I did it! It has taken me a couple of years, but I finally did it. Much like Mic68 in this thread, http://www.lonestarboars.com/threads/ar-hog-goal.2025/#post-28389 , I have been trying for an animal with every hunting caliber firearm I have and now its done.
Two years ago my Dad gave me his contender pistol with a 375 JDJ and a 35 Remington barrel. He said he got to take one buck with it in the time he had it. He ended up giving it to me because the recoil is too hard on his hands now and I'm the only son of 3 that reloads. The 375 JDJ is a reloading only cartridge because the brass is formed from 444 marlin brass. It took me a while to get comfortable shooting it and to feel confident in my ability to cleanly take game with it. It is a 14" bull barrel, single shot pistol and weighs a good amount for a pistol.
This morning I went and watched a field that had a few tracks in it and I wasn't really expecting to see many deer if any at all. I was ready to take a doe and my hopes weren't high. The property I was on has not produced many deer the past couple of years, but it is the only place I have to shoot deer in Texas. I got to my spot about 0615 and was done with the hunt by 0705. This guy came in to about 60 yards and I let him have a 220 grain hornady flatnose softpoint at 2000 fps. He didn't go far after that because the exit wound was about the size of a silver dollar. He is not a record breaking buck by any means and is barely over a 13" inside spread (legal buck in my county), but he is a trophy to me because the pistol I used to take him is the same one my Dad used. Thanks Dad!
Two years ago my Dad gave me his contender pistol with a 375 JDJ and a 35 Remington barrel. He said he got to take one buck with it in the time he had it. He ended up giving it to me because the recoil is too hard on his hands now and I'm the only son of 3 that reloads. The 375 JDJ is a reloading only cartridge because the brass is formed from 444 marlin brass. It took me a while to get comfortable shooting it and to feel confident in my ability to cleanly take game with it. It is a 14" bull barrel, single shot pistol and weighs a good amount for a pistol.
This morning I went and watched a field that had a few tracks in it and I wasn't really expecting to see many deer if any at all. I was ready to take a doe and my hopes weren't high. The property I was on has not produced many deer the past couple of years, but it is the only place I have to shoot deer in Texas. I got to my spot about 0615 and was done with the hunt by 0705. This guy came in to about 60 yards and I let him have a 220 grain hornady flatnose softpoint at 2000 fps. He didn't go far after that because the exit wound was about the size of a silver dollar. He is not a record breaking buck by any means and is barely over a 13" inside spread (legal buck in my county), but he is a trophy to me because the pistol I used to take him is the same one my Dad used. Thanks Dad!
