1881 Marlin & Me got a nice mule deer

[Harve Curry]

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This was along time coming , so I gotta tell this story of the last few days.....
12th November 2007.
I packed my old 1881 Marlin 45-70 for 3 days and got a nice buck with the old shooter this afternoon. I'd worn myself out inthe first two days and had passed up on some fork horns to try for a bigger deer for a change. I knew there was deer up this mountain but had no idea what or how many. So I went up so I'd have the wind in my face and after about 2 miles I found 20 deer, but no bucks, Then just before 5PM I see white horns over the head at 275 yards. I thought about letting him go, as I had two days left and I might have a 1% chance of seeing a 30" buck. My front sight covered him entirely. Plus there is 7 deer between me and him and alot of open ground. Then some luck and the buck started following the does quartering to my left. I ranged them at 125 yards. I put the ladder up and set it at 100 yards. When he came in it was to fast, then he slowed to a trot and was going to disappear behind a cedar. I touched the Marlin off at the front of his chest and saw his hind end go out from under him. Alll the deer were looking at me now, but didn't run off. I couldn't see the buck because he was behind the cedar tree. I levered another round so fast that both empty and the live one landed on my lap, I inserted the live cartridge and waited. I had shot a bit to soon near the wrong tree and he turned out to be 160 some yards. Dissapointed was setting in. After awhile I started down the slope and he was gone. I start criss crossing the slope. Then I see him, he had moved quite abit. At about 50 yards he was, so I lowered the sight and drilled him. He rolled and landed legs up. I gutted, hung him in a tree, and tagged him. Tommorow morning I'll go back and pack him out with a horse. Then I can take some pictures, and post them.
I really enjoyed getting this one after a long stalk, playing the ground, the wind, and using the old Marlin with it's double set triggers. I had practiced for 2 days and was sighted in at 50, 100, 200, & 300 yards, plus I taped it to my stock and actualy remembered to look at it. A Lyman-Gould 330 grain bullet made of wheel wieghts did a good job again. Home made cedar cross sticks make a good rest for the rifle & binoclulars. I don't think I could have made the shot without cross sticks, I was to nervous and things were happening fast.



Sorry you cannot see the double set triggers in this. The paper card on the stock is my sight settings. This buck is roughly 21" tall by 19" wide.

[litl rooster]

   Smells like Victory

[Marshal'ette Halloway]

I can't wait to see the pictures!!
I want to see that bad boy!

[GunClick Rick]

That's the way to hunt,right there

[Dick Dastardly]

My bowler hat's off to ya pard.  Good hunt.  Enjoy the venison.  I'm hoping to do in Bambi this weekend.

DD-DLoS

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

No SNOW?  And wearing shirtsleeves!

[Harve Curry]

Yes, it got cold and the leaves turned. Then it warmed up near 80 today and 50's at night. We are pretty dry here and when it's cold last year we got 2"-3" snow. In 2000 we got 18" one March night, we thought that was the millineum disaster..This is SW New Mexico, at 6200'.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I was in El Paso at Christmas a few years back.  It snowed an inch or so, and West Texas, New Mexico and Chihuaha were all closed down.  I don't laugh anymore, 'cause that stuff as it melts & freezes gets real treacherous  Weird weather here as well Winter is about a month late.  Lots of rain, but that means I don't have to aggravate my hernia shoveling it!  The only bad weekend was when we planned to go hunting and a blizzard blew in.  Oh well, next year.  Then I'll be back on the coast where there are two seasons;  Wet & Dry.

[Harve Curry]

Here's a photo of the bullet. It weighed 340gr w/lube going in and now 250gr. It mushroomed which surprised me. MV was 1580fps. I don't now what it was at 160 yards.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Nice buck, pard.
I've heard very good reports on that Gould 330gr bullet.

Slim

[Delmonico]

Nice buck, pard.
I've heard very good reports on that Gould 330gr bullet.

Slim

Well Elmer liked it so that ought to be good enough for anyone.  I'll bring you some to the Muster next year.

[Harve Curry]

 :)Elmer Keith is one of my favorite, if not the favorite shooters of the 1900's. He may even have shot the Gould bullet out of a 45 Colt just to see how it performed .
I have a Colt SAA 44spl with a front sight with the 3 gold bars I coped out of SIXGUNS BY KEITH .