Posted By: Raptortrapper
460 finally scored! - 01/19/2015 2:22 PM
Went on the trip to a "hunting lodge" down in south Texas. It wasn't a hunting lodge at all. But still had a great time. It was actually a guys house that we stayed at. He was the ranch manager, and was a GREAT guy. He and his family are a riot. It wasn't anything like I thought it was going to be based off of what my buddy told me. He and the ranch manager have known each other for 20 years or so, and I was invited to go since a lot of guys canceled at the last minute. Our job was to take some culls. I was only after does, but would certainly have taken a cull buck had one presented itself.
I was able to get a doe with the 460, FINALLY! Not many pictures as it was a head / neck shot. That is the only shot they allow down there on that ranch so they don't have to track anything into the really thick and dense cover. Having such a small target is the reason I didn't shoot the Brute Squad. I don't have the confidence in it to shoot at a golf ball yet. The 460, on the other hand, is more than capable of that shot.
She was only at 60 yards, and dropped where she stood. After the shot, the ranch manager said he was "nervous as hell" having me shoot a handgun at such a small target behind the head, but has now changed his mind on the "capabilities of a short barrel". We had been at the range the day before to check the zero on all guns, and the 460 shot lights out, as always. Even then, he was still nervous about me shooting at a deer the following day.
I, personally, have decided I don't like the head / neck shot, and I don't think I'll do it again. All it takes is one little twitch on her part, or my part, and it can go horribly wrong in a hurry. That being said, all things came together nicely on this one, and my wife and I now have meat in the freezer.
This doe was only a 1.5 year old doe, but weighed 114 pounds on the hoof. He pulls the lower jaw on every kill, and records age and weight. It was the largest doe taken this season by 9 pounds. In the blind, he thought it was a 3.5 or 4.5 year old doe! He's doing something right if the 1.5 year olds are this big!! We were given a second doe, legally tagged of course, that was shot by another one of the workers on the ranch, so with those two does, my wife and I should be set for most of the year.
Not much to look at, but here is the exit wound. The vertebrae was completely missing. The picture was taken right before we started skinning and cleaning. They had a GREAT facility there that made it a quick and easy job. Processing from kill to freezer took about an hour with their facilities and help.
I was able to get a doe with the 460, FINALLY! Not many pictures as it was a head / neck shot. That is the only shot they allow down there on that ranch so they don't have to track anything into the really thick and dense cover. Having such a small target is the reason I didn't shoot the Brute Squad. I don't have the confidence in it to shoot at a golf ball yet. The 460, on the other hand, is more than capable of that shot.
She was only at 60 yards, and dropped where she stood. After the shot, the ranch manager said he was "nervous as hell" having me shoot a handgun at such a small target behind the head, but has now changed his mind on the "capabilities of a short barrel". We had been at the range the day before to check the zero on all guns, and the 460 shot lights out, as always. Even then, he was still nervous about me shooting at a deer the following day.
I, personally, have decided I don't like the head / neck shot, and I don't think I'll do it again. All it takes is one little twitch on her part, or my part, and it can go horribly wrong in a hurry. That being said, all things came together nicely on this one, and my wife and I now have meat in the freezer.
This doe was only a 1.5 year old doe, but weighed 114 pounds on the hoof. He pulls the lower jaw on every kill, and records age and weight. It was the largest doe taken this season by 9 pounds. In the blind, he thought it was a 3.5 or 4.5 year old doe! He's doing something right if the 1.5 year olds are this big!! We were given a second doe, legally tagged of course, that was shot by another one of the workers on the ranch, so with those two does, my wife and I should be set for most of the year.
Not much to look at, but here is the exit wound. The vertebrae was completely missing. The picture was taken right before we started skinning and cleaning. They had a GREAT facility there that made it a quick and easy job. Processing from kill to freezer took about an hour with their facilities and help.
