Very good little rifle. I have one with .223, 30/30 and 45/70 barrels. KDog70 is correct... with the 45/70 barrel in place it quite the little kicker. With the 30/30 barrel is a pushover. We use the set in our hunter ed classes to introduce kids to centerfire rifles. Since they can be carried broken they are extremely safe for the neophyte. We also use it as a loaner gun on youth hunts. Since one can shoot pointed bullets from a 30/30 single shot, a handi rifle in that caliber with a suitable handload and spitzer bullet is quite a good little deer gun with a bit of added range. The 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip is one such bullet. Standard 30/30 ammo does quite well also.

Deer lice AKA the Deer Ked. They are as common as ticks on deer in the south and are actually a wingless fly. Check out the link for Derr keds and other nasties on and in deer. http://instruction.cvhs.okstate.edu/kocan/vpar5333/deerpar.htm

WA Mtn, I'm 48.

I don't know about the paste but the real thing is my favorite number one catfish bait of all time!

In todays market I'd go with the XL7 for price and effectiveness.

There are very few establishments left where one can find truly knowledgeable counter help. I love to go into our area Bass Pro Shop and listen to the junior know it all's and their advice to customers. One of the latest was a counter monkey telling a fellow looking at a nice little Remington Model 7 in .308 that he would never recommend hunting deer (whitetails) with anything less than a .300 Win Mag! Another favorite is to look for the senior counter monkey and ask him a question. They look as if you are bothering them and usually sigh and then give you a 3 word answer followed by another long sigh... I'm glad I can answer most of my own questions!

Double the price for 150 fps... I think not!

We hunters can be a strange lot at times.

Auburn, Here is a partial post from a similar question I answered from last week. I have a very good opinion of the Stoeger 2000. I bought one 3 years ago at Bass Pro for an incredible price ($315 out the door). The model I bought is the blue/synthetic with a 26 inch barrel. It came with 5 choke tubes (Skeet, Imp, Mod, Full and extended turkey). It will use any choke tube threaded for a Benelli of similar gauge. It weighs in at just under 7 pounds. I originally bought the shotgun for use as a client/friend/loaner gun for upland, turkey and goose hunts and also for hunts requiring air travel. As I said I've been well pleased as have the folks who have used it. Several of those "borrowers" have purchased their own Stoeger 2000. As you know it is made on the Benelli patent in Turkey. It differs from the Benelli mainly in that the recoil spring is located in the fore end rather than the butt stock. This arrangement allows the fairly light gun to balance well in my opinion. According to a company rep the internals are the same as those used in the Franchi I12 selling for much more. It is easy and simple to disassemble for cleaning. Because no gas is involved the gun stays clean and does not require adjustments for each load fired. It will feed any load I've tried 1 1/8 ounce and heavier all the way up to 2 oz turkey loads. The company recommends no loads lighter than 1 1/8 ounces but it even fed some high speed one ounce loads. It will pattern well with most any load and is a pleasure to shoot even with heavy loads. When first introduced 10 years ago the gun had a few problems, since then the issues have been dealt with and the guns are now quite solid. The 2000 is in my opinion an incredible value. A poor man's Benelli if you will. As far as recoil the inertia guns are not as bad as a pump but not as light as a gas operated gun. I'm well satisfied with the Stoeger, I also own a Benelli. FYI, I chose to use the Stoeger 2000 on a dove hunt yesterday. Good guns in 12 and 20 gauge, black synthetic, wood or camo. Stoeger has a mercury recoil reducer available as an acessory for the 2000 but I see no need in it even with 3 inch waterfowl loads. You can buy this gun for over $1000 less than a Benelli. If you have $400 to spend buy the Stoeger, if you have $1500 or more to spend, buy which ever you prefer, you won't be sorry! Cheers! http://www.stoegerindustries.com/firearms/stoeger_model_2000.php

It sounds as if he has set up his stand to intercept deer moving from the thick cover and into the swamp or another feeding area. As BuckHunter alluded to you might just disrupt the travel pattern to his stand. I'd talk with Uncle and clear it with him. Sometimes we old farts have learned a thing or two over the years...

Google Earth works well for me as does Tiger. Check out the link below: http://tiger.census.gov/cgi-bin/mapbrowse-tbl

WMH, I have used all three for years with no perceived problems. I don't get into any real extremes down here but I have shot quite a few rounds with these powders at or near 100 degrees. The same loads functioned just as well in the mid to lower teens. RE 19 is my .300 Win/WSM powder and I use the other two extensivlely in 30/06. Cheers!

The yellow perch is native to most river drainages in the south, however thay are not a significant sporting species and usually are quite small in size. The biggest yellow perch I have ever caught (1.5 pounds) came out of the Flint River south of Montezuma GA. I caught it on a chartreuse curly tail grub while fishing for Whitebass on their spring run. The Flint is a tributary of the Apalachicola. In the southeast the fish are often called Racoon Perch due to thier coloration which features black verticle barring.

I'll go one farther, I have sent an email out to my friends and colleagues asking that they donate $5 (the price of a cheap meal at McDonald's) to the cause. I urge everyone to do this and we should be able to raise a pile of money. If you don't want to send cash send a WalMart Gift Card. The family shops as Wally world in Ottawa KS.

I use a product called Permalyn sealer on the Turkey calls I build. It seals with a nice flat finsih and penetrates deeply to protect from moisture intrusion. If a more glossy finish is desired thier Permalyn finish is in order. Check out the link. http://www.laurelmountainforge.com/sealer.htm

I have killed literally tons of them with my favorite old 30/06 and a 165 grain Remington Corelokt. Any cartridge in the 30/06, .308, .270, .280, 7mm-08 range will work fine. The 45/70 is also a mighty fine hog round. In my neck of the woods the crop destroying b@$+@&ds get big. I've killed several over 500 pounds and many in the 200-300 pound class. They are typically covered with mud and on boars the shoulder shields (gristle, scar tissue and callous under the hide) can be quite thick thus sturdy bullet construction is a must. Light for caliber and lightly constructed bullets will open up too fast even on the average porker. Over the years I've used the 165 grain Remington Corelokt in 30/06 hand loads to kill many many hogs. I've found this old bullet to hold together well for initial penetration having enough left to drive deep, destroy tissue and dump energy. They were and still are inexpensive and they work. I've also used the various incarnations of the Barnes X with great success in the '06, .308 and even the 25/06. I once ran across a big old boar courting a hot sow and he was quite possessive. Five well placed Barnes X's in a sudden and intense firefight finally convinced him he didn't want any more and neither did I... When they get liquored up it is amazing how much damage they can take before taking that long dirt nap! Stay away from small bores like the .243. Choose a heavily constructed bullet from the current crop of bonded core offerings or X's and slay the vermin. The only good wild hog is a dead one!

Excellent for the job!

In the power belt I'd go with the 275 grain Aero Tip. the bullet will have a better Ballistic Coefficient for longer range shots. As the other guys said that is pushing it a might with a muzzleloader.

Pretty low velocity for a pellet intended for squirrel. Shoot for the head a body shot at that velocity will most probably result in a wounded squirrel.

I'll try an post the picture which is a little fuzzy. Del's buddy Dan who is a taxidermist immediately confiscated it from me so that he can mount the bird.

Wonderful, enthusiastic boys! The boys really appreciate all the bloggers on this site have done for them. Please keep the family in your prayers and on the prayer list at your church. I'll try to post the pics today. If I can;t get them up I'll send them to Del for him to post.

.54 caliber round ball, .530 in diameter, 230 grains in weight. 17/1000 thick pillow ticking for a patch cut at the muzzle lubed with Track of the Wolf Mink Oil. 90 grains of FFG GOEX for the charge.

The gland on the the foot is called the interdigital gland and it is located between the toes.

It has been my prefrence to use the 165 grain slugs in my .308 loads. I feel the 180's are a tad heavy for the .308. Nothing wrong with them though neither is any thing wronf with the 150's, your choice...

Del, I shoot 3 flint guns I built myself from scratch parts. One is a "mythical" (no one has ever seen an original) flintlock Hawken in .58 cal., the second is a Lancaster style rifle in .50 cal., the last a southern style rifle in .40 caliber. The Hawken wears an Early English style lock from L&R, the Lancaster and Southern wear Siler Locks from Jim Chambers. I use black English gun flints in them all. I get them mostly from Track of the Wolf. They usually have a large supply of various sizes and will pick thick or thin ones for you in case your lock has a preference. These flints are hand knapped in England and are relatively uniform. I try to stock up when I can as the supply is sometime iffy and like everything else they keep getting more expensive!

Standard velocity solid point. Rabbit police I don't know about that hollow point requirement. I don't see it in the GA regs...

I am a fan of the 25/06 myself. I call it a coyote's worst nightmare. That 85 grain bullets at somewhere around Warp 6 will really let the air out of them.

If the border isn't already open we must have very large leak somewhere!

Glock 23 in 40 S&W.

Check out Academy Sports if one is near you. They are having a heck of a sale on Shotshells including .410's.

Yes, both fox and gray albinos

The APEX is a good, sound, dependable rifle.

Squirrel, .22 LR

North Georgia Mountains will net you Native Brook Trout along with Rainbows and Browns.

Big fan of the 870.

Cabela's, Bass Pro, Gander Mountain, Sportsman's Warehouse, even WalMart. Shop the bargain cave online at Cabela's for some grat bargains, especially on clothing.

Keep you eyes closed...

The black bear should not be problem to you. If he does follow the advice above.

I've been hunting from a Summit Goliath for about 5 years. It is very portable, I've walked it in and out several miles on ocassion. It is rock steady, easy and quick to set up, and comfortable. I also don't see any way to fall out of it with out working extremely hard or doing someting extremely stupid.

Depends on how much area is inside the fence. If it is less than a 1000 acres I'm not much for it. Over a 1000 acres and there is some challenge... but over all I would prefer free range and no fences. I do not like baiting at all. There is no challenge to sitting on a feeder. Sooner or later game will show up. To me this is like shooting a cow in a feed lot. Feeding deer from a feeder also greatly increases the risk of spreading diseases such as EHD or Chronic Wasting Disease. There are those that say food plots are just feeders. I disagree with that also. Food plots done right require an investment of time, labor, equipment, money and cooperation from mother nature. They will provide sustinance for deer after the season when they need good balanced nutrition the most. With food plots 1/4 acre or larger there is less chance of spreading disease and forages don't upset the balance of a deer's rumen the way some feeds do.

Corn belt states and Kansas

Ditto on the regular factory loads and stay away from the heavy 175 grain slugs also. Make sure the gun is properly cleaned and try the factory standard ammo. The 140-160 grain loads should yield good results. Stick with 140's for a little less recoil. I also ask, why buy a 7 mag and shoot reduced recoil ammo...?

I'm not a big fan of buckshot loads for 20 GA guns. rifled slugs would be an option. Try them with open choke tubes installed.

Georgia Numbers 2007-2008 TOTAL HARVEST 350,715 LICENSED RESIDENT DEER HUNTERS 194,417 PERCENT DOES IN HARVEST 59.2% LICENSED, NON-RESIDENT DEER HUNTERS 48,604 TOTAL BUCKS 143,092 HONORARY DEER HUNTERS 35,061 TOTAL DOES 207,623 LIFETIME LICENSE DEER HUNTERS (>6 YRS. OLD) 15,003 AVERAGE DEER PER HUNTER 1.23 TOTAL DEER HUNTERS 291,911 AVERAGE DAYS PER DEER 17.63 PERCENT SUCCESSFUL HUNTERS2 53.4% AVERAGE DAYS PER HUNTER 21.70

I'll take the 30/06 because of versatility. It has a tremendous range of bullet weights and factory loads available for it. It is probably the most common ammo on the planet next to .22 LR. The .270 also holds very little advantage over the '06 in trajectory either.

