Wife was going to take me out to B'day dinner and I had about 30 minutes before dark. I thought I'd slip out into the pasture with my 30.06 which I haven't hunted with or even shot in 5 or 6 years. I was just slipping around the edge of a field and saw something move at around 500 yards. I thought it was either a coyote or a blue herron. When I looked through my scope, I could barely make out that it was a deer. I closed the distance a little and found a small bush to use for a rest and turned the power up to 9 and I could see antlers and there was also a doe. With only a week left and not much meat in the freezer, I decided to take the shot. I thought I missed when the buck took off running... so I took a second shot at the doe and it too took off running. I walked over and saw the doe laying on the edge of the swamp. I went back to the house, then out to eat with my family, though I was worried about yotes getting there first. When I went back later and it turned out I had heart shot the first one too which was a 6 point. I stepped off the distance from the bush from where I shot to first blood and it was 412 yards. Never shot that far at anything before... I didn't even get exits from either of the 150 grain bullets. At either rate, b'day evening was a busy one. My previous longest shot was a tad under 350 and all this reminds me why I prefer my bow. Yeah, I know... it didn't happen because I didn't take pics. Sorry.
So you shot 412 yards at a deer with a gun you hadn't shot in 5 or 6 years ??? Sorry to be the bad guy but Happy Birthday anyhow
You are right "???" I didn't think it was that far. I don't have the best depth perception. I guess I should get a rangefinder but I rarely use a rifle except for squirrel hunting.
Who needs to practice, or even know the correct yardage...? Sounds to me like 412 yards was well within your wheel-house. Win some, lose some. Coyote, blue herron, deer, they all make good targets. Happy Birthday.
Very lucky indeed but I will take it. I have made lots of long range shots on coyotes... just not in the past few years. I am looking forward to making some link sausage this weekend with some of the deer and the hog I killed earlier in the season.
