Iron Sight 45/70 LEH

[dutchie]

Well, wednsday night I decided that I had enough of a "break" in School stuff so my dad, myself and Kastles went up to 3-31 on friday for the hunt on saturday and I had a LEH for Sunday.

I bought a 45/70 from todbartell at OSS a few months back and i wanted to shoot a deer with it this year. So I made the decission when I got the LEH I was going to take it with my Marlin.

I hand loaded a 350gr. Hornady FN infront of a healthy load of RL7 and had them ready to go for the doe.

We were up at 3:30am (we thought it was 4:30 damn time change) to be ready for the 5:55 am first light. Well we had a brain fart not thinking about the iron sights that early in the am so dad brought his 300wsm incase the opertunity presented itself.. Sat there for 3 hours and nothing!!!

We were going to head to French Bar to take out a doe on the fraser river flats when we crested a hill and there was a doe! Ran through the bush and gone but I heard somthing on the other side of the road to I slowly crept over to the edge and there is another doe! I am watching her at about 20m and waiting for her to present a shot and then dad gets out of the car telling me "No... she is on the other side!" and off bounds the doe. He seemed to feel really bad (i was not too worried, I "hunt" to get out of the Lower Mainland enjoy nature and if I get somthing well that is a bonus!).

We drove maybe 200 m and dad stopped and said "There she is!!" so I load up the 45/70 and head into the bush when I saw her. She was looking at me, and I looked confirmed it was not a buck (you can shoot 4pt after oct. 31) It was a doe and as soon as I got a bead on her she started to move untill another hunter shot and she then stopped I figured 60yds so I was comfortable. I lobbed the 350 gr cannon ball at the Doe and she was off like a shot... "did I miss?!" I ran up to see if there was any blood... nope... "am I looking in the right spot?" i ran back to were I took my shot and "YUP!" So i want back to were I thought that I shot her... and dad found some blood... Well it looked like someone took a can of red paint and dumped it about 15 feet from the POI. I ran back to the truck to grab my blood tracker "in training". He locked onto the blood and led me right to the deer! The deer ran and droped 62m from were I could see the prints jump.

http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq187/jamesmramor/024-2.jpg

I was really exctited to fill my LEH in 3 1/2 hrs, the fact that Goose blew me away with a real life blood track not just a home made blood track and the performance of my Marlin.

http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq187/jamesmramor/028-2.jpg

Pardon the facial exression:tongue:

Dutchie

[Johnnybear]

Nice story, nice photos, nice deer, and GREAT rifle:D. Thanks for sharing.

[LeverActionJunkie]

Good Work Dutchie. Thanks for sharing with us.

Next year I am gonna do my hunting with open sights too. I started hunting with my 45/70 a few years back because my buddy was harassing me to get a 300WSM because thats the "best all around rifle" even "the newest & best cartridge ever". So I said eff it I'll hunt with the oldest cartridge I have, give myself more of a challenge as well. Each year since we've both tagged out on the same day each year and my "short range" gun hasn't been an issue. So far I've used a 1-4X20mm Leupold on it but I'm gonna set it up with a ghost ring sight and go with irons.

Congratulations on your leh doe.

[todbartell]

nice job on the flat top

Im gonna try to whack a buck this month with my Marlin 1894 in 44 Rem Mag :)

[LeverActionJunkie]

nice job on the flat top

Im gonna try to whack a buck this month with my Marlin 1894 in 44 Rem Mag :)

Wicked I been waitin for that thing to draw blood:)

[dutchie]

This is my first deer period, so it was a bonus that I got to take her with my 45/70 and a bit of a mental challenge with the stock Iron sights... If you have a gun with the "V" style iron sights you would know what I mean!

I sighted the gun in for 50yds so I had to hold over a little, but I had done this at the range many times so I was very confident... untill I saw no blood:eek:

Just curious, what does the average blood trail look like? The only game I have ever shot has dropped within 10-20m in a open area... so I have never had to look. untill this deer.

Like I said, it looked like a piant can was dumped all over the ground every 5 feet. I have a feeling that this is because of rag'ed hole the bullet left... but I am not sure if my 30-06 with Handloaded TTSX would have done the same.

Dutchie

[Steeleco]

Good doing James, now you need to get your Dad his LEH and you'll be set till spring bear again!!

[dutchie]

Good doing James, now you need to get your Dad his LEH and you'll be set till spring bear again!!

Heck Yes! mmmmmm moose

Actually, after he saw the take down power of the "little gun" :shock: he said "that would probably be a good moose rig".... DUHH!

Since the spring bear hunt we have not seen a single moose up there. so We still need to find the damn things.

PS - game bags are on the way! should be ready by tomorrow or the day after :D

Dutchie

PM sent

[BimmerBob]

Just curious, what does the average blood trail look like? The only game I have ever shot has dropped within 10-20m in a open area... so I have never had to look. untill this deer.

Like I said, it looked like a piant can was dumped all over the ground every 5 feet. I have a feeling that this is because of rag'ed hole the bullet left... but I am not sure if my 30-06 with Handloaded TTSX would have done the same.

Dutchie

I have shot more than a few deer over the years and can't say that there is an average blood trail. What you are describing is IMHO a solid lung shot and the "paint can" of blood every 5 feet is the target exhaling with lots of blood from the lungs, they usually don't go far in that condition.

I shot a whitetail in Manitoba last year at about 50 yards with a 50 Cal ML, the deer was knocked over on it's back with all 4 legs kicking in the air, as I exited the blind the deer got up and ran off in the bush. At about 50 foot intervals there were huge blood pools, as the deer crashed to the ground. There were 4 of them and in the last pool the deer was dead. It was a broadside shot through the lungs with what must have been a huge discharge of energy within the deer to knock it over, but that deer was able to right itself and run 250 feet. They are amazing animals, the flight response in them is huge.

Congrats on your first open sight deer, it is a fun way to hunt.

Bob

[d6dan]

Congrats on your first deer Dutchie. Good pics and story.. You sure your not working for Marlin??.:wink:

[stanway]

Congrats on the doe. Good eating. Nice job using the 45/70 & open sights.

[Amphibious]

good story and congrats. I tried for a moose this year with my .450 and irons, no joy though, next year next year.....


was very surprised to read the deer went 62m! I've shot about a dozen head of game with 350gr FN & RL7, not one took a second step.

[Roots]

Cool! It's finally nice to read about someone using their iron sights... Very nice rifle... Great job Dutchie...

[steelheadSABO]

good job i know how you feel i got my doe with a open sighted win 94 30 30 and it was very exciting

[nano]

congrats!!!