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Day of firsts
#7337860
11/05/18 04:36 AM
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Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 4
SwampThing
OP
Green Horn
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OP
Green Horn
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 4 |
First post, first deer, first question.
Got my first deer today. He's on the porch in the cooler now. I took him from about a hundred yards with a Mossberg Patriot in .308, and it did a number to him.
Is this rifle and caliber overkill for the size of whitetails in central Texas?
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7337875
11/05/18 05:26 AM
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Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 18,560
Roll-Tide
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 18,560 |
First off, welcome. Secondly congratulations. Third, 308 is a fine round.
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7337881
11/05/18 06:22 AM
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Joined: May 2015
Posts: 4,136
Dalee7892
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 4,136 |
What's over kill? You shoot he goes down, no question. Welcome to THF.
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7337899
11/05/18 09:50 AM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,846
Greg Z
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,846 |
I assume this is a dammage question. Your caliber is fine. Where did you hit him, what direction was he facing and what type of bullet did you use.
Greg Ziemer Sewell Lexus 214-597-6006 Life's short... Enjoy the ride!
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7337984
11/05/18 01:07 PM
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Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 2,877
sbushee
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 2,877 |
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: Greg Z]
#7338053
11/05/18 02:09 PM
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 15,612
QuitShootinYoungBucks
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 15,612 |
I assume this is a dammage question. Your caliber is fine. Where did you hit him, what direction was he facing and what type of bullet did you use. This. I shot a doe today with the 178gr ELDX at less than 100 yards. Lung shot, pencil entrance, $.50 piece exit. She never moved and nothing was damaged except organs.
https://web.archive.org/web/20170223065011/http:/www.rrdvegas.com/silencer-cleaning.html
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7338102
11/05/18 02:36 PM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 43
wesbradshaw
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 43 |
Nothing wrong with a 308 unless you want to use this as a excuse to buy another rifle
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7338108
11/05/18 02:40 PM
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 336
Brian C.
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 336 |
Welcome, Congrats, only one f you can't hit with it!
God Bless Texas!!! Godspeed our Military!
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7338157
11/05/18 03:18 PM
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 277
Vindicator
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 277 |
Welcome to the forum sir. I prefer a .270 but a .308 is a fine round.
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7338166
11/05/18 03:23 PM
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 820
Red Pill
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 820 |
Ditto to all. Welcome, congratulations, and not overkill. I use 180 grain bullets in 30-06. Does the job and doesn't tear up too much ic I shoot well. If I don't shoot well, most anything will tear up the meat.
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7338194
11/05/18 03:46 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296 |
Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7338467
11/05/18 07:03 PM
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 230
nick_adams
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 230 |
Congratulations and welcome!
.308 is a perfect choice, a great do-it-all round!
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7338572
11/05/18 08:05 PM
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Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 834
D Rogers
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 834 |
Welcome and congrats!
The .308 alone won't cut it. You're gonna need a 30-06, 30-30, .260, 6mm Rem, 25-06, .243, 45-70 govt, 6.5-284 the list goes on and on
~Dustin
"Life's complicated, man, like a dang ol' Rubik's cube, man. Talkin' 'bout blue and red, man. Dang ol' get one side, dang ol' messed up th' other side, man."
-Boomhauer
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7338585
11/05/18 08:12 PM
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Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 3,091
Always ready 2 hunt
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 3,091 |
308 is a fine round. Everyone has their favorite. I like to hunt with all types 30-30, 30.60, 308, 6.5CM compound bow, cross-bow, muzzleloader. Just depends on the season and hunt location set up for that outing.
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7338757
11/05/18 10:11 PM
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 386
Las Colinas Hunter
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 386 |
308 is my go to round hunt with it 80% of the time. But I’ll hunt with 7-08 for close in places less than 100 yard shots or 7mm RUM for longer distance hunting, greater than 500 yards (usually break this out for out of state hunting). Congrats on the first deer. As other have said, shot placement is the most important vs caliber. I’ve heard of hunters taking down wt humanely with 223.
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7340421
11/07/18 03:05 AM
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Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 4
SwampThing
OP
Green Horn
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OP
Green Horn
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 4 |
Thanks for the welcomes, folks. I'm using 150 grain Remington core-lokt. The entrance and exit holes were about quarter sized, through the ribs behind the heart. The only thing I was uneasy with was these spots around the wounds where the meat was pretty busted up and bloody. They were each about six or so inches across.
He was pretty much perfectly broadside to me, standing still, looking my way. Missing his heart was my fault. Just picked up this rifle last Monday.
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7340457
11/07/18 03:42 AM
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Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 72
NRAman
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 72 |
The blood spreading laterally around the wound site is common, and it can travel quite a ways under the shoulder area- it fills in between the muscles and any place it can migrate. It will congeal after it cools. You can generally scrape that away as you butcher and discard without any impact to the meat, although there may be some actual "blood shot" meat (meat with blood tight within the muscle fibers around the wound area) that may need to be discarded. What you describe is normal. No worries.
MikeA NRA Life Member University Of Dallas & TWU Dad
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7340458
11/07/18 03:43 AM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 9,061
Espy
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 9,061 |
A 308 works well for hogs and deer.
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7340516
11/07/18 04:44 AM
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Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 4
SwampThing
OP
Green Horn
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OP
Green Horn
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 4 |
The consensus says I'm using the right caliber. Thanks for that. I know my rifle isn't the best. I decided Monday I wanted to get out on opening weekend and my tight budget steered me to a Mossberg Patriot. I'm taking it to the range every day to dial in my cold barrel zero.
I was talking to my dad last night about the antler restrictions and daily limit and he laughed. Georgia's been no limit, either sex, for most of my life, and there's a ten a day bag limit. Might have to make a trip back home once I get better.
Thanks everyone. Good times in the kitchen getting this buck in the freezer.
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7340541
11/07/18 06:09 AM
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 9,835
unclebubba
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 9,835 |
308 is a perfectly acceptable rifle for Texas deer...or deer in just about any state...and nothing wrong with a Mossberg Patriot either. If it will put the bullet where you are aiming, it does it's job.
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7340554
11/07/18 08:28 AM
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Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 15
littletownTX
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 15 |
.308 is probably one of the better all around cartridges to hunt deer with. Mine is a bit of over kill (.338 win mag) but is an old gun that's harvested many deer before me love toting it around just full of memories.
"From a place you will not see, Comes a sound you will not hear." -Nicholas Irving
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7340584
11/07/18 11:55 AM
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 43,768
Stub
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 43,768 |
and congratulations
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Re: Day of firsts
[Re: SwampThing]
#7340645
11/07/18 01:14 PM
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 29,010
Western
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 29,010 |
And ditto what the fellas are saying. Probably more deer have been taken with modest budget rifles over the years vs those that pay for glamour, if she holds zero and you are good with it, you have all you need for most hunts in Texas or about anywhere else. Big congrats on your 1st Texas deer as well
If at first you dont succeed, then skydiving is not for you..
"Don't trust everything you read on the Internet"- Abraham Lincoln Dennis
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