Steve7mm08
Well-Known Member
Nathan and I went for a roar trip in April this year. We had been for a huge first day hunt and saw a few Red deer hinds (females) at distance.
Near the end of the day we were dropping back down a steep rocky ridge when I spotted a Red Stag feeding in a tussock gut approx 400yds away. We stalked down to a saddle and within 300yds or so of the stag, we had a look at his antlers and realised he was just a ratty 8 pointer. He was holding no hinds which was unusual as we had heard a few roars in the morning.
I set up the video camera on the tripod and thought I would try and roar him in for some footage. Well that was a waste of time, either my roars were less than convincing or he was just plain uninterested. Anyway he just wandered off down the steep gully and out of sight.
I was aware that there was a wallow approx 600yds further down the gully and thought he might head down there. Nathan and I continued down our ridge but taking care to stay on the opposite side of the ridge out of sight.
As the light was fading I saw the wallow at 550yds, sure enough the stag was crossing the creek and heading for the wallow. He stood smack in the middle and raked his antlers in the mud and flicked it around.
Nathan and I had a bit of a yarn and decided we should shoot him and turn him into Salami as he was far closer to the track now. I snuck down the ridge to a flat spot and set the rifle up. The range was 502yds and I had a bit of angle showing on the ACI so dialled in for 475yds.
The wind was virtually non-existant, the little there was was coming directly at me so dialled no windage.
The stag was facing away so I held off waiting for that magic side on shot. After a minute or so he turned side on, still standing in the middle of the wallow.
I held the crosshairs in his shoulder crease and touched off the shot, I have a muzzle brake fitted and can spot my own shots easily from 500 out. At the shot he hunched and jumped in the air and ran up the hill approx 10 metres before collapsing.
By the time it was cleaned up and ready to carry it was fully dark and had been for some time.
A ratty 8 point head but a satisfying shot and lots of salami!!
The rifle
Sendero 7MM SAUM, Leupold 4.5-14x50 LRT, Nosler 160 Accubond
Cheers, Steve
Near the end of the day we were dropping back down a steep rocky ridge when I spotted a Red Stag feeding in a tussock gut approx 400yds away. We stalked down to a saddle and within 300yds or so of the stag, we had a look at his antlers and realised he was just a ratty 8 pointer. He was holding no hinds which was unusual as we had heard a few roars in the morning.
I set up the video camera on the tripod and thought I would try and roar him in for some footage. Well that was a waste of time, either my roars were less than convincing or he was just plain uninterested. Anyway he just wandered off down the steep gully and out of sight.
I was aware that there was a wallow approx 600yds further down the gully and thought he might head down there. Nathan and I continued down our ridge but taking care to stay on the opposite side of the ridge out of sight.
As the light was fading I saw the wallow at 550yds, sure enough the stag was crossing the creek and heading for the wallow. He stood smack in the middle and raked his antlers in the mud and flicked it around.
Nathan and I had a bit of a yarn and decided we should shoot him and turn him into Salami as he was far closer to the track now. I snuck down the ridge to a flat spot and set the rifle up. The range was 502yds and I had a bit of angle showing on the ACI so dialled in for 475yds.
The wind was virtually non-existant, the little there was was coming directly at me so dialled no windage.
The stag was facing away so I held off waiting for that magic side on shot. After a minute or so he turned side on, still standing in the middle of the wallow.
I held the crosshairs in his shoulder crease and touched off the shot, I have a muzzle brake fitted and can spot my own shots easily from 500 out. At the shot he hunched and jumped in the air and ran up the hill approx 10 metres before collapsing.
By the time it was cleaned up and ready to carry it was fully dark and had been for some time.
A ratty 8 point head but a satisfying shot and lots of salami!!
The rifle
Sendero 7MM SAUM, Leupold 4.5-14x50 LRT, Nosler 160 Accubond
Cheers, Steve
