2024 Live From The Tree

Good thing you had helpers that thing is big! Nice work.

Yup. That’s a nice deer. Congrats!

Jimmy Jones wrote:

Yup. That’s a nice deer. Congrats!

X2!!!!!!

Thanks for the kind words guys, it was a ton of fun

After the shot I could hear him crashing right away, but was surprised to find literally zero blood trail. I had to go back and decipher his tracks, followed them to where he laid stone dead.

I found my sabot today while cleaning him, he was slightly quartering to me, it crushed his left shoulder, a rib, both lungs, opposite rib, then stopped under the hide on his right side. It didn’t expand worth a crap, but he died in less than 5 seconds.

Shooting 250 grain Shockwaves with 100 grains of American Pioneer pegs. I took a practice shot before I left home (to get fresh powder into the gun for the new hunt), but was surprised to see minimal expansion. Hit exactly where I was aiming, so I don’t think the powder was the problem??? Wondering if maybe the shoulder deflected it hard and caused it to tumble through instead of expanding?

That’s why I quit using shockwaves. Never had a blood trail. I use Hornady XTPs now. It’s like a blood highway.
DT

Shockwaves have a miserable track record for reliable expansion. They’re an accurate bullet, but one just cannot depend on decent expansion.

The XTP’s that DT mentions are a dependable hunting bullet. Barnes XPB copper bullets and Fury’s bonded bullets get my nod now when shot in sabots. I use BH209 powder for hunting in my smokers, but can use T7 granular grain for grain if I have to, much more efficient than the AP powder.

deertracker wrote:

That’s why I quit using shockwaves. Never had a blood trail. I use Hornady XTPs now. It’s like a blood highway.
DT

I’ve only shot a few deer with them before but never had a problem?

The good thing is I don’t have many left, time to switch it up I guess

Are PowerBelts any good?? I picked up a bunch of them on an end of season clearance a couple years ago (for like $2 a pack), think I have 4-5 packages

Figured they would be cheap for the kids to practice if nothing else, but I’ll hunt with them if they work!

Powerbelts are another with a poor performance history. Some will expand nicely, others gernade on impact and do tons of damage. They are a very good target bullet though, very accurate.

On the XTPs, there are what is called a “magnum” version in the 240 grain and 300 grain selections that do not do well at smoker velocities. The standard 240 grain XTP [.429 diameter] calls for a green sabot and is a super accurate bullet while the standard 300 grain XTP [.451 diameter] uses a black sabot. There’s also a 300 grain in the .429/,430 diameter but in 50 cal guns the .45 cal counterpart does very well.

Let me check my range box…. I may have a bunch of XTPs and the sabots that I could send for you to try. I’ll get back to you here. I have some stuff the boys may be able to put to use in their tackle venture too.

B-man, check your pm’s.

We quit using shockwaves for the same reason. We expansion was horrible. We preferred to have deer quartering towards so you could shoot through the shoulder to help with expansion.

Thanks for all of the advice guys and PM replied to Jimmy

I might have to change it up myself after reading the comments on the powerbelts. Thats what I use although haven’t shot a deer with them yet.

I see there are a bunch of types of PowerBelts, do they all suck? The ones I bought are 295 grain aero-tip coppers

B-Man I use powerBelts in 245 gr.

They seal great in the barrel, shoot very well out of my optima, put deer down quickly, but… i have never been happy with the blood trail. Everyone could have been a difficult track if not for them falling over well within sight and under 60 yds.

so, I like them a lot, but be prepared for harder tracking.

I shoot the TC Shockwave 250’s also. I agree the blood trail is minimal. But I’ve never had a deer go further than 100 yards and some shots were over 100. I tried to find more this fall but only found “out of stock”. Are they DC?

Yesterday was a fun day to be out. At least it wasn’t cold and windy!

I have some Shockwaves left over. I’ll see what I have and let you know.
DT

The deer were on their feet this afternoon thats for sure. That’s beans in front of me that didn’t get sprayed so they were left them standing i guess. At one point there were 7 does and fawns and 3 young bucks out there. I watched probably another dozen walk out to the corn a few hundred yards behind me including a nice 8.

Hopefully the weather tomorrow gets them on their feet again.

hillhiker wrote:

The deer were on their feet this afternoon thats for sure. That’s beans in front of me that didn’t get sprayed so they were left them standing i guess. At one point there were 7 does and fawns and 3 young bucks out there. I watched probably another dozen walk out to the corn a few hundred yards behind me including a nice 8.

Hopefully the weather tomorrow gets them on their feet again.

You definitely put in some field hours through out the season. Hopefully you get a late season buck. Is that what your holding out for ? You must pass up on alot of deer through out the season. I’m itching to get a little more tree time in, but tomorrow will be spent on the lake.

Yup, trying for a big one. This farm I got permission on last weekend is pretty strictly managed, so no shooting young bucks. It has the potential for a giant to walk out at any time. There’s always the late cwd season on a different property if I’m desperate to fill a tag.

Good luck buddy. No better place to be in late season then hovering over that food source.

Back in the stand with youngest daughter. Wind picked up from this morning but still pretty nice out and a coating of white stuff in the ground. Had a white flag running in neighbors field walking in, must have kicked it up.

I’m jealous of the nice warm blind weedis! I braved the icy roads to get out for another sit. I saw 7 deer on the drive and jumped two on the walk in.

They do come handy when the kiddos are with! You are putting the hours hillhiker, hope you get rewarded. I did hit a doe tonight, pretty good blood, got up once so backed out until the morning.

Deer recovered

weedis wrote:

Deer recovered

Good work. Congrats on the doe. good eats there.

Jimmy Jones wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>weedis wrote:</div>
Deer recovered

Good work. Congrats on the doe. good eats there.

Nice job weedis, will be some good corn fed venison.

congrats weedis!!! your daughter maybe brought you some luck!!!

Good job weedis.

Thanks guys!

Glad you found her