Southern Shooter
Member
This past weekend I went deer hunting. My 30-30 was not sighted in as I had no time to make some adjustments due to prior bad weather. So, knowing that it was dead on at 50 yards with 158 grain ammunition, I grabbed my iron-sighted Marlin 1894c .357 Magnum rifle.
I had never hunted with it before so I really had not idea how it would perform on white-tail deer...but, it was all I had at the moment. And, then I pulled out a box of Israeli made Samson 158 grain SJSP ammuntion.
I was sitting in a 12 foot high tripod stand. Well, exactly 70 yards away (we measured with a laser range-finder after the fact), two does stepped to the edge of the shooting lane I was watching. I raised the rifle and made the shot aimed at her front left shoulder. She jumped and bolted back into the woods. I waited about 40 minutes before pursuing her.
The short of it, I found her 45 yards from where the shot was made. She, like most Southern white-tail, was not a huge animal weighing in at about 125 lbs. The bullet passed through the left and right shoulders, shattering ribs on entering and exiting, and destroyed both lungs and the heart.
I had no idea that a pistol calibler, 158 grain SJSP from a short carbine would do that from 70 yards away. Is this similar to the experiences other hunters using this combination of rifle and round? I have a new found respect for this platform.
Thanks...
I had never hunted with it before so I really had not idea how it would perform on white-tail deer...but, it was all I had at the moment. And, then I pulled out a box of Israeli made Samson 158 grain SJSP ammuntion.
I was sitting in a 12 foot high tripod stand. Well, exactly 70 yards away (we measured with a laser range-finder after the fact), two does stepped to the edge of the shooting lane I was watching. I raised the rifle and made the shot aimed at her front left shoulder. She jumped and bolted back into the woods. I waited about 40 minutes before pursuing her.
The short of it, I found her 45 yards from where the shot was made. She, like most Southern white-tail, was not a huge animal weighing in at about 125 lbs. The bullet passed through the left and right shoulders, shattering ribs on entering and exiting, and destroyed both lungs and the heart.
I had no idea that a pistol calibler, 158 grain SJSP from a short carbine would do that from 70 yards away. Is this similar to the experiences other hunters using this combination of rifle and round? I have a new found respect for this platform.
Thanks...