Well, got the Marlin blooded. Went out mid-morning to still hunt/scout the thick timber creek bottom during our early doe only season. Was easing along checking for sign more than hunting when a young doe popped up about 50 yards in front of me. She wasn't alarmed, just trying to make out what was moving through the brush. I hit her quartering toward me, through the center of the onside shoulder, tracking across and exiting the offside flank. Put a 2" hole in the back of the shoulder and rib cage, took off the top of the heart, blew up one lung and damaged the other before going on to the exit. Doe made about a 20 yard stumbling run and dropped. When I dressed her I found an inch and a half section of lower shoulder/upper leg bone wedged in the near side ribs.
Bullet was a fairly soft Lee 38-250,@9 bhn, powder coated. Starline cases charged with 21 grains of imr 4198 topped with a tuft of dacron for just over 1400 fps in this 20" carbine.
Really glad I had this rebore done, I'm liking the cartridge/bullet combo more all the time. I may load some of the Accurate 38-250b bullets over a faster load for buck season in December. The alloy I cast them from turned out at 14-15 bhn after sitting a month.
