Lansing, Michigan – -(Ammoland.com)- After some six weeks of archery deer hunting and numerous occasions to take does and bucks, I had resigned myself to a certainty: Having an antlerless kill tag is of no use unless it’s punched.
Not that I had intentionally set out on opening day of firearms deer season to hunt a doe, but I had the option, if opportunity knocked. Sure, like any other hunter, taking a big buck is always preferred.
However, antler soup wasn’t necessarily on the menu. Venison was!
The sound of the Saturday opener was predictable, as those toting repeaters could be heard displaying their propensity to punch primers. If those shooters had any pre-season practice at all, I seriously doubt if any of it had been performed at moving, nonetheless running targets. It was as if those with back-up shots were required to use them.
As the mental madness played out in my mind, there was no chance that I’d join the rapid-fire brigade; my single-shot handgun would not permit it. Discipline would be the only mode of operation with a custom J.D. Jones .45-70 Thompson/Center Contender on standby. So, too, were plastic-banded ear plugs for the mission – a necessity with the ported hand-cannon.
I hadn’t set out to prove anything to anyone by virtue of the fact that I would be handgun hunting for whitetails, having taken numerous deer with such tools over the years. Rather, using a pistol not only fit my style, it had advantages over a long gun given the conditions presented.
First off, the sheer ease of carrying a smaller, lighter firearm in a shoulder holster meant hands-free navigation to and from the walk to the stand. Maneuverability on stand gave it an edge, too, with less chance of banging into something.
Heavy cover limited sight distance to some 75 yards or less. The Bushnell HoloSight optic (today’s EOTech red dot goo.gl/8R5E90 aiming device) with its one minute-of-angle dot could get the job done at twice that distance, but closer makes for better odds of ethical dispatch in any event.
The custom handloaded, lead-free 300-grain tipped Barnes boattail projectiles were plenty of medicine, as well. The massive energy in the loads was designed for accuracy. It is true that a .45-70 load can produce substantial recoil, even in a long gun, but the lighter bullets and ported muzzle brake make for manageable recoil.
An early season snow made the choice to hunt from a box blind a plus, because I was shielded from the weather. The single-shot handgun has never been an offhand proposition, so steady rests were constructed in advance utilizing 16-inch window sills and sand bags.
Just before noon, and after viewing a dozen deer, one finally ventured well within range. A broadside angle presented the perfect chance and the Contender interrupted the stillness of the woods taking out both lungs of the mature female.
To me, hunting has never been about making long shots. Instead, it’s about making clean kills. And, when I picked up the packaged venison from my favorite local processer, his words, “Good shot!” were confirmation that I had worked my plan to perfection.
About Glen WunderlichCharter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA). Outdoor writer and columnist for The Argus-Press (www.argus-press.com) and blog site at www.thinkingafield.org Member National Rifle Association (NRA), Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC), member U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA), Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA), Commemorative Bucks of Michigan (CBM).