My best blacktail yet

[Elkhound]

Well Sat proved to be a good day for me. I have spent alot of time scouting a new area and hunting this new area only to see does every time. Well at first light finally a buck. Now all you big mulie hunters might laugh but to me this is a big deer. Gutted and hanging he weighed just over 210lbs. Not stinky yet either, but was with 5 does.

http://img307.imageshack.us/img307/3104/deerintruck26tx.jpg

http://img307.imageshack.us/img307/4013/deerintruck15xc.jpg

[Elkhound]

http://img307.imageshack.us/img307/4455/daveanddeer20gn.jpg

http://img307.imageshack.us/img307/1926/daveanddeer7fg.jpg


Full story added page 4

[huntersdad]

Hey Elkhound
Full credit for a great buck. Awesome blacktail

[todbartell]

that is a nice blacktail, congrats :grin:

[Gateholio]

That is a beauty blacktail!!

[MB_Boy]

Great lookin' buck Elkhound!!

Congrats and thanks for sharing the pictures!!

[Sikanni Stalker]

Well I am in monster mulie country now but by Island standards that is a real nice blacktail!

[Gus]

nice,, real nice.

[Elkhound]

Thanks guys. I am still grinning ear to ear. My wife thinks I am nuts every time I go over and look at the antlers. I have a nice 4x4 BT from a few years ago and I can put that rack right inside this one.:grin:

[Elkhound]

Oh the details are. 30-06. Home load 180 interbonds.
(I was still sighted in with them from my moose trip). Range finder says the shot was 251yrds. It was near a spot where my buddy missed a deer last week so I knew already it was just over 200yrds. Bullet never was recovered. Straight through both lungs.

[Offroad]

Very nice Dave. That is a beauty.

[Foxer]

Elkhound - i've heard a few mixed reviews about the interbond out of the 30-06, could you describe the wound channel for us? Was there any bloodshooting, how big was the entry exit, etc. I'd appreciate any details, just out of curiousity.

[ratherbefishin]

210 lbs field dressed?that is a very big blacktail.I've seen lots of forks and 3 points but only about 3 4 points in my life

[Thunderstix]

Those photos warm my heart! (And my freezing cold soaking wet body as I just came back empty handed)

[Kirby]

Well, I'm a mulie hunter so I don't know much about blacktails, but looks like a great buck to me. Congrats.

Kirby

[Steeleco]

I'm jealous as hell, well done. You set the bar fairly high for us coast hunters!!!

[3kills]

congrats on a fine lookin blacktail...

[Hambone]

Thats an amazing blacktail ! Congrats.
What part of the coast.... powell river or sechelt side?
I live in Sechelt and thats probably the biggest ive ever seen.
well done.

[BlacktailStalker]

Nicely done, I've yet to find one like that myself!

[Elkhound]

I am in Gibsons. It is a coast buck. Thanks for the replies guys, I will never wipe the smile off my face now....:biggrin:

Foxer, small entrance hole, through both lungs, wound channel through each side of the rib cage was about an inch and a half in diameter. Exited the front shoulder as it was on an angle and the front far leg was back. Lost a lot of meat on that shoulder. More bloodshot than I would have liked. The bullet was not recovered as I said. The deer didn't take one step. What more could you ask for. If it was just a pass through without hitting the far leg meat loss would have been minimal. I would like to take a few more animals with them to compare

[bsa30-06]

congrats that is a fine looking buck. i'm jealous.

[Steeleco]

The mulie I got in Sept was hit with a 165gn Interbond loaded over 57gn of IMR 4350. Like yours it was over 200 yrd shot and suffered a bit of shock damage. Mine was a brisket shot and the damage was inside the shoulder.

But at the end of the day it was a swift death, which is what they deserve, even if it cost's us a bit of meat.

[ex bc guide]

Congrats on your biggest yet.
Mike

[BCHunter]

But at the end of the day it was a swift death, which is what they deserve, even if it cost's us a bit of meat.

i agree...

[ryanb]

The only bigger blacktail I've ever seen was in suburban West Vancouver, where I saw a giant 5x5 that would easily make the B&C record books. Congrats

[Fido]

Way to go any one of us hunters would be proud to hang him on the wall.

[Darren]

That is an exeptional blacktail. Looks pretty old, look at how white his face is. 210 pounds is HUGE!

[Foxer]

Thanks elkhound - and let me appologize for forgetting to congratulate you on a very nice animal before asking questions :) That's a great blacktail man.

[rollingrock]

Foxer, basing on what elkhound described, I think the effect of 30-06 is pretty close to that of a 7.62x39. I found people always underestimate the damaged done by an SKS in many cases.

[Freshtracks]

Geez Elkhound ... that is making it tough to top. :wink: Congrats on a great looking blacktail. Any idea on a rough score?

[1/2 slam]

VERY nice blacktail. Congratulations.

[Darren]

So how were you hunting? Lets hear the story!

[rock]

Great looking blacktail, hopefully there's one out there for me.

[greybark]

:roll: [QUOTE=Freshtracks]Geez Elkhound ... that is making it tough to top. :wink: Congrats on a great looking blacktail. Any idea on a rough score?[/QUOTe

:roll: Congratulations on a great BT buck. It`s hard to guess the score from pictures but my esimate would be 115 pts. BT`s typicaly lose points because of the tendacy to not have matching oposites . Let us know , Once again well done !!!

