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Ruger American Predator .243 Win. (1-9” twist”)

The 1-10” twisted Tikka wouldn’t shoot them...

That was what I was after, I’ll have to stick with BTs in my lowly tikka 10 twist

So you never even looked for the deer.

I'm guessing there's more here than what got typed up in the first post. Longtime poster that has seemed to have his stuff together before.

Opened this post thinking it was about one of those bean bags for your rifle. Boy was I wrong.

Shirley Temple Time biatches!!!

Someone get ahold of seafire asap, I think safariman is using his acct to post hunting stories.. anyhow I bet good money that little buck dead as hell in that thicket.. sometimes some hunting stories are better not to be told..

How the hell do you not at least throw 3 more into said deer whilst he's 'staggering around a little'
If them SOB's are on their feet after the first shot, and I still have eyes on them, I'm lighting them up.


If you can't get something out of a spot, don't shoot the fugger.


Lots of times when you shoot shiet on clearcut hillsides, they end up in slash holes.

That’s exactly what this sounds like. Bs for drama.

Agreed, but sometimes a story is a solid proof-point on character.
And the lack of compunction is indeed safariman-esque.

DEER WAS RECOVERED BY 9:45 THE NEXT MORNING,

Well in typical campfire fashion, there is always a certain group of folks, that I think hang out here, just for the opportunity to criticize something and someone, and point the accusational finger at another, to act like somehow they are superior... the better hunter, the better shooter etc. Solidifying that with how stupid, the accused must be.

The post was about bullet performance, on a new item from a vendor, and the questions asked about how would it perform. But too many folks wanted to use an opportunity to sling accusations.

While you gentlemen were busy condemning me about leaving a deer out in the woods, pointing out the definition of a spike buck as illegal ( assuming I had no clue what was legal or not, which is wrong...)

I knew exactly where the deer was... and I had no doubt the deer was dead.

Sorry for those that don't think this way. I was a military medic, and a have also been involved in scouting for decades. Safety is the first thing on my mind. This deer went down a gully that was very steep and full of slash, fallen burn trees, heavy brush etc. Going down for retrieval when by myself would be hazardous and an invitation to breaking a leg or ankle, out in a remote steep area and being by myself.

So while some of the campfire would complain about my outlook on that reality, what did transpire....

7:30 AM yesterday morning, I was back out there. I knew exactly where the deer was, just down a ravine...So I was out there with four 100 foot rolls of rope, along with a retired Marine Buddy, his jeep with a good winch on the front and his dog. The dog was off the hillside instantly, while I was tying off rope to the hitch of my truck. Now I could proceed SAFELY down the ravine to retrieve the deer. At the attitude it was at, and the angle. The area was shaded and last nights temps dropped below 32 degrees

Getting to the deer, I tied off the rope around its neck. And yeah, even tho I use the term spike buck, his antlers has tynes off of each that were over an inch in length, more like 2.5 or so...I'd still call that a spike by my definition and how I was taught in my youth. If I am wrong, blame my deceased grandfather. I'm sure he'll be concerned, his definition doesn't correspond with yours.

Went back thru the brush up the hillside with 400 feet of rope to hold onto,
which I have plenty of at how do to use with scouts all the time. We lowered the cable down from the Jeep until they were all hooked up. The brush and slash was enough of an obstacle course, I had to go back down to the deer, and assist it getting pulled thru the brush and over obstacles. The dog had a good time escorting me all the way. He suspected a treat coming after all of this.

Took a little over 2 hours plus to get the deer up to the road. We did the gutting there. Post mortem, the Sierra GameChanger had just penciled thru
like a full metal jacket would have, but I gather no one has any interest in that fact. Being a military trained medic, I also was taught a thing or two about bullet wounds and therefore bullet performance in the Army. Was sorta part of my job.

The deer was brought back and is in my buddy's shed. He's got the stuff to make Sausage out of it, which is what we are going to do with it this weekend.

