My Boy’s 10th Deer!

Zee

Three years ago, today.......he shot his first deer and today......he shot his 10th!

I’ve been eyeballing this spike since summer. He was on the hit list and I’ve had a couple chances at him. But, I was either after another deer or just didn’t feel like shooting him. In the back of my head, I wanted to save him for my boy. Dead Man......I wanted. The boy needed the spike. 

We went out Friday afternoon and practiced with the .243 Win I built years ago and he has been QUITE proficient with. 

He started with the .243 Win and used it for two years. Last year he used a .308 Win pistol and a .223 Rem Rifle to take deer. This year, I thought about letting him use a .308 Win rifle and decided........why?  The boy smokes’em with a .243 every time. So yeah, back to what we knew. 

With practice complete, we hit the stand. 

We saw plenty of deer and a ton of bucks!  Even saw the Spike we were after. But, he never presented a shot my boy was comfortable with around 200 yards out and then he moved off out of sight. I commended the boy on his patience and not forcing a shot. We knew where to get him. He’d be back. 

Hunted again Saturday evening but didn’t see the Spike. Out in the stand early this morning and the 4th deer we see as the sun crested the horizon was the Spike at about 175 yards. He was wandering around the sendaro, still playing hard to get. But, the boy was patient and we waited. 

Finally, at about 140 yards, he turned broadside and stopped. The boy asked if he could shoot him and I said, “Send it.”

Zee

He sent a 105gr A-Max through the air and into the Spike. I heard the impact and saw him flinch. Lurching forward, he ran up the sendaro towards the brush, getting lower as he went. Into the brush and gone. 

He asked if he’d hit him and I said, yep!

We quietly walked over to where he stood and I looked around for blood. Finding only a very little at first, I admit to a bit of worry. But, it was bright red, and as we followed it towards the brush, it increased. Still not a lot, but every drop of it was bright. Some firm chunks of meat were also found. Which again worried me. But, it wasn’t muscle as you’d find with a leg or brisket shot. Still, a “what off in my mind”. 

We enter the brush and more blood. Increasing a little. Then I look up and there he is, piled into some black brush. 

Total run?  Less than 25 yards. 

Rolling him on his side, I knew why there was little blood. I looked to the boy and said, “He doesn’t have a heart left.  Well done.”

No pump to move the blood. 

The boy continues to amaze me with his ability to shoot. Of his 10 deer, only one wasn’t heart shot. 

He listens. He learns. It shows. 

Proud father. 

bullsi1911

Great great shot, great write up, all around great hunt. Congrats to you both!

sakodude

Congrats to the boy, he is quite the protege. 

mitdr774

Well done to you for the teaching and your boy for his shooting.

earlyagain

Good deal!

Folks have been downing deer with 243 winchesters for a very long time. They're tough to beat.

Big Al1

Great job! Congrats to the young man on his patience and shot placement.
BTW he looks just like you!! 

Diver43

Congratulations to you both.  He obviously had a great teacher and was a great student.
Well done all around.

Zee

Entry:

Broke one rib on entry. 

The bits of meat I saw on the ground were pieces of his heart. 

Zee

Exit

Broke 3 Ribs on Exit

25ish yards and he was toast. 

The boy continues to break their hearts. 

Diver43

Wow a really good shot and good bullet performance

mitdr774

That is some impressive performance.

Linefinder

Congrats!

Pic #2 in Post #11...........

I've said for years the deadest deer I've ever seen were shot by a 14 YO armed with a .243 Win. He slammed them down with boring regularity.

Mike

Zee

knitepoet said:

congrats

Thank you, Sir. 

bullsi1911

99% sure that a Ruger American .243 will be under the tree for my boy this year

Zee

bullsi1911 said:

Great great shot, great write up, all around great hunt. Congrats to you both!

Appreciated. 

Zee

sakodude said:

Congrats to the boy, he is quite the protege. 

Thanks. I pass on what was taught to me. 

