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Hello all,

Here's an update.

It was on Thanksgiving Day 2019, the 5th day of our Wisconsin 9 day gun deer season, that I had long-awaited success.

For the last 4 years I've been trying to bag a Wisconsin Whitetail deer with my 700NE Double rifle.

Since 2016, my hunting method has been to setup a portable shooting bench on an abandon 1000 yard runway that runs through the 120 acre wood lot that we lease. I've been hunting the same land for the last 46 seasons. For the last 4 years, I have hunted with 2 rifles, a long-range rifle, and my 18 pound 700 Nitro Express double rifle. The 700 is ready and waiting, poised upon a 5 gallon pail that's on my shooting bench and topped with boat cushions.

I used the same set-up this year except I camouflaged the white pail with my camo-parka. This year's long-range rifle is my Dumoulin Bavarian Safari in 7mm Rem Mag. Its sighted-in 4" high at 100 yards which keeps the bullet in the kill zone out to 400 yards. (Aim at the heart up close, aim high in the chest at long range)

The plan has always been as follows. For shots at 100 yards and under, I would use the 700NE. For shots over 100 yards, I would use my long-range rifle. I gauge the range with the 700's front flip-up moon-bead. If the bead appears smaller than the deer, (back to belly) he's under 100 yards. If the front bead is bigger than the deer, he's over 100 yards, and I use the 7 Mag.

The moon-bead works like this:

In the Fall of 2016 when I devised this plan, I practiced every time I went to the range in order to prepare. I used a full-size deer target that was put-up at 100 yards. I fired shots in pairs from a cold rifle. The target shown here represents 11 pairs (22 shots) fired in 4 different outings. The upper 2-shot spread was the widest at about 6" and most of the others averaged about 3". All would be plenty good for a whitetail deer. The shots close to the center came later in the practice sessions as my sighting skills improved. I've practiced like this every year before taking the big double into the field.

Although I've been successful over the years with my long range rifles, I've not had an opportunity to test the 700NE - until now. Fast forward to 2019. On this Thanksgiving morning a deer crept out of the brush. It was coming straight toward me - straight-on. It looked like a doe. I scoped it with the Dumoulin 7 Mag. I saw horns. I slowly put down the 7 mag and slowly stood up and picked up the 18 pound double rifle. I took careful aim. It was hard to gauge the distance because I had always practiced aiming on a broadside target. The bead did look slightly smaller than the deer, so I carefully aimed, held by breath, and slowly squeezed the trigger. Holy Crap! I forgot how much this thing kicks and almost fell over my lunch box which was on the ground behind me. Rule number one, when shooting a "two-step" double rifle, make sure you have "two-steps" clear behind you.

The deer instantly disappeared from sight! A split second later I realized he was down.

He was hit dead-nuts in the neck. All I could see was a 3/4" hole through the neck roast. He never took a step. Following up with the range finder showed he was 85 yards from my bench.

I'll post pictures of the bullet (if found) when we process the deer.

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"You never pay too much for something, you only buy it too early."