A mature axis stag is a very regal animal that makes a beautiful trophy. This buck, taken at the 700 Springs Ranch near Junction, Texas, dressed out at 189 pounds. He was shot at about 175 yards with a Sisk .257 Roberts built on a Winchester model 70 push feed action. The rifle had a 20 inch barrel and over 40 grains of Ramshot Big Game powder, Barnes 115 Triple Shocks left the barrel at just over 2900 fps. The X Bullet performed perfectly.

Something that added to the uniqueness of this hunt was the SmartScope from Adirondack Optics. Digital technology allows the SmartScope to take a photograph at the moment you pull the trigger giving you a kill shot of the animal in your sights. The SmartScope will also take a photo without pulling the trigger, allowing you to capture images of animals you decide to pass on.

Richard Mann

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