Marlin 336 in .35 Remington. 1960's model made and finshed like a Swiss Watch, smooth as silk with a great trigger. A rifle I would really love to have back. Some scum bag stole it...

It is amazing what a wild animal can adapt to. Sounds like it could be complications from Hemorrhagic disease. The disease causes (amoung other things)reduced blood flow to the extremities and sloughing of hooves is quite common. Partial loss of limbs to subsequent secondary infections is also a real possibility with HD. You did the right thing and your heart is in the right place.

Hjohn, You are a classic case of passive/agressive behavior. Go look that up and think about it for a while. Also work on that foul mouth...

Never enough!

They are found in about 3 out of 5 squirrels in my area of GA until the month of October. I've ssen them with as many as 10 Warbels at the time. They come off with the hide of the squirrel and do not affect the quality of the flesh, they do effect the appetite of the hunter in most cases. I prefere to do my squirrel hunting after a good frost or at least a few cold nights. The ticks are not as bad and neither are the skeeters. As for the Wolves, Warbels or Bots (take a pick as to what you call them) they are gone too! To answer your question, yes I've eaten squirrels with Bot fly larva infestations.

Stick with the foster type (lead). The sabot type don't typically give good accuracy from regular barrels.

Remington 870 Express Youth model in 20 Gauge will be an effective firearm for upland and small game hunting as wells as deer with the proper ammo. A nice .22 LR would also be appropiate.

Buck Mark, Ruger Single 6

I don't agree with you guys on cheap shot shells right now. You can buy stuff for $5-$6 a box. First of all this is not cheap, especially for what you get. If you don't believe me cut one of these "Dove" loads open and you will find misshapen shot and quite often fiber wads with a poly wrapper around the shot instead of a plastic wad. Better loads are $7 to $10 dollars per box. Cetainly not cheap... A person can reload high quality shotshells for about the same price or slightly cheaper than you would pay for promotional "dove" or cheap target loads. A Mec jr. loader is a good investment. I bought one used in 1980 and I still use it. If you don't want to spend that much the Lee Load All Shotshell Reloader can be had for about $45.(Cablelas) These loaders work surprisingly well and last for years. I started reloading shot shells for a 16 GA shotgun in 1978 with one of these, it still works! Load data is readily available on the web from Alliant and Hodgedon. Shot is getting cheaper and 12 GA hulls are also cheap. I like the Remington STS hulls, the AA HS is OK but not quite as good as the old AA (my opinion)

Chartreuse or White

Worms, cut shad, cut shiners, cut bream, crawfish. Shrimp are also good. There are tons of "stink" baits out there some good some not so good. Experiment and have fun.

Dodge, I've had good luck with their product. I have also driven a Chevy and have nothing against them.

I started hunting at 6 with my Dad. He would take me hunting on short outings for squirrels. He made sure the weather was good and made sure I was learning. He took me fishing as soon as I could hold a pole. He made sure to take me to a pond where little bream were easy to catch. In short he got met hooked early. My wife and I did the same with our son.

If you have permission to hunt the property I'd find nothing wrong with using the foundation shrubs around the home as a natural blind!!!!! Harvest the venison good man with a clean conscious!

I think that is illegal in every state including California!

Slow stalking along grain field edges in early morning and late evening are effective ways to take feeding cotton tails. Use cover to your advantge and look way ahead with your binocs. Once can be successful slowly stalking through brushy areas with a move and stop routine. Stomping limbs, and small tagles of vines and brush along the way. Move slowly at all times and you will unnerve many cotton tails that will typically circle and come back to thier bed. Be patient. Bedding is also effective. Move slowly through brushy areas and around brush piles looking in, through and under them. Look for that Black Marble of an eye, then shoot him in it. My Dad was a master at this using a .22 Buffalo Scout pistol and .22 shorts.

No, I prefer to cut up my own. I do have a great amount of experience cutting meat going back to my days on the farm and a meat science class in college. Cutting meat is simple if you understand the basics. There are a number of online videos that cover the subject well. Also check out this link to an old UGA publication: http://www.askthemeatman.com/pdf%20files/Venison_From_Field_To_Table_010504.pdf

When you look at one it reminds you greatly of a Remington 700 with its reciever milled octagon. Lots of cash for that type of rifle.

Hens do develop spurs at times. They very often develop beards which are in all respects the same as a gobblers except for sheer size.

I would love to fish for Atlantic Salmon in Ireland!

I like Kent #4 FastSteel for ducks and even kill quite a few geese with the load over decoys. For a stand alone goose load the #2 Federal Black Cloud is very effective.

P&Y is for Bow only animals. B&C will list either.

Here is a simple one that will make even the toughest old buck right good table fare. Dice up 1-2 pounds venison round or shoulder in 3/4 inch chunks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a touch of garlic powder and brown in a skillet lightly lubed with olive oil. Chop up one large red onion, one large bellpepper (color optional), 2 cloves of garlic (to your taste) and 12-15 whole mushrooms. Line a large Casserole dish with aluminum foil leaving enough extra to fold over the top and create a seal. Mix the chopped ingredients with the browned meat and add to the foil lined dish. Pour in one 15 oz can of crushed or chopped tomatoes. Sprinke with salt and pepper to taste. Close foil to form a seal and place in a 350 degree oven for 90 minutes. Can also be cooked in a crock pot. When done serve as a stew with crusty bread. A good meal for a cold night! Here is a simple one for you rabbit hunters. Debone 2 cottontails and cut meat up into 1 inch chunks. Soak in butter milk and hotsauce for about one hour. Remove the rabbit from the soak and roll in seasoned flour. Fry quickly until just brown. In a skillet saute one medium onion finely chopped in butter. When done add 2 cans of mushroom soup and 2 cans of water, stir away clumps. Add the browned rabbit, season with black pepper to taste and a pinch of salt. Simmer for 45 minutes. Serve over egg noodels.

Yes, It is back breaking work, but well worth it!

May Dad taught me to still hunt for squirrels when I was very young. He used a walking stick made from bamboo that was very light and just over head high. He would shoot off of the back of his hand while gripping the stick. I still use his method even when still hunting for other species and use a shorter version when in a blind. It works well and also can be used for lots of other tasks (in the long version) like snake removal and checking the depth of mud holes...

The less moving around you do is usually best, you are less likely to spook birds. As Jay said try to set up on gobbling birds as close as possible without spooking them. If gobbling is sparse then I like to quietly walk ridge lines and set up and call every 100 - 150 yards or so. I typically stay put at least 20 minutes or so at each location.

Classic old tale of taking answering the call. I was hunting a WMA Hog hunt on a drizzly morning. Folks were zapping pork all around me and nary a pig was in sight. I have to spend a penny so to speak and whilst in the process along comes a nice BBQ hog of about 65 lbs. literally right up to my... uh... shall we say stream... Said gun is leaning against obligatory tree and well you guys know the rest. Away trots the pork and I'm left ...well... not quite empty handed but close enough...

Sorry to hear that! I was hoping to see some photos of outsized horney heads!

The .308 with 150 or 165 grain bullets will be more than equal to any whitetail and that ocassional hog you run across. I have shot literally tons of feral hogs with Remington's 165 grain Corelokt bullets in hand loads out of a 30/06 at 2800, about the same as the .308 factory stuff. I load the same slug for my Dad's .308 Ruger M77 at 2700. Deer and hogs wilt when they run afoul of his rifle. You can buy the same loads over the counter in the Remington green box ammo. These are all you need for woods hunting or even for taking a poke out to 300 yards provided you are practiced to that distance. This ammo won't cost you a fortune either! I recently aquired a Savage 16 FLHSS (stainless)in 7mm-08. It is basically the same rifle as the one you are looking to buy except for a longer, lighter contour barrel and the stainless of course. The rifle handles well, shoots well and is a pleasure to carry. It wears a Burris 2X7 with the optional German 3P#4 reticle. It is certainly gaining favor as my woods gun of the moment. I'm looking forward to a little still hunting in the palmettos and oak flats for a nice porker or 12 with this gun!

Seth, I think they even restrict the size bird shot that you shoot through that tube. Those are pretty tight and would probably be damaged by buckshot. Check with the manufacturer on that one.

Good old fashioned country fried steak. Take your loin medallions and cube them lightly. Toss them in seasoned flour and fry quickly. Remove and drain. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the fat from frying and brown 1/2 cup chopped onions in the fry pan. Sprinkle with the seasoned flour until all the fat is taken up then add milk stirring constantly to make a gravy. Return the medallion to the gravy and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and other sides of your choice!

Sunflower seeds and bird feed are cheap sources of squirrel fodder.

At tree stand ranges the effect will be little to none. At gentle angles even at long range the effects will be little to nothing. At longer ranges and steeper angles one must compensate by holding lower. For a more detailed explanation see the link below. http://www.chuckhawks.com/shooting_uphill.htm

In my experience the 7600 and its stock design create punishing recoil for a young shooter and I don't appreciate it worth a hoot either and I'm 6'1. As Del said a Youth style bolt gun in the calibers mentioned would be a better choice. If he is a younger shooter the longer stock may be a problem for him as well as his length of reach to work the pump. If you insist on going through with the 7600 I'd suggest feeding it the Remington Reduced recoil loads.

I see no need in them. A good scope works just as well up close. I have no trouble at all seeing clearly even at 10 yards through a 3X or 4X setting on a scope.

Not my favorite shot, but I have done it successfully. In my neck of the woods it is usually not necessary as we mostly stand hunt.

Wrong on the acorns, cattle will eat them like deer. This creates a problem with cattle called acorn toxicity, but the cattle will eat them any way, even if well fed. There is not a forage or mast crop that I know of that cattle won't eat. Deer however do not find forage grasses very inviting, if you see one in a pasture it is probably eating native clovers or weeds.

Correct your sights by elevating the rear sight until you strike the target where you desire at 50 yards or what ever distance you plan on shooting. Then shoot a group to make sure you are hitting where you are pointing.

Choose the latest manual in print for the bullet brand you intend to shoot. As has been said the Hodgdon site is an excellent source for info on Hodgdon, IMR and Winchester Powders. The Lyman manual is also an excellent reference.

As some one who has beem involved with a great deal of wildlife research I would not. Unless... I know the deer is part of a terminal or mortality related research program.

Yes, very much so on both accounts. The new "squishy" recoil pads are nice too.

On the light end of the .30 caliber spectrum I prefer the 150's. I've shot Hornady's 130 and found no real difference in recoil or effect on target over the 150 grain slugs. I'll stick with the 150 for better BC and SD.

Congrats to you and the boys. Keep up the good work! Look forward to seeing you on the 13th.

My placement: Savage, Remington, Howa... sorry Weatherby Vanguard...

Gee, a stand site where I'm guaranteed a deer at exactly 6:45 AM every day! Where do I sign up! Sounds like you are living the "good old days". If you don't like technology, don't buy it and don't use it! With a stand site like that who needs technology...

I would back away slowly and wait for a chance to view the Vinci. I'm betting it will look like something a Klingon would be armed with in a Star trek movie...

Say thank you and give him a hug. As the other guys said this is a clue that he would like you to hunt with him! He is taking you under his wing, listen to him and learn from his experience!

Sectional density is a little greater for the .35 slugs. You didn't say if the 180 core lokt is the round nose or spitzer version...? I think I'll take the .35 caliber rounds.

