S Texas Whitetail Bucks

pgtr · January 25, 2018, 11:05 PM

Starting couple years ago, was offered access to a hunting ranch in South Texas so for the 2016-17 season I made the trek down after I worked up a load... (can see my other threads if interested)

This was the first buck I'd gotten. Used a 1955 Remington 722A .244 (6mm Rem) and a load I'd been developing: 90 grain Speer Hot Cor. This is virtually identical or as close as one can get to the original factory ammo offered in 1955: #1244 Remington 244 Hi-Speed 90 grain pointed soft point.

After 5 or 6 days.... A nice 8 point buck appeared one afternoon thru the brush. At first just saw the antlers and then bits of the head - had to wait for a clean broad shot but it came... Shot was just under 90 yards in late afternoon. Aimed above/behind shoulder and that's where the bullet went (RH side - not shown) and did not exit. It was a lung shot - he ran about 50 feet back into the cactus and mesquite before dropping. It was easy to track due to presumed lung shot to a small clearing and luckily after tagging, field dressing, I found a slightly less thorny route to drag him out of the mess of spines and thorns! At least the only snakes I've ever seen there are Blue Indigos. After dressing - came out to be about 105 lbs. We've certainly appreciated the meat.

pgtr · January 25, 2018, 11:23 PM

...so for the 2017/18 season went back to the same ranch and same location last fall. Only this time a pair of identical 8 point bucks showed up on the very first day. The grass was so tall had a heckuva time waiting for a visually clear shot. Used the same 90 grain Speer Hot Cor. This time he anchored right on the spot. No dragging thru the cactus this time. But field dressing was a tad tedious because a family member showed up from his location to 'give advise'. 'Nuff said about that.

Again it was just under a 90 yard shot and it was again an 8 pointer. After dressing - came out to be right at 100 lbs.

...and the 90 grain bullets I've loaded for deer hunting...

...and the rifle itself (more info here if interested)

Scorch · January 25, 2018, 11:59 PM

Good job!

They don't make those bucks very big in Texas, do they?

jersurf101 · January 26, 2018, 07:26 AM

Very nice. I find it rewarding to take a nice buck with carefully worked up handloads. Congrats!

rodwhaincamo · January 26, 2018, 08:15 AM

@Scorch: You should see the size of our Hill Country deer! Like medium sized dogs with long legs and sometimes just weigh about what his field dressed to.

zipspyder · January 26, 2018, 09:37 AM

Awesome buck good for you! That shot looks a little high though. Was that due to the brush?

Sure Shot Mc Gee · January 26, 2018, 10:34 AM

Know that's how its done. "spot on Brown is down!!"
Got'a love those little 6mm flat shooting bullets. Animal shot (wound) a bit high is to be expected when shooting from a elevated deer stand. Congrats.

A additional complement : Bullets made? Nice job done on em. Who's powder did you scale measure?

Art Eatman · January 26, 2018, 12:37 PM

Nice young bucks.

zipspyder · January 26, 2018, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Animal shot (wound) a bit high is to be expected when shooting from a elevated deer stand.

Not if you know how to practice and shoot from an elevated stand. But I think the higher shot was intended...see below.

Quote:

The grass was so tall had a heckuva time waiting for a visually clear shot.

The OP answered my question in his second post.

smee78 · January 26, 2018, 07:53 PM

Wow, congrats on the excellent hunts. Looks like you got some good meat. Congrats on building up some good loads, it just feels good to put in the work to develop a good load and to make clean humane kills. Congrats.

Whistlebritches · January 28, 2018, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scorch

Good job!

They don't make those bucks very big in Texas, do they?

I don't nor have I ever hunted South Texas.............up here in the panhandle most bucks I have killed are twice that size.I have several that field dressed 180plus and a couple over 2 bills.Not all Texas deer are created equal.

Tallest · January 30, 2018, 08:35 AM

Beautiful Rifle! And I like the purist approach to the hunt, making it about the era of the rifle. It kind of goes to show that, as much as technology has increased, the older generations made some pretty effective stuff!

My Father in law has an older (not as old as 1955! more like late 70s, I think) Rem Model 7 in 6mm Rem. This kind makes me want to research some older loads for it. It kind of puts newer, faster stuff all over the place. It shoots Remington corelokts in pretty snug 1" groups, but they've gotten harder and harder to find. Anyway... sorry for the rabbit trail.

Whistlebritches · January 30, 2018, 09:04 PM

BTW nice deer and one schweeeeeeeeeet rifle.Congrats on both

gw44 · February 1, 2018, 07:51 PM

I like your gun, I had a 722 n 300sav it was a great gun, that deer you hunted down is nice too !!!

