Hunting for Deer in the Mountains

[BlakeA]

Nice deer! But I think 95 grains is a way too light for anything but coyotes. Perhaps three shots in the boiler room is trying to tell you something? Also a very light fast bullet would not be my choice for that kind of brushy country. Too easily deflected. My two cents for what it's worth ... which is nothing. I will add that over fifty-six years of hunting I have not lost an animal shooting a 30-06 with 165 to 190 gr bullets. The list includes thirteen elk, six moose, eight African plains game, and I don't know how many deer (more than sixty). A bull elk and one bull moose each required three shots but only because the first neck shot didn't put them down (the moose actually took two in the neck and still kept going). Never shot an animal three times in the boiler room. I don't think it's possible with a 30-06 ... without shooting the critter laying on the ground.

SMH...

 

[tzone]

WOW! Great buck, cool hunt. Thanks for sharing.

 

[tzone]

Nice deer! But I think 95 grains is a way too light for anything but coyotes. Perhaps three shots in the boiler room is trying to tell you something? Also a very light fast bullet would not be my choice for that kind of brushy country. Too easily deflected. My two cents for what it's worth ... which is nothing. I will add that over fifty-six years of hunting I have not lost an animal shooting a 30-06 with 165 to 190 gr bullets. The list includes thirteen elk, six moose, eight African plains game, and I don't know how many deer (more than sixty). A bull elk and one bull moose each required three shots but only because the first neck shot didn't put them down (the moose actually took two in the neck and still kept going). Never shot an animal three times in the boiler room. I don't think it's possible with a 30-06 ... without shooting the critter laying on the ground.

LMAO

We have a filled a freezer plenty of times with dead deer from a .223 Rem and 55gr bullets. 4 deer, 4 shots. Your 30-06 won't kill them more and neither will mine.

 

[npaden]

Very nice. No scale on the packout? Generally the packout weight is as impressive as the buck!

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Very nice. No scale on the packout? Generally the packout weight is as impressive as the buck!

Yeah what the chit, we talked about this...

 

[OntarioHunter]

A very diplomatic response. However, and with all due respect, I feel like modern bullet design improvements are often overlooked by gentlemen with 56 or so years of hunting experience. It has to be considered at least as heavily as weight and caliber when making those calculations now.

I know about "modern bullet improvements." Formerly I shot 180 gr almost exclusively for deer and elk. Once I stepped down to 165 gr CoreLok and was greatly disappointed with both lack of knock down and meat damage on three deer. At the end of my moose hunting I stepped up to 190 gr reloads with okay results. Last year before going to Africa I was advised by lodge owner to bring 165 gr in either Partition or SXT. Partition bullets were available locally so that's what I went with. The results were nothing short of spectacular. Wildebeest went over instantly as did blesbuck, springbuck, and impala. The gemsbuck took two hits but one was enough. It didn't drop instantly and because it was incoming at a gallop at fifteen yards a second insurance shot as it ran by was in order (they can be dangerous!). I saw that one being skinned at the farm and was impressed at the lack of damage considering the point blank impact.

Here's my concerns (plural noted) about shooting big mountain mule deer with 95 gr bullets. Presumably the thinking is flat trajectory for exceedingly long shots. I will not waste much time expounding on the lack of virtues of that style of "hunting" (which is essentially target shooting at live things). Moutain muleys typically are found in windy conditions and long shots with tiny bullets flying in the wind are dicey. Wild animals deserve something more than "dicey". But all shots are not long for sure. A buck steps out at forty yards and then what happens with that little zipper? Horrendous splatter factor. I prefer not being ashamed of what my animals look like after the hide comes off. Deer that are a pile of blood pudding don't set well with me. Yes, with perfect bullet placement and close range a .22 will kill a deer. But it's better to use something that yields more compensation for potential error. As to long distance, the skill of stalking an animal close enough to see eyelashes is far more rewarding (and ethical) than trying to let the technocrap do it for you in the next zipcode. Again, I think three shots in the boiler room speaks volumes here. I will continue to shoot an animal after a hit ... but not if I know it's going to go down. That's wasting meat. And certainly not if it's moving after hit in the boiler room. Deer shot through the heart invariably jump and run like hell for maybe fifty yards before piling up. A second or third shot is not needed and liable to go places where not wanted (e.g. ham). A deer shot in the lungs generally hunches up and goes a few yards before stopping and then falls over. Why shoot it again? It's dead on its feet. A deer shot in the guts ... shouldn't be shot in the guts. Bottom line: I know a deer shot in the boiler room with a 30-06 is going down. I usually don't need to be concerned about shooting it again. Shooting an animal that size with a 95 gr bullet is bound to put a big question mark in the mind of a hunter who similarly shoots a deer with the same placement and it doesn't drop (and I submit the probability of it dropping with one shot is relatively poor). I do feel some folks use too much gun (which I also don't approve), but 95 gr is way too puny. Hell, I wouldn't use 140 gr on mule deer. And god help you if a grizzly shows up unannounced and that popgun is all you have.