Rooster Tails and Mepps in various sizes will do an excellent job on the afore mentioned and panfish as well. Happy casting!

Excellent bait!

A chartreuse spinner bait with gold blads is versatile and hard to beat. It can be fishe on top, at mid depth and slow rolled around structure.

I'll haul them off to the other side of the county and turn them out in a National Forest tract. I'm getting soft in my old age...

Both are made by Hodgdon. Pyrodex is more "dirty" than 777. 777 will deliver slightly more velocity along with pressure and can be cleaned effectively with just water and cleaning patches. 777 does not leave near the fouling that Pyrodex does. In my opinion both have about the same ignition qualities. My preference for my inline guns is the 777 in granular form as I can taylor a load down to the grain with a powder measure. Also a lot cheaper than pellets.

Take a look at CVA's line up. You get lot for your money including a lifetime warranty.

One with a fish on the end of the line! LOL. Shakesphere and Pfluger are my favorites.

I don't believe you haven't gotten anything yet. Make sure that you have your correct shipping address included in your info....

Kroil penetrating oil works quite well

Atlantic Salmon on anything, preferably in Ireland or Scotland!

Not a new technique, its been around a long time and yes it really works.

Speckled Trout and Redfish

For a southern boy it has to catfish!

I agree with Buckeye, litter is a pain in the @$$ along with the inconsiderate jerks who leave it on the bank or throw it in the water.

Neither the forest service nor WMA's allow stands to be set up more than a day before the hunt in my state and they must be removed no later than the day after. That said, I find permanent stands all the time public areas. Many of them with beer cans, soda cans and other assorted trash under them. Sort of lets you know what kind of trash sits on them... The rangers in my area will remove such stands if alerted to them or if they find them. Check your regs to make sure what you are doing is legal. If so and you are on public land, the other hunter has just as much of a right to be there. I always operate on the basis of the early hunter gets the game amd I have had ocassions when other hunters have come into an area after day light and climbed a tree next to mine...literally... This is usually because they don't know any better, have poor manners or they are trying to push you out of what they consider as their spot. This type of behavior can certainly provke ill feelings and does have a certain amount of risk involved. Agreements can seldom be made and cool heads must prevail.

Thanks for the well wishes guys! I'm back at the office today. I really enjoyed reading your kind remarks and I appreciate your support! Cheers! Bee

Cow-Bellows for me...

Rooster Tail, mepps, panther martin, beetle spin

Seating depth can have a great deal of effect on group size as it can cause differences in pressures and the distance the bullets have to jump to contact the leads of the rifling will also affect your group size. Velocity itself can also affect accuracy. The hottest loads will often not be the most accurate. Read the section in the Nosler Manual concerning seating depth. I have also added a link on subject you might find useful. I have had good luck with my Savage 116 in 7-08 with RE 15 and Win 760. Winchester 760 is the same powder as Hodgdon 414. Don't believe me, ask Hodgdon they own both companies! I suggest starting at the bottom and working up for each powder, adjust your seating depth for optimum performance and make sure to trim all you cases to the same length. The Nosler data is shot with Remington cases which are a good deal thinner than Federal. The same load of powder as directed for the Remington case will probably skew pressures enough in your Federal brass to open a group. If you follow Mr. Cooper's advice with necking down military brass be very careful. The military cases are much thicker and the necking down will also increase the thickness of the case necks which will then need to be reamed. Charges must be greatly reduced and worked back up very carefully. I would recommend you stay with commercial brass...sorry Coop.... Don't be discouraged, a load that shoots about 3/4 inch in my wife's A bolt 7-08 won't group 2 inches in my Savage 116. My pet load of 760 won't do squat in her rifle either!

I will bait with whole minnows, crawfish or catalpa worms...oh... those catalpa worms, um um um! If using multiple bait types I usually alternate hooks. I've started using circle hooks and have been amazed at the hooking ability of the crazy looking things. 95% of the fish are also hooked in the corner of the mouth as the hooks are designed to do.

Got to support the home folks, Real Tree

Pick the 25/06!

100 grain muzzy 3 blade

I like the Muzzy MX3. Never had a problem with them putting down a deer.

I'm a big fan of Muzzy heads.

Simple, I shoot what I need for the freezer utilizing the Doe tags first.

I am or have been a member of many plus a life NRA member. They do benefit us in many ways, probably best by their lobbying efforts.

Funding loss is my biggest worry, followed by being legislated out of hunting slowly by the left and right..

As the south Georgia Redneck said we get so many tags an individual could run thier own venison donation program! I don't know what my wife and I could do with 24 deer...

for me in the south it is Jon Boat. Stable, and can carry a load with light power.

If you follow Ed's advice even Chad Love could find you!

I started small game hunting with my Dad when I was 5. I will be 47 on my nxt birthday.

You can always install a bench rest follower and make your chose bolt gun a single shot. Check out Brownell's

You do need to make sure of the fit. If you are short armed and maybe shorter than average LOP certainly could be your problem. Before lopping the stock I'd try what Cooner suggested. A set of extended rings could very well solve your problem. Add Burris to his list of suppliers...

The .260 is a fine deer cartridge. It offers great penetration with either the 120 or 140 grain loads. the 140 will shoot through about anything. Recoil is mild as is muzzleblast.

30/06. Cooper make up your mind...

I hunt to enjoy what mother nature has placed on this earth. I enjoy eating what I kill. Any trophy is secondary to the experience.

Any of the various model 700 incarnations that Remington offers are good, proven rifles. It would be hard to go wrong with a long action 700 in 30/06 or .270, with the '06 being my personal choice of the two due to its greater versatility. The short action 700 or either a Model 7 are also quite handy in .308 or 7-08. These rifles pack a lot of punch in a handy package. Happy Shopping!

Unless you have been outfitted with after market accessories that is... The guys have it right on the head, 2X4 and 4X4 describe deer and lumber with equal accuracy... Good question!

I love soft plastic grubs, especially curly tail types. I fish them alone on a jig head or on safety pin type spinner rigs. Fish them in various sizes and colors. They are my favorite stream bait. Chartreuse with a red head is a favorite color combo. I find them very effective for bream, crappie, bass, trout and saltwater fish like speckled trout and redfish. I've even caught flounder and channel catfish on them.

BBQ slowly basting with a vinegar based mopping sauce with a little peanut oil added to keep the skinned coon moist. When tender strip the meat from the bones and serve with a light sweet BBQ sauce and baked sweet potatoes.

Yes, I've caught many channel cats on spinner baits, rooster tails, grubs and crank baits. They feed on quite a bit of live bait and will strike a lure in a heartbeat.

Babble fish has hit my worry on the head. When all make a contribution to hunting lands for instance then all have a say so in use. I know this is block head thinking but in reality it happens every day. I've seen my state go from having sane land use policies that favored hunters, forestry and agriculture to a mish mash of laws that allow "tax payers" or even worse politicians elected by said "tax payers" to have a say so in how things are run instead of prefessionals educated and experienced in such matters. A majority of the "tax payers" in my state now were not even born here! Great utopian thought but it makes me nervous and... I don't think the politicos would let you build in enough safe guards. A politician can't stand to see a pool of money dedicated to what they consider a static resource!

Never had a problem with one.

The trigger is essentially and adjustable two stage trigger consisting of a center "blade" that acts as a safety release when depressed and an outer trigger. I really like them and own two Savage rifles outfitted with them. I recently aquired a Savage 116 with the accustock which employes a full contact bedding of the action with a free floated barrel. There is also a wedge that is tightend by a hex screw which snugs the recoil lug up tightly against the bedding forming a tight and inflexible bedding system. How does my rifle shoot. On Sunday I put 5 7-08 rounds through one hole measuring .505 inches!

Check out the Hodgdon site for a ton of loads using Hodgdon, IMR and Winchester Powders. Hodgdon owns all these brands now and has a great assembledge of data. Start with the lowest recommended load of your choice and work up carefully to find a load that suites you and your rifle. http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

I agree with Jake. Take it to your local welding shop and have them bead blast it for you. for the fee charged you'll get a nice clean oven ready to reseason and you won't spend hours with sand paper and steelwool.

As far as I know the guns with the plain triggers have different receiver cuts than ones for the accutrigger. Aslo as far as I know Savage is not selling the trigger as an aftermarket option. There are other aftermarket triggers out there for the Savage. Check out Brownell's at this link. Also contact Savage with you concerns at the info link below: http://www.brownells.com/ http://www.savagearms.com/contact.htm

I would stop hunting with him.

Accuracy is very important. My Muzzy heads fly very well. They also come with practice inserts which I find helpful. As for the man with longest right arm and the most wide angle lenses in the business (if you don't understand what I mean just look at a photo of him with a critter) he will hunt with what ever or who ever pays him the most cash. As for the Rage, I will say your photos of the exit wound certainly make the case for excellence!

Look on the campmor web site. They have some great prices and sales on name brand tents. I bought a $400 6 man for less than $150 and only had to pay $6 to ship it to my door! Campmor.com

That is just about right. I find them very economical to use. If you want to save a little on the butane you can purchase the butane cylinders for women's hair curlers at Wally World. They are the same size but hold more fuel or should I say filled with more gas!

CZ 453 American, a bolt action with single set trigger, 22.5 inch barrel and walnut stock. My rifle and evey other one I have seen will stack bullets. It also has the feel of a centerfire rifle. The gun is also available in the CZ 452 without the set trigger.

I find that a standard 3 X 9 X 40 scope will serve me well out pst 3oo yards. My longest measured shot was 305 yards and that was made with a 2 x 7 X 35 at 5X. In my neck of the woods 300 yards is a long way!

Rivers are formed one drop at a time. May you create a raging one!

Dear 'Buster In your most vivid chocolate covered dreams will you ever gain one tiny insignificant glimmer of the knowledge that I have forgotten... You have nice day!

Ditto the fellows above. Chances are that a change in fodder might be just what the old gal needs. Checking action screws, scope mounts, scope it self, bedding, lack of bedding or pressure points on the barrel. Remington stocks usually have one pressure point or contact point just short of the end of the foreend, they are made this way. I've wrasped this off of every 700 my wife and I have owned and completely floated the barrels, all have shot good groups with the proper ammo.

Buck Zipper. The same as the Vangard but with a Gut Hook.

I own a Savage MII. It is a very good rifle and very accurate with a variety of ammo.

I still shoot my Golden Eagle Hunter. State of the Art 25 years ago. It is living in its second and sad to say last set of limbs. I love that bow!

Illinois River Valley Duck Calls are made by a fellow who worked for PS Olt Call company for over 25 years. He is carrying on the old Olt line of very good and very easy to operate calls. The #66 from his company is the same call as the old Olt 66. This call is very forgiving and easy to use. Check them out at Cabela's: http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/pod-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20712-cat20823&rid=&indexId=cat20823&navAction=push&masterpathid=&navCount=1&parentType=index&parentId=cat20823&id=0060299

Sounds like a hit in the leg. Typically you won't see bone that size come from the shoulder blade unless you blow one heck of an exit wound. Did the bone you recoverd have a circular or semi circular shape? If so it was most probably leg bone.

They have a right to their opinions as American citizens. They have a right to peaceful assembly. They do not have a right to slander, slurr or break the laws of the land. I also have the right not to listen to them or partake of thier philosophy!

I used to use it a great deal in 30/06 loads under 165 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips and Remington 165 Core Lokts. Winchester Case, WLR primer and 60 grains of H4831. Never shot them over a chrono but they were accurate and did the job on deer and wild hogs. I developed the load carefully from the old Black Hodgedon manual during the late 80's. I like H4350 much better for the '06 as it will generate better velocity at a little lower pressure level. Happy shooting

Wild hunt all the way.

