09-30-2007, 02:59 PM
My 2007 mz deer hunt started off with a BANG! Missed a nice 3-point at 120 yds. first thing opening morning.[mad] Had a very nice 6-point bull bugle at us as my friend tried to stop the buck with a cow call. No luck.
Later that night, i hunted the wasatch front and hit a nice 2 point at 3oo yds. I know it was a long shot but i had shot at a coyote 10 minutes earlier in the same exact spot and i knew how far my bullet dropped. The deer stood there for a second with head wabbeling and limped into the trees. I thought great it's over. Me and my buddy met at the spot it went into the trees and the buck was 20' away as i shot again and missed. It allowed chris enough time to see that it was only a superficial flesh wound and that buck had been schooled on hunters.[
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Thursday morning found me on private ground by E.C. and a miss at a 25" 3-point and a big 2-point later that night.[mad] By now, i know something is wrong.
I got off work friday afternoon at about 4 and headed to the E.C. state ground to shoot a target. Glad i did, my mz was 1' high at 80 yds.! I don't know when it was hit or dropped but problem solved.
Off to the property to wait for the big 3 point from the day before.
I sat under a lone sage brush for over an hour with darkening skies and ominous rain clouds forming. I looked to the upper end of the valley and saw 2 deer head butting and knew they were bucks. Game on. I started in their direction and they in mine. An hour on my hands, knees and stomach and i was within 75 yards. There was just one more little knoll between me and them and i just sat and waited . 5 minutes go by with me and mz ready to fire and nothing happened. I thought it was over and then i peeked over the brush and there they were at 25 yds. and no clue i was there. All 4(by this time) 2-point bucks were side by side feeding and i had no shot! After a 15 minute standoff, the biggest of the bunch took one too many steps forward and the 270 gr. Powerbelt Platinum Aero-tip was on it's way to the bucks front shoulder. He stood there for a half second and collapsed! Finally, after 2 misses and a lost deer i had by buck on the ground.[
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Now, for the bullet/powder problem.
The first deer i missed was with a 348 gr. powerbelt hollow point. It was instinctive for me to drop 3 pellets down the barrel(150 gr.).
The big 3-point was the same problem plus the gun was shooting hight to begin with. After i sighted it in, i wa confident in the gun and bullet/powder combination. Wrong!
I hit this buck high in the shoulder and after fragmenting shortly after impact to 8 pieces and totally destroying both front shoulders, (the largest intact) piece of bullet stopped just under the skin on the offside shoulder with a grapefruit sized hole throught the deer.
So now, i need to select a new bullet that will not explode in everything i shoot. Time for some trial and error before next years hunt. Pics in a few.
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Later that night, i hunted the wasatch front and hit a nice 2 point at 3oo yds. I know it was a long shot but i had shot at a coyote 10 minutes earlier in the same exact spot and i knew how far my bullet dropped. The deer stood there for a second with head wabbeling and limped into the trees. I thought great it's over. Me and my buddy met at the spot it went into the trees and the buck was 20' away as i shot again and missed. It allowed chris enough time to see that it was only a superficial flesh wound and that buck had been schooled on hunters.[
] Thursday morning found me on private ground by E.C. and a miss at a 25" 3-point and a big 2-point later that night.[mad] By now, i know something is wrong.
I got off work friday afternoon at about 4 and headed to the E.C. state ground to shoot a target. Glad i did, my mz was 1' high at 80 yds.! I don't know when it was hit or dropped but problem solved.
Off to the property to wait for the big 3 point from the day before.
I sat under a lone sage brush for over an hour with darkening skies and ominous rain clouds forming. I looked to the upper end of the valley and saw 2 deer head butting and knew they were bucks. Game on. I started in their direction and they in mine. An hour on my hands, knees and stomach and i was within 75 yards. There was just one more little knoll between me and them and i just sat and waited . 5 minutes go by with me and mz ready to fire and nothing happened. I thought it was over and then i peeked over the brush and there they were at 25 yds. and no clue i was there. All 4(by this time) 2-point bucks were side by side feeding and i had no shot! After a 15 minute standoff, the biggest of the bunch took one too many steps forward and the 270 gr. Powerbelt Platinum Aero-tip was on it's way to the bucks front shoulder. He stood there for a half second and collapsed! Finally, after 2 misses and a lost deer i had by buck on the ground.[
] Now, for the bullet/powder problem.
The first deer i missed was with a 348 gr. powerbelt hollow point. It was instinctive for me to drop 3 pellets down the barrel(150 gr.).
The big 3-point was the same problem plus the gun was shooting hight to begin with. After i sighted it in, i wa confident in the gun and bullet/powder combination. Wrong!
I hit this buck high in the shoulder and after fragmenting shortly after impact to 8 pieces and totally destroying both front shoulders, (the largest intact) piece of bullet stopped just under the skin on the offside shoulder with a grapefruit sized hole throught the deer.
So now, i need to select a new bullet that will not explode in everything i shoot. Time for some trial and error before next years hunt. Pics in a few.
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