PSEPRO2001
11-09-2009, 07:32 PM
I got perched on a powerline right-of-way at daybreak and had a view of over a mile straight away. With virtually no wind from right to left, windage was of no concern. 300 yds down the hill the valley flattened out the rest of the way out of shooting distance. With ceders on both sides of the powerlines, I could not see anything coming before it stepped into the opening. As I prepared my seat for the morning hunt, I peered down the hill and saw movement. When I reached for my Brunton bino's as noticed it was probably a doe and was good. The bino's confirmed my first thought and now time to range her and prepare for the shot. My Leica 1200LFR rangefinder told me she was 380 yds distant and grazing contently on the damp grass of the morning dew. I stacked a few rocks and laid down prone for the shot and began to focus my scope at max power, 20. My personlly built Savage 110 .224 TTH with a #5 Douglas barrel settled in for the shot with my Leupold 6.5x20x40 LR scope with the varmint reticle made a long shot look easy. I placed the 3rd bar on her heart and began to squeeze the SSS 1.5lb trigger untill it broke. BANG-----------FLOP butt first to the dirt. The 75gr Berger hp entered her through the top 1/3 of her shoulder and never saw daylight again.
After a minute wait number two doe stepped into the clearing just past the first doe at 390yds. This time I aimed the same place as the 1st doe and when the trigger broke, the distinctive POP was heard again and she ran into the trees. Now with 2 down I though of packing up and getting out early but the weather was so nice I really didn't want to leave.
Before I could make up my mind, I spotted movement again down by the 1st doe and another one had come into view. As it circled the 1st one I recognized it to also be a doe and began to set-up for the shot. At 385yds the hold on her would be the same, heart shot behind the leg. BANG--------POP and she headed for the brush but not doing well after the 40yd run. I thought this has been way too fun and my hunting partner, across the valley on the next ridge, was starting to send text messages and FAST. He could hear that the first 3 shots had connected and asked how many more bullets I had with me. LOL I responded with 6 and began to chuckle at the thought of shooting 6 deer from the spot and all the same morning. As we traded messages, I spotted another doe entering the clearing just this side of the first one. She too looked very intrested at the doe on the ground and was making her way downwind to find out why she wasn't moving. By now I had ranged her at 376yds and started to move into position for the fourth shot of the morning. She stopped just short of the brushline to get one last look and again BANG------POP again another shot into the lungs behind the shoulder. I text my partner one last time to say "I was done for the day" and headed down the hill to began the task of finding all the deer.
He met me about the time I had recovered two of the runners. We looked for a few minutes and could not figure out where the last one had went to and then he looked back where we had came from and the blood trial was at our feet. It was wide as a football is long and continued up through the trees for another 30yds. and around the corner of a big cedar tree out of sight. I began to think I had made a bad shot on this one until we found where she had stopped and bleed profusely. I knelt down and looked under some cedars and there she was 10yds deep in the brush and branches.
I had done what I had set out to do. Shot all four does with one shot each and no misses. This is the 3rd time to hunt with this gun since I built it and had not missed with it yet. I took an Pronghorn at 188 yds and an Axis spike at 110yds and now the does, all with ONE shot each. I'm so proud of this gun and all my work has been prefect so far. I'm like a new father and his first born. LOL hahaha
After a minute wait number two doe stepped into the clearing just past the first doe at 390yds. This time I aimed the same place as the 1st doe and when the trigger broke, the distinctive POP was heard again and she ran into the trees. Now with 2 down I though of packing up and getting out early but the weather was so nice I really didn't want to leave.
Before I could make up my mind, I spotted movement again down by the 1st doe and another one had come into view. As it circled the 1st one I recognized it to also be a doe and began to set-up for the shot. At 385yds the hold on her would be the same, heart shot behind the leg. BANG--------POP and she headed for the brush but not doing well after the 40yd run. I thought this has been way too fun and my hunting partner, across the valley on the next ridge, was starting to send text messages and FAST. He could hear that the first 3 shots had connected and asked how many more bullets I had with me. LOL I responded with 6 and began to chuckle at the thought of shooting 6 deer from the spot and all the same morning. As we traded messages, I spotted another doe entering the clearing just this side of the first one. She too looked very intrested at the doe on the ground and was making her way downwind to find out why she wasn't moving. By now I had ranged her at 376yds and started to move into position for the fourth shot of the morning. She stopped just short of the brushline to get one last look and again BANG------POP again another shot into the lungs behind the shoulder. I text my partner one last time to say "I was done for the day" and headed down the hill to began the task of finding all the deer.
He met me about the time I had recovered two of the runners. We looked for a few minutes and could not figure out where the last one had went to and then he looked back where we had came from and the blood trial was at our feet. It was wide as a football is long and continued up through the trees for another 30yds. and around the corner of a big cedar tree out of sight. I began to think I had made a bad shot on this one until we found where she had stopped and bleed profusely. I knelt down and looked under some cedars and there she was 10yds deep in the brush and branches.
I had done what I had set out to do. Shot all four does with one shot each and no misses. This is the 3rd time to hunt with this gun since I built it and had not missed with it yet. I took an Pronghorn at 188 yds and an Axis spike at 110yds and now the does, all with ONE shot each. I'm so proud of this gun and all my work has been prefect so far. I'm like a new father and his first born. LOL hahaha