Peanuts

The 22-250 is not a deer rifle. Shooting deer with .22 centerfires is a stunt and as such requires precise bullet placement. If you don't like recoil follow CPTBRAD's advice and get something in 24 or 25 caliber.

Fresh water stripers and hybrids. Big catfish are a vary close second!

Early season with heavy tree cover (season opens 8-15 in GA) I will use a muzzleloading shotgun. As the leaves thin and they move from cutting hickory nuts to acorns I will use a small bore muzzleloading rifle or .22 as the mood strikes me. In late season when they are cutting Poplar buds I typically use a scope sighted .22 as shots can be on the longish side and I'm affected more and more by over 40 vision!

Certainly

Yes, I think we are. The older generation got by just fine with a Weaver Scope, standard cartridges, traditional clothing and a pocket compass.

No problem with hunting on Sunday and I approve of hunting inside the city limits with archery gear.

Rifle, Muzzleloader, Bow, getting more and more interested in traditional archery.

Gently bring the rod forward! Remember you are not cracking a whip...

Very early. I began fishing with my Dad at 3-4 years old. I began hunting with him at 5 using a .22 for squirrel. I do not favor one over the other as I enjoy each equally.

I love to turkey hunt as well as deer and upland game. I also love to fish for catfish.

I shot a big buck when I was 18 with a Marlin 336 in .35 Remington. The shot was about 80 yards and he was hit through the lungs as he fed in a small soybean field. He ran at the shot and left one heck of a blood trail. I decided to let him lay for a while and followed up about 45 minutes after the shot. The deer never bedded. He ran bleeding like a stuck hog for over a half mile, at that point he slowed and my uncle and I trailed him down a sandy logging road by hoof prints and the ocassional drop of blood. Over a mile later we lost his trail and could not pick it up again. Then as the old saying goes, "it began to rain..." Three of us went back the next morning and began to make circles, we never found him. I checked for buzzards for the next three weeks...nothing... I would not have believed any animal had that much spare blood in it!

Long ago lost count. I could not use all I could shoot under our states liberal harvest system.

Reid I though you were buying a Ruger Hawkeye in 25/06?

The three cartridges I shoot most are the 30/06, 25/06 and the 6.5 X 55. The 30/06 typically sees action against feral hogs and it sees a lot of it. It is also the rifle I usually carry if both deer and feral swine are on the menu. Why, it is powerful enough for the bigger porkers I run across, frequently over 275 lbs., is quite manageable, very familiar and is enough gun without going to extremes. The 25-06 gets the nod for long range shots on the pastures and clear cuts I hunt over. Again a very familiar rifle which is very pleasant to shoot and quite adequate. I have put 110 grain Nosler Accubonds through 200 pound bucks on angling shots. As for the 6.5 X 55. It is a very versatile and balanced cartridge. It is fun to shoot and will handle about anything I run across. It is rapidly becoming my one rifle. The fact that it is a very nice rifle from Montana Rifle works also helps make it my up and coming all around favorite.

Terrible thing... If one is placed in ths situation the advice of Jeff Cooper comes to mind. "Keep firing until the treat is eliminated..." Too bad about civil suits, just another way for a bottom feeding attorney to get their hands on more cash...

Chips and dips seem to go together...

I agree with WAMtn, If I own a rifle it better generate 1 1/2 inch groups or better or its gone. I will sight a rifle to the accuracy level possible and then do everything I know to shrink that group size.

I watch the woods and critters, squirrels, chipmunks, birds and insects. I look at the fall leaves and enjoy the smells of the forest. I also do some of my best thinking and enjoy some of my best naps!

Evolution has been taught in public and private schools for quite some time now. Mr. Obama had nothing to do with it. As a parent you are resonsible for completing your child's education at home. Sending a child to school is not like sending a dog to obedience school. You don't get a finished product back. You must take an active role and become a guiding influence to your child. YOU must instill moral value and aid in development of a sound system of belief. If you don't, you get back just what you are complaining about. Do your part!

The Savage MKII's are a good deal. You can get them from $149 on up. Most have the Accutrigger on them. Very good for the money.

I don't like to take running shots and where I hunt thank goodness I don't have to. Too much can go wrong and I don't want to even think about having to make a proctological heart shot on one...

Long live the beast and long live Ted!

If the animal is sitting up looking at me, I use another arrow. If it simply requires the coup de gras, I punch the carotid at the base of the throat with my knife. With a turkey the nervous system is very primative and it is not unusual for them to flop about quite a bit even with a broken neck. Anyone who has ever taken a hatchet to a Sunday dinner chicken has experience with this. With a turkey simply stand on its head...

...Never mind...

The trajectory will depend on the bullet weight and velocity. Most reloading manuals have ballistic tables where you can chart a trajectory by first looking up bullet diameter, then the weight and following the velocity ranges down until you find you muzzle velocity. Word of advice, a number of years ago I bought a NEF with a .223 barrel for my son to shot. In those days you could order additional barrels for $45 to $55 each. We decided to order a 30/30 barrel and a 45/70 barrel to go with it. All three shoot great and are quite as the name says "Handi". My son and I used to do a lot of fishing in the summer on a blackwater creek that had some great redbreast sunfish and chain pickerel fishing. It also had a ton of feral swine alsong its banks. The Handi Rifle with a sling was just what we needed! My son and I worked up some loads that ranged from the pedestrian to the stout. My advice to you is to stay away from the stout in that little gun! Loads like the Winchester 300 grain factory load and the Federal 300 grain along with their Leverevolution kick like a mule in the gun. We settled on a duplicate of the Remington factory load with the their 400 grain bullet. Good load that is more in line with the original 45/70 loads. It will get the job done and not beat you up in the process.

Ha..Ha...Ha.......ha..ha

It could be a weak follower spring. It could be the feed rails are slightly out of tune. I would give the folks at Kimber a call and discuss the problem with them.

Yes, the standard lead foster type slugs should do fine.

I enjoy hunting with mine. I have both a 10 Ga and a 12 GA double. The 12 has screw in chokes. Both are made by Pedersoli in Italy. Both are of good quality. These are the same gun which are currently sold by Cabela's, Dixie Gun Works and others. They require a great deal of patience in developing a load as each gun is different. They also require some discipline in the field. You will need to pick your shots. I really enjoy hunting Dove, Quial and rabbit with mine. They also add and extra twist of fun to turkey hunting. If you plan to hunt with other hunters who are using modern shotguns you must remember that you can't keep up with the volume of shooting they do. They must also be patient as you reload. I was once chastised for not shooting at every dove that flew over or near my stand site by another hunter. He said I was letting doves get by that would have been turned back on the field, I assume for him to shoot at. At the end of the day he had accounted for 8 birds with about 100 rounds. I had the limit of 12, I fired 16 very carefully picked shots. After the shoot I had about 10 guys who wanted to shoot my shotgun, they loved it. One of them went home and ordered one from Cabela's. If you intend on buying one check out the used gun sites or better yet the Track of the Wolf site. I bought my 12 gauge from them for about half the price of a new gun. You'll also get to see some really nice antique shotguns for sale along with ocassional Pedersoli. TOW is also an excellent site to get the felt and card wads you'll need to shoot one. I use the OX Yoke Lubricated Felt Wonder Wads (2) with one shot card in both my guns. I have not had the problem with the felt wads blowing the center out of my patterns as a cardboard wad will. http://www.trackofthewolf.com/

Sorry Charlie, When you search SB-2099 on the Senate web page you get zilch... I tried it in all different combos I could think of an all a I found was floor call by Ron Coburn on how much was spent on a DOD conference in Hawaii. At $3,400 per head of our tax dollars that was not cheap!

I'd probably hunt turkey. Why, because I absolutely love it!!!!

Yes, fried, stew, squirrel and dumplings and as an ingredient in Brunswick Stew.

Here is a link to an excellent guide from the University of Georgia. http://warnell.forestry.uga.edu/service/library/b1056/b1056.pdf

Good info above. I use a flash light with a red lens to travel in and out of the woods before daylight. animals are typically not bothered by red light but humans can see it. So... other hunters can also adding to safety.

They are both entertainers. The show that Stroud did on the Altamaha River in Georgia was about as fake as it comes. After being dropped off he set up his camp on slough just off the main river channel. The fellow who "dropped" him off is a local commercial fisherman who also helped him carry his stuff in! When the guy picked Stroud up he was pretending to be freezing, the commercial fisherman was wearing shorts and a t-shirt! Take a look at Stroud, he doesn't look like he misses too many meals... While he is not fat he is not holding that weight eating roots, rats and pine needle soup as he does on the show. He must be really making up for it on the week ends! As for Grylls, he has made a career out of doing "extreme" stuff. Every thing from going through training with the French Foregin Legion to mountian climbing. I don't doubt he is tough if he survived FFL training. Grylls does work with a film crew and has a safety net there. A friend of mine put it best in saying, "both are the survival business equivalent of the WWE..."

I built mine. The top is a discarded solid core door, the all wood type. It is a heavy sucker! I built the frame using 2 X 6 spruce. I also included a shelf underneath for storage. I have about $25 in it. It is stout and doesn't move even when really levering a press to neck up or down a case. Sorry I don't have plans it all came out of my head. You could build a similar table by using 2 layers of 3/4 plywood decking for a top.

It is a novel concept. It is a bit pricy as Buck said. Does it work? Probably as good or as bad as any other scent. I can see where the food scents in the line might be a good thing in a aerosol form.

7 years old. Marlin 336, 35 Remington

I've always wanted to hunt Elk. Looks like I'll be able to do just that next year thanks to a new friend I met on this site!

Clay purchased a Savage, good gun from what I hear. If a rifle is built on a sturdy action (like the Savage) and uses lighter weight projectiles I'd say 3000 fps at the muzzle would be attainable, especially if smokeless powder is used. Many of the small shop jobs you mention do just that.

With most slugs I've seen you should be safe with a 25 yard zero out to 50 or perhaps a shade more. As Coop would say, "it's all MOP", minute of pie plate that is...

The .257 WBY is a very good cartridge. In my opinion it delivers better with the longer tube. The 25/06 is also an excellent cartridge. I've shot one for years and it will do anything you want it to do on deer sized game.

Ye gads man! Take a 4X4 off road... good heavens one might scratch it! I wish someone would make something like the old International Scout. Used to have one with railroad iron welded across the front. It was a pure tank!

Good recommendation MLH. I would add the Browning Micro Hunter in 7mm-08. Pity they don't chamber it in .260 anymore. The Micro Hunter is scaled to fit smaller hunters and the weight and balance are near perfect.

Worms, cutbait, shrimp

Quality Firearms Good knives Sumit Climbing Stand Good Clothing Good Boots My Therma Cell is also quite nice to have!

Scotts Liquid Gold does a good job.

Wow! What a hog!

The fighting purr or rattle is made by both sexes as an agressive vocalization. I've actually heard more hens do it than gobblers. It is made most easily on a slate or glass type friction call by really bearing down on the ped and making quick linear strokes. I don't use this call very frequently as it is a call of agression. The link Elmer provided above is an excellent link for hearing and practicing the basic calls. The purr is probably the most frequent vocalization by turkeys. It is sort of a here I am call made while feeding or moving as a flock. Noted turkey biologist Lovett Williams believes it to be a spacing call, sort of a gentle and quiet reminder of "I'm here, you stay there out of my space while we are feeding." It is also a call of contentment or non alert. Frequently you will hear quiet clucks thrown into the purrs by the birds as they feed. I use it frequently when I'm hunting birds that have been pushed hard and also as a coaxing call when a gobbler might be some what aprehensive about closing the distance and the deal. The purr and cluck is also a very effective non agressive, quiet call. The call is easily made on slate, glass or box calls. Slowly and gently dragging a peg on the surface of a slate type call or gently dragging the lid of a box call on the edge will reproduce this call easily.

