Haven't seen anything to get excited about for the 2 months of bow season, pretty well resigned myself to a couple freezer does and tag soup on the buck tag. Yesterday afternoon a nice heavy 10 walks through the clover patch checking does and leaves. Figured he knew rifle season was this morning and was doing final checks before holing up for a while.
This morning I watched a few doe and forkies work through the patch on the way into the heavy timber. I thought the morning was pretty well done since this patch is close to the house and they don't stick around long. About 45 minutes into the season I noticed a couple more does wandering into the other end of the patch from the neighboring creek followed by a nice buck, maybe the same one as the afternoon before. Got the old Ruger M77 Tang Safety 250-3000 on him and waited for him to turn from facing directly away. When I got what I wanted, I slipped a bullet through the ribs aiming for the far shoulder. He dropped straight down and I never saw him move. I was trying a Speer 100 gr Hot Core this year to see how they compared to the 100 Hornady Interlocks I've always used and had good luck with. Load was 35 gr H4895.
When I skinned him out, I found the bullet between the shoulder and hide. It seperated when I pulled it from the hide but was intact when I found it. Weighs 66 grains after taking out a couple ribs on each side and centering the far shoulder. An example of 1 so not definitive, but promising for sure.
Rack was kind of narrow at 17 1/2" inside spread, but real heavy with a broken G2. After not seeing anything for two months I wasn't going to turn him down.
As he fell

With the old pre-warning Ruger M77

Nice! That was worth waiting for.

I would have waited for the

firing pin to hit the primer. grin

Goodun

Jerry

Nice buck!

Very nice. Congrats!

Congrats on a cool buck!

Well done, congrats.

Those are the kind of horns that get me fired up. That is a brute. Congrats

That's a lot of bone! Handsome buck. Well done!

Very nice buck, congrats!

Ole 270, Great Buck! What the heck is narrow about a 17 1/2" spread? Congrats, and if you ever get the feeling you want to sell that M77 please PM me. I bought my son his first deer rifle in the early 80's, a M77 Tang in 257 Roberts and have since sold it. Would love to get another M77 Tang in 250 or 257. Nice Buck.

That rifle isn't going anywhere while I'm still above room temperature. Told my wife when I bought it that I was getting it for our yet to be born 1st Grandkid. That Granddaughter is now 14 and using her own M70 Fwt Compact in a McMillan Stock, chambered in 7-08. I'm still working up loads and seeing if it will work well enough for her, or her little brother, or one of her cousins.
This rifle and my M77 MkII 257 Roberts are my two favorite deer rifles.

Thanks guys, guess I've gotten spoiled on the several 20"+ deer I've taken here on the home place.

Very cool rifle and awesome buck! Congratulations on patience that paid off!

I knew it was a long shot! Guys that have 'em never get rid of them. Good for you on passing it on down to the Grandkids. Great rifle and a great cartridge. Hope you have many more successful seasons with it, and thanks for sharing the hunt.

Just looked up the date of manufacture on the rifle, looks like midyear 1975.

Congrats - a nice heavy racked buck! Cold out there this morning. No snow in your area?

we had maybe half an inch, gone by Tuesday afternoon. Don't even pick up anything on the boots walking around.

Nice. You got a good gene pool there.

That’s a hell of a buck!

Good looking thick rack! Looks like the Hot Core is gonna work out fine.

That got me to thinking. The new buck may be closely related to this one from two years ago, taken with the same rifle, 100 Hornady Interlock instead of the Speer. This was my biggest bodied buck in several decades of hunting.

Heck Yeah!

That buck deserves a shoulder mount. Thanks for the load info as I'm playing with a Rem 700 classic in 250-3000.

Should be fine in the M700, several books don't go that high due to all the M99 Lever guns, but Nosler's online data shows the 35 gr load.

Great deer and a great rifle! Even though I haven't gotten the chance to bloody it yet, I have a tang safety in the 250 Savage as well...and am blessed to have one in the Roberts as well. And like you, I have no plans to rid myself of either. Congratulations on the buck!

Congrats on a fine buck and especially the buck you tagged last year. The 250 savage is a sleeper of a deer cartridge for it's case size.

Thats a NICE deer anytime, anywhere!

And its really nice to see a sensible rifle/scope combination for the job!

No gear shifter knobs, turrets to spin, or crap hanging on the rifle.

Kudos.

Very nice deer.

At my age I'd probably forget what I was dialing for!
I just like a clean, classic rifle with a relatively small scope.That VXII 3-9x43 is about the upper end of what I consider a hunting scope. But then I'm old fashioned. Probably why my most used bird gun is a SxS 16 ga.

Ole 270 I'm a SXS guy through and through and have several 16's. Just picked up a nice Fox straight grip. The 16 rules in my book.

I like the classic symmetrical rack on that buck. You are a man after my own heart with the combo Ruger 77 and 250-3000, however I have Ruger 77s but not in that cartridge. My 250 Savage is in a 99-A.

That euro-mount is a beauty and must be some good genes in your country.

I've never owned a Ruger 77 except a couple of 77/22 rimfires. That 250-3000 in your pic sure is a classy looking rig though!

I've also got a 99, but mines a 1953 R model. A little heavy, it will get used the rest of the season on doe tags along with a Marlin 336 rebore 38-55. That 99R does real well with the 87 Hot Core, and pretty decent with the 100 Hot Core. The timber I'll probably hunt for does the remainder of the season might be a little close cover for the 87, we'll see. I've taken several with it, but all 100-200 yards.

On the rifle, count me old fashioned as well. The classic rifle style is what led me to the 77's 40 years ago and I still like'em. And most of mine are carrying Leupolds. See no reason to change things now. But, I'm not a shotgun man but I'll trust you it is a great firearm!

Heard tell from some of the 99 aficionados at the local gun club that a 99 R on average is more accurate then other models. I could not dispute that, but I must say that when a couple of the old guys that own them come to the deer season sight-in clinics they demonstrate some good accuracy.

I have killed deer at short yardage with the 87 gr Hot-Cor with my 99-A and a 99 EG I used to own and never seen any bad performance . Caught some of the bullets and can only recall bullet separation two times, but killed the deer. The load is 34.5 grains H4895 @ 2900 fps 20" barrel and 2950 + in 24" barrel.

Gawd I wish I still had one of my 77's in .250!

2 fantastic racks, really love the serious expression on the young fellow holding the Euro mount

Thanks for sharing Ole 270 !