Encore pistol adventure

[coyote101]

Yesterday was opening day of the Kentucky modern gun deer season. I have a TC Encore pistol in .308 Win. that I have been wanting to take something with, so I got it out and headed to the woods.

I sat in a tree stand for about two and a half hours and didn't see anything but a raccoon, three horses and one squirrel. I was cold and bored so I got down and walked to a different section of woods just to look around. Nothing shaking, so I headed back to the truck and drove to the other side of the farm. Up another tree stand for a couple of hours, and again nothing but a squirrel. I moved again and spent three and a half hours in a ground blind that I have set up for turkey hunting. Again nothing but some squirrels. I've been out eleven hours now and have not seen a single deer. So I decided to start heading to the house.

As I was heading out of the woods, I spotted a couple of deer near the wood line across the wheat field about a hundred and fifty yards away. They went into the woods and I lost sight of them so I continued into the field. I got about thirty yards into the field and two small bucks came out. I took a knee just to watch them and see if the others would come back. I'm primarily a meat hunter, I haven't shot a buck in several years because I just haven't seen anything worth shooting and I wasn't planning on shooting either of these little guys. I would however shoot a doe if I could get one in range. As luck would have it, the bigger of the bucks, a six pointer, trotted into the woods and the chased the others back into the field.

I got my pistol out of the holster and waited, hoping one of them would get close enough for me to feel comfortable taking a shot. The smaller of the bucks had spotted me by now, but I was kneeling, the light was fading and the wind was right so he was curious, but not frightened. He started heading towards me, and then the others began to follow. He got within about twenty five yards and started into the wood line which was going to put him down wind of me soon. The others were still about sixty yards out and one of them turned broadside so I settled the cross hairs on the chest and touched off the shot. They took off and ran back into the wood line near where I had originally seen them.

Even though I was kneeling, which isn't the most stable position, I felt that I had made a pretty good shot. I took a lesson from CCP after listening to him talk about hunting with a Contender pistol. I have attached a sling to my pistol that is adjusted so that it is very tight when my arms are fully extended. That resistance helps immensely in stabilizing the gun when aiming.

I went to check for blood, and sure enough, there was some lung tissue and nice pinkish blood. The light was fading fast, so I walked to the wood line where I thought they had gone into the woods and started walking the edge looking for blood in hopes of speeding up the tracking process. Nothing. I couldn't find a speck of blood. I stepped into the woods and walked a few yards looking around with my flashlight hoping to see that white belly where the deer had piled up. Nothing. So, back to the point of the shot to start the tracking process, which by this time is going to have to be done by flashlight.

It was a slow process in the fading light.  I cut two small branches from a tree and stuck a reflective thumb tack in each of them.  I placed one in the ground where I found blood and then followed the sparse blood trail as far as I easily could and stuck the other in the ground at that point. I then went back and got the first branch and started looking for blood again. When I found some I followed it till I couldn't see any more and repeated the process. It was just small spots and drops and it took me about an hour and a half to get about a hundred and fifty yards and almost to the wood line where the deer had gone. And then, nothing; I couldn't find another speck of blood. So I decided to leave my little reflective branch in the ground at the last spot, go home and come back in the morning to try again in the daylight.

It is just a narrow strip of woods between the field and a river and I was zig zagging and shining my light as I slowly headed back to my truck.  I hadn't gone too far and there it was. Piled up four or five yards inside the wood line about thirty or forty yards from where I had found the last blood spot. I thought it was a small doe, but it turns out it was a little button buck.

The shot was good and the bullet performed well.  A double lunger that should have left a great blood trail.  Instead, the entrance wound was small and didn't bleed much, and the exit wound was plugged by a fist sized piece of lung hanging out of it. The chest cavity was full of blood and why he wasn't blowing a lot of blood out of his mouth and nose, I don't know. Anyhow, I got him field dressed, dragged him a half mile through the woods and across a creek to where I could get to him with my truck and finally made it home. 

Here's the little guy and the big pistol:


Entrance wound:


Exit wound:


.308 Win. Encore pistol:


That's a 2X Leupold scope. I like it, but am going to replace it with a 4X for greater magnification and light gathering .

Pat

[Hawks Feather]

Congratulations!  It has to be a great feeling knowing that you can pistol shoot deer.  Next we expect to see a Brown bear hunt with your pistol.   

Jerry

[slagmaker]

Congratulations Pat! Excellent job!

Loved the wright.up and pics. Looks like that 308win out of a short barrel does a fine job.

[HuntnCarve]

Good shooting Pat.  Way to go!

Dave

[CCP]

Way to go Pat!! Something about hunting with a pistol that always excites me. THANKS for the story and the pictures.

[gravesco hunter]

looks like the encore did the job congrats that will be good eatin

[bigben]

Thats awesome.  I would love to take something like that with mine.  Where did you get your sling for your contender. I just but sling studs on my contender

[Dave]

Very nice, Pat.  Congrats. 

[FinsnFur]

Nice shootin!
You did that after only one CCP lesson

[coyote101]

THANKS for the story and the pictures.

Thanks for the tip about the sling. 

Where did you get your sling for your contender. I just but sling studs on my contender

Ben,

I made it from some 1 inch nylon strap and a quick disconnect buckle that I had laying around.







It helps a lot in steadying the pistol, which weighs over 5 1/2 pounds and with a 15 inch barrel is a little tippy towards the muzzle. I carry it in a shoulder holster with the sling attached.

Pat

[bigben]

Ok thx. I have a rubber one on now that isnt long enough. I have a barrel band for the front swivel and made a stud for in the grip. Those patmayers are nice arent they

[coyote101]

Ok thx. I have a rubber one on now that isnt long enough. I have a barrel band for the front swivel and made a stud for in the grip. Those patmayers are nice arent they

The Pachmayr grips absorb a lot of recoil and come with the sling studs. I don't use the front one because I carry the pistol in a holster. The sling is only attached to the grip. You can see the short piece of it in the picture of the deer.

I shoot a pistol left handed, so I put the sling over my head and left arm. then I adjust it so it is tight when my arms are extended.

Pat

[Dale]

good deal, should be some prime eating...

[HaMeR]

Good shooting Pat!! And that is a dandy freezer filler for sure!!    My Brother shoots 45-70Gov't, 375Win??, & a 221 FireBall out of his Contender. 

[Okanagan]

Sweeet !  Glad you got to use that hand cannon on a deer.  The tension strap is an excellent tip.

[JohnP]

Good shooting Pat, hard to beat a .308.  I have a T/C 18" BB in .223.

[nailbender]

 Should be some yummy tenders there!