When I quit hunting with my modern bolt action rifles, the first old rifle I chose to take hunting was this Ballard Union Hill rifle in .38-55 caliber.
I had shot it a lot at ranges from 100-200 yds. and after some practice at these distances, I decided I'd set the tang sight for 150 yds. where the gun and I were plenty accurate for deer shots, and use the rear barrel sight for anything under that range.
Of course my choice of rifles brought some smiles and chuckles from my hunting partners who found it humorous to say the least to use a scheutzen rifle for deer. But opening morning we trudged the 90 min. hike up our favorite trail to a ridge top, and then we split up to head East and West checking draws. I stopped with my nephew at the first big draw, and we sat waiting for deer to exit, or enter the draw. I'd taken several bucks there in the past, and knew it always held deer; just not sure if any would be bucks or does?
After a short wait a line of does began heading up out of the bottom of the draw, and we counted 14 when the herd ended. I sat there waiting in hopes a straggler might be a buck, but no more came out. We were about to get up and check other draws when I spotted antlers over the edge rising gradually higher in view! I raised my rifle, and cocked the hammer, and sat ready for a shot. My nephew asked me what I was aiming at just as the buck's shoulder rose high enough in view to fire. Rather than answer him I touched off the trigger, and the buck went down. I had guesstimated about 150 yds. so I used the tang sight to aim. A check with his range finder afterwards showed my nephew a reading of 140 yds. Close enough to be right on my point of aim, and a clean one shot kill.
Only issue was after he dropped, he gave one last kick, and rolled all the way to the bottom of the draw, so we had to haul him a lot further than he'd been had he not kicked.
210 lbs., and a 4x5 rack. One of the best and certainly the heaviest bucks I've ever taken. No more chuckles about my choice of rifles after that first year!
