Got the one I was chasing

[Arkansas Paul]

So I had trail cam pics of this guy in October.
Closed the deal yesterday afternoon about 4:30.
It's my biggest buck by far, and I'm pretty excited about it.
I watched several smaller bucks before this one came out. I was second guessing letting them pass, but sure enough glad I did.

Since this is a gun forum I guess I should include what I shot it with.
Weatherby Vanguard .30-06 with a Leupold Rifleman scope.
165 grain SGK BTHP and 58 grains of IMR4350

 

[horsemen61]

Congratulations!!!!

 

[Armored farmer]

Pretty cool when you tag the one you've been wanting.
Well done.

 

[Duster340]

Congrats. Beautiful buck man!

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

Way cool

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Pretty cool when you tag the one you've wanting.
Well done.

This is the first time I've actually done it. Feels great.

Thanks everyone.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Good shooting and Congratulations.

 

[beeenbag]

That is a brute for sure. He will look good on your wall and taste even better coming out of the skillet.

 

[Ks5shooter]

That a slammer, damn!!!good job!!!

 

[sage5907]

Since this is a gun forum I guess I should include what I shot it with.
Weatherby Vanguard .30-06 with a Leupold Rifleman scope.
165 grain SGK BTHP and 58 grains of IMR4350

In the past 20 years I have taken buck after buck with a 30-06, 165 grain boattail bullet and 57 grains of IMR 4350. You got a great buck. I've taken a lot of deer, but when the buck is down I still get excited. Stay with your load, the bucks just keep getting bigger and bigger!

 

[Peakbagger46]

That is an outstanding deer. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a whitetail that nice, much less while out hunting.

 

[wankerjake]

Awesome buck

 

[Dibbs]

Nice shooting, there, Paul. Did he drop, DRT, on the first shot?

 

[Highland Lofts]

Really n8ce deer, now you need to go give the taxidermest a visit.

 

[Encoreman]

Congrats on a very nice buck. I have to tell you, my son's pastor in Ms. could be your twin brother.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Nice shooting, there, Paul. Did he drop, DRT, on the first shot?

Actually no. He scared me for a minute.
My lane is pretty narrow and he didn't slow down when he hit it. I got on the scope when I saw him and started grunting to try and get him to stop, but if anything he sped up.
When I pulled the trigger, his head was in the bushes on the other side. I rushed the shot because I didn't have much time. Between him being on the move, being a good 225 yards away, and me rushing, I didn't make a great shot and hit him a little far back.
I walked down and couldn't find blood so I walked in tot he woods where he ran. He hadn't gone but about 20 yards but he was wounded. He would get up and run 3 or 4 steps and fall. So I had to finish him off.

 

[alsaqr]

Congrats on the great buck.

 

[Dibbs]

That's a great trophy. Looks like a good season, for you.

 

[Captcurt]

That is a dandy, Paul. I have shot a lot of deer but a 10 point has eluded me for 55 years. That one looks almost perfect.

 

[Eddietruett]

I'm very happy for you and glad that you used the old standby 30-06. There is a reason it has been one of the best calibers for a million years. You hit the deer a little far back, but it put him down. Some of the smaller calibers people are using today especially in the AR platforms may not have put the deer down hit back farther than ideal. This will probably stir some of the wrong pots, but I've seen a lot of deer wounded in the last 10 years because of people using too small of a caliber such as .223/556 and such. The old standby strikes again. Congratulations

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I'm very happy for you and glad that you used the old standby 30-06. There is a reason it has been one of the best calibers for a million years. You hit the deer a little far back, but it put him down.

I agree with you.
I was never one to use the bare minimum caliber. I always like a little more than I need. Beats the heck out of a little less than I needed.

We have a nice bolt action .243 that I got for the wife (who never hunts with it. SMH). We have a doe only week and I take it for that. The thing is a pleasure to shoot and for 100 pound does, it lacks nothing.
But when big bucks are on the ticket, I like a little extra umph.
I know there are a lot of folks who are successful with them and swear by them for all deer hunting needs, and I don't disparage them. But I feel more comfortable with a bit larger caliber. Like you said, I'm not sure it would have anchored this tough old buck like that 165 grain bullet did with the marginal shot placement.

 

[Eddietruett]

I agree with you.
I was never one to use the bare minimum caliber. I always like a little more than I need. Beats the heck out of a little less than I needed.

We have a nice bolt action .243 that I got for the wife (who never hunts with it. SMH). We have a doe only week and I take it for that. The thing is a pleasure to shoot and for 100 pound does, it lacks nothing.
But when big bucks are on the ticket, I like a little extra umph.
I know there are a lot of folks who are successful with them and swear by them for all deer hunting needs, and I don't disparage them. But I feel more comfortable with a bit larger caliber. Like you said, I'm not sure it would have anchored this tough old buck like that 165 grain bullet did with the marginal shot placement.

Everything has its limitations. I used to hunt with a guy who as he got up in age, decided he didn't need anything large to kill deer. He started hunting with a 17HMR. He was a crack shot and only took clean shots where he could shoot them in the neck right at the base of the skull. He killed a lot of deer this way and I don't know of any he ever lost and in the pile were several real trophy size bucks. He didn't care about mounting racks any more and I've seen him head shoot deer as well. It worked for him mainly because he could really shoot but I would never recommend it or try it myself. I don't hunt any more but have taken many deer in my day and one thing I can say for sure is there is no perfect caliber for every situation. That being said, I always wanted to err on the side of caution. The one thing that makes me cringe is to see these young guys who obviously know nothing about deer hunting heading out with their AR loaded with .223 Hollowpoints. "At 300 yards, that bullet will explode and destroy the inside of a deer" I head one say about 2 weeks ago at a gun show. What an Idiot! Someone that stupid shouldn't be allowed to hunt. Here in SC I would wager that the vast majority of the deer killed is at 150 yards or less. Most of the deer I killed in my day was with buckshot on deer drives but of the 20 or so I killed with a rifle was within 150 yards and this idiot is banking on a .223 bullet exploding!!! I want something that will expand and pass through so the deer can bleed out in the event of a marginal shot as well as possibly breaking some big bones as well. I had heard it was being considered here to put some minimum bullet size restrictions in place to stop people from hunting with too small of a bullet but don't think anything has passed.

 

[marksman13]

Congrats on a heck of a buck. Glad you found him.

 

[98s1lightning]

Congrats. He's a big one.

 

[shooter1niner]

Nice buckaroo there Bud, congratulations...