January 25, 2018, 11:23 PM	#2
pgtr Junior Member Join Date: September 27, 2016 Posts: 12	...so for the 2017/18 season went back to the same ranch and same location last fall. Only this time a pair of identical 8 point bucks showed up on the very first day. The grass was so tall had a heckuva time waiting for a visually clear shot. Used the same 90 grain Speer Hot Cor. This time he anchored right on the spot. No dragging thru the cactus this time. But field dressing was a tad tedious because a family member showed up from his location to 'give advise'. 'Nuff said about that. Again it was just under a 90 yard shot and it was again an 8 pointer. After dressing - came out to be right at 100 lbs. ...and the 90 grain bullets I've loaded for deer hunting... ...and the rifle itself (more info here if interested) Last edited by pgtr; January 26, 2018 at 07:13 PM.

January 25, 2018, 11:59 PM	#3
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	Good job! They don't make those bucks very big in Texas, do they? __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

January 26, 2018, 10:34 AM	#7
Sure Shot Mc Gee Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,876	Know that's how its done. "spot on Brown is down!!" Got'a love those little 6mm flat shooting bullets. Animal shot (wound) a bit high is to be expected when shooting from a elevated deer stand. Congrats. A additional complement : Bullets made? Nice job done on em. Who's powder did you scale measure? Last edited by Sure Shot Mc Gee; January 26, 2018 at 10:49 AM.

January 26, 2018, 07:53 PM	#10
smee78 Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2008 Location: South Carolina Posts: 2,918	Wow, congrats on the excellent hunts. Looks like you got some good meat. Congrats on building up some good loads, it just feels good to put in the work to develop a good load and to make clean humane kills. Congrats. __________________ We know exactly where one cow with Mad-cow-disease is located, among the millions and millions of cows in America, but we haven't got a clue where thousands of illegal immigrants and terrorists are

January 25, 2018, 11:05 PM	#1
pgtr Junior Member Join Date: September 27, 2016 Posts: 12	S Texas Whitetail Bucks Starting couple years ago, was offered access to a hunting ranch in South Texas so for the 2016-17 season I made the trek down after I worked up a load... (can see my other threads if interested) This was the first buck I'd gotten. Used a 1955 Remington 722A .244 (6mm Rem) and a load I'd been developing: 90 grain Speer Hot Cor. This is virtually identical or as close as one can get to the original factory ammo offered in 1955: #1244 Remington 244 Hi-Speed 90 grain pointed soft point. After 5 or 6 days.... A nice 8 point buck appeared one afternoon thru the brush. At first just saw the antlers and then bits of the head - had to wait for a clean broad shot but it came... Shot was just under 90 yards in late afternoon. Aimed above/behind shoulder and that's where the bullet went (RH side - not shown) and did not exit. It was a lung shot - he ran about 50 feet back into the cactus and mesquite before dropping. It was easy to track due to presumed lung shot to a small clearing and luckily after tagging, field dressing, I found a slightly less thorny route to drag him out of the mess of spines and thorns! At least the only snakes I've ever seen there are Blue Indigos. After dressing - came out to be about 105 lbs. We've certainly appreciated the meat.

January 26, 2018, 07:26 AM	#4
jersurf101 Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2013 Location: Eastern NC Posts: 553	Very nice. I find it rewarding to take a nice buck with carefully worked up handloads. Congrats!

January 26, 2018, 08:15 AM	#5
rodwhaincamo Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 1,246	@Scorch: You should see the size of our Hill Country deer! Like medium sized dogs with long legs and sometimes just weigh about what his field dressed to.

January 26, 2018, 09:37 AM	#6
zipspyder Junior member Join Date: June 13, 2017 Posts: 429	Awesome buck good for you! That shot looks a little high though. Was that due to the brush?

January 26, 2018, 12:37 PM	#8
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Nice young bucks.

January 30, 2018, 08:35 AM	#12
Tallest Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2016 Location: West of the Atlantic Posts: 418	Beautiful Rifle! And I like the purist approach to the hunt, making it about the era of the rifle. It kind of goes to show that, as much as technology has increased, the older generations made some pretty effective stuff! My Father in law has an older (not as old as 1955! more like late 70s, I think) Rem Model 7 in 6mm Rem. This kind makes me want to research some older loads for it. It kind of puts newer, faster stuff all over the place. It shoots Remington corelokts in pretty snug 1" groups, but they've gotten harder and harder to find. Anyway... sorry for the rabbit trail. __________________ Matthew "All men are ignorant. The topics of our ignorance may vary, but the nature of the world is that no man may know everything." ~ R Jordan

January 30, 2018, 09:04 PM	#13
Whistlebritches Senior Member Join Date: December 18, 2017 Location: Northwest Texas Posts: 107	BTW nice deer and one schweeeeeeeeeet rifle.Congrats on both

February 1, 2018, 07:51 PM	#14
gw44 Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2015 Location: Michigan Posts: 311	I like your gun, I had a 722 n 300sav it was a great gun, that deer you hunted down is nice too !!!