I'm running very late and get to my spot about 11:30 AM.
Its thick and nasty, lots of saplings, but it's great cover. The trail to a watering hole is to my front and right, about 30 yards away.
After setting up on the ground, sitting quiet and still for about 45 min, I see movement at about 30 yards forward and left. I release the safety and raise the gun.
I watch as 3 deer, one after another, come angling past me. I'm able to make out one at a time thru the trees, all does. The first 2 look biggish, the last is smaller (pass on her).
As the first one gets to a clear shooting lane I can't find her in the scope. Even set down to 3X it's hard to locate her. She's 20 yards and sees me move, she locks on to me.
I freeze for an eternal 5 secs.
Finally she breaks eye contact and walks past the shot window.
I get scoped in on the spot and #2 comes into view. Perfect!
She stops and looks my way... crosshairs on shoulder, I pull the trigger on my 308, with a 150 gr Winchester Deer Season XP.
CLICK!
Yep, misfire.
I look down and imediately guess what's happened. Do I wait 10 secs? 20 secs? 30 secs?
I will admit that I only did a fast (adrenaline boosted) count of 5!
Run the bolt to load a new round and as I'm finding the scope eye piece, I get an off eye glimpse of the deer looking directly at me.
What fantastic luck! She stayed put.
I find her shoulder and squeeze the trigger, BOOM!!!
Flop! No step, no leap, no nothing, just straight back, flopped over.
In the excitement, I notice 2 deer bolting further ahead of this one?!?
I watch and after a few seconds I see hooves kicking at the sky, just briefly. Then all is quiet again.
I'm so excited, this is the first deer with my rifle. A Mossberg Patriot 308. This is my 4th harvest in 6 years of hunting. This one looked like a hefty doe!
I force myself to recall advice from other seasoned hunters, as I am not.
1. Chamber another round.
2. Wait 15 min. (Even though its just 20 yrds away and clearly dead). You never know for sure.
3. Quiet and still. The other deer may circle back. Or Mr Buck may still be on their trail.
*** Cut to the chase ***
Ok, what happened is while I hastily chambered a round after the misfire, the deer in my sights #2, had moved on and #3 stepped into place, the small one. Which turned out to be a button buck. A wee bit small.
Don't get me wrong, I'm totally grateful for the harvest. Just not the one I wanted.
By the way, the XP is a good bullet (aside from one misfire). Pinky finger entrance hole, two index finger size exit, thru both scapula bones. I hit a little high/forward and missed all vitals, but possibly hit spine.
But I do wonder if other hunters in the same spot could/would wait the full 30 secs before ejecting a misfire?
Its thick and nasty, lots of saplings, but it's great cover. The trail to a watering hole is to my front and right, about 30 yards away.
After setting up on the ground, sitting quiet and still for about 45 min, I see movement at about 30 yards forward and left. I release the safety and raise the gun.
I watch as 3 deer, one after another, come angling past me. I'm able to make out one at a time thru the trees, all does. The first 2 look biggish, the last is smaller (pass on her).
As the first one gets to a clear shooting lane I can't find her in the scope. Even set down to 3X it's hard to locate her. She's 20 yards and sees me move, she locks on to me.
I freeze for an eternal 5 secs.
Finally she breaks eye contact and walks past the shot window.
I get scoped in on the spot and #2 comes into view. Perfect!
She stops and looks my way... crosshairs on shoulder, I pull the trigger on my 308, with a 150 gr Winchester Deer Season XP.
CLICK!
Yep, misfire.
I look down and imediately guess what's happened. Do I wait 10 secs? 20 secs? 30 secs?
I will admit that I only did a fast (adrenaline boosted) count of 5!
Run the bolt to load a new round and as I'm finding the scope eye piece, I get an off eye glimpse of the deer looking directly at me.
What fantastic luck! She stayed put.
I find her shoulder and squeeze the trigger, BOOM!!!
Flop! No step, no leap, no nothing, just straight back, flopped over.
In the excitement, I notice 2 deer bolting further ahead of this one?!?
I watch and after a few seconds I see hooves kicking at the sky, just briefly. Then all is quiet again.
I'm so excited, this is the first deer with my rifle. A Mossberg Patriot 308. This is my 4th harvest in 6 years of hunting. This one looked like a hefty doe!
I force myself to recall advice from other seasoned hunters, as I am not.
1. Chamber another round.
2. Wait 15 min. (Even though its just 20 yrds away and clearly dead). You never know for sure.
3. Quiet and still. The other deer may circle back. Or Mr Buck may still be on their trail.
*** Cut to the chase ***
Ok, what happened is while I hastily chambered a round after the misfire, the deer in my sights #2, had moved on and #3 stepped into place, the small one. Which turned out to be a button buck. A wee bit small.
Don't get me wrong, I'm totally grateful for the harvest. Just not the one I wanted.
By the way, the XP is a good bullet (aside from one misfire). Pinky finger entrance hole, two index finger size exit, thru both scapula bones. I hit a little high/forward and missed all vitals, but possibly hit spine.
But I do wonder if other hunters in the same spot could/would wait the full 30 secs before ejecting a misfire?
