First Blood with the 357

Whether plinking or chasing big game, tell us about your day outdoors!
ethang
Posts: 167
Joined: 19 Jun 2015 18:22
Location: Mid Michigan
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 44 times

First Blood with the 357

Post by ethang »

Well it was not the way I wanted to, but took a decent doe this morning. I was enjoying coffee on my first day off in weeks, and heard a shot down the block a ways. Pretty soon after I saw a group of does come running onto my back lot, one limping and dragging a front leg. I watched her for a bit and she was having a lot of trouble getting over the dead falls.

I loaded up the Rossi and waited till she cleared the brush. The range was around 90 yards or so. My first shot she flinched and dropped her head but did not move. My second she jumped and fell, circling around for maybe 10 yards before dropping for good.

Found hair but no blood at the impact spot, but very good blood after the first leap. Good spray in the snow and she went very quickly. No post dressing pictures as I had to hurry, but one shot got both lungs, the other got the upper third of the heart. I was using Federal factory 158 SP and the chest cavity was jelly. I don't know which shot was which, she was between trees and brush when I shot.

Image

I have not used open sights to hunt for probley 25 years or more. This rifle made it an easy shot, cover what you want to hit with the bead and squeeze. I hope to get out next week and actually be able to hunt.
Plastic has no soul...
User avatar
Ranch Dog
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 9398
Joined: 23 Jan 2012 07:44
Location: Inez, TX
Has thanked: 1837 times
Been thanked: 2281 times

Re: First Blood with the 357

Post by Ranch Dog »

I'm glad a Rifleman was there to take care of business and finish this. She is a fine looking doe, I'm use to seeing our desert deer, so I suspect you will enjoy some good eating for some time to come.
Michael
Image
ethang
Posts: 167
Joined: 19 Jun 2015 18:22
Location: Mid Michigan
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 44 times

Re: First Blood with the 357

Post by ethang »

Thanks Mike. My place is small and I have not taken a deer here since I bought it in 03. The sad part is I checked with my two neighbors that hunt and neither admitted to shooting this morning. I checked with some hunters on a piece about a 1/4 mile away, they denied shooting also. I waited to see if anybody even attempted to track it across the open field she came across. That is the crap that burns me. No attempt at all to recover a deer they shot at.

On another note, I shot this one twice, but either shot would have been fatal quickly. That is the one thing about open sights I did not miss. My eyesight is not the best. With my scoped ML or shotgun I could have called the first shot as a kill. I have not lost a deer or shot more than once in many many years.
Plastic has no soul...
User avatar
akuser47
Founding Member
Founding Member
Posts: 5070
Joined: 12 Feb 2012 11:43
Location: ohio
Has thanked: 1266 times
Been thanked: 482 times

Re: First Blood with the 357

Post by akuser47 »

Great work, and I agree irresponsible hunters. Near were I live I used to hunt killdeer plains does pheasant hunts and you all line up edge of field and like 200 people start walking the field then if you scare up a bird I swear almost 75 to 100 idiots are shooting at a bird that is 300% beyond their range of fire. I shot one on the jump 8 yards in front of me and so many others beside me shot at the brush it dropped in. I walked up others came up claiming it was theirs. I said have it its covered in shot swiss cheese, but I knew I had taken it. Last time I had ever been there and will never waste my time again. Add public and hunting there is usually a group of bad eggs that sour it. I used to help in boy scouts to organize youth hunts for deer season gun season. To many parents wouldn't listen to their own kids and people almost getting shot not following standard safety procedures. I stay away from it now. I can hunt on my private land and if someone is on it I can make them leave. I've gotten for free 4 deer stands in past 6 years I post a letter in a baggy when I find them on the tree it was in on my property With my contact info stating why I took it and if they wish to claim to call me and we can meet at sheriffs office. My property is overly posted for no trespassing no anything. For some reason no one ever claims their property. :lol:
Image
Live Free,Ride Free, Or Die Fighting, For The Right, To do So!
Maximumbob54
250 Shots
250 Shots
Posts: 333
Joined: 17 Jun 2013 08:12
Location: Kingsland, GA
Has thanked: 100 times
Been thanked: 50 times

Re: First Blood with the 357

Post by Maximumbob54 »

Also glad to hear a Rifleman was there. Another one that gets me are the guys that hunt with lesser caliber rifles "to save meat" or something. I know a guy that says he used to hunt with a .222 that says he quit "because he got tired of losing deer"... What was the first clue???? And I'm not saying it can't be done because I know guys that do it with .223 each season but they don't lose deer. My guy was probably grabbing a 40gr bullet load and trying to make due. Some people just get to me.
User avatar
akuser47
Founding Member
Founding Member
Posts: 5070
Joined: 12 Feb 2012 11:43
Location: ohio
Has thanked: 1266 times
Been thanked: 482 times

Re: First Blood with the 357

Post by akuser47 »

Yes, lack of on hand knowledge or experience. One of the youth hunts I last helped with had two brothers that brought their kids. They didn't bring shotguns which was all that was legal back then. They brought a model 62 and single action 22. .22 rimfire. They said how could their young kids ever shot a shotgun to hunt :lol: It's on the shoulders of the true hunters to be safe for them all when on publicly hunted land.
At least with some of these guys we can keep warm in the cold
Image
Image
Live Free,Ride Free, Or Die Fighting, For The Right, To do So!
User avatar
GasGuzzler
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 2745
Joined: 02 Nov 2015 19:54
Location: Cooke County, TX
Has thanked: 310 times
Been thanked: 451 times

Re: First Blood with the 357

Post by GasGuzzler »

I'm not a hunter but know all the gaffs mentioned.

Maybe I'll get lucky and see some pigs in the right place Thursday. If not, I have plastic bottles saved up.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going insane.
User avatar
Okie44
Posts: 89
Joined: 02 Nov 2015 20:21
Location: West Texas
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 13 times

Re: First Blood with the 357

Post by Okie44 »

Be sure to recycle the plastic! :D
“Good judgement is the result of experience and experience the result of bad judgement.”
― Mark Twain
Mrlucky353
Posts: 249
Joined: 11 Feb 2014 22:04
Location: New Orleans
Has thanked: 184 times
Been thanked: 54 times

Re: First Blood with the 357

Post by Mrlucky353 »

GasGuzzler wrote:
If not, I have plastic bottles saved up.

Lol.

Paint the bottles black and put them on their sides for simlated pigs.

That's what I do! :D
Mrlucky353
Posts: 249
Joined: 11 Feb 2014 22:04
Location: New Orleans
Has thanked: 184 times
Been thanked: 54 times

Re: First Blood with the 357

Post by Mrlucky353 »

Ethang, that's a beautiful deer.

Glad you got her.
Post Reply