I was asked to post some pictures for a forum member - the444shooter . . . so, here they are.

I'm sure he will want to add some commentary.

My questions would be: what caliber/rifle/load/distance/etc for the Mulies and the Antelope. Please provide specifics.

Lars,
Thank you once again, for posting thes pics...I think I almost have the online picture thing figured out.

As for specifics...
Antelope: After a very frustrating day of hunting in some of the coldest/hardest wind I have yet to encounter while hunting, we found this buck and he took off immediately. You cannot tell from the picture, but we are on the top of a hill, from which he ran up. Took me 3 shots @200yds to figure out proper lead, and hit him with the 4th through the paunch He decided he could no longer run after that hit, and stopped near the top of the hill where he had actually closed some of the distance between us, and my last shot through his boiler room @ 175yds dropped him like a rock. Rifle: Ruger M77 30'06, Bullet: 150gr Federal Hi Shok factory load. Bullet performance was very satisfactory, complete exits on both hits, however, the off-shoulder was very mangled and a lot of meat had to be thrown away.

Mule Deer,
After a trying season, where I passed up MANY smaller bucks, I began to get very discouraged...it seemed like everyone else was seeing/shooting deer, but not me. I saw this guy in the evening, on the very last day...just walked right out in front of me chasing a doe (about 125yds away). I popped him in the back and he dropped on the spot. (I don't usually prefer back shots, but it was a very quick shot opportunity) It was a very ironic cocnlusion to a season, after hiking all over god's green earth looking for a decent buck, this one just stepped out in front of me as soon as I shut off the truck and got ready to hike some more. They're where you find 'em I guess Rifle: .338 Ultra Mag Bullet: 210gr Nosler Partition at a MV of 3200fps...bullet performance was predictable to say the least. The entrance wound was quite a bit larger than the exit wound because the frontal section of the bullet literally exploded, while the rear core continued down, underneath the ribs and out the other side. The sheer impact force and bullet fragmentation made A LOT of bloodshot meat, and so I can kiss the majority of the backstraps goodbye . Had it been in the shoulder, the entire shoulder would have been inedible. I will opt for the neck from now on with the closer shots, and not have to worry about wasting meat. I have pictures of the entrance/exit wounds if anyone is interested.

Kid w/ Shotgun:
That is my little brother, Matt...he just joined the ranks of us hunters. He was not able to deer/elk hunt this year, because he didn't turn 12 until, get this, THE DAY AFTER hunting season closed. So, waterfowl is the only thing he will hunt this year. He just got his first duck last weekend, and I'm so proud of him. Gun pictured, Winchester 1100? 1200? anyways, it's a Winchester 20ga. I can't wait to go home this weekend and take him hunting.

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God Bless and Shoot Straight

Hey tripple 4,

tell your little bro. not to feel too bad, NYS won't let him hunt big game until he's 16.

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When in doubt, do a nuclear strike.

the444shooter:

Great pics, all around.

So . . . with your handle being the444shooter, what do you use the 444 (I presume you have one)for?

Lars,
Yes, I have a Marlin 444SS, got it for christmas 3 yrs ago. I use it (loaded with 300gr Speer UCSP @2200fps, or 330gr LFNGC Beartooth bullets also @ 2200fps) for elk in thick timber. I used it this year to bag one of my mulie does, put a fist sized hole through her, entrance and exit (with the 300gr Speer) at about 100yds. I'm glad I aimed at the neck, otherwise there would've been a lot of wasted meat on the shoulders. Sadly, I have yet to shoot at an elk with it, and I don't know if I ever will, as I will soon (this summer) be getting a .458 Win Mag, and I will want to carry that with me while elk hunting...Oh yeah, I didn't mention that I elk hunt in grizzly territory, and thus the need/want for the big bores. Plus, I want that elk down as soon as I pull the trigger, and I figure bigger bore=faster knock down with good shot placement. Maybe I'm wrong, but heck, it's also just an excuse to get another gun .

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God Bless and Shoot Straight