Posted By: cmnash
Georgia buck in the snow - 12/12/2017 1:36 AM
This Saturday I had the rare opportunity to shoot a Georgia deer in the snow. This is something I had never done before but very much wanted to. The chances to hunt or shoot a deer in the snow here are limited.
The snow started falling on Friday, and on the way home from work I decided I WAS going to shoot a deer in the snow. The dawn broke over about 4 inches of wet snow covering the ground and clinging to all the limbs and branches. I was optimistic because I was sitting in a shooting house where I had previously seen several young bucks. There were fresh tracks made overnight. The snow continued to fall and the woods were loud with pine limbs snapping and clumps of snow dropping.
The first sign of life was a coyote steady going somewhere. I "whooped" at him and he paused momentarily. I brought the MOA in .250 Savage to bear on him with every intention of shooting him, but he was just quick enough to escape .
Late in the morning I saw a single deer headed my way. There was no hesitation. If it had antlers, I was going to shoot. As the deer entered a narrow shooting lane, a glimpse of antler confirmed my decision and grunted with my mouth. The small buck froze at about 65 yards. The MOA was leveled, the hammer drawn, the safety moved, and crosshairs were settled. A 100 grain Ballistic tip was sent on its way...
This shot was a test for the .250 and Ballistic Tip. A quatering toward angle behind a bough of pine draping heavily with snow is the exact scenario I would avoid with this gun and ammo. I was nervous.
I invited my wife and son to join me in tracking and blood trailing in the snow. There was blood and hair at the start but the blood was sometimes sparse along the trail. No worries though, the buck was piled up within 75 yards.
My family helped me drag then hang this buck where we skinned and quartered it. We then packed it in a cooler stuffed with snow.
That was the point of shooting this deer- the total experience shared by my whole family.
As for the Ballistic Tip; not a problem. The bullet did in fact strike a limb just prior to hitting the deers shoulder, evidenced by the large entance wound. There was carnage in the onside, but the bullet had the integrity and steam to penetrate one lung and the liver . The Nosler made it to the offside just under the skin. There was plenty of hemorrhaged blood in the chest cavity.
There is nothing wrong with shooting a deer with a .250 Savage and Ballistic Tips.