....80 Amax .... SUCKS for DROPPING Deer....HELP

An STW is a lot of whallop on a pronghorn. My buck just as fast last year with a 100 grain speer btsp from the 25-06.

I did see a shot on at a mule deer at about the 2:30 mark that I would not take. Not sure what the range was, but looked to be running almost straight away. Just not a shot I would take on a big game animal.
 

Originally Posted By: YellowhammerAn STW is a lot of whallop on a pronghorn. My buck just as fast last year with a 100 grain speer btsp from the 25-06.

I did see a shot on at a mule deer at about the 2:30 mark that I would not take. Not sure what the range was, but looked to be running almost straight away. Just not a shot I would take on a big game animal.

Yes, I fully agree, the STW is WAY more gun than a guy NEEDS for antelope. The 300 Ultra Mag is too. My son's .270 that dropped his first three antelope is also more than needed. The .243 that a young lady used on our last hunt to drop an antelope at just under 200 yards worked well for her. Some might actually argue that the .243 isn't enough. My son even took a mule deer at about 125 yards with a muzzleloader. I guess there will always be a debate over such things, as you know. It would be nice though if people would just respect other's choices. As you are aware, some on the forums want to criticize others too much, and pump themselves up. The good thing is we all get to use basically what works for us.

Actually I took my first five antelope with a 25-06, one at 300 yards, dating back to 1994, and with the Speer 100 gr. SP. As you have just recently discovered, the 25-06 is a great cartridge, and the Speer 100 gr. that Venatic loaded for you is a very good bullet for that caliber. It is in my opinion, very good antelope medicine. I have been loading that bullet for the last 20 years. Your 25-06 is all you need for antelope hunting, however, if you are like me, then after a few years you may want to try something else just for the pleasure of it.

The .257 Arnold Magnum that you commented on in another post is a good one too. It has dropped a lot of antelope over the years with 100 gr. Sierra SPs.

The STW is very flat shooting. Dropping game at 400 yards with a 140 gr. Barnes TSX is not a big problem. It's basically a matter of a good rest, a guy who knows how to shoot a rifle, and placing the dot reticle of my Nikon 6x18 on the animal and squeezing the trigger gently. That's what I like about it. It shoot flat, hits hard, is extremely accurate and drops game with authority. I like it and so I have been using it more over the last four years. I have had that rifle since sometime back in the 90's, but only began to use it more since 2010.

Shooting at running deer is something that a lot of hunters have done for generations. In the minds of some it's OK, depending, and in the minds of others it's bad. Things like that will never change. It happens in the deer woods in the east as well as other places. But, I'm probably somewhat like you in that I much prefer to shoot at a standing, even broadside deer. But that's another topic since all deer aren't shot broadside.

I once saw a buddy (I was standing beside him) down a broadside running deer, in a field at about 50 yards, with one shot from a 30-30, and piled it right there. He was good with that 30-30 and felt comfortable in his shot. He rarely squeezed the trigger, but whenever he did something generally went down.

The deer in the video actually was not running full steam as you could see. It was more of a trot and as you say, was going straigt-a-way, or almost. My son had not filled his tag and we were down to the last hour. The area was open and easy to see, and the rifle was very flat shooting - the STW. Pure and simple, it was a judgement call. Everyone has them from time to time, no doubt you have as well,and we make them based on circumstances, our shooting ability, the equipment used and our thoughts about it at the time. If you personally don't feel comfortable in taking a shot like that, then by all means don't.

I will also add that my first antelope was taken with the 25-06, Speer 100 gr. SP, and it was running. It's head now hangs on my wall.

Good hunting. Enjoy your 25-06 and Speer SP. That's a good combination.



 
I was not dissing the STW. Much better to have to much than not enough, so having more than you need is never a bad think to me. With the right shot placement you will not have any more damage with a STW than .243

Shooting at running targets is as you say depends on a lot of things (skill, situations and all). Just not a shot I would take, maybe because I am not worth a crap at running shots, and maybe because I feel the kill zone is not what I would like to be.

In wide open spots (like Wyoming where I shot my antelope) if they run 200 yards before they pile up, no problem because you probably saw them fall or least you can see them with a little walking around. Here, it if runs more than a dozen yards, you better have a good blood trail or the odds are against you recovering it.

The other side of that is, if something is running around here, you only saw it for about 0-3 seconds so you never had a shot anyway.
 

Yellowhammer,

You are pretty much spot on. Shooting game running in thick cover is much more difficult than in wide open spaces. As you say, 0-3 seconds is pretty much it in the thick stuff. In the open spaces of Wyoming it's a bit different, but even that can be difficult depending on just how an animal is running. As I said earlier, it's a judgement call.

A hit with the STW and TSX pretty much puts them down even if it isn't a perfect hit. It could require a follow up, but in open places that usually isn't as difficult.

In truth I would not feel as comfortable taking that shot with my trusty 25-06.

You are also right that with proper shot placement, the TSX from the STW is not generally so bad. A shot in the wrong place can ruin some very tasty meat, and has to me on occasion.

I shot a whitetail buck one time with a .338 Win Mag and a 210 gr. TSX at about 75 yards, DRT. I have seen much more damage over and over through the years from a 30-06 and even the 270. That's what I like about the TSX. It's not magical but it is pretty darn good.

Before someone piles on for the thought of using a 338 Win Mag for deer, think out of the box a bit. If you don't have grizzlies running around and don't have enough money to hunt them in the first place, what else will you do with a .338? Owning one is a pleasure, to me at least, and that's why I have it. Being able to use it on game available to me is just plum nice. Choosing the right bullet makes all the difference.

My Sub-MOA Weatherby Vanguard .338 Win. Mag.





Below is the deer I shot with the .338 and the TSX. If you look past the blood spattered here and there, you will see a fairly small exit wound.
I would like to say all exits are like that while still being DRT, but it doesn't always turn out that way. An improper shot can sometimes be
rather nasty looking, even with a TSX. It just depends.

This is the impact side. You can barely tell where the bullet hit.






Here is the exit.









Oh, and I even took a mule deer one time with a .300 Win Mag, and whitetail with a .35 Whelen. Wonderful cartridge, the Whelen.

If you think I'm bad, here's what my son used one time to take a whitetail. We don't have "eliephants" running
around our lower 40, but we still manage to have a good time.




 
Originally Posted By: dan brothersgood stuff Guys... and very helpful and educational.

Venatic...who makes that stock...I like it


Its probably made by McMillan but was marketed by Daryl Holland of Holland Shooting Supply. I think he called it his Signature Series.
 
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