mtfishn
36 Cl.
A few years ago I decided to extend hunting season by trying to use my .45 cal. GPlains rifle for antelope. I picked a spot where we had seen antelope bed mid-day on previous hunts and set up there before shooting light. Now the reason antelope liked this spot is that it is table flat and nothing can sneak up on'em. I soon spotted a herd a mile or so off. Then spotted some orange (another hunter) in the sage nearby don't believe he actually shot, but managed to spook the antelope in my direction. About 45 minutes later they were feeding right to me. I had laid flat on the ground with rifle in hand trained in their direction. There were 2 bucks and 12-13 does/fawns. The nicest buck was laggin' behind when the first does fed past me at....6yds! They were unaware of me until they walked far enough past to get my scent. The buck was now about 65 yds so I tried to get on him, cock the rifle, set the trigger all in one motion knowing the does would spot me immediately. Everybody stopped and was staring at me as I squeezed off a shot at the chest of the buck. At the shot they all ran off with the buck running by himself to my right. The ball had passed through the "arm pit" area...(actually broke 5 ribs) without entering the body cavity and exited behind the off-side front leg. He was off to the races. I marked on the horizon where he had crossed 1/4 mile away...jumped him at 100yds without getting a shot. He ran another 1/4 mile and bedded out of sight. This time I spotted his horns in the grass from about 200yds and crawled to just under 90yds before he stood up. I was ready on x-stix and hit him in the base of the neck angled back as he stood. Down for good! Beautiful buck antelope, but learned the importance of getting a good lung shot on the first shot....Had mine been one ball width to the right it would have entered the lung area and killed him quickly.
