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Feeling sick............ #5461172 12/06/14 05:10 PM
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sprigsss Offline OP
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Just bought my 9 year old a 7mm-08 earlier this season and we've been trying to get him a deer. Deer movement during the day has been almost non-existent.

So as we are sitting in the stand this morning looking at the full moon I asked him if he wanted to try rattling. He always asks me to "use the horns to call one in."

So we setup on the south side of a dry creek bed with the wind in our face. Creek is super thick with sunflowers. Found one little clearing about 20 yards wide that I set him up on, and then I was watching down the creek to the east.

I rattled and kicked brush for about 5 minutes when I suddenly a deer comes busting through the sunflowers and stops 15 yards away right behind a big tree. Lance tries moving his gun over but I tell him to keep it on clearing in case he steps out. Deer watches us for about 5 minutes and then slowly turns and walks right out to where we needed him to go. 15 yards away, maybe 20 max and he stops broadside looking right at us. It takes my son about 30 seconds to get the crosshairs on "the lungs", pulls the trigger and click.

Deer still standing there, but he knows something is up. Son ejects the cartridge and starts asking me whats wrong. I'm trying to remain still hoping he will just slowly walk away and I can look at his gun. He takes off running. I pick up my gun and fire two shots. He stops 100 yards out. So I reach for Lance's gun to get him in position for a shot and then he trots off.

Really wish I wouldn't have shot now. Have never shot at a running deer, but I thought I had a good aim on him at 40-50 yards with the 30/30. But kicking myself now.

Son is super excited and I want to cry for him. This was by far the biggest deer I've seen out there while hunting. Have a couple that are bigger on camera, but this was the biggest one I've seen live.

Any chances of rattling in that deer again? What would you do the rest of the weekend? Go back to the stand that is 300 yards away? Or setup again where we saw him?

Re: Feeling sick............ [Re: sprigsss] #5461205 12/06/14 05:41 PM
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From my experience if he is a mature buck you probably missed your chance, it would be hard to rattle him up again. However if he wasn't to spooked he will stay in the area and perhaps will sneak around trying to see what was going on. I've seen this many times with a story just like this and the hunter or another hunter get the same buck in the next several days in the same location. I would suggest getting right back out there and post up and wait him out quietly. Wouldn't that make a happy ending to the story. Either way it will be a treasure and memory you and your son will never forget. Good luck, post up the outcome.

Re: Feeling sick............ [Re: sprigsss] #5461369 12/06/14 08:10 PM
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Did you hit him with your two shots?


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Re: Feeling sick............ [Re: sprigsss] #5461419 12/06/14 08:43 PM
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Good luck.


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Re: Feeling sick............ [Re: txtrophy85] #5461430 12/06/14 08:48 PM
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Originally Posted By: txtrophy85
Did you hit him with your two shots?


I'm confused. Never had a misfire with a centerfire rifle. No blood? confused2

Re: Feeling sick............ [Re: sprigsss] #5461498 12/06/14 09:35 PM
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What happened with your sins rifle? Spent casing still in the chamber or bad round or what? IF a misfire, was the primer dimpled from the firing pin?

I hate to hear that but it is going to happen. At least he got to see a big one, hopefully that will keep him excited enough to want to try again. Just make it a positive experience saying how cool it was that you got him so close.


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Re: Feeling sick............ [Re: sprigsss] #5461595 12/06/14 10:52 PM
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sprigsss Offline OP
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Pretty sure I missed. I shouldn't have shot. If I had a rest probably would have hit. Free handed at running deer even though he was 40-50 yards was just bad idea. Picked him up in scope quick and thought I had good aim but got caught in the moment with my son telling me to shoot him.

After second shot he ran a little further and actually stopped about 100 yards away by two trees. He stared at us for 30 seconds or so. Was trying to get my son In position with sticks and new round in as he trotted off to north.

Even though I was fairly certain I missed we looked for blood for an hour.


My son had cartridge loaded in weapon. He ejected it and handed it to me. No indention on the cartridge. So not a bad round.

I don't chamber a round til we get in the stand so guessing I just didn't close it all the way trying tk be quiet. But I still don't understand for the life of me how I would be able to rotate bolt down if it wasn't closed all the way.

Don't know if he bumped bolt and slightly opened it or what.

