Deer with 356 Winchester...

[86er]

I borrowed a Win 94 Big Bore in 356 Win caliber last year. I picked a light load of 200 grain Hornady FTX bullet @ 2100 fps. The Leupold scope that came on the rifle was sighted in with just 3 shot. A 3 shot group at 100 yards then made a clover-leaf. 2 more shots into the same tight group. I got lucky, this load out of this rifle shoots honest 1" groups. First load Ricky picked out of the data. I sighted in and went hunting. Last Christmas eve I shot a coyote with it. Last week I took it out to check the sighting. Still 1.5" high at 100 yds and a clover-leaf 3 shot group. I got in the deer blind around 4:20 PM. At 5:15 I caught movement to my right and a forkhorn buck came into the oat patch. I thought to myself "great deer for Kourtney" (my god-daughters sister). A few minutes later a deer jumped the 5-strand barbed wire and ran 100 yards towards me. This buck had a fork on one side and a curly spike on the other. I thought to myself "good buck for Justin, my youngest son who will hunt out of this stand next week. As a panned the oats I noticed two small does had showed up seemingly out of nowhere. They were half the size of the two bucks that were out in the same field so I said "Nah". At 5:25 a bigger deer appeared under a large tree to my right. That deer walked past the two does and was nearly twice their size. It then circled the bucks and was clearly bigger than both of them in height and weight. The deer found a spot out in the oats around 130 yards from me. I studied the deer quite a bit before being certain it was a big, old doe. That was just the kind of deer I was looking for as I still have two people counting on me for a deer to eat. I put the crosshairs in the crease of her shoulder and squeezed gently. The mild report made it possible to see dirt fly up while still looking through the scope. The deer did not seem to have any reaction other than to run at a casual pace towards the near barbed wire. She then cleared the 5 ft strand by at least a foot and I lost sight of her in the heavy brush on the other side. I thought I might have missed and could not figure out the lack of reaction. The other deer scattered further out in the field but were still present so I comtemplated shooting one of them. After a few minutes I could not think of a reason I would have missed. Rifle recently confirmed sighted in. Same ammo. Rifle travelled in heavily padded case placed carefully in the truck. Was not bumped while carrying. Shot was steady and trigger broke crisp. I just had to look. I did not see any sign near where the deer was standing and there was no blood in the dirt or oats up to the fence. Perplexed, I looked on the other side of the fence and did not see any sign. As I turned to go back to the blind a single white hair dangling from the top wire caught me attention. I went to it and studied the ground where there were tracks in line with that hair. A spot of blood! I crawled under the fence and began to crawl on hands and knees. A spot here, a spot there. 35 yards later the deer lay dead. There was no hole showing on the side where she was hit. I pulled her back to the fence and then crossed and pulled her under. When I turned her over I was shocked to see a gaping hole of 2" in height and nearly 2.5" across where the bullet had exited. This deer went about 30 yards at a casual run, tail up. Cleared a 5 ft fence in a single bound and proceeded another 35 yards through thick underbrush after taking this shot! I walked back to get my gun case out of the blind and as I stepped out of the blind I saw a big buck staring over the fence. He'll make a nice one for somebody else. My friend and I cleaned the deer carefully and saw that neither lung was in a big enough remaining piece to really identify. The bullet did not hit any bones or ribs. The tenacity is amazing. Our spring scale said she weighed 126 pounds live weight. After field dressing and cutting off 4 legs at the knees, the butcher shop digital scale said 88 pounds remained. This is a big doe for around here. She has distinct grey hair on the bridge of her nose and back of both ears. She was also bone dry. I gave thanks for her. She's perfect.

[FWiedner]

Good for you, Joe.

[TedH]

With an exit that size, you would think there would have been more blood sign. Every deer is different, you just never know. Great harvest Joe.

[pwl44m]

Good on You for looking for Her and congrats on Dinner for a while. I love success stories.
Perry

[ollogger]

Ive had similar things happen, yep you have to double check
most Deer you shot like that would have been DRT


ollogger

[Griff]

I think it's that poly tip. I've had similar experience with Nosler 140gr BTs out of my 7mmRM. Almost no hole going in, but a fair-sized one on exit. And, if it don't hit bone or heart with the exit hole lower... the chest cavity fills with the blood and leaves almost no trail at the outset.

Good on ya for followin' up! Congrats.

[1894c]

86er -- nice report...really like reading your posts...i shot a Buck once with a .44mag (Marlin 1894) that jumped straight up and then disappeared...gone...no blood trail, nothing...when my buddy came to help me look he found the deer just 15yds downhill from where i hit him, he was piled up behind a big rock...

[peter richards]

You can't beat a Big Bore, the .356 Winchester is a very underrated round. I just got mine back on the road, it had a worn cartridge stop causing a under carrier jam, and it sat in pieces on my bench for the last 18 months.
I will take it with me on our family Deer camp over Christmas and try it out on a Chital, or Axis deer.
Good report mate, looking forward to getting out there with you again next April.

[BenT]

Meat in the freezer! That is never fun sitting there pondering wether you missed the shot. The 356W has had the most drop on the spot shots than any other levergun caliber I shoot. I haven't tried the FTX bullets but it sounds like it did it's job.

[Pete44ru]

.

FWIW, over the years, I've owned/shot/hunted with every Winchester Model 1894/94 chambering except the .25-35, and IMHO the .356 is by far the best all-around chambering it was ever issued in.

I luv it, when a plan comes together..........



.

[C. Cash]

Excellent Joe! Congrats on that fine doe with, dare I say it, a classic cartridge.

[Marlin32]

I still want a 356 either in a Marlin or a winchester. Would rather have 24" barrel, so may do a conversion. Still studying on it,
180gr Speer flat point has some good data, over 2600fps,
and of course the 220gr speer.

My only hang up is, those about the only two bullets for it. (FTX and some other 200gr)
Hawk makes some which might be good for deer also. No experience with them.

I think Kodiak bullet in 250gr out there, but no data.

My choices are kind of back full circle, 356, a 348 DC, or neck up a Marlin 338ME to 348 or 358. OR just buy a savage 99 in 358. Price for all comes out about the same.

[KirkD]

Enjoyed the post and photos.