I was finally able to deer hunt with my 300 Blackout and see how well it would perform on larger game than smaller hogs (200# and under) and was up in a stand that could give me a 270yd shot at the longest. I worked up a very accurate load with both the 125gr Hornady SST & 110gr Barnes TTSX and decided to shoot the Barnes as it has a higher velocity and less drop at the longer ranges. I was put up in a 15' stand over a large cotton field with an access road at the far end that joins another cotton field that the deer use to go between the 2 fields. I was dropped off by 4:30pm and quickly settled in.
The evening before another hunter was in the same stand and saw a tall 8 pointer that extended outside the ears and there also is an 11 pointer on camera who runs juvenile bucks out of the cotton. I shot a nice 200# incredibly fat sow out of this stand a few days earlier (Saturday) on a morning hunt but saw no bucks. I was hoping to get an opportunity at a decent buck or a really big doe with a shot at least 100 yards, preferably longer to push the 300BLK performance.
The action was completely dead until about 6:15 when a huge bodied tall spike horn came out halfway down the access road and I lased it at 278 yards which was about the absolute longest I would take a shot. I first thought it was a really mature doe until it got within 200 yards and then I saw the antlers. He had a nice gray coat with a big white face. He had to be at least 5 years old but probably had something genetically wrong because he should've had an impressive rack instead of tall & skinny pokers. I watched him for about a half hour total as he stepped back into the woods a few times only to come back out and feed on the food plot. He came no closer than 160 yards and I was really thinking about shooting him just because of his body mass but held off hoping that something better would show up. He finally walked off with less than 15 minutes of light left.
I was starting to second guess myself as it was getting pretty dark and my little Leupold 1-4x Mark AR was having a hard time pulling in what little light was available. I did have the Fire Dot on the lowest setting so I could at least make an aimed shot if I had the opportunity. With about 5 minutes of light left a decent doe came out into the cotton and I saw that she was nervous and kept staring at something just inside the wood line. I scanned back and forth from the doe to where she was looking and I caught a glimpse of a dark shape that came out against the lighter color soil in the food plot. The big tree that was a slightly behind the deer was 155 yards so I had a good idea of range but I just remembered that I adjusted my elevation turret for a 250 yard shot on the spike horn.
I knew how many clicks I had to go back down to my zero and because I sighted in at 50 yards I could get a POA/POI out to 150 yards and be within 1.5" of POA. I went up 1 click from zero as the deer shape was slowly walking from my reference tree but would pause about every 2 steps or so. I couldn't tell if it was another spike or if it was a monster 10 point rack because it was so dark, but I could tell by the size of the blob in my scope and how it acted to the doe that it was a buck. I could tell where the neck was and I could see the lighter color belly fur so I was confident of my shot placement, so at that moment the safety came off and I pulled the trigger.
I saw the deer bolt off straight into the cotton and I heard it crash down a few seconds later and give a few kicks and then fall silent. By this time it was completely dark when I got my stuff together and made my way out of the stand. I made it over to where the tree was and then looked for blood. It was about 10-15 yards further where I spotted real good blood and I could clearly follow it into the cotton. I marked to blood trail and it was a few short minutes before my ride came to pick me up so I didn't have to wait long for help to arrive.
I ended up waiting at the vehicle as the other 3 people went out to look for the deer (there's no way that I can go out in that tangle-ly stuff without falling down) and by their flashlights the deer didn't make even 50 yards before going down. It didn't take the 3 of them to drag it back and I finally got to see what the blob in my scope was and it turned out to be a decent 6 pointer. He wasn't that old, but at least not a yearling and was around 2 1/2 years old. The shot couldn't have been more perfect as it was a double lung pass through with excellent performance from the projectile. The shot ended up being close to 165 yards which IMO is right in the middle of the 300 Blackout's effective range.
