fairchaser
Well-Known Member
So Friday I shot a buck. A nice buck. He looked like a 3.5 or 4.5 year old 7 point around 120. My best guess. No trail came pics of this one.
It wasn't a long shot, 40 yards but he surprised me, often the case in the woods. I looked up and there he was in front of me. I got my rifle up on my trigger stick and mouth grunted. He didn't stop. I had it behind the shoulder and squeezed off. He immediately donkey kicked and took off. I made myself watch him to see if I could see blood. I remember seeing a red spot about where I aimed. He was slightly quartering away. I immediately thought dead deer.
Nevertheless, I loaded another round and watched him run a semicircle about 60 yds and stopped behind some cover. He stood there for a few seconds. This is where I expected him to fall over but he didn't. I caught one glimpse of him start to walk away. No opportunity for a follow up shot. Still not worried I waited at least 20 minutes.
I called my buddy and he came to help me search. To make a long story short, we found one small spot of blood near the initial hit and that was it.
I went back the next morning to look for any buzzards, crows coyotes and found nothing. I'm clueless as to what happened.
Could I have hit him where I thought and still not kill him? I'm shooting a 150 grain hornady interlock out of a .270 at 2700 fps. Killed many deer with this load.
What do you think happened?
It wasn't a long shot, 40 yards but he surprised me, often the case in the woods. I looked up and there he was in front of me. I got my rifle up on my trigger stick and mouth grunted. He didn't stop. I had it behind the shoulder and squeezed off. He immediately donkey kicked and took off. I made myself watch him to see if I could see blood. I remember seeing a red spot about where I aimed. He was slightly quartering away. I immediately thought dead deer.
Nevertheless, I loaded another round and watched him run a semicircle about 60 yds and stopped behind some cover. He stood there for a few seconds. This is where I expected him to fall over but he didn't. I caught one glimpse of him start to walk away. No opportunity for a follow up shot. Still not worried I waited at least 20 minutes.
I called my buddy and he came to help me search. To make a long story short, we found one small spot of blood near the initial hit and that was it.
I went back the next morning to look for any buzzards, crows coyotes and found nothing. I'm clueless as to what happened.
Could I have hit him where I thought and still not kill him? I'm shooting a 150 grain hornady interlock out of a .270 at 2700 fps. Killed many deer with this load.
What do you think happened?