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I was recently invited by a buddy to take part in a trophy/population control hunt near Sonora, Texas, for free range Axis and Whitetail. 5 of us harvested 25 animals in 5 days. I was also allowed to harvest a nice Blackbuck. My little brother found a dandy Axis buck too.
I was hunting with my 6.5 Grendel AR15 that I had just equipped with a Sightmark Wraith Day/Nightvision digital optic. I have to say it took a little getting used to. Kind of like watching a TV, or playing a video game, but overall I was impressed with it. The HD recordings are very good quality. The 6.5 Grendel performed very well too. No animal required a second shot. None traveled more than 50 yards after the shot. Ammo was handloads with 123 gr Hornady SST bullets at 2550 fps.
Bill in Oregon wrote: ↑Thu Feb 10, 2022 11:47 am
Ted, I am envious of all these hunts you Texans get to enjoy. You sure put that bullet where it needed to be on the doe.
I have to go down there from Missouri. I'm lucky that a friend of mine here has a buddy that owns some good Texas real estate and invites us down occasionally.
Congratulations and enjoyed the video very much! I'd like to hunt the Axis deer, i think they're the prettiest deer of them all, kinda like a small elk and love them being vocalist! Not familiar with the Blackbuck.
I considered a CZ 527 in 6.5 Grendel a long time, very versatile round, and I'm a CZ fan already!
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life"
"Better drawdown Alvin!"
"If you gotta shoot, shoot don't talk"
Conservative since day one and until the last!
Ted,
Pretty neato........I'm glad you took the way of a true sportsman with clean kills.
I am totally ignorant to these deer...are they considered pests? ....or invasive?
How about the antlers.....as in density......while elk antlers make fine looking grips, to me they are hollow and somewhat cheesy which is why most of us prefer Sambar stag.....my favorite is elephant ivory but are reserved for showing off......
Good shooting bro......that's quite a "scope" you have ......-----006
Sixgun wrote: ↑Thu Feb 10, 2022 2:21 pm
I am totally ignorant to these deer...are they considered pests? ....or invasive?
The Axis deer are Native to India, and were brought to the Texas hill country in the early 30's as a game species. They have flourished in that rugged territory. Apparently able to thrive on cactus and rocks, because that's about all that's out there, besides little sparse grasses. They do compete with whitetails in that regard. The high fence operations have big herds, but the Ranch we hunt is just low cattle and goat fences, and the deer can come and go as they please.
Texas considers them Exotics so you can shoot them anytime of the year, day or night. I killed a buck in velvet just like my brothers here 4 years ago and had it mounted, so I can't say about the antlers. Never had any to cut into.
Cool Ted!
It would be great to be able to deer hunt anytime. No can do in my neck of the woods.
IMO, the Grendel is the best of the AR alternative hunting cartridges. I have a buddy who's niece shot a moose with one at 150 yards. I don't know as I'd of tried that, but it's impressive none the least!
"Oh bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round.
They are thick as whitetails down where we hunted them. If I lived down there I'd shoot them year round. I much prefer them over whitetail. They taste more like beef to me. Far less "gamey" than whitetail venison.
TedH wrote: ↑Thu Feb 10, 2022 3:36 pm
They are thick as whitetails down where we hunted them. If I lived down there I'd shoot them year round. I much prefer them over whitetail. They taste more like beef to me. Far less "gamey" than whitetail venison.
Sounds tasty!
Although, I must confess......I freakin LOVE deer meat. Have no problem with the "gameiness".
"Oh bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round.
Drawdown wrote: ↑Thu Feb 10, 2022 2:06 pm
Congratulations and enjoyed the video very much! I'd like to hunt the Axis deer, i think they're the prettiest deer of them all, kinda like a small elk and love them being vocalist! Not familiar with the Blackbuck.
I considered a CZ 527 in 6.5 Grendel a long time, very versatile round, and I'm a CZ fan already!
cz a dang nice gun! i have a cz75bd pcr in .9mm
Rossi 92 .357 lever , and a cz pcr 9mm
Henry .22 lever, Remington speedmaster 552 .22 lr
Marlin Glenfield .22 boltaction
gforce 12ga semi
Taylor's Tactical 1911 A1 FS in .45acp
winchester 1873 44.40
Marlin 336W .30.30
beeman sportsman rs2 dual caliber pellet rifle
henry .22 magnum pumpaction/octagon barrel
stag 5.56 m4 with reddot
Ummm.....
No hunting pic is complete without the gun in the photo as well!!!!!!
I have an AR in 6.5 Grendel and use it for my hog/coyote rifle. Near 100% 1-shot stops. Great little round.
That AR has a winter trigger guard and ambi safety so I can use it left-handed if I need to.
I also have a Howa mini action in 6.5 Grendel. Practically no recoil and it's a tack driver just like the AR is.
I bought a barrelled action (heavy barrel contour) and dropped it in a Boyd laminated stock.
I have yet to reload for the Grendel even though I have all the components. I will have it If I want to shoot bigger game since all my factory ammo is A-Max or SST.
"Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure that there is one less scoundrel in the world." - Thomas Carlyle
A few years ago, I was at a Dallas Safari Club show. I happened to walk by a booth where Craig Boddington was signing copies of his book. He and Bill Alexander were telling each other about hunting with the 6.5 Grendel. I stopped and listened. Lots of fun. I have not yet got one, but it is still a possibility. Sure, it is not a super fast or ultra long range performer, but it seems to do well for a wide variety of uses.
D. Brian Casady
Quid Llatine Dictum Sit, Altum Viditur.
Advanced is being able to do the basics while your leg is on fire---Bill Jeans
Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up---Robert Frost
vancelw wrote: ↑Thu Feb 10, 2022 9:13 pm
Ummm.....
No hunting pic is complete without the gun in the photo as well!!!!!!
I have yet to reload for the Grendel even though I have all the components. I will have it If I want to shoot bigger game since all my factory ammo is A-Max or SST.
Haha, don't have a deer pic with the rifle, but here's one by itself.
I have used Hornady Black and SST ammo, and multiple different bullets in handloads. I had a hard time producing ammo better than the Hornady stuff. The SST load I'm shooting now is just slightly more accurate and 40 fps faster than its factory loaded counterpart.
Those SST bullets are devastating on game. Check out that entrance hole. Looks like you cut it with a big hole saw.
Last edited by TedH on Fri Feb 11, 2022 9:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
I don't currently have an upper on my AR, but have had them in 6.5 Grendel, .458 SOCOM and .300 Blackout. Saw a guy shooting one in .300 Ham'r the other day and was impressed. Bill Wilson designed this cartridge for Texas hogs and medium game. Also being tempted by the 6mm ARC.
Ted, I forgot to mention how much I admire the blackbuck. Would sure love to hunt them one day.
Thanks for sharing. I love that country and some of my fondest memories were of hunting out there.
I'm a big fan of the .300 blackout, but I don't shoot it much in an AR. Rather, I have a Ruger Ranch Rifle that is a tack driver and it is about as light as a .22. Great for walking around out in that country.
Ted I used to hunt Sonora years ago, a big lease (10 sections) just across the I 10 from the Caverns. Used to see javelinas regularly back then in the 70s and 80s. Did you see any javelinas around Sonora?