40-70- 1 deer -0

[Don McDowell]

We'll let Bill tell the story , here's the picture.
   

[rdnck]

Sorry about the cell phone picture, but... Anyway, I got the opportunity to hunt a friend's ranch in central Texas in mid Nov. The rut had just ended, and this 10 point was cruising with an 8 point looking for a late estrus doe. This is not the prettiest or the biggest white tail I have taken, but he is the Real Deal. He had been fighting, and his 10 point rack had two tines broken off the left side and one off the right. I caught him with a high shoulder shot at 130 yards on the rangefinder, and the 385 grain round nosed paper patched bullet put him straight down, right now. I had never taken an animal with a 40 caliber rifle prior to this, and I have got to say that I have never heard a bullet make as loud of a "whack" when it hit, and have never had one go down quicker.

The 40-70SS delivered, big time, and gave a complete pass through. This got me to thinking, as the load chronographs 1295 fps, and the same paper patched bullet out of my 40-65 goes 1285. We may be overlooking a really good hunting round in the 40-65. I plan to try this 40 caliber paper patch bullet again on hogs, as it hits really hard and is both accurate and fun to shoot with minimal recoil in both the 40-70SS and the 40-65. Shoot straight, rdnck.

[Don McDowell]

That's a nice deer, and the fact that he was your first 40 cal animal and shot on a friends place, puts him that much further up the trophy class.
Memories.

[Old Jim]

Thanks for sharing, Bill.

Well done,


Jim

[Rowdy Rick]

The 40-70SS delivered, big time, and gave a complete pass through. This got me to thinking, as the load chronographs 1295 fps, and the same paper patched bullet out of my 40-65 goes 1285. We may be overlooking a really good hunting round in the 40-65. I plan to try this 40 caliber paper patch bullet again on hogs, as it hits really hard and is both accurate and fun to shoot with minimal recoil in both the 40-70SS and the 40-65. Shoot straight, rdnck.

Bill, good job and nice deer! One of my clients used a 40-70ss GG on buffs and it was a one shot pass through the heart. Also as you know from our discussions I have used the 40-65 - 350 gr PP on a buffalo and 2 deer to date, all one shot pass throughs. In my old age and health it is quickly becoming my favorite "hunting" gun. Have never chronographed it so thanks for posting yours.

Let us know how they work on the hogs, I would be very interested.

Rick

[Kurt]

There is nothing wrong with a light .40 caliber bullet. I have a Lyman .40 caliber mould that drops about a 240 gr but it's a little small around .406 diameter but it shoot good out to a little over 100 yards and it holds 6" at 200 yards and I know it will drop a whitetail with a pass through from a head on quartering shot. It would make a fine bullet for the old .40 Maynard. I been looking at the Accurate 41-260-C or the 41-260-B. I think either one of those two would make a fine hunting bullet.

[rdnck]

Thanks, guys. I am a bit fascinated with the 40 caliber approach at this point. I have been pleasantly surprised at how well my Pedersoli 40-65 shoots the 385 grain round nosed bullet that I used in the 40-70SS to take this deer, and how hard the 40-65 smacks my 150 yard steel practice ram. I am definitely going to look at this some more on hogs in the next couple of months, and will keep everyone posted.

[Stephen Borud]

Great going Bill, and nice shot. It never gets old killing animals with these black powder guns. Some do a better job then others, looks like the 40 proved itself.

Stephen

[rdnck]

Thanks for the flowers, Stephen. I agree. Hunting with these old guns is where it's at. I try to practice and keep my eyes trained. I shoot at my steel animal silhouettes with barrel sights two or three times a week, usually about 18 to 20 rounds a session. I like to practice on the longer shots because it makes the closer ones like this deer seem easy. Be that as it may, with the Lawerence ladder sight and a laser rangefinder, a 300 yard shot on an elk is no more difficult than this 130 yard shot on a white tail. If you set the sight correctly, the rifle is indifferent to the distance and the relative size of the sight picture is the same. Shoot straight, rdnck.

[Ironramrod]

Rdnck, That's a nice deer, and he certainly is a good size animal. And nicely done w/ your .40 cal. on top of that. I recently introduced a shooter to my .40/65, and he really liked what he saw in shooting it with hunting specifically in mind. In fact he liked it so well that he sent me an email indicating he just ordered a Shiloh #3 in .40/65.

Regards
IR