Deer hunting with 81 and other rifles - testing ammo
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2012 10:04 pm
I loaded some 170 grain Nosler Partitions in my 300 Savage Model 81. I also had Grizzly Cartridge Company load me some 360 DW ammo for my sons rifle, a Win 94 carbine in that caliber. The question was whether the bullets would perform properly at that muzzle velocity, and then to what range. Also, the actual trajectory was to be determined instead of relying on paper ballistics. The accuracy and trajectories proved better than expected, so next, I needed to find a couple of deer. I headed down to my ranch where the deer season is still open and the limit is 2 bucks and 2 does. Enroute, I had an appointment at JOSHUA CREEK RANCH in Boerne, TX to do an editorial on their bird hunting operation. The bird hunting was great and I will report on it seperately, but they also offer axis deer and whitetail deer hunts. There are free range axis and other exotics throughout much of Hill Country and Joshua Creek Ranch has an abundance of them. When I told the owners of my quest to try the rifle/cartridge combo they offered to let me assist with the axis deer management. If you are interested in a huge axis buck hunt and outstanding food and accomodations I recommend Joshua Creek Ranch. They only shoot mature bucks that are at least 32" in main beam length. May-July is the best time for a hard-horned buck and several upper 30" axis are taken on this ranch each year including a 38" last year. Anyway, I saw no less than 50 axis deer and 30 whitetail deer in the first half hour of hunting. A quiet stalk down a dirt trail lead my guide Dave and I to a thicket. Standing in the bruch was a doe axis. The shot was around 100 yds. At the shot several other axis in the background ran away but the target deer bucked up and spun around, and then fell. Once we approached we saw the deer was quite dead. The bullet had hit on the center of the shoulder and exited the opposite side. So far so good. that bullet continued north towards Oklahoma for all I know. I shot an axis doe with the 360 DW and it did not even budge. That bullet exited after about 14" of penetration. Just one hour after leaving Joshua Creek Ranch I arrived at my friends house. Nobody was home but there was about 40 minutes of light left so I quickly walked back to the deer blind. A big buck came out 210 yards from me but the little 360 DW rifle is not up to that range due to the trajectory and power. Three little does came in to less than 100 yards but I could see they were small, late birth does from this year. Another buck came in behind me just as the sun was creating an orange band between the earth and sky. This buck had antlers but was young and needs a few more years. As I began to pack up I noticed a little movement. Very quickly a deer moved into view and stood broadside right at 100 yards. I looked through the scout scope on 6X but could not see through it as the sunset glare made a half-halo in the scope. I reached up and turned the power ring down to 2X and suddenly the deer appeared in the lens. I could tell it was a buck, but it was not big and did not have antlers. I guessed it to be a button buck or maybe have little spikes I couldnt see clearly - but either way he'd feed someone and give my bullet something to do. At the shot the buck jumped and lurched forward. He ran four long strides with his head down and fell in the field causing a puff of dust from the dry ground. This bullet had struck right where I aimed, in the center of the shoulder. The exit hole is a little bigger than a dime and a little smaller than a penny. Later that afternoon I once again looked for a deer. This time a big old doe strolled in and stood around 125 yards facing me. The head on shot rocked her back on her rear hoofs, she then dropped her head and rolled completely over twice to her left and became still. What appeared to be a head-on shot must have been slightly quartering because the bullet entered the chest and took the top of the heart, travelled through the spleen and some small intestine and then exited just behind the last rib on the opposite side, with around 20" of penetration. Conclusion - the 300 Savage rifle/load and the 360 DW rifle/cartridge combos are keepers for short range deer sized game!
