The Rifle used for this year's deer

[Dr T]

Last weekend was the opening weekend for deer season in Texas. We were in the blind on the ranch in West Texas on Saturday "bright and early" at 9:00 am. A few does started showing up, and at about 10:00 am a nice 8 point wanders down. After a few minutes of teasing me by hiding behind brush and a utility pole in the sendero, he steps out into the open. One shot and he was down, never to rise again.

• Rifle: Ruger Frontier in 308 Win.
  
• Optics: Conventionally mounted (not scout mount on the rail) Leopold 2.5-8 set at 8 (I had some time to look him over as he was teasing me).
• Load: Hornady American Whitetail with 150 gr. spire point flat base Interlock.
• Shot distance: 106 yards.
  
• Shot placement: About midway up and 4 or so inches behind shoulder.
• Bullet performance: Textbook (see the video on the Hornady website for the performance of an Interlock in gel). Entrance wound was through a rib and exit was overlapping 3 ribs wide and about 1.25" high. Big holes through both lungs and took out the veins and arteries just above the heart. I was delighted and thankful that this was a quick and clean kill.

The pasture clean up was handled by a big bobcat and some foxes, ravens, and raccoons. They were very thorough.

On my drive back up to the Denver area, I got a call from the smokehouse that they had finished processing the deer and making the 35 pounds of sausage I'd ordered. Now I just need to go back down and pick it up. It is only about 750 miles. But I have time: Regular deer season lasts until New Year weekend and then there is the spike and doe special season for another couple of weeks.

 

[SwaneeSR]

Nice job.

My new rifle is the Tikka Lite in 6.5swede. Six point came out of the Minnesota swamp and I dropped him. Nothing to brag about, not a huge deer.

Rifle preformed flawlessly. Great trigger. Low recoil. Shot was 50-60 yards through an opening in the brush. Dropped in his tracks.

My meat was ready Friday. Only waiting on the sausage and beer sticks.

 

[Bbear]

Took an axis doe w/ a re-barreled model 70 I had pac-nor put together for me in 6.5 swede. One shot @ 109 yards. Used my Mod. 70 in 264 WM to take my 5x5 elk. I won't be getting to mad at the whitetail until I eat some room into the freezer.

 

[LoonWulf]

Good shooting! I envy you guys having a place that will process game, nothing like that here.

Took a 4 deer earlier this year with my browning abolt 7 mag, and two with my 7mm stw. Going home to Molokai again over thanksgiving, planning on taking my Ar....but ive got a couple other guns i may take instead.

 

[mgmorden]

Congrats on the buck. So far this year I've only gotten one doe but I'm going to try and make it out again at least 2 more times this coming week (after that duck season is in for a bit). Since we're discussing equipment that one was with my Marlin XS7 in 7mm-08 that I got last year (first deer with that gun). Didn't want to bang up any wooden stocks so I finally broke down and bought a rifle with a synthetic stock .

 

[J-Bar]

I tagged a small racked 8 point whitetail yesterday using a Ruger #1, .270 Winchester with a Leupold 1X4 and the old time plain Jane Remington 150 grain Power Point. The distance was 175 yards, bullet entered behind his left shoulder and exited at the front of the right shoulder. He literally dropped in his tracks. I used to spend extra money on "premium" ammo, but the last four deer I have taken fell to these Power Points; three DRT, one went 10 yards. There are enough cartridges left in the box to last me past my 80th birthday!