I plunked that little bullet dead center on the vertical and about 3" back of the intended horizontal impact point. I was very happy with this shot!! I had hurriedly belly crawled about 40yds to get into position, quickly made my condition assessment and required adjustments, calmed my breathing instantly, fired a round on target and impacted 3" from the POA. This is a natural high for long range shooters!!
At that range, the 75gr VM entered between the last two ribs, blasted the lungs and made it through to the neck on the far side and bloodied a SERIOUS amount of meat.
Normally when we do this hunt in the summer we can bag about 10 deer in the same two days...mostly with handguns. Though the harvest count was very low and I used a rifle, it was still fun and now I get to smell the house up with jerky cure for the next few days!!
As hard as it was, I left the LRP's at home and took a new Model 7 7mmSAUM along with a trusted Mauser 98 chambered in .243 Win. The SAUM was never uncased and I used the .243 for both days; it's an old varmint rifle built in the '50's, 26" barrel, Weaver bases, Warne rings and topped with a 6-24X Tasco Range Adjustable scope. Loaded with 75gr VM's moving at 3400fps, it will print groups under 3" at 500yds.
After day #1 it was evident the deer were very nocturnal. I did not have a shot opportunity until late evening...there were six deer in the field. I picked the closest one at 280yds and dropped her with a "quartering to" shot. The rest made quick work of exiting the area FAST. The 75gr VM entered high on the near shoulder, absolutely wrecked the shoulder, and severed the spine. There was no exit hole and NONE of the bullet to be found. I shot a deer at 275yds with this same load a could years ago and had the same experience. But...they really are a varmint bullet and they are really zipping along. However, both deer were DRT.
The next day we saw tons of deer before light on the drive in but none once the sun started to rise. That evening they were moving good and were pouring into the field where my partner was sitting. I was watching another field but could see the deer from my location. They were 270yds from him and 400-420yds from me. After a brief phone conversation we decided to have me shoot first, hoping that a hedgerow (and the 400+yd range) would muffle the shot, stalling the deer and allow for John to take another deer.
The deer I wanted was quartering away, facing to the left and the wind was moving to the right. I situated myself in the prone position, laid the gun across my gear bag, ranged a medium doe at 413yds, dialed in the elevation, swagged the wind at 5-8mph, figured a 12" lead (which just about put the reticle off the deers onside shoulder into thin air) and settled in for the squeeze. At the "boom", she jumped and hit the ground running...this was not the plan. I was hoping to drop her on the spot and stall the others. Nope...they all ran like scalded cats...with mine in the group. After gathering my gear, we made tracks for the deer. A quick search placed her down 50yds from the POI. Turns out I plunked that little bullet dead center on the vertical and about 3" back of the intended horizontal impact point. I was very happy with this shot!! I had hurriedly belly crawled about 40yds to get into position, quickly made my condition assessment and required adjustments, calmed my breathing instantly, fired a round on target and impacted 3" from the POA. This is a natural high for long range shooters!!
At that range, the 75gr VM entered between the last two ribs, blasted the lungs and made it through to the neck on the far side and bloodied a SERIOUS amount of meat.
Normally when we do this hunt in the summer we can bag about 10 deer in the same two days...mostly with handguns. Though the harvest count was very low and I used a rifle, it was still fun and now I get to smell the house up with jerky cure for the next few days!!
