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How Tickled Can You Be...
It's nice being part of someones' success.
Sam is a keen family member and I was very happy to source a nice T3 in .260 with a 20" Bartlein and muffler and and set it up with a scope and bipod for him.
The first off load I tried of 129SST and Superformance shoved along at 2850 worked a treat and it was easy to get it shooting and dialling well.
So he came down, new boots and stuff and all, and off we went into a weekend of shit weather.
He had shot a few deer previously with me using my gear but this was his first trip with his own rifle and a bit more of his own stuff.
Friday evening was really shitty but having flown down from Auckland we really needed to make the most of his time. So off we went into the rain. At the first little sheltered gully Bella winded strongly so I whispered for him to put one up the spout, and in instant a doe bounded out. Blam. A missed running shot at about 50 yards but no matter, it was a tough shot and I consoled him by saying we would have other opportunities.
So we headed for another sheltered gully I had in mind and this time waited several hundred yards off it and waited, and glassed, and got cold and wet (conditions Fallow don't seem to mind). As dark crept in I finally spotted a black Fallow feed out from the scrub edge and it quickly covered 100 yards to the best feed. I could make out the sweep of antlers. Ranged at 414 yards. It was bit up hill so I got him to dial in for 400 yards and encouraged him to take his time and to make sure he was comfortable. I suggested he held a foot off centre shoulder for the wind. He was a grand pupil and didn't get rattled or excited and took it all in.
After about 5 mins he was set up and the buck turned side on. Blam went the .260 and the deer dropped on the spot. It turned out to be a centre of the shoulder hit.
When we got to it the head was better than I thought and although not a classic shape Sam was tickled pink. So was I. For him. And quietly for myself.
It was also great that Sam butchered it himself instead of me doing it as usual - and I showed a lot of patience while he did it, which was not typical of me.
It rained and blew a cold wind off and on all the rest of the weekend but we got out for a hunt a couple more times. We saw maybe 40 deer but didn't shoot anything else. I wanted it to be Sam's weekend and he was happy so I was happy. I expect that his "trophy" will be proudly entered into the Auck NZDA competition. I hope so. It all helps to keep his keen up.
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