So I was running shy on time and wanted to take my 3 year old little girl out... I’d set up a feeder behind the house by the shop and hadn’t seen anything at it. But it was 2 hours before dark and I didn’t have time to get to the farm and in the condo... so we headed out to the shop and setup inside with the service door open and part of a sectional couch providing cover.
I sit up on a hill and have a window for a “safe” shot into an open field across the road. The road sits well below the possible bullet flight path. I just really didn’t love the idea of using the 300wm as I knew it would blow out the other side if I got a shot.
so about 30-45 minutes pass and sure enough a doe and a little buck come cruising into the corn. My little girl about flipped her s***! She was talking loud “daddy I see a deer, there’s a deer” “shoot it daddy, shoot it”.. all while moving around and making all kids of noise while looking through my binos backwards. I’ve never been so nervous to pull the trigger on a deer in my life. I wanted it to happen for her. So I waited until I had the right shot on the doe and let her rip.
Being as I didn’t love the situation I grabbed my truck gun, my little ruger m77 hawkeye compact in .223. I’ve never shot a deer with a .223 before, it’s killed countless crows, ground hogs, yotes and a host of other varmits with a 55g v max. So I figured it was the time to try it on a deer.
I squeezed the trigger and watched her run about 20 yards, then start the stagger and went down... we waited a few minutes and I walked out to where they were to let Cora “track” it.
Well, first observation.... zero blood. So I head her towards the deer and she sees it and flips! She’s tickled to death and is now an expert deer killer.
Second observation, was in gutting it... the internal damage was impressive. I noticed a little more bruising in the entrance area, but the lungs and heart were all tore up.
Third observation, while skinning it out I find the bulk of the bullet just inside the opposite hide.
So while I’m not a fan of the 223 for hunting.. It did an extremely effective job for the task at hand. I’m not real sure I would put one of the kids behind it due to the lack of penetration with the ballistic tips as a bad shot would leave no blood and most likely result in a lost deer. But with the right shot placement and need for minimal penetration, it did very well!
But it all worked out and she got her first taste of killing... little ruger for the win!