What I do know is I'm extremely proud of him. We spend our life telling our kids it's not whether you win or lose or if you kill or don't kill what's important is that we had fun. I apologized to him all day feeling like I didn't close bolt all the way. He keeps saying, "it's okay dad. It doesn't matter if you kill anything as long as you have fun and that was awesome."

I've been down all evening and he is still super excited just to have had that encounter. Sometimes we can learn from our kids.

Just no doubt another opportunity like that isn't likely to happen.

Last edited by sprigsss; 12/06/14 10:56 PM.
Re: Feeling sick............ [Re: sprigsss] #5461637 12/06/14 11:19 PM
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No more feeling sick - as you say, your kid is buzzing on the whole experience just as it was - its one for the memory books and will make his successful hunt all the sweeter!


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Re: Feeling sick............ [Re: sprigsss] #5462101 12/07/14 04:49 AM
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It happens. Glad your boy is like mine and lives for time in the woods. Keep at it.

Re: Feeling sick............ [Re: sprigsss] #5462161 12/07/14 05:47 AM
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Sounds like your son still had fun rattling up a nice buck so I wouldn't feel to bad. You'll have other opportunities.

I would go fire that gun though and make sure it's not an equipment issue.


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Re: Feeling sick............ [Re: sprigsss] #5462197 12/07/14 06:54 AM
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Sorry it didn't work out for ya'll. What kind of gun is it?


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Re: Feeling sick............ [Re: sprigsss] #5462205 12/07/14 08:02 AM
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Last year I had my nephew in the stand with me when a gorgeous buck comes walking out. I sat him in the good chair, gave him my rifle, and told him to let me know when he was aiming where he needed to. Unfortunately, my nephew's a small kid for his age, and just wasn't having much luck trying to wrestle a 12 pound AR10 with a fixed stock. Buck walks off before he got comfortable, and I was devastated.

He went home and told his dad what an awesome time he had, how huge that buck was, and how he couldn't wait to get back out there and see it again.

Point is, don't worry about your boy, I bet he had the time of his life. He's at an age where the game is more important than the score, don't rush him through it too quickly.

Oh, and my nephew got his own (youth) rifle for Christmas last year, purchased by his dad the Monday after our experience. laugh

Re: Feeling sick............ [Re: sprigsss] #5462259 12/07/14 01:07 PM
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It is a Savage Axis youth rifle in 7 mm 08.

Went to range immediately after finishing hunt. Had no issues at range. Even fired the cartridge that was loaded when he pulled the trigger on the deer.

I'm guess it just wasn't closed all the way.

Re: Feeling sick............ [Re: sprigsss] #5462357 12/07/14 02:35 PM
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Originally Posted By: sprigsss
It is a Savage Axis youth rifle in 7 mm 08.

Went to range immediately after finishing hunt. Had no issues at range. Even fired the cartridge that was loaded when he pulled the trigger on the deer.

I'm guess it just wasn't closed all the way.


sprigsss, I think there may still be something wrong with it. There are gunsmiths on this forum, hopefully one of them will read and give an opinion. I don't think there should ever be a condition where a bolt action gun can go "click" without a force to the firing pin.

Mine is an unqualified opinion though, you might want check with a gunsmith or call Savage and ask them directly. I'd be forever suspect of this gun until I knew for sure.

* I used the word "click" to describe a trigger being intentionally actioned and releasing the internal hammer as to strike the firing pin.


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Re: Feeling sick............ [Re: sprigsss] #5464423 12/08/14 06:09 AM
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I'm a gunsmith but I don't know a lot about the Axis(not much info on them yet). I'm guessing the bolt is very similar to the 110 and, if so, there's just not much that can go wrong as far as the firing pin not making contact. You may want to pull the firing pin and see if there's a burr or machining chip in the bolt body that could block the firing pin travel intermittently. It's possible that the bolt wasn't completely closed, but that generally won't stop one from firing unless it's way out of battery.


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Re: Feeling sick............ [Re: sprigsss] #5465151 12/08/14 06:42 PM
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Sorry it didn't work out for yal. I don't think you have too much to worry about with the deer. It sounds like if he stopped and looked around he probably wasn't hit or really that freaked out. He only came to horns because they are all jacked up with the rut, fighting and ladies on his mind. He will slip up again.


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