Last day of deer season here today. Bucks and does both legal. I was easing over a ridge with my B/C and spotted what I thought was a 4 or 6 point buck standing with a large doe. Range was about 80 yards. I was loaded with Remington greenbox 405's. Sights are from Skinner.
I lined up everything just right, using a tree for support. At the shot, the buck dropped. Oh boy, I thought, venison! I walked to where he had fallen. To my dismay, he'd been shot about a week ago high on the left front leg. The wound and festered and blackened. Hair was absent around the wound which was about the size of a softball. Bones were sticking out. Needless to say I didn't keep the carcass. Some would, but I'm sure the infection was in his blood.
A sad thing, and I'm glad I was there to stop his misery. If there's a bright side, that was my first shot ever with a 45/70 at a deer. It seems they go nowhere at all when that big bullet stomps 'em. It turns out that the buck would have been a six pointer, but one side was broken, maybe by another bullet. Gun season in VA is a free-for-all, and down right scary at times. People go absolutely nuts to get a shot at a deer. I would say the SOB that made such a sloppy shot on the buck and crippled him, simply got something brown in the crosshairs and yanked the trigger.
I meant this to be about the B/C; got carried away. The thing about a B/C is, the long sight radius and superb accuracy begs for peep sights. The set that comes on it from the factory ain't worth a hoot. When I first got it, I replaced the rear with a target knob Williams, and set the front one up with Schafer inserts. That provided terrific groups at the range on a black and white targets, but in the woods, those black inserts shaded by the hood of the front sight, made for an unclear sight picture. So, I bought a set of Skinner sights, the front one being a brass post, not shaded by a hood, and very easy to see in the woods. The rear one of course is a perfect hunting sight. Aiming into the sun, away from the sun, against light or dark backgrounds, I can see those Skinner sights, and it was a thrill to line them up on that buck, until I found his previous injury.
Earlier in the day, a spike came by at about 40 yards. The early sun lit him up and the sight picture was "picture perfect." I let him pass, but I have nothing but praise for that long B/C barrel and good peep sights. For as far as the 45/70 is effective, good peeps are all you need.
