Woke up late Sunday morning. Was headed to one of my hunting leases 2 hours from the house. Only had a hour until sunrise. Decided to hit a small private farm I get to hunt about 45 min from the house. Parked and walked to my stand and settled in about sunrise. Wind was bad, out of the SE, which is totally wrong for this stand. 7:30 I had two doe blow at me from the hill behind me. Crap. Started thinking of another plan. About 0800 had another blow. That's it. I got down and worked my way through the timber to a hill and got me a spot in a plum thicket with the wind in my face and a pasture that I had a 180 degree shot and a open field behind me.
Watched a few doe run through after getting settled. One little fork horn about 8:45. At 0900 here comes a doe in Mach 2 drive. While watching her I noticed something to my left and it was this buck. He had his nose to the ground and was at a pretty good clip across the pasture. I had ranged a cedar tree when I sat down and he would cross in front of it at 120yds if he continued on his path.
I got my shooting stick up and turned the power on the scope down to 2x so I would have more field of view.
I bleatted, grunted and whistled to stop him. NOT. He slowed to a gate and I put the cross hair on his shoulder and touched it off. Hit right behind the should, double lung. He stopped in his tracks, stood a few seconds and fell. 7pnt, 105 lbs at 115 yds. It not the biggest one on the place but I had been hunting for seven days on and off and this was the only shot I had that I felt good taking.
Just got this 7mm-08 Encore barrel this summer and worked up a load with Varget and Nosler 140grn Ballistic Tips.
Bullet performance was great. Had to look for entrance hole on one side and on the exit it was about the size of a golf ball. Both lungs and some liver damage. Great bullet work.
It is shooting real good to 200yds.
I'm a happy camper and I have meat in the freezer now. This weekend I have one doe tag left before I start another month of bowhunting with my longbow.
Thanks for a place to visit and get info for my pistols.

Mike

Good job Mike. I say any deer with a handgun is a trophy.

way to go !!!!! that 7-08 is some kinda cartridge. good shootin and congrats on the buck, good luck with the rest of the season.
nmhunter

Sounds like a fitting end to a frustrating start. Congrats on the Buck and making a great shot.

Larry

good job. my 7-08 didn't get out again this yr, but it was in reserve. i love it, but pack the lighter contender most times.
i shot 120gr noslers mostly in it, but i'm gonna be loading 154gr sst's for quite some time after they are gone. i think varget will do the trick. i just need to chrony them n do a lil more accuracy testing.

I like the looks of the rifle forearm on your 7-08. Is that a 15" pistol barrel that was retapped for the rifle forearm, or a custom barrel?

Good shooting and a nice trophy!

congrats...that is a nice trophy,the 7-08 is a awesome round...jim257

Great Job i can smell them back straps on the grill from here

Hey Hawk...good goin'. Wish my 7-08 would shoot 140's better than it does. Seems that 120gr V-Max's are the load for it but I'm not thrilled with the long range data that I am seeing...not enough BC in those little bullets.

Is that a drop chart taped to the scope?

AWESOME!!

Quote:

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Seems that 120gr V-Max's are the load for it but I'm not thrilled with the long range data that I am seeing...not enough BC in those little bullets.

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Dan,
BC is not important for LR shooting

140 NBT's always worked great for me.
Congrats on the buck!

This barrel shoots the 140's great. I'm glad because that is want my intentions were when I got it. I have a 7BR, 7-30 Waters and a 7 TCU that shoot the 120's.
YES, it is a drop chart, little index card I make for all of my scope pistols now after reading and working will all of you Long Range Shooters. I shoot my loads through my chrono, use two ballistic programs and then record on little card what I need on elevations out to 500yds. I just put + or - so many inches for each distance and after ranging it I can hold where it should go. I'm not as sofisticated as Ernie and Steve, yet. I have a Palm Pilot but can even turn the dang thing on everytime.
I used my little drop chart in Wyoming last year with my XP100R in 260 with my 2x7 Burris Bplex scope to take antelope at 225yds and 425yds. Ernie gave me the stadia mark inpact points after giving him the velocity, bullet weight and other stuff. It worked like a charm. The younger guys was giving me grief and they still do about being OLD and can't remember anything. After 200yds, they are guessing 100% of the time when shooting at game.
I'm sure interested in that 7mm/270WSM you are shooting. I have the itch for a new XP in some exotic cannon of a barrel and was thinking 376 Steyr.

Mike

Congrats! Nice deer, 'specially with a handgun!

I've got a 10" 7'08 that I'm considerin' tradin for a longer tube.

Great shooting! Glad to hear the 7mm-08 hit its mark!