Lucky to get out once! Saw a few turkeys and one of the biggest skunks I've ever seen. No deer, not much sign in any one place. Acorns are everyehere. We will see later this week.

Burris and Leupold both put forth excellent efforts in customer service as does Cabela's.

Ruger builds a relly good rifle. I own several, one of which is one of the first M77 MKII left hands to come off of the line. It has served me very well over the years. I've been a Ruger fan ever since. I do own several Remington shotguns though...

Like I said in a previous post, "A bone cruncher on both ends..."

The .410 slug has about the same energy as a .38 special. In my humble opinion, not a deer round. The other folks give you good advice. A 20 gauge shot gun will be a much better choice with slugs. You might also consider a shotgun/rifle combo such as those built by H&R or a youth deer rifle by Remington, Savage or Ruger in .243, 7-08 or .308. If you are recoil sensitive Remington makes a line of recoil reduced ammo.

Good Comment Tex, both were excellent for thier respective times and genre. Eastwood has an edginess to him that certainly has appeal. The Duke is pure patriot. I grew up with John Wayne movies and still love them. He had some great lines handed to him over the years. One of my favorite is from True Grit and gunfight on horse back segment. "...fill your hand you SOB!" My vote is for the DUKE!

Fingers and a tab.

BB is BBigger

Might I suggest using scope bases with windage adjustable bases. Excellent mounts of this type are available from Leupold and Burris. Said bases have adjustment screws on the rear mount to allow left and right adjustments.

Here are links to article Jerome Robinson did on the subject about a decade ago. If you have questions drop me an email at: rockyhilllocalhoney@live.com http://www.customcalls.com/makeaturkeyboxcall.htm http://www.customcalls.com/makeaslatecall.htm

I have spotted the odd stump critter during my hunting career. I have never pulled the trigger on one though. One does not pull the trigger on a target which is not positively identified. Binoculars provide for positive easy identification and prevent one for making the ultimate error. I agree with Cooner, "only idiots and scum bags shoot at a targets they have not positively identified first!" and will add the classification of the "desperate" to his observation.

In Fisherman

If you are feeding them in an aquarium a standard gold fish food will be fine.

Patience Grasshopper... That is why we call it deer hunting and not deer shooting.... Normal activity from the forest critters should not bother you deer. If you spook them and they are on alert then that is another story...

Take a look at the Stoeger 2000

Steve they might tell you those stories to help eliminate competition! Del, I see roosters rising and hear them cackleing (or is that an Elk bugeling) each night in my dreams! I can't wait!

Herbivores will make use of any available protein source. This includes raiding bird nests. They don't have to be starving.

Any of the above and honey. Farm Chemicals are also much appreciated as are other farm supplies including feed, seed, tack and rotary mower blades... Conversation and friendship also works. I've even written letters to get thier kids local scholarships and grants to go to college.

I've not used the MRX. It is designed to enhance BC and long range flight characteristics by using a heavier than lead core. This is also reported to boost penetration depth... They are also more expensive than the TSX. I have used the original X, TSX and the TTSX in 25/06, 30/06, .308, 6.5 X 55 and 7-08. I've only ever had one of those stay in a game animal and it was hung in the hair on the offshoulder after a 200 plus yard shot. That particular one was a 150 XBT and was fired from and '06. It looked just like the add and had only lost 4 grains in weight. I have shot the various X's through big boar, deer and trees. Never noticed any reason to change to the MRX including long range flight characteristics!

Put a couple of snap type mouse traps in the can on top if the trash. They won't hut him but the positive reinforcement will break him of this habit. My vet raises shorthairs and he has broken several of his dogs with this method. I used it on a beagle with great results. Doesn't hurt a thing when it comes to hunting.

I my modest opinion cheap and safe are mutually exclusive! A good solid ladder stand is generally sufficient. Ameristep, and Big Game both build solid stands in the $99 - $120 range. A really good climber from a company like Summit will set you back $200-$250 on the bottom end. I would consider a ground blind. They are very effective, contain human scent and are comfortable. Plus you can't fall out of one! They start at $50 and go up.

I've never had any box from Plano fail me. I even have two that are 20 years old!

If the area is heavily hunted look for narrow yet well vegetated areas that will serve as escape routes for deer leaving one area and seeking refuge in another. Get there early and be ready at first light as all those late arrivals come in beating and banging a day break. I found a place like this on a local National Wildlife Refuge. They hold four hunts a year and the hunter density is one per 15 acres. It is amazing how many deer get pushed through that little neck of woods!

The Platinum Power Belts are a slightly improved version of the regular jobs. They seem to work just as well also. The chief difference is a slightly better ogive on the nose and skirt that seals slightly better. If your rifle shoots them consistantly then I'd use them. According to my friends at CVA their guns and Powerbelt bullets are made for each other as BPI is the parent company for CVA & PBB

Cgull did an excellent job of summing up lunar phases and the solunar tables. My dad has kept records of wildlife activity in association with the tables for years and if you look at his data you see a direct correlation. I will add this. If the rut is on all the above is off. Testosterone will out class the moon anytime. If the the rut is on be in the woods all day!

Male Redbreast Sunfish in spawning colors. I don't think you can get more color on a fish!

More than once and you'll regret it!

Congrats! Sounds like you've got yourself some tasty eating. Three pounds is about as big as they get around here. I've caught several at the three pound mark over the years and a few an ounce or two over.

Good luck Wolfman! Make some memories!

Points, Points, Points.... um, um.....um....

that is still the best part of hunting for me. I'll be entering my 45 year in the woods come Saturday. Muzzleloader in hand I'll be enjoying the sights and scents of a fall afternoon. Who cares if the deer cooperate! Good luck Wolfman! Never did hear back from you...

I don't even want to know myself. Well spent though!

congratulations! You have just discovered one of basics of reloading, the fastest in the book are usually not the most accurate. 2900 with that bullet will do you fine. If you want more velocity start upping your charge 0.5 grain at a time until your group starts to get bigger than you want. Don't forget to shoot your loads at the various distances you plan on shooting. As Dave explained in his blog several days back, what looks good at 100 might really stink at 300 or anywhere in between! Jim Carmichael once advised to never chronograph your favorite load or you will never use it again. As with life at certain times, what we think we have in velocity never quite measures up. We go looking for more when we had all we needed to start with!

When said hunting buddy shares the spot with his or her friends...!

It is truly a very good and effecive design. The stuff Ron Coburn has his folks putting out now is of high quality. Remington better grab their collective butts!

One has to be careful as to where they might be laying their nuts. In most cases this practice is called baiting and is a violation of game laws. If your state allows baiting you and your nuts will be legal and safe. Deer can be and often are creatures of habit especially when a feeding area is associated with thier travel lanes. These lanes or trails vary with the season and with availability of feed or forage as does the activity of the deer using them. your activity in the woods will also effect the deers travel routes and the times they travel. I have found over the years that the least intrusive I make myself the better off I am. In other words, I try and minimize my activy and the scents I leave behind in an area. The effectiveness of various "estrus" products is some what cloudy. What one swears by another swears at. I've had deer get a whiff of some of these tonics and beat a hasty retreat. Lord knows how many left without reaction. I believe in being clean, wearing clean hunting clothes and using wind to my best benefit. If cleanliness is in doubt rely on the wind to take some of your problems away. Remember friendly thermals that rise in morning and take your scent away become your enemy in the evening as they settle. Once a mature deer is disturbed it tends to remember that problem area and will often skirt the area when traveling. A new stand, a new scent, vehicle noise, repeated foot travel can all steer deer slightly away. Young, dumb deer are often not impressed by this and quite often don't survive to become old, smart deer. That is why the average age of a whitetailed deer harvested in this country is 1.5 years. Minimize your activty and use the wind to your favor. Don't rely on technology to keep you unnoticed. Also find a good white oak dropping acorns and sit on it. It is easier than bringing your nuts with you...

Yes, Some of the 3 inch 20 gauge stuff is just a potent as a 12 Gauge round. Provided your shotgun has 3 inch chambers of course. For decoyed birds you'll be fine with #4 steel. For pass shooting #2 or #3 would be better. There are also heavy shot and other non toxic loads out there.

Yes they do. As Dakota said the long barrel really puts a shine on an already bright cartridge.

I agree with "O". The new .338 round doesn't look all that good to me compared to Marlin's .308 round for distance shooting. As for the Marlin Cowboy, I own one and it does have the feel of an old west rifle. As "O" said 200 to 300 yards will strain most shooteres ability with the old government round, that is unless you are a frequent silhouette shooter. If you are going to shoot that far with the 45/70 I'd recommend getting a tang sight fitted. The Marlin Cowboy comes with the serial number on side of the receiver instead of the tang just for that purpose. As for the 45/70 lever revolution it is some of the worst kicking 45/70 ammo I've ever shot. A rep gave me two boxes and I still have 30 rounds. It will kill what you hit with though... I don't distance shoot my 45/70 Cowboy but I'd say the aerodynamics of the rubber tipped slug would be some assistance. I've never hunted Elk but my friends who have have come away with bulls without having to shoot super long shots. All of them have taken bulls at under 200. Two of them went back with a bow and were successful under 30.

30/06 - 165 grain 25/06 - 110 grain Deer, 85 grain varmints 45/70 - 300 grain 7mm-08 - 140 grain 6.5 X 55 - 130 or 140 grain 260 Remington - 120 or 130 grain .300 WSM - 165 & 180 grain 35 Rem - 200 grain 30/30 - 150 grain .308 - 150 & 165 grain .223 - 55 grain

Coop I'm surprised at you! As a staunch traditionalist, (03 Springfield etc.) the last thing I'd expect is to hear is that you had gone over to the dark side and are shooting a muzzle loader that uses smokeless... At that speed I bet those sabots are leaving a plastic sleeve up the spout, not to mention what a lead conical would leave behind. It would seem to be a 'hoss no doubt. Deer and bear will never be the same in those Arkansas hills...

I assume you are referring to black bear hunting. The .270 is more than up to the task of taking a black bear. The 150 grain slug might be your best choice although the 130 or 140 will do it.

I am afraid we will run into more and more of these decisions as we move forward. The anti/green/hairyleged/hugger crowd will continue to foster challenges to our laws and rules and planning processes. One of the big issues is the trend of such "wildlife defenders" to challenge the method of data analysis and/or capture used to set seasons and bag limits. These legal challenges can tie the hands of our DNR agencies. My state has gone to an every other year process in setting seasons so that they have an open year to answer such challenges and not impact season starts and bag limits.

Letters in good taste to the paper. Invite a local reporter(s) to do a news article(s)/interview(s) from the counter point (your side). Always keep things in good taste, never inflamatory. Dress well and speak well for an interview. Don't be snide. Keep things to the point.

You will have to shoot your loads on the range at the various distances you intend to shoot to get your "calibrations" for the dots done. In my experience the charts are never quite right and are sometimes way off at certain distances. Velocity will vary gun to gun with the same ammo also. In short, paper ballistics can get you in trouble fast. Have fun developing and tayloring your loads and the shooting practice will have you honed to a razor edge when that big opportunity comes along.

Good to hear from you. How is Mrs. O doing?

