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Ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter Bisley .44 mag - Field Report
As I mentioned in the .243 Winchester thread, I went hunting with a friend last night. The goal was to get him a deer on a ranch that wanted does and spikes culled and to use my .243 Winchester and 100gr Hornady bullets in the process. For science. Well, I wasn't going to go out without a gun for myself. But, with the drizzle and rain we were having, I wanted it to be stainless. So, since I was playing second fiddle to his hunt, I took the Super Blackhawk Hunter Bisley in a shoulder holster under my jacket.
We ended up getting my friend a deer relatively early so, it was my turn to hunt.
Excuse the lack of scenic pictures I usually post along with a hunt. But, with the rain and all................I opted to keep the camera secure in my ruck.
We set up on a fence corner along a long, wide sendaro. As the evening progressed, I saw a few does come out into the sendaro. But, they were about 300 yards away and that wasn't happening with the .44 Mag. Nothing else showed up any closer, so we decided to still hunt our way down the brush line along the sendaro. Maybe something would walk out in front of me and within range of the revolver. About 5:45, as I passed in front of a two-track that ended at the sendaro, I saw deer down the road.
We crouched down and I set up the BOG-Pod Tripod with a Primos Lift-n-Loc and started looking down the road with binos. There was a BIG buck!!! But, I couldn't shoot him. Does and spikes only. Luckily, he and two smaller buck were chasing a doe and one of the smaller bucks was a spike. Woohoo!
I watched and waited as the light faded and they zig-zagged from one side of the road to the other in their pursuit of the doe. They would exit the brush, doe first, small buck, spike, and big buck trailing. Cross the road and enter the brush on the other side. Back and forth, but getting closer all the while. Finally, on the third crossing, the spike paused for a second as he crossed the road in procession. Unfortunately for him, he paused at 71 yards. As it was getting dark, it was now or never. I placed the crosshairs of the 2x Weaver scope on his shoulder and squeezed the trigger.
"BOOM!"..."POP!"
As the gun recoiled off the tripod, I saw the spike crumple to the ground. I looked at my buddy, who was on the other side of the road, and gave him a thumbs up. With his earlier doe and my spike, we were done for the evening.
Leaving my ruck and the tripod, I walked down the road towards the buck. As I approached, I saw him lift his head and try to move his front legs ineffectively. But, his back legs wouldn't move. Figured I'd spined him. So, I approached from his back side quietly, grabbed a horn, extended and turned his head, and punctured his right carotid with my knife. A simple small puncture in and out and the faucet was open. Like a hose on half full, the blood quickly poured out the opening and the buck faded.
We then drug him down the road to the sendaro and over to my friends doe. Then, in the mist and drizzle, took some pictures before going to get the truck.
Back at the house, with the rain increasing and the thunder and lightening storm passing overhead..................I butchered the two deer and conducted my postmortem under an umbrella in my friends driveway.
Ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter Bisley - .44 Rem Mag
240gr Hornady XTP
Muzzle Velocity: 1,416 fps
Distance: 71 yrds
Impact Velocity: 1,229 fps (est)
Entrance
Entrance Under Hide
Entrance Under Shoulder
Bullet Broke Scapula on Entrance
Entrance Under Ribs
Heart/Lungs - Entrance
Heart/Lungs - Exit
Exit Under Shoulder - Through Spine
Exit Through Shoulder
Exit
Not a vital organ was struck and there was only minimal bruising to the top of the lungs from the temporary cavity caused by the hydrolic wave of the bullet passing through the deer. But, he dropped on the spot. Ultimately needing assistance from a blade to pass on.
Still, I am pleased that I got him and pleased with the performance of the bullet for where I put it.
We ended up getting my friend a deer relatively early so, it was my turn to hunt.
Excuse the lack of scenic pictures I usually post along with a hunt. But, with the rain and all................I opted to keep the camera secure in my ruck.
