First hand loaded doe kill

[herkyguy]

Opening day of gun season yesterday. I was in my blind at 3:45, with my cameras having shown that does start moving most days right around 4:00 or so.

With me was my Winchester model 70 in 30-06 and my hand loaded 150 grain Hornady soft points. They're loaded with 51 grains of 4007SSC and chrono'd right around 2600 fps.

A few folks said that was pretty light, but for NC deer, I figured it would be enough.

Anyways, long story short, a doe Walked out at 4:30 at a range of about 125 yards. With the freezer empty, it was a no brainer. She dropped in her tracks from a shot through her shoulders.

I've used Remington Core-Lokt to date and the only difference I noted was a much larger exit wound from the Hornady. With the 150 grain Core-Lokt, the exit wound through the hide was usually about the size of a nickel.

With the Hornady soft point, the exit wound was a bit larger than a quarter. Needless to say I was impressed and happy to have taken a deer with a round I loaded myself.

 

[oldillini]

Congrats on the kill and the handoad success.

 

[herkyguy]

Update: 36 cheddar burgers and steaks from the backstrap.....

 

[Mals9]

What time should I be ready for dinner?

Mals

 

[Comrade Mike]

Congrats on the doe! Looks like the family will be eating through the winter!

 

[cammogunner]

awesome doe and great job with the handloads..so i suppose you have dinner at 6:30??..

 

[rcmodel]

A few folks said that was pretty light, but for NC deer, I figured it would be enough.

And how many deer have they killed?

Your load will kill any deer on the planet if you put the bullet in the right place.

The grand old 30-30 has been filling freezers since freezers were invented running 150 grain bullet 300-400 FPS slower then that!

 

[gspn]

A few folks said that was pretty light, but for NC deer, I figured it would be enough.

View attachment 204162

AAAHAHAHAHAHA! A 150 grain from a .30-06 NOT ENOUGH for a North Carolina deer? AAAAHAHAHAHA!

GREAT JOB to you. I remember the satisfaction from that same milestone. First deer with my own reload...great feeling indeed. As your results have shown, you picked a great load to use.

Keep reloading, keep hunting, keep learning.

 

[rcmodel]

And pay no attention to what a few internet experts said!

You got a through & through hole in a deer now in your freezer.

They didn't!

rc

 

[MrBorland]

Winchester model 70 in 30-06 and my hand loaded 150 grain Hornady soft points. They're loaded with 51 grains of 4007SSC and chrono'd right around 2600 fps

A few folks said that was pretty light, but for NC deer, I figured it would be enough.

AAAHAHAHAHAHA! A 150 grain from a .30-06 NOT ENOUGH for a North Carolina deer? AAAAHAHAHAHA!

A 150 @ 2600 is light...for a .30-06. Maybe that's what "a few folks" meant? At any rate, it obviously's still a good deer load. Congrats on a nice one. I'm green with envy, btw...I'm a bit west of you and have to wait almost another month.

 

[Patocazador]

Oh-oh! Another reloader hooked! Haw, ha, he, (maniacal laughing).

Good job on the doe.

 

[BP Hunter]

Congratulations! There's nothing like the satsifaction of harvesting an animal with a load of your "recipe".

 

[41 Mag]

Great going.

Glad to see your loading paid off. Good luck with the rest of your season.

 

[WayBeau]

Congrats on the deer! I have to ask though, do you always take that much stuff into the woods with you? I usually wait until I get back to camp to dive into the cooler.

 

[Cleveland48]

Congrats! Nothing feels better than working up loads and killing deer with them. And the old 140 gr hornady so has worked wonders for me in the 6.5's

 

[MCgunner]

I think, over the years, I've killed less than 5 deer with factory loads, all the rest with handloads including my first one in 1963 with a Sierra 117 grain spitzer over IMR4350 from a .257 Roberts. My grandpa started me handloading at age 10, or at least helping out in the "reloading room" sessions and teaching me the skill. I've tailored rounds for all my weapons over the years, prefer my own, better ammo than I can buy. My current three bolt guns all shoot sub MOA with hunting bullets, boat tailed now days. Once you get a load that really shoots for a rifle, you really don't care much for factory ammo anymore.

And, congrats on the kill.

 

[herkyguy]

Congrats on the deer! I have to ask though, do you always take that much stuff into the woods with you? I usually wait until I get back to camp to dive into the cooler.

Nope. I walked out to get my ATV and cooler. I was parked about a half mile away on the other side of a creek. I try to stay as light as possible while hunting. Only the essentials....

I clean deer in the woods and put all the unprocessed meat in a cooler then grab a bag of ice on the drive home.

It sits on ice for a day or two before I grind and process.

 

[grovey]

Congrats...

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Yep. That's a good feeling when you get your first with a handload.

I've taken a few now. Now I'm trying to get one with a handgun and a bullet that I cast myself.

Good job sir.

 

[BADUNAME30]

CONGRATULATIONS herkyguy. Handloads are the only way to go.
What is the dotted line in front of and behind the right front leg ?

 

[trapper1]

"What is the dotted line in front of and behind the right front leg ?"

Looks like a rope, holding the deer down on the rack. You can see it under the neck as well.

Congrats on your deer!

 

[herkyguy]

"What is the dotted line in front of and behind the right front leg ?"



Looks like a rope, holding the deer down on the rack. You can see it under the neck as well.



Congrats on your deer!

Yup. Just a bungee strapped across her to get over a logging mat on the drive out to my truck.

Went in again yesterday. Same blind. Same gun. Same weather. Got in a bit earlier even since I was convinced I could repeat last week's success. Not a thing came out on the trail save for squirrels and rabbits.

Dang it.

6:47 was the end of legal shooting and I walked out empty handed. Someone nearby took two shots about 3 minutes after legal hunting..... They weren't walking "the high road" if you know what I mean.