My bitter sweet 2018 deer hunting trip

[Whole Bunches]

Sweet, cause I met my goal of 3 larger Georgia deer. Bitter, cause my brother is selling his Georgia property and moving to Utah.

Being as it's probably my last Georgia hunting trip, I asked if I could try for 3 deer to really stock up on deer meat. Sure, with my only restriction being not to shoot any bucks with 4 pts or less. Brother has a friend who's never deer hunted coming, and he figured seeing something 4 or less pts may be easier on the newbie who will be hunting.

First 3 days were Georgia buck only. Watched lots of does, a spike, a cow horn, and a 3 point. Enjoyed watching does fight. 8 point crossed the field trailing a doe at 98yd. He wouldn't hold still, so he got a double lung shot with Barnes 110gr black tip and my Ruger SR556 takedown with Blackout conversion bbl. I wanted to do a high shoulder shot for a DRT, but I'm not good enough for that on a moving deer. Went about 40yd and dropped...my typical experience. Waited a half hour and then went into the woods and spotted him with a thermal unit.

Can never make up my mind on which rifle to carry, so I take 3-4 Blackouts, lay them on the spare bed, and take a different one each trip to the stand and fields. When it was my RARR's turn, I saw a 7 point crossing the field. He stopped at 140yd with his head into the woods obscured by tree limbs, slightly quartering away. Couldn't see the shoulder to try for a high should shot, so I aimed behind the shoulder. I knew he was hit, as he stumbled, but didn't fall. Waited 30 minutes and went looking. Didn't find him with my thermal, but spotted him in a depression. Went about 40yd again. Bullet went through left side and ended up just under the hide in the right shoulder. Barnes 110gr black tip lost 2 of its petals. Normally, the Barnes are not recovered.

3rd deer was a big doe, as big as the bucks. As the risk of being booed, I'll admit I took a 6.5 Grendel I'd never hunted with. 123gr Hornady SST hand load. She was holding still, right side broadside at 118yd. Trying for a high shoulder shot, the bullet shattered the lower part of the scapula, but instead of going straight through to the other side and shocking the spine, it made about a 130 degree turn downward, passing just above the heart, and exiting near the bottom of the rib cage to the left of center. She ran about 60yd in the direction she was facing into the woods, made a 90 degree right turn and ran about 30yd back towards me and crashed. I waited 30 minutes and walked towards where I'd heard the crash and spotted her with the thermal. In retrospect, had I hit higher the bullet would have went through a thinner part of the scapula, perhaps not turned, and went near the spine as intended. Meat damage by the Grendel was about an inch larger in diameter than what the Blackout normally does.

I think the Barnes may be termed "barrier blind" meaning they try and go straight through vs changing direction, but I'm not positive on that. All I know is that they go pretty straight in hogs and deer.

All hunting is done suppressed. Can sometimes hear the bullet hit and sometimes the deer crash out of sight if the leaves are dry.

On a positive side, telling my neighbor of my success and no longer hunting in Georgia, he gave me permission to deer hunt his property just 2 miles from where I live. I did not ask...he just gave permission out of the blue! It'll take some work to set up for next year there, but at least I won't have to buy an out of state hunting license nor have an 8 hour drive to and from (and driving by Atlanta to get there).

[blaster]

sounds like a good hunt to me! its always a bummer losing hunting land. hopefully you will find something.
how fast does the 6.5 push the 125 gr. SST?

[Whole Bunches]

sounds like a good hunt to me! its always a bummer losing hunting land. hopefully you will find something.
how fast does the 6.5 push the 125 gr. SST?

2420 fps at 4’ from the chronograph.