Give these folks a call to tan your deer hide. Sebring Custom Tanning 863-655-1600

You have a fixed choke shotgun. To utilize screw in chokes you will need to have a gun smith ream and thread the muzzle for tubes. Check out the link below: http://www.colonialarms.com/

I'd tell them politely I enjoy my outdoor pursuits as much as they enjoy ballroom dancing, getting Twittered/Twittering, eating a veggie burger or picketing a fur coat store. I have yet to find someone with the courage to come up to me and ask said question. Although... my wife did ask me if I really needed one more rifle...

I have a string hanging from a tree outside of my office. If the string is wet I know it is raining... If the string is dry I know the weather is fair... If the string is still I know the wind is not blowing... If the string is stirring about I know the wind is blowing... When I want to guess I use weather.com, look at the radar maps and make my own guesstimates...

I may not loose them for good...but...when that broadhead and shaft hit the hard, hard ground it is history. Just part of bow hunting!

The old saw that one can't legislate morality is certainly correct. Legality is certainly an issue with the warden. He can't tell you to shoot the bird for any of the reasons mentioned above. At the same time I've seen animals and birds (especially turkey) survive horrible wounds, self inflicted and other wise. If it were me and the situation was right I'd administer the coup de gras. So would my neighbors and my local warden... You have done the "correct" thing and bless you sir for having a conscious.

Find a stand of hickory nuts with a load of cuttings on the ground and sit on it while the squirrels come to you. Shoot a .22 using standard velocity ammo. You won't bother anyone.

There are several species of Asian deer that have tusks. As Jay said other cervids posess a repressed gene for this in the males of species. It some times shows up in populations, inbreeding is one of the things that can cause repressed genes to surface. Check out the link below: http://www.clevver.com/video/229990/large-fanged-tufted-deer-at-prospect-park-zoo.html

I've had a long love affair with the 25/06. It is one of the most versatile cartridges out there. It is more than adequate for antelope, deer and feral hogs. It shoots flatter than most of the mega mangleums and doesn't kick like a mule. It will handle varmints with a vengence with the lighter bullets. With the 85 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip it is a coyote's worst nightmare. Deer are easily handled with the 100-110 grainstuff as is the ocassional porker. Load it with the 120 grain slugs and you have the ballistic twin of a .270 Winchester. You can also throttle the 25/06 back a bit to duplicate the performance of the .257 Roberts. In this form it makes a great introductory rifle as well as a very good deer gun. One of my favorite woods (read meat) loads for the 25/06 is the old Hornady Interlock 117 grain round nose loaded to equal the .257 Bob. Fun to shoot and very effective. I'd love to have a .257 Bob and a .250 Savage to complete my quarter bore family. But... I'm a lefty and I swore about 10 years ago I'd never buy another right handed gun. I've got a left hand 700 action that will eventually become a either a .250 or a .257 Bob. A lot of that depends on Savage deciding to chamber the lefty Model 14 American Classic in .250 as they now do the righty version. Then I could always get it chambered for the .25 Souper wild cat!

I got to visit the Redwood National Park south of Crescent City, California last week. What a magnificant place and what a stand of timber! When viewed from a satellite image the border is clear and distinct. The reason... no Redwoods! If it wasn't for the park they would all probably be a patio deck some where. I am all for the wise use and managment of our timber resources but, we need places like this.

Sounds like a 4-wheeler and 4-wheel drive pickup are all that is left! LOL I'm glad things have turned out so well and the contributions have flowed in such favor. The boys are lucky to have found a mentor like you. Keep up the good work. I'm already hearing the cackle of roosters in my sleep...

Look into the Ghilli or Gilly suits that are out there. A traditional archer friend of mine has one and he can disapper in almost any setting.

30/06, 180 grain bullet. Swift or Nosler Accubond

I love the fixed blade muzzy. 100 grain for crossbow and 125 for verticle bows.

The Savage .22 line up has several rifles in left hand that cost no more then the right hand guns. I'd spend the extra time and money on the lefty. I grew tired of shooting right handed guns about 10 years ago and have never looked back.

I just took down and cleaned a friends Browning BPS. He had hosed it down over the past 15 years with WD-40. The crud in back of the receiver was amazing. Gum, goo, and varnish. It had overtime gummed up the BPS's guts so bad that it wouldn't feed correctly. I will never recommend putting WD on any firearm as more than a stop gap measure followed by a complete bath with something more suited to the task.

Spinner baits of various sizes cover every thing from pan fish to bass. Natural baits are worms, crickets and, well... worms

Here's one that is a variation of Remaki. Bone out your dove breasts into to halves. Marinate the breast meat in soy sauce or Dale's marinade for about 30 minutes. Take the breast half along with one slice of water chestnut and one slice of jalapeno pepper, wrap with prosciutto ham or bacon if you insist. Grill over low heat until done.

Smooth bore for buckshot. Personally I wouldn't bother with buck shot. Slugs hit like a sledgehammer!

No.

Clay is right. A shotgun (improved cylinder) with a "target" load of 6's or even 7.5 or 8 shot. The shot won't travel through two layers of sheetrock to possible hurt a family member and it will put someone down. If you don't believe what this load will do at "room distance" just shoot and old piece of scrap plywood at 10-12 feet!

My son used to play with one of these when he was in the scouts. He would mix dryer lint with his tender then send a good shower of sparks into the blend it always caught quickly.

I don't know about that no shipping part. But it does sound as if you have some dealers screwing you on price. Nation wide ammo is in great demand as people stock up in case of ammo tax increases, bans, restrictions, etc. My wife is in the business and she has been able to get "normal" amounts of ammo ordered but it is gone as soon as it hits the shelves which are bare by the way!

Good guns. One of the lightest shotguns ever made.

Del, My closest call was to a copperhead. I had cut a trail through a thick, grown up slough out to and island in a swamp. I had the idea of hunting a big buck that was trailing the middle of the island. I had worked all morning and returned about 3 PM to go in a hunt. On my way in I noted that I'd left a small willow branch about the diameter of my thumb and about 3 feet long laying in the middle of the trail. I stopped and used the toe of my boot (thank God!) to flip it off the path. As soon as my toe touched the limb a very large copperhead (almost 3 feet long) which was buried up in the leaves under the branch coiled and struck in one motion, luckily it hit the hard toe of my boot... It immediately recoiled and was cocked and locked ready for another strike. Big buck be damned, I leveled the muzzle of my .308 about 10 inches from the snakes nose and let go. The bullet missed but the muzzle blast frazzled the first 6-7 inches of snake and blew a mixing bowl size hole in the soft ground. I went back to the truck in order to catch up with my heart and for a change of under garments...

Wise management of our resources help to maintain a healthy balance in nature. This balance is usually very hard to attain in today's world with fragmented habitat and skewed land use patterns.

I'm a southern boy and I do love it deep fried in peanut oil after dredging in seasoned corn meal. If the fish is a little on the stong side, give it a roll in yellow mustard before the cornmeal dredge. Serve with cole slaw, hand cut fries and hushpuppies drizzled in honey. I love to blacken any flakey fish using cajun seasoning. It grills well with the same seasoning also, usually I use Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning. Broiled, lightly salted with butter and garlic is also a tasty treat.

You practical limitation will be your ability to shoot accurately at varied ranges and to accurately determine range to begin with. The '06 will shoot as far as practical for any game species.

No pics guy...

Both!

Marlin XL7, I saw one last week at Academy Sports for $288, can't beat the rifle or the price these days!

Check out Rifles and Recipes web site. This is a great site maintined by noted writer John Barsness and his wife Eileen Clarke. John handles the rifle stuff and Eileen the cooking. Her latest cook book, Slice of the Wild is excellent. You can order from their web site. http://www.riflesandrecipes.com/index.html

I'll take the 25/06 with a good bullet on both. In a good bolt gun it turn out exceptional accuracy and in a rig with a 24 inch barrel it will only be about 100 fps or so behind the .257 Weatherby. My favorite load for the 25/06 is the 110 grain Nosler Accubond on top of 59.0 grains of Retumbo in a Winchester Case and Winchester large rifle primer.

Savage is probably the most innovative. CVA offers a lot for the price.

I like the CVA products. Good value for a fair price, excellent warranty.

CVA is a good choice for dependable and reasonably priced muzzleloaders. They also have several options that let you purchase centerfire barrels for the same frame. Their warranty program is excellent. Check out their web site at http://www.cva.com/ for a comparison of the new CVA Apex to the T/C Encore.

I'm well aware of the problems from the mid 90's. If you read carefully though the data you see the claims are related by and large to those models. Some of the falures have occurred on recalled and nonreturned firearms since the recall was issued. It is indeed unfortunate that these accidents happened. Some of these are the result of operator error, improper cleaning, too much powder, shooting smokelespowder etc. some directly related to the product. Many changes have been made in the product line, most of these recalled guns are no longer in the product line up. Their testing is extremely detailed and comprehensive on the current models and I have no problem recommending recommending thier firearms nor do I have a problem standing behind one. T/C, Traditions, Knight have all had their share of liability law suites. If you want a gasp just take a look at the folks who have sued Remington over the years.

My Dad was my hunting hero. It always seemed he was successful. Smallgame, quail, dove and ducks were his favorite quarry. He took the time to take me hunting and he really enjoyed it. Most of all he made sure I enjoyed it! He taught me how to hunt and how to shoot. First with a Winchester 190 .22 rifle later with a .410 shotgun. My first game taken was a Gray Squirrel at 6 years old. My Dad scouted a neighbors pecan orchard and found where squirrels were coming from a hardwood stand to raid the orchard. He built a blind for me in that corner of the pecans complete with a shooting rest. He then left me to my hunt. Little did I know that when he left he was sitting only 30 yards away in his own blind. There was a steady parade of grays, I can remember it as if it were yesterday! I remember shaking as I lined the cross hairs of the little Weaver .22 scope onto the first squirrels head, the crack of the shot, and the excitement of my fist successful hunt! Five more unlucky pecan raiders fell to that 190 that evening before I burned off my 10 rounds. My Dad taught me to make my shots count, 10 was the limit on squirrels so he alloted me 10 rounds. We repeated that scene several more times that fall, my Dad eventually teaching me how to stalk the squirrels as they fed on the pecans. That was over 40 years ago and the memory is still sweet to me.

Taxifornia at it's best! It seems by looking at your posts you and your family sure get into a lot of situations...

Both will serve you well. The .308 will offer a little more in the way of bullet selection, especially on the heavier end. The .270 is a very good open country rifle and doesn;t do badly in the woods either.

Both are good guns. But... make mine the Remington!

Try the Rust Inhibitor line of products. A sales rep gave me some of this stuff 5 years ago and I was totally amazed. It does what it says. I now buy it and recommend it to my friends. Good stuff! http://www.theinhibitor.com/

Sight in for 50 yards. My 50 flintlock likes 80 grains of Swiss 2F black powder. I shoot a .490 round ball patched with 18/1000 pillow ticking and mink oil patch grease. See Track of the Wolf for the mink oil. You will have to find a good working load for your particular rifle. Each one is different and I've yet to see one that didn't have its own load preference. Start at 70 grains and work up 5 grains at a time to find your load. Big Jake, I take serious issue with your contention that conicals kill better than roundballs. That is sheer and utter nonsense. I seldom have an animal even feral hogs that I don't shoot through with a roundball, 50, 54 or 58 caliber. The only deer and hog I ever lost hunting with blackpowder were shot with conicals. Roundballs make a nasty wound channel and pack plenty of punch for big game at reasonable distance. Experience is an excellent teacher and it has taught me well the virtues of a well placed round ball!

