By Rick Messick

November 25, 2017

This is my 3rd season hunting and I finally got my Buck!
The past two years I've hunted using a 28" field barrel with a improved choke and Remington 1oz rifled slug.
This year I've switched to a 24" fully rifled barrel and scope, using HORNADY 12GA SABOT!
I will never hunt with a rifled slug again.
I only had my scope sighted in at 25-30 yards, so I wasn't too confident stepping out into the field with it and was worried the whole time, wondering if I'd get "The Perfect Shot"
Well, just before sunset, here comes my Buck, on my left about 70 yards or so.
No way I was gonna pass it up!
I aim, shoot and miss!
He ran out in front of me, even farther out and I shoot again....
Miss! Again, moves farther away, I shoot....
Miss!
By this time, I'm shaking and losing hope that I'll ever get him, but I was NOT giving up!
I find him in my sight, aim high, fire and...
He jumps! Then he starts walking away and then I see him fall to the ground.
I hit him, I was so excited!
I'm shaking, trying not to yell, out of excitement!
By now it's almost all the way dark outside.
I make my way out of the stand and head to where he fell and start looking for him.
I don't see him!
My heart sinks and I start to think he's gone.
But then, my hunting buddy finds some blood and we track it about 20 feet from where he fell and there he was, eyes glowing bright from the beam of my flashlight!
Once again, the excitement hit me, I was so happy!
I would have NEVER made that shot with a rifled slug.
I was able to map the distance of my shot, on google maps.
I hit my Buck in the lungs at roughly 110 yards!
ONLY WITH HORNADAY!