My first deer ... .375 H&H Mag meets a nice mulie buck!

[MCMXI]

I was fortunate enough to take this nice mulie buck (my first deer) just over a week ago in central MT. I shot him at 203 yards using my Kimber Talkeetna chambered in .375 H&H Mag. I was able to get a really good load worked up using a Barnes 250gr TTSX bullet, Remington brass, VV N540 powder and a Federal GM215M primer. MV is right at 2,800 fps. The buck was almost broadside when I shot him and the bullet destroyed the bottom third of the heart and exited just behind the shoulder on the far side. He took two half steps and then rolled backwards dead since he was on a hill. We got about 90lb of meat out of him.



I was literally checking the load the day before the hunt and put together 25 rounds with the intent to shoot five and take twenty for the hunt. This was the three shot group in very windy conditions at 100 yards with a clean, cold bore.



I rushed two more shots as the wind raged resulting in the five-shot group below, but based on other groups I was happy. I made a small scope correction for both windage and elevation and drove down to central MT feeling quite confident inside 300 yards.






My friend took this whitetail buck at 150 yards using her Kimber Mountain Ascent in .270 Win. She shot him about 1 minute before the end of legal hunting and destroyed his heart with a 130gr Barnes TTSX bullet from the factory VOR-TX load. The bullet also exited on the far side just behind the shoulder. The heart is shown in the bottom photo.

 

[BP Hunter]

Congratulations! Nice shooting. What a great feeling when coming up with your own loads and harversting a deer, especially if it was your fisrt. Great job. Was this your friend's first deer too?

 

[eastbank]

i shot this kudu threw the heart with a 260gr accurbond 375H&H mag 550 CZ in botswana this year. it made a mad dash for about 40 yds and down it went. i used that load on quite a few plains animals with no failures at all. eastbank.

 

[MCMXI]

BP Hunter, thanks very much. I have a lot to learn but am already planning to hunt elk before the season is done here in MT.

Was this your friend's first deer too?

No ... she's shot numerous deer, sheep and goats and loves to hunt. She was thrilled with the Mountain Ascent rifle though and it's now her favorite.

 

[gspn]

Congrats! I was in that same part of Montana last week with my own hand loads...similar results!

What a GREAT first buck. It's a great buck no matter which number it is...but for right out of the gates you have to be pleased.

 

[MCMXI]

gspn, thanks. I have no experience in judging bucks but I'm certainly very pleased with him. Others in camp echoed your sentiment that it's a nice buck by any standard. Hopefully I can add an elk in the next few weeks but it's unlikely ... but I'll try.

eastbank, nice kudu. I have to thank H&Hhunter who is largely responsible for my taking the Talkeetna. I'm sold on the .375 H&H.

 

[surjimmy]

Very nice, and congrats.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Nice work 1858!

 

[MCMXI]

surjimmy and H&Hhunter, thanks. I've really enjoyed the journey with this rifle and it's not over yet.

 

[Robert]

I have to thank H&Hhunter who is largely responsible for my taking the Talkeetna. I'm sold on the .375 H&H.

Yeah he'll do that to you. Just ask my M70 Safari Express in 375H&H...

 

[herkyguy]

Thanks for sharing. That's a lot of work to put all the pieces together...... But worth every minute in the end.

 

[MCMXI]

Thanks! Here are some photos of the country I was hunting in. My apologies if you're on dial up.

 

[Patocazador]

You certainly aren't "under gunned."

 

[MCMXI]

Since I'm new to this I'll defer to proven experts like H&Hhunter who has made the point that the .375 H&H is an excellent elk and deer cartridge. The quick end to the deer and lack of meat damage convinces me that it was a good choice.

 

[H&Hhunter]

And the really awesome part is that you certainly weren't "over gunned" either. That is the beauty of the .375H&H. You are seldom under or over gunned with a .375H&H.