The buck isn't a trophy by any means but for me it was a good deer to get an idea of how the 300 Blackout would perform on larger game and at a farther range than what I've been shooting hogs at. The body size is good enough to get respectable sized back straps out of and will have delicious roasts and steaks. I actually prefer does and younger bucks (3 years and under) as the meat is more tender and flavorful than the older ones. Overall I'm happy how things went down and will be sure to take it out on more hunts this season.
The evening before another hunter was in the same stand and saw a tall 8 pointer that extended outside the ears and there also is an 11 pointer on camera who runs juvenile bucks out of the cotton. I shot a nice 200# incredibly fat sow out of this stand a few days earlier (Saturday) on a morning hunt but saw no bucks. I was hoping to get an opportunity at a decent buck or a really big doe with a shot at least 100 yards, preferably longer to push the 300BLK performance.
The action was completely dead until about 6:15 when a huge bodied tall spike horn came out halfway down the access road and I lased it at 278 yards which was about the absolute longest I would take a shot. I first thought it was a really mature doe until it got within 200 yards and then I saw the antlers. He had a nice gray coat with a big white face. He had to be at least 5 years old but probably had something genetically wrong because he should've had an impressive rack instead of tall & skinny pokers. I watched him for about a half hour total as he stepped back into the woods a few times only to come back out and feed on the food plot. He came no closer than 160 yards and I was really thinking about shooting him just because of his body mass but held off hoping that something better would show up. He finally walked off with less than 15 minutes of light left.
I was starting to second guess myself as it was getting pretty dark and my little Leupold 1-4x Mark AR was having a hard time pulling in what little light was available. I did have the Fire Dot on the lowest setting so I could at least make an aimed shot if I had the opportunity. With about 5 minutes of light left a decent doe came out into the cotton and I saw that she was nervous and kept staring at something just inside the wood line. I scanned back and forth from the doe to where she was looking and I caught a glimpse of a dark shape that came out against the lighter color soil in the food plot. The big tree that was a slightly behind the deer was 155 yards so I had a good idea of range but I just remembered that I adjusted my elevation turret for a 250 yard shot on the spike horn.
I knew how many clicks I had to go back down to my zero and because I sighted in at 50 yards I could get a POA/POI out to 150 yards and be within 1.5" of POA. I went up 1 click from zero as the deer shape was slowly walking from my reference tree but would pause about every 2 steps or so. I couldn't tell if it was another spike or if it was a monster 10 point rack because it was so dark, but I could tell by the size of the blob in my scope and how it acted to the doe that it was a buck. I could tell where the neck was and I could see the lighter color belly fur so I was confident of my shot placement, so at that moment the safety came off and I pulled the trigger.
I saw the deer bolt off straight into the cotton and I heard it crash down a few seconds later and give a few kicks and then fall silent. By this time it was completely dark when I got my stuff together and made my way out of the stand. I made it over to where the tree was and then looked for blood. It was about 10-15 yards further where I spotted real good blood and I could clearly follow it into the cotton. I marked to blood trail and it was a few short minutes before my ride came to pick me up so I didn't have to wait long for help to arrive.
I ended up waiting at the vehicle as the other 3 people went out to look for the deer (there's no way that I can go out in that tangle-ly stuff without falling down) and by their flashlights the deer didn't make even 50 yards before going down. It didn't take the 3 of them to drag it back and I finally got to see what the blob in my scope was and it turned out to be a decent 6 pointer. He wasn't that old, but at least not a yearling and was around 2 1/2 years old. The shot couldn't have been more perfect as it was a double lung pass through with excellent performance from the projectile. The shot ended up being close to 165 yards which IMO is right in the middle of the 300 Blackout's effective range.
The buck isn't a trophy by any means but for me it was a good deer to get an idea of how the 300 Blackout would perform on larger game and at a farther range than what I've been shooting hogs at. The body size is good enough to get respectable sized back straps out of and will have delicious roasts and steaks. I actually prefer does and younger bucks (3 years and under) as the meat is more tender and flavorful than the older ones. Overall I'm happy how things went down and will be sure to take it out on more hunts this season.