Flint, steel, real black powder, patched round ball!

Sounds like Kentucky hit on something. Maybe you need to make a trip to the Provost Marshall's Office and make sure of the bounday markers... Maybe the PM will make sure the MP's know where they are also...

No, a crossbow bolt is someting entirely different from a period long past. The term has held on for centuries. In physical make up it was really a metal bolt! Properly termed, crossbows shoot arrows, albeit much shorter in length. This reduced size reduces mass thus lowering kenetic energy thus limiting effectiveness at longer ranges (trajectory and penetration). http://www.worldcrossbow.com/FAQ.html

Communication from the bucks point of view.

3 pins, 10, 20, 30 yards

Nothing to mess with. This stuff can affect your heart muscle as well. Make sure you get all the info concerning the labs and find another doctor if this one keeps up the foot dragging.

Ish, That is some friend!

Cracked synthetic arrows are wonderful about doing that. The old fiberglass shafts were horrible about shattering.

Ditto! I saw a local ACE with $300 to $400 dollar stands marked down to $100 to $200 to get them out of thier hair!

Kentucky, I talked to the guys at CVA twice last week. It was busy a couple of times when I called. But I still got through. They are good folks and will never intentionally avoid you. If you have been trated rudely by an employee contact Nate Treadaway, COO of the CVA and let him know.

you could use pellets but they would require a starter charge of 5 grains of Blackpowder or Pyrodex to achieve ignition. My recommendation would also be to stick with loose powder. The other guys are correct about barrel twist vs. bullet stability. If you tell us the model we may be able to help more.

Del, Those guns are "tuned" more or less for the powerbelt bullets. I've seen no practical difference in the lead, copper, platinum, hollowpoint or aero tip models as far as accuracy or performance on game. In a .50 the 295 grain copper plated bullet seems very accurate. My Dad and several friends shoot them with great results. The copper plated "jacket" does seem to keep bore leading at a minimum. My Dad shoots through everything with a 90 grain charge of 777 loose powder under this bullet. That is an exceptional rig for the price. An optional muzzleloading shotgun barrel is also available for the gun. Keep up the good work Santa!

Certainly, I would recommend Powerbelt bullets. The .45 inlines give you good accuracy, excellent ballistics and penetration.

Now that's good eatin'! Yes I would, Mother Nature is a cruel mistress...mush more cruel than a rifle bullet.

Use topo maps and aerial photos of the area to locate likely spots like funnels or escape routes. Then shift as necessary after gaining access. You can also talk to other folks who have hunted the area before. Talk with the area manager or local ranger concerning likely spots in the hunting area.

If you shoot the recurve proficiently why bother?

I'm still shooting and old Golden Eagle Hunter with aluminum arrows and a tab. Still gets the job done!

I guess you are a proud Grand Pa again...! LOL congrats on the pups.

Matt, Remember you might have to stand your ground writing about this topic. Be prepared beyond what you expect. good luck!

Yes I have. Can't say any thing more...yet...

Walking!

I like'um both!

As far as military style rifles go, one still has to be able to put the bullet in the right place. Shooting skill is shooting skill no matter what the bullets comes out of. Those who decry crossbows have never tried to hunt with one. I consider one of them more of a handicap than a benefit. You don;t just stick an arrow in track and spit it out like a rifle bullet. Good camo is no advantage if you don't know how to set up properly and make good use of the wind and thermals. As for the carbon suits, hunters and fishermen will buy any kind of snake oil that comes down the road...

J, I've never encountered this problem with my guns traditional or inline. Several thing you might want to check though... Super heavy loads (150 grain) could develop higher pressures and open up groups in hot weather. Bullet lube viscosity can also decrease or just melt away in hot weather changing point of impact. Fouling in the bore vs. humidity can also effect accuracy. If shooting a hot load, tame it down a little and see what you get. 100 grains is more than enough in any hunting situation unless Rhino or Elephant are on the table.

Graf and Son's has Lapua brass which is high quality and will last a lifetime. But it is expensive. They also list Prvi Partizan brass for the 7.62 X 54R for $42 per 100 but alas they are out of stock... http://www.grafs.com/metallic/776

About as much sport as shooting a steer in a feed lot... That is not hunting it is shooting...

Depends on if you wish to mount the deer or not. On a meat deer I generally begin at the point of the sternum and use my gut hook to open the abdomen to the hams. I then reverse my stance and use the blade to cut away from me splitting the breast bone to the bse of the throat. I then reach in a find the esophagus at the base of the throat and pull it up an out cutting the mesentary (connective tissue) as I go, cut away the diaphragm and pull out the internal organs as a whole. When I sever the rectum I tie it shut to keep any fecal material from spilling back in the cavity. See the link below. I prefer to cut away from myself when splitting the rib cage... If the deer is a mounter I forego the breast bone cut and remove the lungs and heart via a cut through the diaphragm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKm42ql7NSw

Powerbelts are CVA's bullet so to speak. Both companies are owned by Black Powder Products Inc. The Powerbelt is a good bullet in any of its forms, lead, copper clad, hollow point or areo tip. It is slightly sub bore diameter to ease loading and is fitted with a "skirt" to help seal the bore during firing. The bullet itself expandes to fill the rifling from the concussion of the propellent charge at ignition and the skirt falls away shorlty after exiting the muzzle. With the Power belt you can shoot the range of light for caliber or heavy for caliber bullets and find the one that will perform best for your gun and the game you are after. Nate Treadaway, President and COO of CVA is an acquaintance of mine and he reports that the type of rifling used in their Bergara made barrels is optimized for the Powerbelt and other bullets of thier type. Another factor to consider with sabot bullets is that they tend to leave plastic fouling in the barrel of any muzzleloader. Nate reports that with the Power belt such fouling is minimized even though it uses the "poly carbonite" (read plastic) skirt. Good muzzleloading bullets those Powerbelts!

Here are a few: Ruger M77 30/06 - Deer, feral hogs and most anything else that needs a 30 caliber bullet. CZ 452 .22 LR - Small Game Montana Rifle Works 6.5 X 55 - Deer, hogs, varmints Benelli 12 GA - Waterfowl, Doves, Squirrels, Pheasants Hawken Reproduction by my own hand .54 caliber - Deer, hogs

MLH. Take a look at the 150 grain TSX. I've put them through 400 lb. boar hogs the hard way, through the shoulders and shields, complete pass through. Looked like a bomb went off inside, tangerine sized hole on the exterior, not bad results on old Porkey. Same bullet kills deer like a bolt from above! Good accuracy in an '06 and .308 Win.

GS is correct, all they want to do is make you look as much like a brutal thug as possible. There is not one thing you can do to change thier minds. They are as sure of their opinon as we are of ours. Be courteous and give thoughtful answers.

I like Kent Faststeel

In my humble opinion the Summit line up is hard to beat for ease of use, quality, ease of use and price. You get a lot for the money.

Stay clean (body and clothing) and keep the wind in your favor.

Interesting question. They do bug me when they go off...

Cabela's, good products, good prices, good selection. Plus, since I have a Bass Pro or three in my state I have to pay sales tax on web orders!

Realtree and Mossy Oak have good patterns. No matter who made the cammo you need to make sure that the colors match your surroundings. For instance a patten with lots of green will be out of place in the dead gray woods of winter. I don't think scent lock is worth the money (my opinion)

Del, Time spent with a young person is one of the best gifts we can give them. Quite often the best parents are strapped for time and provide for their kids in other ways. Having someone to talk to means more to such a young person than matereial things, although the "stuff" is fun for them too! Being a mentor is one of the best things an adult can be to a child. Your influence will guide them and become a permanent part of thier lives. God Bless you for taking on this role for Wesley!

If I could only have 2 guns: Ruger M77 Hawkeye Left hand in 30/06 Remington 870 12ga shotgun with 26 inch barrel.

A buck zipper. I have had it for more than 10 years. The first moring I used it I gutted and skinned 4 wildhogs. It was still sharp afterward! My hunting companion ever since.

Gander Mountain

Light scouting will still get you a ticket for harassing wildlife in my state and they will really take a bite out of your fanny if you are caught with a gun in your posession.

Charlie, If I lived in salmon country I'd probably do the same!

I second Country Road, I've had a Tremontina for about 10 years. It lives in my truck's tool box and has been used to cut everything from cornstalks to rattlesnakes. It holds and edge and the price can't be beat!

It is one of those practices that never hurt and just might help...

Any and all of the above. Never had a scent problem. I've even had deer eat discarded apple cores!

Enjoy my surroundings and take in nature and the clean air. Enjoy the fact that I don't have a cell phone ringing and certainly don't want to text, twitter, facebook or anything else. I also get some of my best thinking done.

I split the sternum unless it is a mountable deer.

Here are a couple of options other than the Carolina Skiff also from my part of the country. The Carolina is a durable and hard working boat and in my opinion you could do worse. The tow below are also good boats but are not as common. http://allcraftmarinellc.com/boats.html http://www.sundanceboats.com/

Oh boy...

Fishing worms under a float adjacent to weed patches has always been a good tactic for me. Us a light weight and adjust the float to keep the bait just off the bottom.

WMTN & MLH, you can toss Browning Rings and Bases into that lineup also, they mix and match with the rest of 'um. I ran across a deal on a bunch of Browning rings and bases a while back. I should be fixed for a while. I also agree about the dual dove tails, good bases they are.

Drop ma an email at: rockyhilllocalhoney@live.com

CGULL, Answered your question on Beekeeping start up on the previous thread by Del. The UGA site is a tremendous resource. You might even find me on there under the Master Beekeeper Program.... If you have additional questions please feel free to drop me a line at: rockyhilllocalhoney@live.com

Still shooting the same Golden Eagle Hunter I've had from the mid 80's. Quiet and stable. I can hit well with it.

They have been around since the 1880's in form or the other. They have for the most part specialized in inexpensive single shot, break action firearms and to some extent handguns. They have also dabbled in bolt action rifles and shotguns at times. They are now owned by the same holding company as Remington and Marlin. There are untold thousands of H&R firearms out there.

If I had to shade it one way or the other I'd choose the late afternoon. But as the other guys said during the rut if you want to kill a nice buck you had better be in the woods all day and know the direction of the wind and where the does are.

You are correct sir, the short action would be for the .308 family...

Check ouy the CVA lineup. Very good products, lifetime warranty.

Your local game warden can give you more solid info on game movements, locations and concerntrations than anyone. They are typically in the woods or on the roads in hunting country almost 24/7. Befriend the local warden and you will reap benefits beyond expectations.

There are many. Squirrel hunting with my Dad will always be there as will my son's first turkey. My sister's first deer after a long stalk will also come near the top. My most special was sitting with my wife when she killed her first Buck (8 pt) ever with a real muzzleloader (T/C Seneca). She had been some what of a city girl and was just getting into hunting, that hooked her for life. The buck was bad in rut and was hooking every tree he came by, vocalizing and looking for any opportunity to either fight or breed. She did everything wrong but he was so stoned on testosterone he didn't care. She made a neck shot at 10 steps from a ground blind (palmettos) as the buck looked over his back at her. She almost fainted. That was a long time ago... I digitized the photo of the event and cleaned it up. I keep it on my desk and to this day folks still ask who that cute girl is with the big grin and the buck. I tell every one that's my baby! After all she is younger than me...

I don't know of a registration requirement for bows. I wouldn't be surprised at anything that comes down the pike these days. Probably will want to lazer etch unique serial numbers onto each shaft and broadhead eventually...

I wax my bow string after every shooting session.

Gman, Check your email!

Should still be sharp.