REMEMBER -- Keep Your Fingertab On --

[bochunk2000]

That's a great buck! I love that pic with the HBC hat on. I might have to try that one.:grin:

[Elkhound]

Thanks again people for the replies. I am still grinning. My wife says if I fondle those antlers one more time she will become the jealous type.:eek:

Foxer you are forgiven. Hope the autopsy report was okay. Like mentioned by a few, the important part is he dropped like a rock. Which I have found out now is even better cause he was about 30yrds from a cliff that I didn't know was there. My hunting buddy has since informed me that he went down the cliff this week to check it out cause it goes down to a river below. He almost didn't get back up. Every time he climbed up it 30ft or so he would slide back down. Had to follow the river for awhile to get back up. If the deer went down there (which the does he was with did) I would still be there packing him out. I swear blacktails are a cross between a deer and a goat.

As far as scoring goes, I am not so good at that so I will wait for my buddy to do it. I do have a 4x4 rack that net scored 98 after deductions and I can fit that rack right inside this new one with room to spare. The new one is taller, thicker and wider. But with deductions, who knows.

Story is simple. I scouted out a spot with lots of sign and spent alot of time there. I think the kids forgot what I looked like. I hunted it all Sept, and Oct. Only saw does and fawns up till that day. I knew it was just a matter of time. I was getting pretty discouraged though. A month and a half and nothing to show for it. That morning I told my wife "if it has antlers I am pulling the trigger. Spike, forkhorn, 2pt I don't care." Anyway, showed up at the spot in the dark, It's a slash that goes on for 1000+ yrds with lots of little draws and hills for the deer to hide and move in. Lots of timber for cover that any deer hunter knows that a deer can get to in a few bounds. Problem with this spot is wind is always changing. Swirls really bad. This morning had lots of fog I glassed and glassed while I was behind a few boulders in full camo. Gloves and facemask included. Just when I was about to move on I decide to glass this little hole in the bottom corner. There he was standing broadside in front of a huge boulder. I was really excited but disapointed I almost missed him so far away. Almost all the deer I have seen there in the past were stone grey, but he was still red/brown. Threw me off alittle in what I was looking for. I was at 251 yrds like I said before and I could see antlers even without the binos. Now here is where my inexperience kicks in. I get a good rest but I am still amazed at the rack. Just as I am pulling the trigger I remember the scene in That 70's Show where they go hunting and Red sees that nice buck and says to Eric..."And whatever you do, don't shoot him in the face" I almost laughed out loud and jerked the 1st shot hitting the rock behind him. He jumps and moves about 20yrds while I try to rack another shell. Here is where the story goes south. I cannot open my bolt. It is jammed. I start pulling as hard as I can. Nothing. I start pounding on the bolt with my hand. nothing. Won't even budge. I keep peeking over the rock to see if the buck is still there, Yup hasn't moved. So I grab a rock in desperation and try to hammer the bolt with it. Hammer, hammer, peek over the rock. Hammer, hammer, peek over the rock. I could not tell you how many times but it seemed like forever and all this time the buck keeps standing there. Finally it gives. I cycle another round in and get a rest on the rock. At this point my adrenalin is so pumped, from the hammering, swearing and staring at this buck I am shaking like a leaf. I take a few breaths, calm down, and line him up, focus and squeeze. Buck went down like a ton of bricks. No kicking, nothing. All over. I am still shaking at this point. I am buying a new rifle after this.
Gatehouse, I will never defend my Rem.710 again. 5yrs and never a problem, but almost lost this buck because of it. Hike down to the deer. 5 does still there and wander off when I get to 30yrds of them. The buck fell upside down but his antlers kept his head high off the ground. First time I got a good look at them. Field dressed him and cut him in half so I could get him back to the truck. First shot was at 7:50am Was back in the truck with the deer and ready to go at 9:30am.

So there is the whole story boys and girls. A whole lot of time, skill and effort, and an even bigger lot of luck. But like the good Canuck fan that I am I have learned this. A win is a win right?

[Gateholio]

Wow, great story!!:-P

I bet you were shitting bricks trying to pound that bolt open!:-)

While I would love ot blame your 710, there is also the possibility that your loads were too hot, or that the bullet was seated too far out, and raised pressure.

But it was probably the 710, as I'e seen that happen to another 710 at the range using factory ammo!:-P

[Elkhound]

I remember you saying something about that on CGN I think. Thats what made me think of it. I have been shooting these loads in the rifle all summer and I have not had a problem yet. But maybe. I did find the brass so I will show that to my buddy who reloads for me as well. As far as the bricks go, ABSOLUTELY. I never want to go through that again. I wanted to just throw the rifle. :mad:

[Gateholio]

Can you post a pic of the base of the case? Of the primer? It's not a guaranteed method, but shoudl tell us if there was somethign REALLY awry.



Chances are if you wer eshootingthem this summer with no pressure signs, they diodn't get higher pressures in colder weather!;-)

And what abotuthe second round? Hards to extract. too?

[Elkhound]

I will see what I can do. I am at work so maybe tomorrow. 2nd round was no problem. I don't know if it makes a difference but the bolt would lift up, just not pull back.

[tomigunz]

yep i would be pleased with that one

[Thunderstix]

Great story man!

[Gateholio]

I will see what I can do. I am at work so maybe tomorrow. 2nd round was no problem. I don't know if it makes a difference but the bolt would lift up, just not pull back.

Oh. Rifle is to fault then.

If it was over pressure, it's hard to LIFT the bolt, but pulling back is not as hard.

What do I always say is the most important thing in a hunting rifle? It's not accuracy, although that is one component.

Relability is the most important aspect of a hunitng rilfe!:biggrin:

Frankly, too many people jusdge thier rifle by how well it shoots at a bench, in good, dry conditions.8-)

[Elkhound]

I know, I know..... I see the light.... No more 710 defending for me. :mad: Did I mention how accurate it is though:wink:

[Elkhound]

Well boys and girls...... just got an email from Hornady. They put a pic up on their web site in the Team Hornady Scrapbook. We have a HBC hat in there as well;)

http://www.hornady.com/story.php?s=231