I got home, took a shower.... Dropped by a couple of customers over in Medford to straighten out some software issues on their computer systems for their Nurse Call System, picked up some pagers and pendants that need to be sent in for repair. Got home and since the wife was off for a couple of days but has to work at the hospital all weekend, she demanded she wanted to go out to eat, and be taken to a movie. So that is how I spent my evening.

So for those concerned... That is an update on what transpired. I am sure all the critics would have done it differently, but hey, this is the campfire.... your always wrong, because someone always does things better... and jumping to the conclusions before knowing the entire story or facts is also somehow a campfire ritual.

So those that still need to feel the need to flame away, be my guest. I really don't give a damn. If Safariman was lurking the last 48 hours, I am sure it would make him happy, that he's not the only person who gets flamed and condemned here..

and I am sure plenty will think this post is too long... but then they want all the facts, they just don't want to take the time to read them.. jumping to conclusions is so much easier and less time consuming...and give folks ammunition to condemn someone anyway.


N.B: NO GFYs were issued in this thread... thought of, but not extended.


You Ladies have a good weekend...

cheers
seafire

You didn't go fetch the deer?

If you're not in condition to retrieve a deer then don't hunt that kind of terrain.........

Well this popped up while OP was composing a response this morning...

OP's Son is a lurker here.. with his dad's permission...

OP himself wasn't on here yesterday, until late last night when I read thru this thread, and figured I'd address it this morning after having a long day yesterday...

but hey, thanks for keeping tabs on me and my time.....

Like I had some sort of unwritten obligation to clarify everyone's negative curiosity, about their somehow assumptions and conclusions....as soon as possible.....

you have a good weekend also....

Ok, I take it back, it wasn't your your shooting, hunting, or ethics, it just all boiled down to less than cogent writing skills. Don't write confusing posts and I bet the responses improve........

Of course, jeep, winch, 400 ft of rope, all for a 140 lb buck must've been a sight.......

it is what it is Creek....

OTOH, my writing skills vs some people's reading comprehension?

kind of a "what came first, the chicken or the egg"...question

Says the guy who: called Sierra to “Criticize” bullet performance... and point the “accusational finger” at them.... and act like your “superior” shooting skills couldn’t possibly have been the problem..... “solidifying” how stupid the “accused” is acting. ALL BEFORE HE HAD ANY IDEA WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.

Most folks here wouldn’t have a problem with your story... if it were written after the fact. The Pompous Speculative Blathering about “bullet performance”.... before you even knew what happened. AND, the audacity to call Sierra and complain about it.... again, before laying hands on the deer... is down right Conceited.

There’s no way in hell that bullet “penciled through”.... no f’n way. Sorry man.... I like you Seafire.... but I read your version of the events as self-fulfilling revisionist history. I shot that same bullet, into a critter similar sized to a spike black tail buck... at the same impact velocity.... and the damage was massive. Look at the pic above. We’ve already seen a handful of other reports on that exact bullet, and a couple of other caliber/weights as well. They all performed excellently.

This whole thread is kinda sad actually....

Seafire,
Serious question: What reaction did you think you were going to get with your original post?

Go back and read your original post..... you never said anything about going back in for the deer. All you did was complain about “bullet performance”, all the while absconding yourself any/all personal and ethical responsibility.

If you can’t see how some folks would have gotten the wrong impression... then maybe it’s not the fire with the “reading comprehension” issue.

Just sayin....

Got any pictures of the deer and damage or lack there of that the failed bullet did?

I’m also curious why you’d slow a very mild recoiling varmint rifle down 600 FPS, causing it to loose more kinetic energy than a .357 Mag with 158 grain bullets has at the muzzle, and think you’d be doing yourself and the deer a favor, then complain that the bullet didn’t “perform” ? Why not just neck up a .22 Hornet to .243 for your deer rifle? I agree that accuracy beats velocity, but not at the cost of ethical kills.

Todd