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- Jul 16, 2005
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Went to a military reservation this last weekend. It's open to bow/shotgun/ML hunting from September through December. I had planned to hunt Friday afternoon, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning, then drive home. However, when I got there, I found out that there are now only three tent spots in the campground and they were all taken. So, I had to drive an hour and a half back to my brother's house to Friday and Saturday nights. I'd stayed up half the night Thursday packing all my camping gear, so that was a big disappointment!
I got my area assignments and made it to the field about 5:30 p.m. Immediately spooked a flock of turkeys before I even changed from office attire to camos. I left the treestand in the truck and about 6pm started still hunting/scouting since I had never been in this area before.
I marked one tree in thick, thick, then started sneaking along the edge of a massive clear cut (about 400 x 1000 yards). About 7 pm I see a deer about 200 yards out across opening. There is a stream bed with brush about 150 yards out. The deer (turns out to be a big doe, a yearling, and a spot-less fawn; no horns present) are heading toward me. I have a feeling, though, that they will follow the stream bed to the right when they get there and not cross to me.
I got up against a tree and had a stead hold, but there were too many sapling tops, blackberry vines, etc. between me and the deer. So, I get down on hands and knees and crawl about 50 yards out to stand of 5-foot-tall maple saplings and vines. The deer have also come about 25 yards closer, closing the distance to 125 yards.
When I ease up enough to sight over/through the tops of the saplings, only the yearling doe is clearly visible. Weeds and brush largely obscure the fawn and mature doe, as well as the bottom half of the yearling. Having only the top half of the yearling to work with, I decide to make an offhand spine shot. Weeds are too high from a sitting or kneeling shot, but I don't want to stand all the way. So I kneel, but shoot with an upright posture.
BOOM! I see muzzle flash (83.0 grains of H322 pushing 300 grain Shockwave in an HPH24 sabot) and trees across the field. As I bring the scope (set on 3x) back down from the recoil, I see stuff drifting in the air and two white tails flagging away from me. I stand up for a clear view while I swab and reload. Upon crossing the field, I find my deer laying almost on her back. I turned her over and found this:
******************WARNING: GRAPHIC******************
EXIT WOUND (entrance is about .5" diameter hole on deer's right side a couple inches from the bomb crater):
I didn't photo the inside, but shrapnel from the Shockwave and the spine took out the tops of both lungs, too. Unfortunately, that pretty much wiped out the back straps. Still, at 70 pounds field dressed, the hams and shoulders should be pretty tender.
So, at the right speed (~2450 fps), and at least upon striking heavy bone, an 300 grain SST/Shockwave will violently expand. I suspect that it still retains a fair amount of weight for penetration, so I am still satisfied for now.
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By the way, God did not intend for man to drag deer through clear-cut stubble and weeds in 95 degree weather. The mosquitoes were so thick, I could scoop them out of the air with my hand (no joke!). I was afraid they were going to pick both me and the deer up and fly away with us before I even got the guts on the ground.
I hunted Saturday evening over a bean field and Sunday morning in the thick stuff but saw no more deer.
I got my area assignments and made it to the field about 5:30 p.m. Immediately spooked a flock of turkeys before I even changed from office attire to camos. I left the treestand in the truck and about 6pm started still hunting/scouting since I had never been in this area before.
I marked one tree in thick, thick, then started sneaking along the edge of a massive clear cut (about 400 x 1000 yards). About 7 pm I see a deer about 200 yards out across opening. There is a stream bed with brush about 150 yards out. The deer (turns out to be a big doe, a yearling, and a spot-less fawn; no horns present) are heading toward me. I have a feeling, though, that they will follow the stream bed to the right when they get there and not cross to me.
I got up against a tree and had a stead hold, but there were too many sapling tops, blackberry vines, etc. between me and the deer. So, I get down on hands and knees and crawl about 50 yards out to stand of 5-foot-tall maple saplings and vines. The deer have also come about 25 yards closer, closing the distance to 125 yards.
When I ease up enough to sight over/through the tops of the saplings, only the yearling doe is clearly visible. Weeds and brush largely obscure the fawn and mature doe, as well as the bottom half of the yearling. Having only the top half of the yearling to work with, I decide to make an offhand spine shot. Weeds are too high from a sitting or kneeling shot, but I don't want to stand all the way. So I kneel, but shoot with an upright posture.
BOOM! I see muzzle flash (83.0 grains of H322 pushing 300 grain Shockwave in an HPH24 sabot) and trees across the field. As I bring the scope (set on 3x) back down from the recoil, I see stuff drifting in the air and two white tails flagging away from me. I stand up for a clear view while I swab and reload. Upon crossing the field, I find my deer laying almost on her back. I turned her over and found this:
******************WARNING: GRAPHIC******************
EXIT WOUND (entrance is about .5" diameter hole on deer's right side a couple inches from the bomb crater):
I didn't photo the inside, but shrapnel from the Shockwave and the spine took out the tops of both lungs, too. Unfortunately, that pretty much wiped out the back straps. Still, at 70 pounds field dressed, the hams and shoulders should be pretty tender.
So, at the right speed (~2450 fps), and at least upon striking heavy bone, an 300 grain SST/Shockwave will violently expand. I suspect that it still retains a fair amount of weight for penetration, so I am still satisfied for now.
-----------------------
By the way, God did not intend for man to drag deer through clear-cut stubble and weeds in 95 degree weather. The mosquitoes were so thick, I could scoop them out of the air with my hand (no joke!). I was afraid they were going to pick both me and the deer up and fly away with us before I even got the guts on the ground.
I hunted Saturday evening over a bean field and Sunday morning in the thick stuff but saw no more deer.
