Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I climbed into my stand before daylight this morning and about 9:30 I saw two deer pop up over a hill and immediately disappeared into the thick brush. I kept watching for them but to no avail. About 11:00 I looked to my left and saw deer legs walking, way back as far as I could see in a patch of pines. I got my Handi ready and about 10 minutes later I saw a deer head peaking out of the pines about 100 yards away. I crancked the Burris 1.5-4 all the way up and shouldered the rifle. The deer was at a very small opening and I knew that if he stepped out it would be a quick shot. After about a minute of holding the rifle and waiting he fnally stepped out and exposed his shoulder and my home cast Lee 440 Gas checked bullet was on it's way. The buck instantly dropped at the shot and started kicking, I looked down to quickly reload and when I looked back up he was gone, remember there was just a very small opening where I could see him. I got down out of my stand and slowly walked toward the location where the deer was hit. When I was almost to the spot, I heard him down the hill to my left about 20 yards. I quickly got in position and gave him one more to finish it. The first shot hit high breaking his spine, not good for the backstraps, the finishing shot hit right beside the first shot and came out it's lower part of the neck. I'm not to pleased with my shot but at least he's hanging and cooling out.
This is the first deer I have ever taken with a cast bullet and these are the first bullets I have ever cast. The bullets did their job very nicely but the shooter didn't put the first shot where it should have been.