We set up on a fence corner along a long, wide sendaro. As the evening progressed, I saw a few does come out into the sendaro. But, they were about 300 yards away and that wasn't happening with the .44 Mag. Nothing else showed up any closer, so we decided to still hunt our way down the brush line along the sendaro. Maybe something would walk out in front of me and within range of the revolver. About 5:45, as I passed in front of a two-track that ended at the sendaro, I saw deer down the road.
We crouched down and I set up the BOG-Pod Tripod with a Primos Lift-n-Loc and started looking down the road with binos. There was a BIG buck!!! But, I couldn't shoot him. Does and spikes only. Luckily, he and two smaller buck were chasing a doe and one of the smaller bucks was a spike. Woohoo!
I watched and waited as the light faded and they zig-zagged from one side of the road to the other in their pursuit of the doe. They would exit the brush, doe first, small buck, spike, and big buck trailing. Cross the road and enter the brush on the other side. Back and forth, but getting closer all the while. Finally, on the third crossing, the spike paused for a second as he crossed the road in procession. Unfortunately for him, he paused at 71 yards. As it was getting dark, it was now or never. I placed the crosshairs of the 2x Weaver scope on his shoulder and squeezed the trigger.
"BOOM!"..."POP!"
As the gun recoiled off the tripod, I saw the spike crumple to the ground. I looked at my buddy, who was on the other side of the road, and gave him a thumbs up. With his earlier doe and my spike, we were done for the evening.
Leaving my ruck and the tripod, I walked down the road towards the buck. As I approached, I saw him lift his head and try to move his front legs ineffectively. But, his back legs wouldn't move. Figured I'd spined him. So, I approached from his back side quietly, grabbed a horn, extended and turned his head, and punctured his right carotid with my knife. A simple small puncture in and out and the faucet was open. Like a hose on half full, the blood quickly poured out the opening and the buck faded.
We then drug him down the road to the sendaro and over to my friends doe. Then, in the mist and drizzle, took some pictures before going to get the truck.
Back at the house, with the rain increasing and the thunder and lightening storm passing overhead..................I butchered the two deer and conducted my postmortem under an umbrella in my friends driveway.
Ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter Bisley - .44 Rem Mag
240gr Hornady XTP
Muzzle Velocity: 1,416 fps
Distance: 71 yrds
Impact Velocity: 1,229 fps (est)
Entrance
Entrance Under Hide
Entrance Under Shoulder
Bullet Broke Scapula on Entrance
Entrance Under Ribs
Heart/Lungs - Entrance
Heart/Lungs - Exit
Exit Under Shoulder - Through Spine
Exit Through Shoulder
Exit
Not a vital organ was struck and there was only minimal bruising to the top of the lungs from the temporary cavity caused by the hydrolic wave of the bullet passing through the deer. But, he dropped on the spot. Ultimately needing assistance from a blade to pass on.
Still, I am pleased that I got him and pleased with the performance of the bullet for where I put it.
"To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
Replies
Dad 5-31-13
This is the sendaro we walked down and the two-track I saw the deer on ends into the sendaro at the arrow.
This is the view down the two track the deer were traveling up.
The horizontal arrow is where I was kneeling to shoot and the vertical arrow is where the buck what standing when I shot him. He had come out of the brush to the right and was traveling towards the brush on the left while following the doe.
Great presentation of the facts. :up:
What load did you have in it when I shot that button buck? Not as far as Zee's shot, but as I recall he only made it about 100 yards, (if that), before he flopped over. In behind the left fore leg out through the right shoulder.
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Funny you say that............
The irony is most hilarious.
Something I'm noticing with both the .44 Mag and the Casull, is the lack of trauma to the surrounding tissue of the bullets path.
Unlike high ugh velocity rifle rounds, these bullets get in and get out. Doing their thing with little fan fair to surrounding tissue.
No bloodshot, so to speak.
And sausage and jerky and steaks and ground venison and......
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Life member of the American Legion, the VFW, the NRA and the Masonic Lodge, retired LEO
That is my goal for next year. To kill a deer with a .357 Mag.
For Science! Thanks for the write up. Always enjoy these.