Zee

earlyagain said:

Good deal!

Folks have been downing deer with 243 winchesters for a very long time. They're tough to beat.

I feel it is a VERY under rated cartridge.   Not one that affords much margin for error, but on that allows a shooter to focus on the fundamentals and become proficient at shooting without the distraction of noise and recoil. 

It’s an easy cartridge to shoot and with the right Bullet in the right place........kills above its social level. 

In my opinion. 

Zee

Big Al1 said:

Great job! Congrats to the young man on his patience and shot placement.
BTW he looks just like you!! 

Damn good looking young man, then. 

😁

Zee

Diver43 said:

Congratulations to you both.  He obviously had a great teacher and was a great student.
Well done all around.

👍🏻

Zee

Linefinder said:

Congrats!

Pic #2 in Post #11...........

I've said for years the deadest deer I've ever seen were shot by a 14 YO armed with a .243 Win. He slammed them down with boring regularity.

Mike

I don’t know why he would need to use anything else. Except a difference in platform. The cartridge..........he’s good with it. 

Zee

bullsi1911 said:

99% sure that a Ruger American .243 will be under the tree for my boy this year

Put a brake on it and handload some A-Max/ELD-M bullets........deer will drop like flies with proper placement and little recoil. 

Zee

Diver43 said:

Wow a really good shot and good bullet performance

This bullet has never let me down. 

sakodude

Zee said:

earlyagain said:

Good deal!

Folks have been downing deer with 243 winchesters for a very long time. They're tough to beat.

I feel it is a VERY under rated cartridge.   Not one that affords much margin for error, but on that allows a shooter to focus on the fundamentals and become proficient at shooting without the distraction of noise and recoil. 

It’s an easy cartridge to shoot and with the right Bullet in the right place........kills above its social level. 

In my opinion. 

Can't agree more. Got this one from my dad after he passed, I watched him kill a huge cow elk with one shot from this rifle.

Zee

sakodude said:

Zee said:

earlyagain said:

Good deal!

Folks have been downing deer with 243 winchesters for a very long time. They're tough to beat.

I feel it is a VERY under rated cartridge.   Not one that affords much margin for error, but on that allows a shooter to focus on the fundamentals and become proficient at shooting without the distraction of noise and recoil. 

It’s an easy cartridge to shoot and with the right Bullet in the right place........kills above its social level. 

In my opinion. 

Can't agree more. Got this one from my dad after he passed, I watched him kill a huge cow elk with one shot from this rifle.

The biggest bummer elk I’ve ever see taken was with one shot from a .243 Winchester, and he was a massive 6x7. 

CHIRO1989

No heart left to make him bleed, nicely done

GunNut

Excellent story and as usual a great outcome.  Congratulations to the young man and his great teacher!  Good job!!!  Damn he’s gotten big and I’m feeling old.., 😁

Ernie Bishop

Great story.  It felt like I was there watching it happen.  The pride one feels when your children succeed is intensely wonderful.  Good job dad!

Zee

Thanks guys. I enjoy hunting with the young man. 

earlyagain

sakodude said:

Zee said:

earlyagain said:

Good deal!

Folks have been downing deer with 243 winchesters for a very long time. They're tough to beat.

I feel it is a VERY under rated cartridge.   Not one that affords much margin for error, but on that allows a shooter to focus on the fundamentals and become proficient at shooting without the distraction of noise and recoil. 

It’s an easy cartridge to shoot and with the right Bullet in the right place........kills above its social level. 

In my opinion. 

Can't agree more. Got this one from my dad after he passed, I watched him kill a huge cow elk with one shot from this rifle.

This dern quote feature is a space gluton. One of the two most accurate rifles ever through my hands was an old Ruger 77 243win. Not as nice as that one. I traded it off because I found out I don't like bull barrels.

GunNut

Zee said:

Thanks guys. I enjoy hunting with the young man. 

And I’m sure he loves hunting with you.  Well done...