10 Pointer with 480 Ruger
- Ranch Dog
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9399
- Joined: 23 Jan 2012 07:44
- Location: Inez, TX
- Has thanked: 1838 times
- Been thanked: 2281 times
10 Pointer with 480 Ruger
Well after 36 days of hunting (have missed 5 days), I finally killed a buck with the R92 chambered in 480 Ruger.
Right before sunrise a doe passed within a few yards of me, coming from behind, down a rise from some thick brush up higher. She was moving out in mesquite flat. Within a few seconds, I heard a grunt behind me so did not move. This buck passed within a few yards of me as well. I let it get a little further out before I brought the rifle up. I was a bit worried about it moving out of sight as he was moving quick. He probably heard me as he stopped and spun around which was a pretty good break for me as I was going to need to turn him. I shot him through both lungs, just above the heart, at 50 yards. He bolted, ran 30 yards, and stopped. He stood still for about 2 seconds a flopped over. He was dead at the shot.
Right before sunrise a doe passed within a few yards of me, coming from behind, down a rise from some thick brush up higher. She was moving out in mesquite flat. Within a few seconds, I heard a grunt behind me so did not move. This buck passed within a few yards of me as well. I let it get a little further out before I brought the rifle up. I was a bit worried about it moving out of sight as he was moving quick. He probably heard me as he stopped and spun around which was a pretty good break for me as I was going to need to turn him. I shot him through both lungs, just above the heart, at 50 yards. He bolted, ran 30 yards, and stopped. He stood still for about 2 seconds a flopped over. He was dead at the shot.
Michael
- Trailboss
- Founding Member
- Posts: 147
- Joined: 29 Jun 2012 08:42
- Location: WA
- Has thanked: 4 times
- Been thanked: 21 times
Re: 10 Pointer with 480 Ruger
Congrats RD. Nice deer and good shooting. Nice to hear also about the 480's performance. Being that it's less well known, it's great to get the report from actual use. Interesting that the deer ran a bit after being shot and then stopped. I've seldom seen this with high pressure cartridges but I've witnessed it a number of times with large bore, lower pressure shots. It would seem the animal is less spooked into an Adrenalin run with lower pressure. Also good to hear about the penetration.
Congrats again.
Ken
Congrats again.
Ken
Aim small, miss small.
- pricedo
- 2000 Shots
- Posts: 2509
- Joined: 31 Jan 2012 10:36
- Location: Dual Citizen (United States & Canada)
- Has thanked: 56 times
- Been thanked: 234 times
Re: 10 Pointer with 480 Ruger
Congrats on the nice buck RD.
Makes for a pretty impressive range report on the 480.
Makes for a pretty impressive range report on the 480.
LIFE MEMBER - NRA & GOA
- Ranch Dog
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9399
- Joined: 23 Jan 2012 07:44
- Location: Inez, TX
- Has thanked: 1838 times
- Been thanked: 2281 times
- Steelbanger
- Founding Member
- Posts: 239
- Joined: 04 Feb 2012 13:31
- Location: Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
- Has thanked: 43 times
- Been thanked: 71 times
Re: 10 Pointer with 480 Ruger
Phewww RD, I was getting worried for you. That looks like a very nice buck you shot with the 480. My congratulations to you for your perseverance and resolve.
While you were hunting this morning I was helping Mike move some of his garage stuff to his new place. That was only round one for the move and I don't know it this is going to be a 10 or 15 rounder or longer. Next week the movers are coming and will complete the move in that one day. He wishes he could relocate all "his" deer because they are going to miss his food plot.
How much do you think a buck with that great rack weighs in Texas? I have seen some really heavy deer in PA but we haven't weighed any since the 1970's, first was a nice 10 pt that weighed 140 and a 4 point that was 141 lbs. The largest whitetails I ever saw were in New Brunswick and they were huge!
While you were hunting this morning I was helping Mike move some of his garage stuff to his new place. That was only round one for the move and I don't know it this is going to be a 10 or 15 rounder or longer. Next week the movers are coming and will complete the move in that one day. He wishes he could relocate all "his" deer because they are going to miss his food plot.
How much do you think a buck with that great rack weighs in Texas? I have seen some really heavy deer in PA but we haven't weighed any since the 1970's, first was a nice 10 pt that weighed 140 and a 4 point that was 141 lbs. The largest whitetails I ever saw were in New Brunswick and they were huge!
Steelbanger, NRA Life
Annual Member PRPA
Marlin - a hard habit to break.
Annual Member PRPA
Marlin - a hard habit to break.
- Ranch Dog
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9399
- Joined: 23 Jan 2012 07:44
- Location: Inez, TX
- Has thanked: 1838 times
- Been thanked: 2281 times
Re: 10 Pointer with 480 Ruger
Is there every a simple answer from Ranch Dog?Steelbanger wrote:How much do you think a buck with that great rack weighs in Texas?
We take all the statistics here because I am a managed land. You ready for this, he only weighed 108# on the hoof and 82# field dressed! Thirty days ago he would have weighed about 130# and sixty days ago he would have weighed 155#. He has been living life on the hoof for two months, taking very little time to eat or sleep. The weights recorded today fit right into the statistical data recorded for our ranch; at the end of the third rut period a mature buck deer has lost 33% to 35% of his weight. During the second rut period in November, they are down approximately 15%. Also remember that I live in a desert and desert critter have less body mass so they can face the heat of the summer.
We are in our third cycle of the rut and these deer are really beat down at this point. Another day or two and I would not have seen this deer till late next summer. About 90% of the available does are bred in the middle period in November with an even 5% early and 5% late on a 28 day cycle. They are very consistent from year to year. What varies is whether you see the activity due to environmental and climatic activity. Mother Nature times these events as to what will happen 200 days after the peak cycle period (November), our Spring rains have fallen and there is great weed and flower cover to protect the fawns. Those born out of the first and last rut cycle have difficulties finding optimum cover for survival during their first three weeks on the ground. Here are our rut dates, these are established via fetus measurements taken from every doe we harvest.
Michael
- akuser47
- Founding Member
- Posts: 5070
- Joined: 12 Feb 2012 11:43
- Location: ohio
- Has thanked: 1266 times
- Been thanked: 482 times
- Ranch Dog
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9399
- Joined: 23 Jan 2012 07:44
- Location: Inez, TX
- Has thanked: 1838 times
- Been thanked: 2281 times
Re: 10 Pointer with 480 Ruger
I should have added that buck mortality is very high from this point through the next two months. Just general health and coyotes. As soon as I get home from my nilgai hunt on Christmas Eve, we will start coyote hunting in earnest to keep them on their feet.
Michael
- Quinc
- Founding Member
- Posts: 143
- Joined: 11 Jun 2012 21:50
- Location: CA
- Has thanked: 10 times
- Been thanked: 6 times
Re: 10 Pointer with 480 Ruger
Congrats! That's awesome!
"Everyone has a plan tell they get punched in the face." -Mike Tyson