 

[PAhunter]

I know about "modern bullet improvements." Formerly I shot 180 gr almost exclusively for deer and elk. Once I stepped down to 165 gr CoreLok and was greatly disappointed with both lack of knock down and meat damage on three deer. At the end of my moose hunting I stepped up to 190 gr reloads with okay results. Last year before going to Africa I was advised by lodge owner to bring 165 gr in either Partition or SXT. Partition bullets were available locally so that's what I went with. The results were nothing short of spectacular. Wildebeest went over instantly as did blesbuck, springbuck, and impala. The gemsbuck took two hits but one was enough. It didn't drop instantly and because it was incoming at a gallop at fifteen yards a second insurance shot as it ran by was in order (they can be dangerous!). I saw that one being skinned at the farm and was impressed at the lack of damage considering the point blank impact.

Here's my concerns (plural noted) about shooting big mountain mule deer with 95 gr bullets. Presumably the thinking is flat trajectory for exceedingly long shots. I will not waste much time expounding on the lack of virtues of that style of "hunting" (which is essentially target shooting at live things). Moutain muleys typically are found in windy conditions and long shots with tiny bullets flying in the wind are dicey. Wild animals deserve something more than "dicey". But all shots are not long for sure. A buck steps out at forty yards and then what happens with that little zipper? Horrendous splatter factor. I prefer not being ashamed of what my animals look like after the hide comes off. Deer that are a pile of blood pudding don't set well with me. Yes, with perfect bullet placement and close range a .22 will kill a deer. But it's better to use something that yields more compensation for potential error. As to long distance, the skill of stalking an animal close enough to see eyelashes is far more rewarding (and ethical) than trying to let the technocrap do it for you in the next zipcode. Again, I think three shots in the boiler room speaks volumes here. I will continue to shoot an animal after a hit ... but not if I know it's going to go down. That's wasting meat. And certainly not if it's moving after hit in the boiler room. Deer shot through the heart invariably jump and run like hell for maybe fifty yards before piling up. A second or third shot is not needed and liable to go places where not wanted (e.g. ham). A deer shot in the lungs generally hunches up and goes a few yards before stopping and then falls over. Why shoot it again? It's dead on its feet. A deer shot in the guts ... shouldn't be shot in the guts. Bottom line: I know a deer shot in the boiler room with a 30-06 is going down. I usually don't need to be concerned about shooting it again. Shooting an animal that size with a 95 gr bullet is bound to put a big question mark in the mind of a hunter who similarly shoots a deer with the same placement and it doesn't drop (and I submit the probability of it dropping with one shot is relatively poor). I do feel some folks use too much gun (which I also don't approve), but 95 gr is way too puny. Hell, I wouldn't use 140 gr on mule deer. And god help you if a grizzly shows up unannounced and that popgun is all you have.

Maybe just an 'attaboy' on this thread would suffice, then educate the rest of us on bullet selection in a new thread? Just a thought.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Yeah sorry ontario gunslinger I'm not taking the bait this time either

 

[Deleted member 16014]

My kids favorite way to eat the the straps is sliced thin, floured/seasoned, and crisped to medium in hot oil, gonna enjoy the results of the kiddo's efforts in just such a way this evening. I know I remember the first time as a kid that our family ate a big game animal that I'd killed, it's a special time for a young gal or guy.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Yeah sorry ontario gunslinger I'm not taking the bait this time either

You have way more restraint than me.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

You have way more restraint than me.

I was close believe me

 

[MTLabrador]

My kids favorite way to eat the the straps is sliced thin, floured/seasoned, and crisped to medium in hot oil, gonna enjoy the results of the kiddo's efforts in just such a way this evening. I know I remember the first time as a kid that our family ate a big game animal that I'd killed, it's a special time for a young gal or guy.

