Bushmaster Hunting Success!

[DubbleTrubble]

Took two deer, one large doe, one button buck, with my .450 Bushmaster this season so after all the trouble I had with it in 2018 and 2019, I am calling the rifle redeemed... probationally.

Used factory loaded Hornady Black ammo with a Lancer AWM-5 magazine with a Tromix follower. It's a Bushmaster upper with a 20 inch barrel. I think I whined about all my feeding and ejection issue here a couple of times. Seemed to be ammo specific.. basically anything other than Hornady Black, and my reloads. And I had trouble with Hornady too. I tried many things, some which which (the magazine) helped significantly. I'm not sure how to attribute the ultimate success beyond the magazine except my attributing it to the gun breaking in and being run wetter than I normally run an AR. Sloppy wet by my standards (which go back to the U.S. Army).

Was in a blind on my own property shooting across an open field. On shot was 213 yards and the other at 225. I used a 3-9 Bushnell Banner scope. One shot was a perfectly placed lung shot, and it dropped immediately. The other was a little farther back than optimal and that animal did not react, calmly stepping into the woods. I thought that was a clean miss but a couple of minutes later it stepped back out in obvious, wobbly distress and soon dropped. That was the big doe and the bullet went thru in the liver area and went all the way thru and out the opposite side. Looked for the bullet in the buck and found only a shard of jacket. Didn't look too hard because by the time I had the deer in an area where I could fild dress it, it was dark and butt cold.

Anyway, I would not have tried those shots with my slug gun and my hold was just over the top of the deer (gun sighted at 100 yards).

[Al in Mi]

congrats!!!

[Hoot]

Neither of those were "chip shots". Good Job! Be glad you're not up here in the freezer. Single digits and gale force winds. We've warmed up to 7 above with double digit below zero wind chills as I type this.

Hoot

[Texas Sheepdawg]

Congrats! Need pics!

[s4s4u]

Congrats! Need pics!

What he said ^^^

[MOOSE EARS]

Good to hear about kills past 200yds and glad you got it working

[Texas Sheepdawg]

@OP. If you’re having trouble posting pictures, email them to me at my email address in my profile and I can post them for you.

[DubbleTrubble]

Thanks.

Sorry I didn't get back sooner. Forgot to check the notify button.

I don't typically take dead deer shots. Killing stuff, necessary and beneficial as it can be, is not a celebration for me. But. Since it was my first "two-fer," I might have had it not been nearly dark by the time it was said and done, my hands were bloody and I was well on my way to being whipped. Old guy dragging deer scenario times two. Plus, much of my career has involved taking pictures, so grabbing a camera for my own life events is often the last thing I think of... reminds me of work. If I remember, I'll take a picture of the processed meat after it's all wrapped. Will you believe me then? ( : < )

I'm kinda surprised you guys remarked on the 200+ yard shots. Seems pretty normal to me and shots like that are why I bought the rifle in the first place. I'm no "SGT York" but with a scope, I might be stretching the bragging limits by crowing too much. But I never would have tried those shots with my slug gun.. tell ya that!

Below is the view from where I had the blind and the red arrows show where the deer were, the left being the doe and the right the button buck.

[Smokinbubba]

Well done Sir! I love mine for Ohio whitetails. I am just starting to gather gear to reload since the hornady black is so expensive this season. I've taken 4 at yardage ranging from 212 to 268. With the factory black 250grn. It's a real game changer.

[ScottyPotty]

In Ohio you have to tag the first deer before you can continuing to hunt.....just saying

But good shooting, congrats on the deer I wasn't able to get any this year.