Sam;
Thanks for the reply and let me say in return that I hope you folks are doing well across the line tonight.
As I mentioned Sam, it's a "lucky" rifle in a few strange ways.
With my usual late season rifle, a lightweight .270 on a 98, I'd missed a smaller buck the weekend before - easy chip shot on a small racked buck that I missed clean....somehow??
With only one weekend left in season, I pulled the Norma out of the safe on the last morning I could get out hunting. I'd finished my second series of grunt calls when I saw antlers coming through the timber and thought it was a nice 2nd rack buck I'd been playing tag with unsuccessfully for the last month.
Anyway because of the terrain I had to shoot it off hand at maybe 80yds - so I shot it in the neck as it trotted past the Doug fir.... I had NO idea the size of buck I'd shot until I walked up to it Sam and I've got to say I was QUITE excited.
It's always good to hear from you Sam so thanks again, all the best to you folks and good luck on your hunts this fall.
Dwayne
