Still remember it like yesterday even though this season will mark 25 years for me.
Rifle was a Ruger boat paddle .270 Win with a Leupold vari-xII 3-9. It was my first rifle and i bought it with lawn mowing money about 1 month before deer opener.
I shot my first buck on the second day of season with a 130 Balistic Tip. Well i shot him with 5 actually, all behind the shoulder landing in about a 3" area. Only about 1/2 of 1 bullet penetrated the lungs and was found mid heart. That bullet chunk weighed 58grs IIRC. Last Ballistic Tip i ever shot aside from varmint rounds.
3 weeks later i shot a nice 5x5 bull on opening day with a 140 Partition.
That rifle with the NP's accounted for several more deer and elk before i traded it off on a custom 700 in .264WM
These days its eithery 338 RUM or if hiking a long ways my Montana in 300WSM.
Damn, I'll bet you miss the old boat paddle ruger don't you??
