Hunting Season is Upon Us

[Creedmoor]

Actually you can use 300 Win Mag on anything from frogs to wookies.

You got a good point, do you suggest Remington Bronze Points for Wookies?

 

[DadSmith]

This is the internet, I think you forgot to add "at a 1000 yards, with a 30 mph crosswind, using a .45-70".

Well I've taken shots that avg around 1,800".

 

[two70]

So help me understand exactly what I am going to learn the hard way? Not being argumentative just wondering?

You seem to have this idea that it is as simple as picking up a gun and going out to shoot a deer. There are a lot of things that can go wrong, especially when you choose an extremely small vital area with no margin of error that tends to move frequently and rapidly in unpredictable ways. Do you really want to make a mistake, blow a deer's jaw off and leave it to slowly starve to death over the course of weeks just because you think you know what you're doing?

So I am detecting an assumption here. it appears you are insinuating that my experience is restricted to punching holes in paper targets. ?
Also their element is also my element, I am out there daily, as circumstances dictate that all kids are accounted for and everyone is where they should be.

As you stated yourself, you've never hunted a day in your life, that's all I really need to know. To put it in terms you might better understand, it'd be like someone who has never cared for livestock of any kind asking you what breed of goat to buy to let loose in the back 40, then arguing with you when you tell them there is a bit more to think about.

Ok seriously we are talking our pasture here! Pretty sure I am aware of our pasture and it’s vast areas of nothing.

So you plan on sitting out in the wide ass open and expect the deer to just walk right up to you?

Yes I have a measuring wheel, it has a digital read out that records distance, we purchased one to help estimate the amount of fencing we would need when we were cross fencing. Sure beats dragging a 100 foot tape measure and marking all point between and adding everything up to get your distance, plus the wheel is a lot faster and more accurate.

Good enough then. I hope you measure and mark your distances before hand.

Well to be honest yes I practice once a week both Long Gun and Handgun. Our range is situated so that we have capabilities of shooting out to approximately 1000 feet. Not bragging but hard work and making sound financial decisions pays off.
Ah yes I am more than capable of calculating trajectory and projectile drop. Additionally I am confused about about your question? Hitting everywhere along the way? POA=POI there,is nothing to hit along the way. Additionally small is a relative term.

When you shoot at close range the bullet will impact below point of aim due to the height of your sights above the bore. It could easily be enough to turn a brain shot into a lingering death and unrecovered deer. The situation is made even worse if you don't sight your rifle in for relatively short range in the first place. Also, it is easy to say that you will be able to calculate trajectory now but when you have deer that close, you probably won't have the time even if you do have the ability.

We are not in a low lying area and wind conditions are consistently calm. Locals refer areas around the mountains and ridges as a bowl it is not necessarily a circular concave area. And the area we are referring to is about 40 acres. That being said wind conditions are not consistent with being in South Dakota or even parts of Indiana for that matter.

You said the area you plan to hunt is at the base of a hill. It doesn't matter what it is shaped like, unless it is a really wide valley the wind will swirl in low areas below the tops of hills and ridges. Calm winds are more prone to being inconsistent to begin with.

I am fairly sure additionally setting up for a longer shot is not optimal. Not understanding why I would take a longer shot then required? Given our set up and topography it makes no sense to set up for a longer shot as you put it. The area in question is beyond all cross fencing and obstruction free, that is why I have my range out there. Not the most convenient however it is the most practical.

Of course shorter shots would be better but the deer are not going to willing comply with your plan to shoot them. It'd be optimal if the deer walked right up to your processing area, announced their presence and waited to get shot. Deer are not typically that cooperative. You might get away with shooting one or two before they figure out what is going on if the deer are completely unpressured. Sooner rather than later they are going to learn to associate you with danger and will learn to avoid you. Especially, if you insist on getting within 50 yards and hunting where they are likely to smell you.

 

[nonobaddog]

Or like in the old days... see deer, shoot deer, tie 'em on the fender

 

[cg21]

You seem to have this idea that it is as simple as picking up a gun and going out to shoot a deer. There are a lot of things that can go wrong, especially when you choose an extremely small vital area with no margin of error that tends to move frequently and rapidly in unpredictable ways. Do you really want to make a mistake, blow a deer's jaw off and leave it to slowly starve to death over the course of weeks just because you think you know what you're doing?

As you stated yourself, you've never hunted a day in your life, that's all I really need to know. To put it in terms you might better understand, it'd be like someone who has never cared for livestock of any kind asking you what breed of goat to buy to let loose in the back 40, then arguing with you when you tell them there is a bit more to think about.

So you plan on sitting out in the wide ass open and expect the deer to just walk right up to you?

Good enough then. I hope you measure and mark your distances before hand.

When you shoot at close range the bullet will impact below point of aim due to the height of your sights above the bore. It could easily be enough to turn a brain shot into a lingering death and unrecovered deer. The situation is made even worse if you don't sight your rifle in for relatively short range in the first place. Also, it is easy to say that you will be able to calculate trajectory now but when you have deer that close, you probably won't have the time even if you do have the ability.