I would suggest purchasing one of the multilayered targets also.

The Savage MK II's are good rifles. I have the lefty standard model. They come with the accutrigger and the one's I've had experience with are very accurate. I paid $159 for mine at Wally. I's also recommend the CZ 452 and 453. Check out the CZ USA web site.

Steve, I realize this company is in Gerogia but they do extremely good work. I've done business with them for years. My Dad had a bass mounted by Mr. Sams in 1974 that looks as good todays as when it was done originally. Museum quality work. North American and African game. http://www.trailsendtaxidermystudios.com/

Had a heck of a shoot Labor Day, in fact it was too good... Our season in GA opens the first Saturday in Spetember. The opener was not so hot...

If ya'll want to get the shakes over the price of a flash light check out Leupold's Modular Flashlight. They range from $165 to close to $300. If you mix and match bezels and reflectors you could easily put together a $500 flashlight kit! http://www.leupold.com/tactical/products/flashlights/ http://www.bearbasin.com/leupold-mx-modular-flashlights.htm

Ggman3186, First of all I will tell you not to beleive everything you see in advertising. I also must say that I believe you are just stirring the pot to see what kind of reactions you get. Since there are those here abouts who are obviously far less experienced and astute in observation than you are we should try and answer these questions for them. After all inquiring minds want to know...Now let's address these things in order: ______________________________________________________ 1. Your 60 yard bow shot question... I've seen archers who are schooled on the tournament circut and are constantly practiced make shots longer than that on paper and plastic. I don't care how fast your bow is the flight time of the arrow to the mark at 60 yards is amazingly long. Flesh and blood creatures can move yards in that amount of time, gusts of wind and unseen objects can interfere with arrow flight, all these coming together for an arrow where we don't want it. The responsible archer doesn't take that shot. The TV hunter does to raise his ratings and make himself a hero to the viewers (obviously it worked). After all it is only a deer... right? ______________________________________________________ 2. Buckshot is an imperfact sphere with no positive rotational forces acting on it to further stabilize its flight. Compound this with the fact the pellets are further distored going through the forcing cone and the barrels choke and the possibilities for erratic flight multiply as they do with smaller shot charges. As the these pellets fly forward they then to go their merry way, each and every one. 40 yards is about all that anyone can expect to keep them in a reasonable pattern. Buckshot kills from collective energy and tissue distruction as I'm certain you know. The fewer the pellets striking the animal in the lethal zone the less effective the load. Also, as distances increase the those small lead balls loose energy at a dramatic pace, thus lowering effectivness. Cause and effect you know. ______________________________________________________ 3. The killing effect of an arrow is totally different than that of a firearm and high speed (relative) projectile. An arrow and broadhead combination kills by slicing tissue, blood vessels, et al to cause hemorrhaging and subsequent loss of blood pressure, unconsciousness and finally death. Mass and speed do weigh into the equation as far as trajectory and penetration potential go. ______________________________________________________ 4. The makers of the BDC reticle are marketing their scope to those who want to shoot out to 250 yards. They are not indicating efficacy, merely indicating the parameters under which they designed the scope to operate. Sadly, operator error is not factored into the production of any scope! ______________________________________________________ 5. As for the slug and the company that made it. The company has obviously tested the product and found that it is accurate and effective out to 100 yards. That is the limit of their guarantee of performance, thier line in the sand so to speak. ______________________________________________________ 6. Finally, I am as good a shot as I think I am. That is the reason I set practical limits on how far I'll shoot at game. A 500 yard shot that I will joyfully take on a stationary target I will not take on a flesh and blood big game animal. We all have our limits and have to live by them. Or maybe we don't...? It is only a deer after all...

Kevkais, I'm a lefty and I have a couple of guns for you that are well under $800. First for the cartridge. I would select the 25/06. A very good varmint round for the likes of a coyote with the 85-87 grain bullets, and also an outstanding round for deer and antelope with the 100-120 grain bullets. In a pinch the 100 grain serves well for both. As for the rifles: Ruger Hawkeye HM77LR MSRP is $803. Can be had at most any dealer for $590-$620 with very little haggling. You can still find a few new in box old standard M77LR's for the low 5's in 25/06. Ruger also puts up this rifle in stainless for another $60 Savage 111FLNS MSRP is $591. Typically sells for $450 or cheaper. I own both, both have been very dependable, and accurate. The accutrigger on the Savage is one of the best triggers on the market. All this said, if you are not pelt hunting coyote, you can extinguish old Wyle with any centerfire cartridge suitable for deer. A .270, 7mm-08, 30/06 or .308 are commonly available in left handed rifles from all companies. If this is more appealing to you take a look at the Tikka T3 Lite stainless, I recently purchased one and I really like it. Good trigger and the slickest bolt on the market. They are available in the $550 to $600 range. You might get lucky and find a Lefty T3 in blue for much less. Take a look at Gunbroker on line. Only problem with the Left hand Tikka is that it is not available in 25/06...

Does!

Sourwood Honey is produced largely in the Appalachian mountains of the Southeast from the nectar of the Sourwood Tree (Oxydendrum arboreum), a member of the heath family. From altitudes of about 1800 to 3000 feet in the mountains it is about the only thing that flowers in late June to late July. The sourwood honey crop is often affected by rain and gloomy weather. The rain knocks the small blossoms from the trees and the tree will only produce nectar when the sun is shining. Good Sourwood honey is very light in color (think pale gingerale) and has a complex flavor that begins with melted butter then to vanilla/toffee and finishes in a spicy blend of cinnamon/allspice. It is high in fructose and very slow to crystallize. The honey is often couterfitted by mixing it with corn syrup. Much "Sourwood" produced at lower altitudes is usually mostly Sumac which blooms at lower altitudes a the same time yielding a darker honey. Happy, drop me an email at: rockyhilllocalhoney@live.com

I've shot a compound bow for years with a tab. Never had a problem.

About as much sport as shooting a steer in a feed lot.

Matchlock, Wheellock and Flintlock.

I wouldn't waste my time with the Barska. Lens clarity and coatings have gotten pretty on lower price scopes. The real difference between a good scope and a cheap one is the guts. The inner workings are where they save the real cost. Spend all you can afford on a good piece of glass. Leupold, Burris and Nikon are excellent starting points. The Rifleman in the Leupold line up is a decent scope, especially for the money.

I do listen to both sides of the isle. By doing so I am able to make better informed decisions.

Del, The Realtree pants and long sleeve T-shirt along with a check went out yesterday Priority mail. There is also a little something in there for you and your wife. Bee

Over 100 Crappie. Released all but 50. Had one heck of a fish fry!

Keeping it in the pie plate is what it's all about. If you can do it a 700 yards more power to you. WA Mtn, not a better statement can be said about shooting and hunting, gotta know those limitations!

Legal or not, posessing a firearm in the presence of a sitting President in a public forum is the act of a fool who has little regard to his own life. The Secret Service has no sense of humor in such an instance. They are charged to protect the president and someone with a gun will instantly draw thier attention. I fully support the right to carry but one must display some common sense. I also agree that the state run, drive by media (sorry Rush) just looks for little tidbits like this.

A very dear friend and colleague asked me to lay out my idea of a perfect hunting rifle down to the "T". I told him I was great admirer of the Montana M1999 action as it (in my opinion) is the best rendition yet of the classic model 70 Winchester and Mauser actions. It is also made in a left hand model since I'm oriented in that direction. I related that I'm a fan of classic cartridges. I've long been a fan of the 6.5 X 55 cartridge. Under loaded by modern standards but still a very capable and mild shooting cartridge. Kick it up a notch in a modern action and it is even more capable. Plus, those long 6.5 bullets don't want to quit flying and will penetrate very well. I related that I'm a fan of walnut stocks even though they may crawl and shift, but a company called Accurate Innovations has largely settled that issue with thier aluminum bedding system. Us wood nuts can now have our cake and eat it too! I also related that I'm a big fan of matte blued metal. Several months later while visiting his office he gave me a plain cardboard box, on the outside was a shipping lable from Montana Rifle Company. I was speechless and dumbfounded. In the box was the very barreled action I had described with a left hand bolt and 6.5 X 55 inscribed on the barrel. Under it was a stock from Accurate Innovations, a beautiful piece of tiger striped Claro Walnut with their famous bedding system plus Rosewood T&C. I was physically sick. What a gift between friends. One that I'll never be able to repay in anyother way but friendship. But, I think that is what he had in mind...! PS- The rifle shoots as good as it looks!

Not a thing... If your are a man or woman of intrigue and adventure I highly recommend it. I, on the other hand don't like to stick my valuable appendages into a hole where a cotton mouth, snapping turtle, alligator or something else that would take great offense at the intrusion might be napping! Another case of "Hay ya'll, watch this...!

I have a very good opinion of the Stoeger 2000. I bought one 3 years ago at Bass Pro for an incredible price ($315 out the door). The model I bought is the blue/synthetic with a 26 inch barrel. It came with 5 choke tubes (Skeet, Imp, Mod, Full and extended turkey). It will use any choke tuble threaded for a Benelli of similar gauge. It weighs in at just under 7 pounds. I originally bought the shotgun for use as a client/friend/loaner gun for upland, turkey and goose hunts and also for hunts requiring air travel. As I said I've been well pleased as have the folks who have used it. Several of those "borrowers" have purchased thier own Stoeger 2000. As you know it is made on the Benelli patent in Turkey. It differs from the Benelli mainly in that the recoil spring is located in the fore end rather than the buttstock. This arrangement allows the fairly light gun to balance well in my opinion. According to a company rep the internals are the same as those used in the Franchi I12 selling for much more. It is easy and simple to disassemble for cleaning. Because no gas is involved the gun stays clean and does not require adjustments for each load fired. It will feed any load I've tried 1 1/8 ounce and heavier all the way up to 2 oz turkey loads. The company recommends no loads lighter than 1 1/8 ounces but it even fed some high speed one ounce loads. It will pattern well with most any load and is a pleasure to shoot even with heavy loads. When first introduced the model had its problems, since then the issues have been delt with and the guns are now quite solid. The 2000 is in my opinion an incredible value. A poor man's Benelli if you will. I am a lefty also and I find no problem shooting the right hand 2000. But, I've been shooting right hand semiautos and pumps for over 35 years. I'm used to working a safety in the fashion of the right hand mutant! There are conversion kits for other shotguns that can be installed by a qualified gun smith or done at the factory service center. I am not aware of one for the 2000. You might want to contact the company. Stoeger Industries 17603 Indian Head Hwy Accokeek, MD 20607 P: (301) 283-6981 or (800) 264-4962 F: (301) 283-6988 Stoeger and Benelli are owned collectively by Beretta. Most clay bird games are shot with chokes ranging from Skeet 1 & 2 to modified. It depends upon the game and the setting. Typically the open chokes see the most duty except in trap where very tight chokes may see duty with shooters working from the back row!

I agree with 007, sounds too good to be true. I think I'd check it out throughly first and get some history of use. If the guy is in a financial tight then his loss is your gain...

How do you mean? I'm all for People Eating Tasty Animals, why aren't you?

Del, Sounds like you are begining to enjoy being Santa Claus! Wesley is a lucky young man and I'm sure he will enjoy his new "toys". I think a bow, muzzleloader and .22 along with the shotgun his family gave him should certainly fill his needs for the future.

Amen... WA Mtn, Liberty and Happy!

Deer hunters and fisherman will buy anything!

Follow the rules!

Yes, One of my favorite limb line and trotline baits is a live shiner. Work well as cut bait also. Live shiners can also be fish on rod and reel just as effectively.