How I spent my summer levergun safari part 3

[rjohns94]

The camp was buzzing Friday night with all the success of the levergunners. New friendships were being formed as hunting partners, range buddies or game cleaning help. Each member there was eager to help others. I saw instances of ammo discussions, ammo lending, tech tips on mounting scopes, favorite rifles, loads, shot placement. 86er and Rkrodle were talking with Mike on new loads. Game was in the cooler, some on the hooks being dressed. Talk of trophies and future enjoyment of the harvest went well into the night. Snoaring in the bunk room led me to grab my pillow and blanket and head to the couch at three in the am. Saturday morning came early as Rkrodle headed to the men's room with hat on his head at 6 am for his shower. (just teasing). 86er took a few of us out in the truck to look at the game and we looked over the water buff, the rams, elk, blackbuck, oryx, watussi, longhorns, zebra and mixed goats. I had been watching some rams in the field as the sun came up and I had in my mind how pretty the colors were on that ram as we glassed game. When we came to a flock goats, I spotted a cinnamon colored Catalina that I decided I wanted to take. Along for the ride was UGLY DUCK, loaded with 170 grain power shock federal factory ammo. Joe and I decided to go out after this one particular animal. Several stalks ended the same, no shot as either the herd spooked, or there was no shot on the one I wanted. We followed them eyes and nose as their musk filled the air on this cool damp morning. Eventually, after several stalks and several hundred yards covered, the set-up looked promising and Ugly Duck was brought up in readiness for the shot. We had to wait several moments as other goats were either in the way, or busy spotting us, or a tree covered the vitals of target goat. NOW the sight picture came together and I touched off the shot into the high shoulder of the goat. The shot was perfect, but wait, why did the goat run off with the others. 86er and I started tracking imediately but the blook trail was very faint, or lightly scattered spots, or none. Where could he have gone and how? I know the sight picture was correct. Others were called in and the search was on. After about 40 mins, the Catalina was found. I was told it had been gut shot. I couldn't believe I had done that. I put a second shot into the heart and the goat dropped. Once down, we discovered three holes in the beautiful animal. I had indeed hit where I aimed (right at the spine above the shoulder) but somehow, that shot turned 90 degrees to the left and exited mid animal on the same side it went in. It must have bounced off the shoulder blade and been redirected aft along the ribs till it exited. I just could not believe the poor results of the ammo/shot combo. The shot to the heart was very deadly and I guess I should have gone for that shot in the first place. Anyway, I was very happy to have had the help in locating the animal and in recovering it. The shoulder mount will grace the walls of my office. Each rifle I had brought to the ranch had taken game and performed their job when I had done mine. UGLY DUCK was called on later to help take one more piece of game.

[Tycer]

Pretty interesting when a bullet does the unexpected.

[2ndovc]

Another neat looking animal.

I bet just about all of us have had an animal walk away after you know you put the bullet where it belongs. I'm always amazed how far a creature can go with a bullet through the heart or lungs. It's dead, it just doesn't know it yet.

Nice job again Mike. I would have loved to have been there.

jb

[piller]

Good looking critter.

[Nath]

Odd that bullet turning like that but you got it done and it's a story.
Say, that knife looks like a Bayley knife, is it?

Nath.

[rjohns94]

The knife is Randall #10 - I think its meant to be a saltwater fillet knife, but I use it for my all around fixed blade. It did a number on skinning many of the animals posted here.

[Ysabel Kid]

Mike -

You don't look too happy in that picture. What gives? After a week like you had, it would take 80-grit sandpaper to wipe the smile off my face!!!

[rjohns94]

think it was the sun in my face and I was mad about the performance of the first shot, happy and grateful for the recovery of the goat. I am thrilled with the weekends hunt. Already planning on going back for a trophy black buck.

[Ysabel Kid]

think it was the sun in my face and I was mad about the performance of the first shot, happy and grateful for the recovery of the goat. I am thrilled with the weekends hunt. Already planning on going back for a trophy black buck.

Makes sense!

[AndyM]

great pictures and story - thanks for sharing them with us...

[pharmseller]

Mike,
From your bullet performance report it sounds as if the bullet didn't penetrate into the chest cavity at all. What was the distance of the shot? Do you think the wound would have been survivable?
I have a bunch of the Federal 170 grain loads myself. Makes me wonder.

Quinn

[rjohns94]

The wound was survivable if the animal, in the heat, could deal with it. The shot had to have gone off the shoulder blade, angled 90 degrees to the left and exited midway out the same side. The shot was at about 30 yards. There was very little blood. I am completely not happy with the performance of the ammo. The goat goes about 175 pounds maybe, and the shoulder should have been destroyed. The second shot, though the lungs/heart passed through and ended the animals life quickly. When the goat was found after the first shot, it was standing under some trees. Its possible that it would have died, though it would have been a miserable death. I am glad we found it. I am still trying to figure out how the shoulder blade interfered with the shot. I shot over the shoulder for the spine. Inspecting the wound with my finger, the wound channel, when the animal was lieing on the ground, was above the scapula. I could feel the scaplula under my finger. My thoughts are that the animal, when standing on all fours, "sinks" a bit and the top of the scapula would cover the entry wound. I'm not sure that is true. The Goat was not skinned out by me because it was going to be mounted so I just did not get a chance to verify the exact path of the wound channel. If I were to do it again, I would go for the spine again, but further back. If you look at the anatomy of a goat, showing the skeleton, you would see that the scapula angles down and away from the spine as you go further aft on the animal. I knew I was shooting above the shoulder and close to the scapula, but the shot should have 1) missed it completely or 2) penetrated it and exploding the lungs and spine. I think I am going to shift to Grizzly ammo in 170 grains. I am sure, based on the results of the other animals and the use of the kodiak bullet, that the shoulder would have been destroyed with that ammo. I won't be using the 170 grain Federal for that shot again. In fact, I have already placed an order for new ammo. I used the Federal ammo on the blackbuck later that day and the shot was from dead astern of the blackbuck doe. The shot penetrated high in the right ham, about 2 inches right of a texas heart shot, breaking hip, spine and exited same side lung, ribs. That was the type of performance I was expecting on the shot earlier in the day. The shot at the blackbuck was at 60 yards with Ugly Duck. I still don't know why the difference in performance. The second shot on the goat, and the shot on the blackbuck were excellent in perfomance. The first, just plain poor. I think the Grissly ammo will be better then the Federal.

[Griff]

Again, Congradulations on a fine report and excellent trophy. Good info on the bullet's performance also. Glad to hear you tracked it down and finished 'im off.