Thread: First kill with my own handloads

I am very excited to have shot my first animal with my own loads. Thanks to all who have posted here, I have read voraciously all I could whilst learning the process. Unfortunately I didnt take any pics of the animal on the ground or after skinning. The load out of my Tikka 243 was, 95gn Hornady SST, 40gn 2209, Federal case, seated to 2.700" OAL.

The red yearling spiker was lasered at 218 yards, across the river. Slightly uphill and with it's head to the left quartering away from me. I was lying in the worst position possible when I saw the first of three animals, lying slightly down hill and in the middle of blackberry bush, nevermind.

I shot the animal I had selected high in the crease behind the onside shoulder. It jumped, hit the deck, and slid 10 yards down hill, dead as a dodo. I crossed the river to retrieve the animal, freezing my nuts off in the process. Mangina is the word for my man bits when reaching the far bank. Shooting finished, a flask of single malt appeared to relieve the pain of the cold river water. Anyway, off up hill to retrieve my freezer filler. As I wound my way hill, dodging blackberry and weaving my way through copious mounds of fresh steaming poos, I smelled the deer before I saw it. I found it exactly where i thought it would be slumped up against a tree that had arrested its slide down the hill.

I dragged it down to the river flats 40 yards below, removed the head, nuts and guts, and then dragged it across the freezing stream to the opposite bank where I had started. The shot had missed the heart and lungs, gone high in the rib cage, breaking the offside shoulder. I decided to carry the whole carcass out as it was a prime condition eater/destined for the chiller for a week or so. So belted up the legs and carried it out whole across my back for 2 kms back to the ute.

When I got home I hung it in a tree, gathered my thoughts, cracked a lager, and begun the cleanup process. The offside shoulder was broken, I knew that before I carried it out. But I wasnt prepared for the extent of damage caused by the frangible projectile. After skinning I discovered that whilst the projectile had missed the onside shoulder, it was ruined anyway with extensive bruising present. The offside shoulder was shattered, with fragmentation damage covering 90mm of the inside of the offside shoulder area. I could not find a single piece of the projectile, even though on the skin there was no obvious exit wound.

Basically the entire front end was stuffed. I had carried it out whole for no reason. I was only able to recover the straps and hind quarters. I have not seen this kind of damage with soft point projectiles, but the drop of the animal was emphatic, having not hit vitals. I gather this is "par for the course" with SST's? Should I abandon them and carry on using soft points?

Again, thanks for all the input. I have learned heaps from the advice here.

You could try bonded projectiles, I have had good luck with Nosler Accubonds. Otherwise barnes or similar will hold together

Neither are cheap but I think the accubonds come in 6mm and if you are only shooting them at deer then cost is irrelevent unless you are shooting hundreds

I don't really like using xplody projectiles for the very reason you described

Good work @septic

Best to stick with what obviously works well.

Cheers
Pete

Bloody good stuff. Nothing more satisfying than shooting a deer with your own loads.

I have had the same experience with sst/amax rounds. I still use them but aim back of the shoulder and a touch lower - it turns the lungs to jelly and splits the heart with no meat loss

Good stuff mate

Tis' a satistying thing to roll your own and get result like that.

Dead Right There (DRT), sound like the wee SST did what it was supposed to without any undue suffering.

Personally, I would be happy with that performance. I only shoulder shoot trophys or when culling a mob.

Head or base of the neck for meat hunts.

I say stick with em.

Good work!!

Yes the sst is very explodey, it is sopost to be the interlock with a plastic tip...if it actually is then the plastic tip makes it expand far more rapidly than the interloc.

great story, going out this weekend with my first handloads and hoping to get something. i take it you dont have dogs? i always carry the animal out whole where possible and then the dogs get kicked outside for a few days (farts r nasty)

where abouts are you ive got a selection of 6mm projectiles if you want to try some different ones

I had a choice of 3 animals. One of which I could only see the head neck and onside shoulder. The other a huge hind which i didnt fancy carring home. I have only really just begun dialling with my new to me Vortex viper hslr. I knew 200 yards was 2moa adjustment, so I dialled 2.5 as a guess. At 218 yards it turns out that is too high for the vitals. As I get more comfortable I'm now seeing that neck shots might be possible at this range with this calibre.

Originally Posted by northdude

where abouts are you ive got a selection of 6mm projectiles if you want to try some different ones

Whatcha got northdude? Im in the Hawkes Bay

Nice one mate

Love the mangina call, been there myself

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I'll have a look and get back to you

Stick with the ssts they do the job and are easy to get to shoot. Sounds like a fragment made it to the spine or nervous system. If it's still capable of breaking the offside shoulder after passing through they animal it's not that explody

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Myself and quite a number of hunting buddies all have .243 and we all use Sierra 85g HPBT, Red & Sika along with pigs go down and stay down..worth giving them a shot (no pun intended) they are well proven...

Nice work though, and those Vortex are lovely, I have 3 of them on my rifles...