By DallasGamble

December 9, 2013

What started out as a trip to put peas out for the Elk, turned into my biggest Whitetail yet.
My pops asked me along and to bring my gun. He was surprised when I walked up with my single shot H&R 30/30. I could sense his uneasiness with my choice of weapon. When peas were poured and card was changed, we pulled out of the area and stopped for our smoke and coffee chat. He asked if I had time to sit in the blind to see if any Elk would show up. We walked out with the 30-06 and the 30/30.
We sat for 45 minutes and then spied this little buck coming in and eating fast as he kept glancing over his shoulders. Out walked a Doe and ate with him for a few seconds. Then they both watched a bigger buck come in. He was still a smaller buck too. Then the Elk showed up. A small herd of cows and one calf. They chased off the deer and held them off to about 30 yards. So I contemplated which Cow to take and when I was finally settling the crosshairs at 170yds, we noticed a large silhouette at the second pile to the left of us. We were trying to figure out what it was, when I spotted a large mass moving in the willows. When it finally appeared and came out with the snow as a back drop, my heart pounded and breathing picked up pace. He was not bothered by the cows and they let him be. He walked around the bait and went straight at the Doe. Then left her and came towards the other mass we were looking at. As he got closer, I knew he was decent. He stopped and knew something was right and if he moved, his goose was cooked. He stayed perfectly still for about 3mins,that seemed like an hour. When he finally moved, it was a result of the 160gr FTX Leverevolution 30/30 bullet, crushing his ribs and blowing up his heart. He was at 100yds broadside and made it to 110yds crashing in the deadfall. He is my biggest to date and definitely not my last with my H&R 30/30. One Shot - One Kill. It was the first shot taken at any game animal to date the single shot.