Back to Earth

There’s ben a bit of bragging by me going on lately. 19 deer for 21 shots.

We... I’m back to earth.

Last night in thick bush I spied a Fallow stag. He had a great body, but his head didn’t look much. I couldn’t tell if it was peeling, but I guess its a bit early for them yet.

He was standing on a ridge, in a very small clear spot, surrounded by canopy. Ranged him at 414 yards, lay down over my pack with the 300 Winmag (I take it to this spot for the “nailing” ability), placed the 427 yard ballistic cross mid shoulder and sent off a 180 grn BT. I lost him in the slight recoil from the suppressor but a resounding “whop” came back. “Gotcha”, is what the “whop" actually said.

I carefully worked out how to get over to the spot and used a few reference points. It was nearly dark when I got there and duly sent Tilly off to find it. She ran down hill out of sight and from about 100 yards let out a bark. Good...so I bashed down to her, and met her coming back. She wasn’t interested in going back down, and there was absolutely no sight of blood or scuff marks. We went back to where I thought it had been standing when I sent her and ranged across to the ridge I had fired from. 414 yds exactly.

I searched with my torch for an hour or more, and Tilly led me on a few dead ends. Nothing.

All I can assume is that I missed, and that it ran down hill and stood and that Tilly bumped it. That would have been the bark.

It was 11.30pm when I got back to the truck, and with a 2.5hr drive in front of me. I’m quite tired tonight , but mostly I’m pissed off with myself for being so cocky :)

Did you feel confident with shot? Always a bastard when they run after a shot

Impossible to miss or nothing have fall over as you wernt shooting with a 6.5 or 243.......ask the experts:D:D.....sorry Tahr that you came up empty I think your rite its dead in a stream mate you ran out of daytime

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Hope you waited five full minutes before following up :D

What a bugger Tahr.

That's a Bugger.

Nobodys perfect and it may not happen often but misses happen.

could you have been blown of course into the guts? makes a really solid whop sound but so can the ground/a log.

Its one of the draw backs of hunting by myself. No one to observe the shot or to help search. Tilly usually finds them so I assume it was a miss.

Matt2308 and I we're watch a nice valley a couple of weeks back. 8 deer and 2 very nice chamois, one exceptional stag too! These were all a long way off, about 1.5 to 2.3 km. just about to pack up the spotter and end home before dark, then we spotted a nice spiker at 700meters.

A quick check of the map, wind and time check, we decided to have ago. Range confirmed, data entered and scopes dialed. I fired first, miss? Matt fires, miss! The animal trotted down the hill a little, another shot each and I thought I saw him leap up, like a good hit.

90minutes later, in the dark we get the spot. Nothing, hardly a foot print let alone a drop of blood. Searched for an hour or so. Nothing. Got back to the ute just after midnight without a deer!

We both shoot 5" groups at 1000yard three days early. We have an idea what went wrong, but still don't fully understand who we screwed up so bad!

It happens to all of us at some stage.


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Originally Posted by Uplandstalker

We both shoot 5" groups at 1000yard three days early. We have an idea what went wrong, but still don't fully understand who we screwed up so bad!

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0.5 MOA groups @ 1000 is some pretty fancy shootin, you should come give DAF a run for his money :P

What cal and how many shots per group ?

5 inch is what I read

Same thing Toby, remember it is an angular measurement. 1 inch @ 100yds, 10 inches @ 1000yds, roughly - if you want to be pedantic it is something like 1.047 inches

So 5 inches @ 1000 is as close as damnit to 0.5 MOA

Both 270WSM, factory barrels, one Rem700 and a Tikka T3. 5 shot groups. Waiting for barrels to cool between shot.

Both after market stocks, trigger work and braked.

Cannot shoot like that every day. Need the right state of mind on the right day, but sometimes it all comes together(but certainly can go pear shaped too, more often than not)

Many hours, days and weeks gone in to load development and field shooting.




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Originally Posted by Tahr

Its one of the draw backs of hunting by myself. No one to observe the shot or to help search. Tilly usually finds them so I assume it was a miss.

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Over the years I've written quite a few animals off myself only to come across their remains later down the line. That so called Thunk,whack sound after a very relaxed shot is bloody hard at times to determine and will still bug you after not finding the animal,I know where you are coming from. I have run a few mutts over the years myself as indicators/finders,they are not always correct either.
That's hunting eh,good times,frustrating times.

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Originally Posted by Uplandstalker

Both 270WSM, factory barrels, one Rem700 and a Tikka T3. 5 shot groups. Waiting for barrels to cool between shot.

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Awesome, especially with factory barrels :thumbsup: 7mm seems to be the preferred pill for most of the f-open guys. Which projectiles you using ?

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Originally Posted by ebf

Awesome, especially with factory barrels :thumbsup: 7mm seems to be the preferred pill for most of the f-open guys. Which projectiles you using ?

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My Rem700 barrel has had about 800 shots though it and still seems to be going well. I'm using the 150gr hunting Berger. Matt can chip in on his bullet

Overall, my setup is pretty cheap; a Boyd laminated stock, one of Dean's radial brakes(works great) and a very low cost Burris C4.


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Take a spotter :thumbsup:

Better take that rifle to the range and check its zero

I was like you until I missed 3 in a row one the same day. Twice I saw the deer duck straight after the shot. Turns out my zero had shifted 1.5moa high. No explaination why. Works perfect again now after a slight adjustment.

I bet one day I will go out and it will be 1.5moa low :)

Thats Ok BC . Remember back in 07 when the honeymoon period had expired with the 7mmrum i missed something like 9 on the trot.

Remedial work was required to get rid of the flinch:thumbsup: