CarJunkieLS1
Member
I've been hunting the same property (16 acres) for 11 years now. It's not a spectacular spot BUT it's privately owned and it's only hunted by me and my wife. We've had up years and down years, we've always put meat in out freezer, just large bucks have been hard to come by. The spot is kinda in the middle of 4 or 5 other properties that are all hunted heavily, and those hunters are the "brown it's down type" all done legally so can't really say anything. But as some of those other hunters have gotten older it's been better about seeing at least decent bucks. Last year my wife got her first buck, and also the largest buck that has been taken off that property. A typical 7 point minus a brow tine, scored him at just over 100 inches.
Fast forward to this year, I was sitting in a stand that I knew bucks were coming by and carrying my newly purchased Marlin (Ruger made) 1895 45-70. I used my reloads USE WITH CAUTION!!!
Starline Brass 51gr H322 300gr Hornady HP CCI LRP COAL 2.530 NO idea on velocity I haven't chrono'd it yet.
So I was in the stand before daylight all nice and settled, daylight comes and along with comes the dreaded "poopacabra" I had no choice but to answer that call. Roughly 6:25am and I'm back in the stand and figured it was all over, but I was gonna keep sitting. I had texted my boss at work and told him, I'm gonna be late I'm hunting, so I was gonna at least hunt for a while. Somewhere around an hour later I hear a twig break behind me and to my right....close. I start looking and low and behold I catch him slipping through brush and I know it's at least a decent buck. I have to turn completely around to be able to get a shot, I start turning and I see them legs stop, so I freeze mid turn, he starts walking again and when he gets his head behind a tree, I get turned and get my Marlin rifle raised up just waiting for a clean shot.
He must've saw "something" because as soon he gets into a gap he stops and starts looking straight at me 22 yards away. He's frozen broadside looking right at me...too late for him because my rifle is already on his shoulder dead broadside. I squeezed the trigger and with a boom he goes down. I look up off my scope just as he is picking himself up off the ground and he makes a run for it. I listen for him and I hear him crash and fall in the woods. I give him and myself 20 minutes and I just can't take it lol. I don't see any hair or blood or anything so I just start going the direction he ran off to. 35 yards or so away there he is piled up, the excitement I can't describe. I just can't see how he soaked up that big bullet and actually got up and ran out of sight. Bullet did not exit, did not fail and I'm happy with it's performance, guess they really are tough animals with a will to live. What would this be without pics.
Fast forward to this year, I was sitting in a stand that I knew bucks were coming by and carrying my newly purchased Marlin (Ruger made) 1895 45-70. I used my reloads USE WITH CAUTION!!!
Starline Brass 51gr H322 300gr Hornady HP CCI LRP COAL 2.530 NO idea on velocity I haven't chrono'd it yet.
So I was in the stand before daylight all nice and settled, daylight comes and along with comes the dreaded "poopacabra" I had no choice but to answer that call. Roughly 6:25am and I'm back in the stand and figured it was all over, but I was gonna keep sitting. I had texted my boss at work and told him, I'm gonna be late I'm hunting, so I was gonna at least hunt for a while. Somewhere around an hour later I hear a twig break behind me and to my right....close. I start looking and low and behold I catch him slipping through brush and I know it's at least a decent buck. I have to turn completely around to be able to get a shot, I start turning and I see them legs stop, so I freeze mid turn, he starts walking again and when he gets his head behind a tree, I get turned and get my Marlin rifle raised up just waiting for a clean shot.
He must've saw "something" because as soon he gets into a gap he stops and starts looking straight at me 22 yards away. He's frozen broadside looking right at me...too late for him because my rifle is already on his shoulder dead broadside. I squeezed the trigger and with a boom he goes down. I look up off my scope just as he is picking himself up off the ground and he makes a run for it. I listen for him and I hear him crash and fall in the woods. I give him and myself 20 minutes and I just can't take it lol. I don't see any hair or blood or anything so I just start going the direction he ran off to. 35 yards or so away there he is piled up, the excitement I can't describe. I just can't see how he soaked up that big bullet and actually got up and ran out of sight. Bullet did not exit, did not fail and I'm happy with it's performance, guess they really are tough animals with a will to live. What would this be without pics.