Makes it an even 10 deer for the season!
One of of my ranching friends who is also a local Game Warden, called me yesterday and asked if I wanted to take another MLD Tag deer off his place. Heck yeah!!!
I told him I'd like to try and use a revolver and he thought that would be possible. So, I showed up at his place about 5 minutes away from my house around 3:45 and we visited a bit before heading out to the stand. Same one I'd hunted before.
We threw out some corn within 50 yards of the blind in hopes that a management deer would come close enough for a revolver shot.
This time, I'd be using my new Ruger SBH Bisley in .454 Casull. Except, I loaded it with .45 Colt handloads with 250gr Hornady XTP bullets on top of a max 26.5gr H110 and mag primers.
Same load I'd used to take a cull buck out of this stand over a month ago with my 24" octagon barreled Rossi M92 with tang/globe sights in .45 Colt. It had worked out of a rifle. Now to try it with a revolver.
Things were slow at first. So, we just visited about shooting and guns while we glassed the country side. Eventually, game began to move and we started seeing whitetail and axis deer venture out of the brush and into the many sendaros.
Around 5:30, we started to see bucks moving in the brush around our stand. Then, they slowly crept out and approached the feeder. BIG.......bucks!
There was also a small 4 point and a 3 point with them. My friend said that if the 3 point decided to come our way, I could take him. I asked him why he wanted me to shoot the young buck and he said, "He should'a been a 4 point." I guess when you have the quality deer he has on his place...........a 3 point don't cut the mustard. I wasn't going to say no.
So, we waited and wait until the bigger bucks got tired of entertaining the little guys and ran them off in our direction..............fortunately. The 4 point and his tag along 3 point then began to feed on the corn we had thrown out near the stand. But, it seemed like it took forever for the 3 point to turn broadside! There I was in the blind......one hand on the Ruger and the other hand on the record button of the camera I had on a tripod next to me. Waiting..........waiting..........waiting for him to turn broadside so I could push record and take the shot.
FINALLY, he turned broadside at 34 yards and I hit record. Acquired a sight picture.........and fired.
Video:
http://vid26.photobucket.com/albums/c106...zpstb5txtvq.mp4At the shot, he jumped forward and took off running to his right. It felt like a good shot, but you can hear me re-cock the hammer in the video and and aim in on him again as he ran. Traveling about 30 yards around the brush he was next to, he came to a stop and I was about to fire again. But, I saw the legs spread in stabilization..........the head lower.........and he fell over backwards. No shot needed.
The yellow line shows the 3 point's route from back in the brush........to the right of the picture.........then to the feeder...........and finally within range.
A - Location of the shot.
B - Where he fell.
I am exceptionally pleased with this deer. Not because of his size. That has nothing to do with it. I am pleased because this is my first deer with a .45 Colt revolver..............first deer with my new Ruger SBH Bisley...........and first deer EVER with an iron sighted revolver!!!! Up until this point, I've always used scopes on my handguns to take deer.
I've taken small game with open sights my entire life. I've even taken deer with iron sighted longarms. But, never with an iron sighted revolver. That...........is kinda cool.
It was a perfect quartering away shot that entered the back of the thoracic cavity and angled forward, exiting the off side shoulder. Perfect!
And, I got to spend the time with a good friend in a beautiful place. Watch the sun set and see some gorgeous bucks. Good times.
The gun doesn't make the hunt. The size of the animal doesn't make the hunt. All the experiences combined and shared with good friends............make the hunt.
