257 Weatherby 120 gr. Gameking – 50 foot shot!

This was a great hunt with some fond memories, one coming from my taxidermist.  His comment came as surprise to me “bubba, couldn’t you guys find the big buck!”

I remember my first kill with my 257 Weatherby MK V Left-Handed custom rifle and what happened to the rifle after the first kill.   I had been up at Wild Bill Campbell’s place on East Birch Creek Rd, outside of Pilot Rock, OR. I had just killed a big Black Bear down in California Gulch up off of Pearson Creek.   We had gotten the bear back to the cabin and Bill had asked to see my new fancy Weatherby.   He took out a pocket knife and turned the rifle upside down and said to me “bubba, this rifle will have a lot of kills and I need to mark it for you.”   About that time Wild Bill notched the butt stock pad of the rifle.   I know sometime later that I had more than 30 notches in the butt stock pad of that rifle. So with fond memories and trying follow Wild Bill’s first notch, I took this nice buck with the 257 Weatherby.   I shot the buck so close, that I took off a dead run and did not notice the half down barbwire fence of yester year about 50 feet in front of me.   I and the Weatherby ran into the fence and had a nice landing; I also ruined a great pair of worn Levis.