Thread: A slightly different narrative/ alternate view.

good amount of hunts completed,good job and some nice killing there.

2x Barrett Fieldcraft (300WM and 7x57?)

Very nice

Just one. The fieldcraft is .270 win. the 300 mag is a tikka and the 7x57r is a Lee Enfeild.

I could have added a lot to this thread when it comes to the data of shooting and killing animals, but sadly am I TERRIBLE at remembering or even caring about taking pictures of the animals, and it would be extremely boring without pictures.

For about my first 100 big game animals was I taking very careful notes in a journal about the animal, distance, cartridge, bullet, shot angle, entrance and exit spots, distance moved after the shot and meat damage, but for reasons I don't remember now, did I stop doing that and then I thought and still think it became pointless to start doing that again after many years without doing it.

I wish I was much better at taking pictures of the animals after I have shot them, but either I have forgotten to bring something to take a picture with or I forget to take pictures anyway.
Now, I usually have my cell phone with me, but I still forget to take picture.
Good thing I still am not so senile that I have forgotten my hunting experiences

Last four deer. Red stag laying down in his bed.270w 170grn rn Speer through base of neck/ forward hilar... He thrashed around but never got up. Fallow spiker 125ish yards.223 very poor shooting( possibly when my scope started packing paddy?) four rounds fired,last at point blank,finishing it off,first missed neck.second cut spine n back steaks,third missed. Fallow spiker 223 single round VMAX 55 grn 200-250yards ( long shot for me. Through shoulder blade into chest,went ten yards n did moonwalk before dropping.last was big red stag 222 bush stalking range? 50ish single round into shoulder chest bang flop .

2024 red deer kills by me as far as I can remember

170 m .223 yearling hind asleep, shoulder shot, didn't move
200 m .223 stag, neck shot, bang flop
420m .223 hind, shoulder, dropped
400m .223 hind, behind shoulder, took a few steps
400m .223 hind, behind shoulder, took a few steps
300m .223 hind midshoulder, dropped
320m .223 hind head shot, dropped
300m .223 hind mid shoulder, dropped
250m .223 hind angling down into shoulder from high above, dropped
200m .223 yearling angling down into shoulder, dropped
300m .223 hind mid shoulder dropped
380m .223 roaring stag mid shoulder dropped
330m .223 yearling, quartering away behind shoulder, placed it a bit far back and shot again through shoulder, dropped on that one
375m 6mm stag behind shoulder, ran 10m
485m 6mm hind mid shoulder dropped
485m 6mm yearling mid shoulder dropped
90m 6mm hind neck shot dropped
100m 6mm hind mid shoulder dropped
490m 6mm yearling stag neck shot dropped
50m .223 hind headshot dropped
330m .223 hind shoulder ran 10m

No bush stalking this year for me.

No wounded and lost and no major cockups this year, so far. Longer shots on average than usual reflect hunting some different places to usual this year.

80 ELDM and Targex in 223, 108 ELDM in 6mm

Need to look at my diary. Everything is documented. 56 deer this year. 50-ish .223 and rest with 257R. Couple lost. And the odd cock up requiring a second shot to quell matters - surprisingly mostly with the 257R. I’m far from perfect.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Need to look at my diary. Everything is documented. 56 deer this year. 50-ish .223 and rest with 257R. Couple lost. And the odd cock up requiring a second shot to quell matters - surprisingly mostly with the 257R. I’m far from perfect.

What bullet(s) in the 257?

Originally Posted by caberslash

What bullet(s) in the 257?

100 grn Barnes non tipped

Fallow Buck from this morning. 270Win. 130gr Speer. Neck shot 65 meters and dropped on the spot.

Nearly stuffed it up! Buck was moving back to bush on first light, I was over confident and went for base of neck as he walked, from my knee, because I didn't want to waste meat. An inch higher and I would not have recovered him. I didn't listen too my own advice when with young hunters, to always go for the shoulder.

Originally Posted by whanahuia

Fallow Buck from this morning. 270Win. 130gr Speer. Neck shot 65 meters and dropped on the spot.

Nearly stuffed it up! Buck was moving back to bush on first light, I was over confident and went for base of neck as he walked, from my knee, because I didn't want to waste meat. An inch higher and I would not have recovered him. I didn't listen too my own advice when with young hunters, to always go for the shoulder.

Nice. But you could have saved yourself 75 grn of copper and lead and 35 grns of powder by using a "you know what".

Yep. But I believe there are some real advantages to using a single rifle for all your hunting and also I don't know what I will see on any given hunt, or the distance etc. I was actually looking for a Red stag this morning. This guy popped up instead. 50c extra is a reasonable payoff.

Month or two ago I had two fallow sitting under matagouri all of 150yards away. I had super accurate rifle and good solid rest.BUT wind was howling.one deer was arse on laying down and only shot on offer was head/ meck over its flank...other deer I just got few seconds as it layed neck out to peer around corner. I lay there for a good 15/20 minutes then got up n walked away. If shot had gone badly animals would have bolted into private land.hapoy to walk away.sometimes I think that's important.

Same area twelve months ago three reds right on edge of block,I carrying .223 and deer didn't stop moving away so initial hundy yards opportunity rapidly became 300 again I opted to not shoot for same reasons.if can't guarantee drop on spot when close to boundary I just don't shoot.