Thread: Who can remember their first deer shot with their own home loads

I definitely remember my first deer with my own loads as it was also my first deer! This young fella was just settling in to enjoy some morning sun when he met a swift end from a 143 Eld-X at 2670fps courtesy of some Re-16 and a CCI450 in Lapua brass.

Greetings All,
Almost 40 years ago now a 5 point Sika, my first deer, shot with a handload in my .308. 150 grain Norma soft point in either Norma or Win cases with 47 grains of Dupont IMR4064. @NIMROD carried the head out for me.
GPM.

Sako A1 222 55gr Hornady in the ribs just behind the shoulder. Remember it well, but couldn't tell you what year it was.....so long ago

Yep red spiker, first deer and first with my reloads.

Red spiker shot in Ruahines 1989, behind Triangle hut with a Ruger Mk 1, 7x57 and nosler 150 ballistic tip. This combination was a great deer slayer.

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings All,
Almost 40 years ago now a 5 point Sika, my first deer, shot with a handload in my .308. 150 grain Norma soft point in either Norma or Win cases with 47 grains of Dupont IMR4064. @NIMROD carried the head out for me.
GPM.

Crikey.... ???? too many whiskeys under the belt or "old timers" kicking in. I hope you've left it to me in your Will But if I go first, you can hang on to it @grandpamac

Red spiker, twin slips Deception valley 1978, Parker Hale 303 150 grain bullet in front of 4064. Jesus 47 years ago.

Never kept the head of the first NZ stag using my own reload .
But here is the first Australian stag using my own reload.. Chital Stag , nothing amazing in regards to trophy standard but the hunt and experience was terrific.

Actually,thinking back it was bit of a balls up. Hornady 140grn spbt propelled by win 760. Shot spiker down hill at about eighty yards,it staggered off to right.then it reappeared from left so I shot it again,it staggered so plastered through shoulders. It dropped. Mate arrived and we started cutting it up .hmmmm only two bullet holes??? Hmmmm hang on a sec.it ran off to right. Sure enough first deer was fifty yards away stone dead so two spikers got carried down to wagon. Hookies knob track about thirty years ago.i can still see them in mind's eye.

Sadly..I can’t remember the first deer I shot with one of my reloads. I do know that after starting to reload in about 1972, none of my rifles ever killed anything using ammo other than my home rolled ammo. Lots of different cartridges and a lot of dead animals. Strangely, I’ve had a number of hunters, finding that I reload, quetion why I would trust my reloads for hunting. Usually I just shrug and and ask why not?

Big whitetail doe. I used a R700 7RM and a 120 Barnes X. It was easier on the meat than a 139 SST. 6 more months I will have owned that rifle for 30 years.

Originally Posted by earplay

I can't quite recall the first deer with a reload, but definitely remember the feeling of firing a reload for the first time.... a slight bracing for something catastrophic to happen, quickly turning to amazement it actually worked!

This is classic

Sure can. 243Win, Springbuck ram with huge horns. Hunted in the desert. Dont own the rifle anymore but do have the kershaw belly hook knive I ordered for this hunt.

I can vaguely remember what I had for breakfast this morning, but I'd be reluctant to actually swear to the accuracy of that?

I think the first animal I ever shot was with reloads. Bought a Tikka 22-250 when I was 18 to replace a 303. Then set about buying Remington off the shelf ammo so I could get cases and bought an RCBS reloader about 2 years after that. Wanted to shoot heavier projectiles than the 55's and loaded both 60gn hornady and the 63gn Sierra's. The hares and rabbits and paper and tins all took a hammering but I couldnt for the life of me find an animal to shoot at. Then one day I went in to the Potts with a coupla mates. They went one way and left me to it, so I checked out some likely looking steep country and bugger me found a chamois way down the hill. Had to take a sitting shot across my knees to be able to see it over the scrub etc. Fired a shot and it just disappeared, thought I'd missed it. But it never came out or showed itself. So I scrambled down this bloody matagouri infested face and looked and looked. Only when I started to climb back up did I see it hooked up in said matagouri's above me. Had no idea what I was doing but dropped the guts out, unhooked it off the matagouri and proceeded to try and get back up the hill with it on my back. What a bloody nightmare! But I did it. Mates sat on the hill watching the whole time and had buggered off back to the car by the time i got back up the hill. Never hunted with those guys again. Can still remember it like it was yesterday, still got the Tikka and after 48 years it still shoots lights out with the same load.