Cooked the first bite of my first buck the same way in my grandmother’s kitchen. It’s a really special time. Congrats to him on the first of many.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Yeah what the chit, we talked about this...

Yeah I didn't weigh this one, based on past bucks of this size the boned out meat + skull has been @ 62-65 lbs. I was a little lighter on base weight than normal given the warm temps, 4 days of food...105-110# I expect.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Snowy - I suggest a slower more rounded shape bullet, heavier and more knockdown power and less meat damage. Better of a brush buster when needed. Enough target shooting at live animals..

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I know about "modern bullet improvements." Formerly I shot 180 gr almost exclusively for deer and elk. Once I stepped down to 165 gr CoreLok and was greatly disappointed with both lack of knock down and meat damage on three deer. At the end of my moose hunting I stepped up to 190 gr reloads with okay results. Last year before going to Africa I was advised by lodge owner to bring 165 gr in either Partition or SXT. Partition bullets were available locally so that's what I went with. The results were nothing short of spectacular. Wildebeest went over instantly as did blesbuck, springbuck, and impala. The gemsbuck took two hits but one was enough. It didn't drop instantly and because it was incoming at a gallop at fifteen yards a second insurance shot as it ran by was in order (they can be dangerous!). I saw that one being skinned at the farm and was impressed at the lack of damage considering the point blank impact.

Here's my concerns (plural noted) about shooting big mountain mule deer with 95 gr bullets. Presumably the thinking is flat trajectory for exceedingly long shots. I will not waste much time expounding on the lack of virtues of that style of "hunting" (which is essentially target shooting at live things). Moutain muleys typically are found in windy conditions and long shots with tiny bullets flying in the wind are dicey. Wild animals deserve something more than "dicey". But all shots are not long for sure. A buck steps out at forty yards and then what happens with that little zipper? Horrendous splatter factor. I prefer not being ashamed of what my animals look like after the hide comes off. Deer that are a pile of blood pudding don't set well with me. Yes, with perfect bullet placement and close range a .22 will kill a deer. But it's better to use something that yields more compensation for potential error. As to long distance, the skill of stalking an animal close enough to see eyelashes is far more rewarding (and ethical) than trying to let the technocrap do it for you in the next zipcode. Again, I think three shots in the boiler room speaks volumes here. I will continue to shoot an animal after a hit ... but not if I know it's going to go down. That's wasting meat. And certainly not if it's moving after hit in the boiler room. Deer shot through the heart invariably jump and run like hell for maybe fifty yards before piling up. A second or third shot is not needed and liable to go places where not wanted (e.g. ham). A deer shot in the lungs generally hunches up and goes a few yards before stopping and then falls over. Why shoot it again? It's dead on its feet. A deer shot in the guts ... shouldn't be shot in the guts. Bottom line: I know a deer shot in the boiler room with a 30-06 is going down. I usually don't need to be concerned about shooting it again. Shooting an animal that size with a 95 gr bullet is bound to put a big question mark in the mind of a hunter who similarly shoots a deer with the same placement and it doesn't drop (and I submit the probability of it dropping with one shot is relatively poor). I do feel some folks use too much gun (which I also don't approve), but 95 gr is way too puny. Hell, I wouldn't use 140 gr on mule deer. And god help you if a grizzly shows up unannounced and that popgun is all you have.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Snowy - I suggest a slower more rounded shape bullet, heavier and more knockdown power and less meat damage. Better of a brush buster when needed. Enough target shooting at live animals..

What if I just seat a vld upside down?

 

[tzone]

\ Bottom line: I know a deer shot in the boiler room with a 30-06 is going down.

Bottom line...a deer shot in the boiler room with a .22LR is going down.

 

[tzone]

Snowy - I suggest a slower more rounded shape bullet, heavier and more knockdown power and less meat damage. Better of a brush buster when needed. Enough target shooting at live animals..

"Lord please give me strength to ignore this post further, for my filter is broken."

 

[The Hedgehog]

"Lord please give me strength to ignore this post further, for my filter is broken."

We need to start talking about “too much gun” at this time. Snowy is clearly “under gunned”, but there’s a balance that only Craig Boddingham or Jim Carmichael might be able to guide on with an old Sports Afield or Guns and Ammo article..

 

[TheNorthStar]

Sure hope that didn't ruin my algorithm.