Was hunting with Bloodhound today. Following a horrendous electrical storm and torrential rain last night I think the deer decided to sleep in. BH only saw one deer in the morning and didn't get a shot. I saw about 5 including one buck which was around 220yds away. Found myself a rest and waited for the opportunity to take the shot. Just as I started to squeeze the trigger another hunter fired a shot some distance away and I swear the buck jumped about 8' into the air before hitting the ground with his afterburners lit.

After having lunch we headed to an area that has, in the past held deer. Didn't see anything for the first couple of hours ( we were sweeping the area about 100yds apart). Came across a nice native bush area when we met up and about a minute later we sprung 3 does. I lined up the second as it was walking but it decided to stop behind a bush and all I could see was the line of its back and its tail. Was waiting for it to step out when 'CRACK'..... BH took the 3rd animal with a shot from behind.


I had given him a couple of my 120gr Sierra loads ( They shoot to the same POI in his Sako 75 as they do in my T3 Lite.......about an 1 1/2" high at 100yds)
The animal dropped on the spot.

Here is a pic of the first shot and the damage it caused.............CAUTION Blood!!!!



As you can see the bullet expanded very quickly and almost destroyed the right rear leg before continuing into the chest.

After he field dressed it he made it into a 'pack' and carried it out............... I continued hunting.

I came across an area which showed a lot of fresh sign and went into super stealth mode and started to track 2 sets of prints. I lost them a couple of times but figured out where the 2 animals were heading so continued stalking in their direction, picking up their tracks every now and then. As I came over a rise in thick bush I looked down into a gully which had a small stream running through it. At first I couldn't see anything ( the sun was low and I was looking from a lit area down into a shaded dark gully but then a tiny movement caught my eye so I slowly raised the rifle and looked through the scope. ( Its a VX3L 3.5-10X50 and I was impressed once again with its light gathering capabilities)

As soon as I looked into the scope I could make out a deer with its back to me on the banks of the stream. Another movement slightly to its left revealed a second deer with its head down drinking. After gently easing the safety off I waited for the right hand deer to lift its head. It not only lifted its head but turned it to its right and I sent the 120gr Sierra on its way. It dropped on the spot.

Here is a pic I took back at the Jeep of the deer and the Tikka.................Note the lack of damage to the animal.



However, the above pic is of the good side.........................Here is a pic I took where it had fallen.....................Its brains were spread all over the ground and in the stream.



..............And here is one when I turned the head over...................( Yes, that's its ear hanging halfway down its neck)



Here is a closeup of the head. The skull cavity was completely shattered and vaporised on the exit side and the brains were scattered in the stream...... talk about a lobotomy.



Did I mention that I ranged the shot after the deer was taken and it was 20yds!!!!!!!

Neither animal had a clue that death was almost within touching distance........As I have said before, I love stalking animals and got a real buzz from taking this one that close.

I must admit Paul, I am having some doubts about the 120gr Sierra...............With both of todays deer it seemed to expand 'explosively' ( if I can put it that way). Both deer died 'on the spot' but the damage, especially to the 1st animal was quite extensive. It would be interesting to see the results and expansion in, for example, wet newsprint ( hint, hint.) For head and neck shots it is impressive...........but I have yet to see what it will do with, for example, a shoulder shot involving bone.............