You said the area you plan to hunt is at the base of a hill. It doesn't matter what it is shaped like, unless it is a really wide valley the wind will swirl in low areas below the tops of hills and ridges. Calm winds are more prone to being inconsistent to begin with.

Of course shorter shots would be better but the deer are not going to willing comply with your plan to shoot them. It'd be optimal if the deer walked right up to your processing area, announced their presence and waited to get shot. Deer are not typically that cooperative. You might get away with shooting one or two before they figure out what is going on if the deer are completely unpressured. Sooner rather than later they are going to learn to associate you with danger and will learn to avoid you. Especially, if you insist on getting within 50 yards and hunting where they are likely to smell you.

I blame Hollywood for the misconception movies and tv make hunting look like you just walk out with a gun and that is it. (Same can be said for shooting accurately)


People think the deer they see in the city are stupid and of course easy to hunt. Like you stated those deer don’t associate people with danger yet. After the first couple drop, city deer become elusive like the frequently hunted country deer. (Same with squirrels)

People like to use the argument that people have been doing it since the beginning of time…. True but it is a LEARNED skill and the shooting portion of the skill is perishable. Not to mention when hunting meant having dinner or not having dinner people took things a little more seriously.

 

[BigRed]

Looking forward to being in the woods in a few days... most of my time will be spent just enjoying the time in the woods.

 

[Creedmoor]

Or like in the old days... see deer, shoot deer, tie 'em on the fender

My dad tied them to the roof rack on my moms Pontiac Catalina wagon.

 

[Hookeye]

Had a 145# antlerless and a 185# 12 pointer.....in the back seat of a CJ5.
Got lots of honks and thumbs ups on the way home

 

[nonobaddog]

Had a 145# antlerless and a 185# 12 pointer.....in the back seat of a CJ5.
Got lots of honks and thumbs ups on the way home

I've seen people tie up the antlers to the roll bar in a CJ5 so it almost looks like the deer is a passenger.

 

[KARP]

Took home a doe I shot with my bow in my 1987 ford escort once. I had to put the back seat down to have enough room.
It was the first week of October and a little warm still. Drove the hour home with all the windows down.

 

[Michigan Slim]

My wife had a 77 Firebird when we were first married. The spoiler was just the nuts for hauling a deer. She didn't think so but there was no way I was using my 69 Camaro to haul one!

 

[Caleb8521]

So I am going to say this right out of the gate, in case what I am asking sounds stupid. But I have Never gone hunting a day in my life. With Dog food being kind of pricey right now I am thinking of taking a deer or two. Not bragging just saying my Rifle Marksman skills are well above average.

With that being said head shots are not going to be an issue. We are talking relatively short distance here, maybe 30 to 40 yards. And it would be on our property and the section I would be hunting in would be in what I like to call the salad bowl its at the base of a massive hill.

With that being said what would you recommend for Caliber and Rifle?

Thanks

With being less than 40 yards and taking head shots almost any caliber would work but to minimize your chance of something happening and missing the deer the high shoulder shot almost always drops the deer in it’s track for that you could use 357mag 45lc 350 legend 300blk 300hamr 308 12g 20g and many more would drop the deer in its tracks.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Took home a doe I shot with my bow in my 1987 ford escort once.

How she got in my escort I'll never know...

 

[wcd]

Update, Sunday about 16:00 Ruger Scout Rifle for the Freezer filler, for The LGD’s large buck, single shot taken 0 steps Traveled.

Never realized how handy a loader can be for unconventional tasks.

 

[Caleb8521]

How old do y’all think this buck is?

 

[two70]

How old do y’all think this buck is? View attachment 235756

In that position, which is not ideal, it looks like his neck is not quite filled out all of the way down to the brisket and both his back and belly lines are real straight indicating 3.5. He could possibly be 4.5 but it doesn't look older than that.

 

[Caleb8521]

took this nice raccoon at 20 yards last night

 

[Michigan Slim]

How old do y’all think this buck is? View attachment 235756

3.5.

 

[Christow19]

So I am going to say this right out of the gate, in case what I am asking sounds stupid. But I have Never gone hunting a day in my life. With Dog food being kind of pricey right now I am thinking of taking a deer or two. Not bragging just saying my Rifle Marksman skills are well above average.

With that being said head shots are not going to be an issue. We are talking relatively short distance here, maybe 30 to 40 yards. And it would be on our property and the section I would be hunting in would be in what I like to call the salad bowl its at the base of a massive hill.

With that being said what would you recommend for Caliber and Rifle?

Thanks

At 40 yards a well placed 22LR would kill them. Obviously not recommended but you get the point. I hunt with a 6.5 Creedmore

 

[Christow19]

While headshots would kill a deer outright, hitting the shot ethically seems to be less efficient than going for the lungs/heart. Especially when it comes time to make the shot