The "tough decision" buck and my MGM 7-30 Waters

[sweetwyominghome]

 

 

I’ve been watching a particular buck here in south central Texas for some time now and had been hoping I’d get a chance to put my tag on him during the season. As older bucks tend to do, he had disappeared for several weeks before I finally got a glimpse of him late Friday. There was no opportunity for a shot, however.

Saturday morning, he was back – but he was with another buck and doing some serious sparring.

The other buck was limping badly and getting soundly beaten by the buck I earlier dubbed Big Boy. I didn’t think he’d be able to take much more of this treatment– or if so, that coyotes would bring him down before he ever has a chance to recover. I’ll admit running my crosshairs over Big Boy’s vitals before I made the decision to spend my tag and take out the injured buck. Other than either a spike or buck with an unbranched antler, I am done for the season, but I feel it was the right – and humane – thing to do.

In retrospect, the decision wasn't all that tough...

Once again, my 24” MGM 7-30 Waters and the 140 grain Combined Technology Ballistic Silvertip performed flawlessly. The buck was taken at 166 yards through the edge of the front shoulder. The bullet nipped the top of the heart and wrecked its plumbing while also doing a number on the lungs. It broke through the center of the opposite-side shoulder and lodged under the skin on the far side. The buck simply whirled and dropped at impact.

My “help” this morning – our twin boys who just turned 8 – temporarily misplaced the recovered bullet, but I’ll eventually retrieve it and post a photo of the textbook performance. But if it weren’t for their eager and able-bodied help and that of my wife, this morning would never have been possible as some health issues severely limit my mobility, so for their part in this, I am both blessed and thankful.


Bobby
The most important thing in life is not what we do but how and why we do it. - Nana Mouskouri

[pastorp]

Bobby,

Good for you, & the help. The important thing is to never give up. 

Regards,

[hoghunting]

 Tough break, but the right choice. Nice job. I use a 14" Contender in 7-30 Waters, and I agree, they are deadly.

[Camp Cook]

Very nice and if this wasn't the big boy he must be an awesome buck.

[chevy]

Nice!

[one eye joe]

As always, great pictures along with a well written narrative. Bobby, you should write for a magazine! Your write ups are always top notch.
 
Big boy better watch out next year. You might not be so charitable. Glad you were able to get out. I bet your boys will be willing to help you whenever they get the chance. Keep writing up your stories, as they are always enjoyed.

[SHOOTALL]

good deer , great story !
I shoot a 7X30 in a mod 94 with 24 inch bbl. the 7X30 is about perfect for deer IMHO.

[muslmutt]

Nice. What is your powder and charge wight?
Thanks.
Matt
 

[Camp Cook]

Up here in Canada I have never come across a Contender carbine in 7-30 Waters before that is until today this isn't really saying much because all Contender's/G2's are rare up here.
 
I talked to a guy that has one in s/s with a 21" factory tapered barrel in a Rynite stock that maybe willing to sell it to me at least he says I have first dibs if he does.
 
The more I read about the 7-30 Waters cartridge the more good things I am hearing about them for deer.
 
Even he that cannot be mentioned here on Greybeards says it is an excellent cartridge that does not need to be improved upon.
 
CC

[sweetwyominghome]

Matt-
 
The load data is on the photo, but here it is also:
 
36 grains W748
FC 1F nickel-plated brass
Fed 210 primers
C-T 140 grain Ballistic Silvertip
 
Hornady lists this same charge with their 139 grain bullet @ 2600 fps from a 24" lever rifle. For me, it clocked 2603 fps @ 15' from the custom 24" MGM barrel. 

[sweetwyominghome]

CC-
 
If you do get that barrel, you'll love the caliber. I've never been able to warm up to the 21" tapered barrels, though. I am certain it is just a personal thing, but I have never seemed to shoot them as well as untapered/heavier barrels. 
 
Of course, as nice as the Waters is in a rifle-length barrel, it won't offer anything that your .30 caliber barrel by an unnamed maker can't do. But it sure is nice to try out something new...

[Camp Cook]

And I totally prefer the lighter factory tapered barrels the longer bull barrels balance is not for me I really do not like the handling of them = I just sold my 23" bull 204 Ruger barrel due to disliking the weight so much.
 
and the 7-30 Waters barrel is actually a complete Contender carbine that I connected with = if I can pull it off I will have 4 identical s/s gen 1 frames and the 1 new s/s G2 frame and 11 carbine barrels.
 
I have been dreaming of organizing a Contender deer/black bear hunting trip with friends and family everyone has to hunt with a Contender carbine or they can't hunt... 
 
Here in British Columbia it is extremely rare to find another Contender so this could be the first hunt of its kind.
 
Once again that is a very nice buck I have never shot a whitetail that nice.
 
I have to ask where did you get the stocks for your Contender I am looking for a black/gray laminate butt stock for my new G2 frame it came with the black plastic stocks?

[sweetwyominghome]

The buttstock is from highplainsgunstocks.com
 
The forend is from Dave Dolin, who posts as Dave D here and on SP. He is an incredible stock maker. I told him what I had and wanted to know if he could make something that would go with the buttstock. Without ever seeing the stock in person, that is what he came up with. I LOVE that forend. The HP forend was fine, but the one by  Dave fits me perfectly and is heavier than normal, also something I prefer. He can make them any way you like and is very reasonable, too -- and really not much more than a factory forend.
 
Here is another setup by High Plains. THis one is called Pegasus Thumbhole. I have one on a 30-30 AI and also on a 7mm Bullberry. For me, they handle exceptionally well. I will mention, though, that a member here on GBO recently had a bad experience with the customer service of HP. I have dealt with him 5 times, and all have been perfect, but since this was recent, I thought it warrants mentioning.
 

 
 

 
 

[Silvertp]

Sweet Wyoming...

Nice story, shows how a mature hunter makes decisions in the field.  You took a nice buck and left an even better one to spread his seed one more year.  Sounds like a win-win to me.

As always, great pic's.

Silvertp

[sweetwyominghome]

Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it. On another board, I had someone e-mail and ask why I was not smiling in the photos. His exact words: "I'd have been grinning like a 'possum."
 
He was wondering if I was not happy with that buck. Looking back at my expressions in the photos, I can see why he would ask that. So I'll explain: My health is failing, and my mobility is very poor. To get to kneeling like that took an act of congress -- well, "real" help and not the Congress kind ha ha -- and was quite painful, as was getting back up.
 
I am positively thrilled with the beautiful buck, even though my expression may not have shown as much. 

[Keith L]

+1 on Dave's stock making.  He just made a beautiful set for one of my Contender pistols, and I couldn't be happier.  And he is truly a gentleman to deal with.