Hi all, I want to start by saying thank you for all of your help and real world knowledge regarding handgun hunting. Over the past year since I had found this site I have learned a tremendous amount about both shooting and practical matters for hunting with a handgun. Last Monday during the Ohio opener for what has always been the traditional Shotgun week I was able to take a nice 5 point with my Smith 629-2E. I started reloading last year shortly after Christmas and it took almost up untill the last moment to get a load which would group well at 50 yards. I finally settled on 19 grains 2400, Hornady 240 XTP and Win WLP primers. The gun was as mentioned an 8 3/8" 629 with a 2-7 Burris scope. At 7:20 AM or what we would call still about dark, a nice little buck approached me from behind my left shoulder. I was able to slide over a little and rest my left supporting hand on my knee and get him in the scope. It took a few seconds to settle down the cross hairs but I felt comfortable and took the shot. A clean miss. Mr. Buck froze in place trying to figure out what happened and I was able to get back on him for the second shot. This time he hunched up and took off running about 80 yards then stopped and dropped. I was beyond excited. He expired just as I arrived to him and behold was an entrance hole in his right front shoulder and my first deer with a handgun as well as my own reloads. This was bittersweet however as this is the first deer in 26 years I have killed without my Father with me as he developed cancer in May and could not go.

After recovering the deer I decided to go to the spot where I hit him and do some research. I found no blood at all and only a few hairs. He was 62 paces slightly uphill from where I was sitting. I was suprised also that there was no blood trail at all and only a small amount where he had dropped. The bullet centerpunched the right front leg bone completely shattering it, crossed through the chest, out the far side clipping another rib and lodged in the hide. I was able to recover the slug and will weigh it as soon as I get it cleaned off. It looked pretty good for going through a leg bone and two ribs. I found 3 of the petals inside the ribcage on the off side where they had spun off.

I just wanted to thank all of you who offer advice to those of us just starting. From the discussions on when to cock a revolver to the use of ear protection it is all excellent and usefull information. Even the banter between some of the long time users is priceless in its educational content as well as amusing. Now if I had just been able to get my Nighthawk 10mm 1911 to connect with the doe that charged me yesterday this would have been a killer week. Take care, Aron

Congrats on your buck, but we need pictures please,lol.

Congratulations. Sounds like a great hunt

Congrats, Aaron! It would be interesting to know how many folks got their first handgun deer with their own handloads. I bet not many! You did well, man.

Great job now you hooked aren't you?

Well done Aron! Congratulations!

That's awesome, Aaron; congrats! I'm sure that's your first of many to come.

Way to go man, the first of many.

Absolutely Hooked. Now I need to keep practicing to avoid the first shot misses. I doubt the next one will be so kind as to stay put after such a ruckus.

Congratulations Aron! I know what you mean about charging deer, it seems like my 2nd and 3rd deer were shot in self defense....lol

Congrats!

Congratulations on the first of many we hope. You are right in that they don't always leave a blood trail . A high hit can cause blood to pool in the body cavity and not leak out for a while,or stop the heart and blood pressure drops quickly causing not much blood to leak out for trailing.

Nothing wrong with a warning shot

I think Matt and Beth Lysne coined that "warning shot" statement back in the 1990's while attending one of my HHI Antelope Hunts. At least that is when I first started hearing it!

Good job.

A big congrats to the new handgun hunting junkie!

Congrats!

Is gun opening day as crazy in Ohio as it is in Michigan?

Not for the past several years. Narry a shot anywhere near me for the first two days. This is why I have severe doubt and profound lack of confidence in our DNR. The deer are around the big cities in the metroparks. Out where they're supposed to be they can be scarce. Many will argue about this but they just aren't there like they used to be.