As some of you know, I have been out-of-pocket for a few days, due to an illness! That's right: Buck Fever! My Grandaughter (Abigail) and I have been in the Alabama woods for the majority of last week, arriving home late last night. I'm headed back up in the AM for 3 days, returning in time to do the Orlando Gun & Knife show this upcoming weekend, January 7-8th.
Last spring, at the Tulsa show, I had an itch to scratch. Abigail is left-handed...as is my one and only Grandson, "TJ". There is a guy who attends the Tulsa show each and every time who is the T/C (Thompson-Center) Guru! He brings everything you'd need to set up a rifle or handgun, related to T/C.
While T/C products aren't my preferred choice in firearms, they "are", in many cases, ambidextrous. Although the "tight groups" that I insist upon in my deer rifles are less obtainable in T'C's, the grouping is acceptable for whitetails at reasonable distances. For "all-of-the'above" reasons, I set out to build such a rifle for the Grandkids.
Abigail is taller than I am (So are a lot of folks) and my concern was not to build a "youth" rifle. I was more concerned in a lefty or righty, of mild recoil, that would prove to be the right medicine on Bama deer at close range. By close range, I am talking "less" than 200 yards. I almost always shoot at distances well-over 200, usually in the 300-700 yard a range.
My "T/C" guy had a Thompson-Center "Contender" frame, black synthetic stock and forearm, mounts & rings (Leupold) and over 100 barrels! That's right: In fact, counting black powder, Contender, Encore and #83's & #87's he carries over 300 barrels to the show!
I decided on a 300 Blackout for a couple of reasons.
1) I have a 300 Blackout in an AR configuration so adding, once again, a new caliber was eliminated.
2) 300 Blackout is available in a variety of bullet weights and configurations.
3) Report is mild (It ain't "noisy")
4) Recoil is light
The rig was easy to put together and scope. I used a T/C 3-9x (also from the T/C guy) and I was ready-to-roll! Sighting in and finding a decent grouping round proved the most difficult, which is exactly what I anticipated and feared!
Nosler 110 grain ballistic tip ammo came in at a respectable 1/15" group for 3 shots with adequate "pre-fouling" and in-between shot "cooling". Abigail shot the little rifle well and we were almost ready-to go! I say almost, because I have one last test for any shooter that I am sending out to a stand for whitetail deer.
I fill a 12 ounce plastic bottle with water, screw down the cap tightly and place it on to the top of the 100 yard backstop. If someone can bust this 12 ounce bottle a couple of things are a "for-sure-given".
1) They can hit something the size of a deer's heart.
2) They now have considerable confidence in their ability to do so.
Say what you like but shooting paper and putting tiny holes in it does not give the shooter the same feeling of confidence and worth as bustin' that damned bottle all to hell & back! Abigail did just that and off we went!
1st morning...Nothing! Late morning, while my typical teenager napped, I rolled out & moved our gear to another location on the property. I am fortunate enough to have a 6000 acre lease to hunt on. Abigail, being a lefty, requires a slightly different setup than most of us. I set our gear up in a shooting house over-looking a 200 yard long green field. The carpeted "bench-rest" was set up for a southpaw and we were all set...for the entire week! No more moving. It was this location or none!
To make this long story even longer, I sat in an uncomfortable chair, set up 180 degrees in the opposite direction looking back on a 400+ yard woods trail that we walked in on. This gave me something to do and, by virtue of my handmade shooting sticks, the possibility of shooting a deer at the same time.
That afternoon I shot a doe (85 lbs.) at about 225 yards and Abigail did not get a shot. She saw a couple of deer but it was either too dark or not the right deer. The same would be said about the following morning.
The second afternoon (The prettiest day we hunted) a nice, respectable Bama whitetail buck came out from Abigail's right-to-left. She nudged me and I got turned around to see a nice shooter for her to score on. It was not of the proper pedigree, in terms of inside spread, main bean length and base circumference for a seasoned member to shoot..."BUT"...(You knew that word was coming)...it was a perfect buck for a teenager's first buck to shoot!
The entire hunt probably didn't take 5 minutes. It seemed a lot longer, waiting for the proper position of the buck, getting the crosshairs settled in on the right spot, etc., etc...but the end result was a perfect 175 yard shot!!! & the buck never left the green field, walking a couple of steps, turning 180 degrees and dropping!
Abigail forgot to bring any extra bullets so we quick;y exchanged seats. I trained my crosshairs on the back of the buck's neck, between his ears and flipped the safety off! I told Abigail "not to worry". That buck was "never going to leave the field, one way or the other". He never got up again. The 30 caliber, 100 grain tip hit, just back from his front leg and a hair low...but it was a done deal!
We waited a solid half hour before we got down. I saw no breath or movement after the first minute or so. He was dead where he went down! The bullet did not exit. The 2 1/2- 3 1/2 year old buck was a seven point. He was actually a six with a small, broke-off G-3 on his port side. 170 pounds at 175 yards. I am quite proud of her...end of story.
Happy New Year to all, Capt. Chris
Photos show the shooting house in the far, right-hand background, a couple of "The Killer", along with her T/C Blackout and one shot with a proud "Cap" (She calls me "Cap")...CCS