Thinking of going back to simplicity for hunting... - Page 2

shortround60 · May 25, 2016, 11:35 AM

Franken, there is a lot of truth in your statements. I've got an uncle that has many big bore guns and even stated that he wants a .50 CAL rifle. He's got set ups for long range out of the wazoo and I feel it is his right to have them if he wants them; however, I keep asking him where in SC will he exercise them? He never does, but like my grandmother used to say; "He earned the money, he can spend it how he likes."

Stag, I did own two fiberglass longbows coming up, but never really hunting with them so to speak. That same uncle did take a couple of deer with his compound bow over the years.

I can't say that I am bored with rifle, but I may get back into hunting as I get more time on my hands and include bow hunting to add a little variety.

JimPage · May 25, 2016, 01:39 PM

Many years ago I got a 308 Norma Magnum rifle. Shot a buck in Texas at over 400 yards. Other than bragging rights for about an hour, the event was rather boring. Since then I have used Marlin 336, Winchester 94 and Remington 760 in the usual calibers. In NY state woods, long shots are rare. Average range for deer is about 40 yards. I've shot them as close as ten feet. That has been fun. Once in NY I shot a deer through the trees at about 100 yds. That was interesting because picking a bullet path thru the woods was a bit tricky. But all the rest were 30 yards or less.

Jack O'Conner · May 25, 2016, 08:14 PM

I have been successfully hunting with my older Glenfield 30-30 carbine for more than three decades. It's put a lot of meat on our table and a few nice trophies for the wall, too. This short carbine proved to be ideal for a mule deer hunt in western South Dakota. I've never had to take a shot farther than 150 yards and within this distance my 30-30 is very lethal indeed!

I continue to carry my Schrade Golden Spike hunting knife because of its well designed shape and good edge retention, too. Why mess with good hunting tools?

But I will state that modern hunting boots are superior to those that we bought 40 years ago. Lighter, warmer, and better insoles for comfort.

Jack

stagpanther · May 26, 2016, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Stag, I did own two fiberglass longbows coming up, but never really hunting with them so to speak. That same uncle did take a couple of deer with his compound bow over the years.

I hear the "rifle too easy" comment from some older hunters (never been the case for me since I'm relatively new to hunting) every now and then, but bow hunting takes it to a whole other level--mostly demanding getting closer and taking a better shot. I've yet to take a shot with my bow at game simply because I haven't got within close enough range where I thought I could make a good enough shot--and a high probability of the arrow reaching the target before it "jumped the string." Seems to me an issue with "making things more challenging" seems to often translate to "higher risk of wounded animal getting away and not tracked down."

mwal · May 26, 2016, 11:23 AM

My last deer was taken with a 336 30/30 with Ghost ring sights. I have a nice 7mm-08 but prefer the simplicity of the 30/30 almost all of my deer have been 15 to 35 yards as I hunt in thick woods. So the ghost rings are actually easier to use. There is something fun about shooting that 30/30 with those sights quick and easy no thinking just mount rifle and shoot.

Mwal

22-rimfire · May 26, 2016, 11:27 AM

When my wife pretty much refused to cook venison, after a couple years I shifted to handgun hunting only. The meat on the table concept lost it's luster. Then slowly the hassle of finding places to hunt that don't require a significant investment (leases) has sunk in, I have pretty much stopped deer hunting. Getting a deer is just not worth the effort any more but I absolutely loved handgun hunting because of the challenge. It was like archery hunting+. I bow hunted when I was younger.

Never did the black powder thing which might be something new and fun. I have a little shot BP 50cal rifle.

So, I understand completely going back to your roots in terms of deer hunting. Enjoy yourself. For me it is all about having fun and being there and not necessarily scoring anymore. Probably need to make an effort this year to find a place to hunt that isn't too far away (driving distance without camping or motels). Then I'll bone up on my big bore shooting skills a bit.

I envy folks in PA who have so much public land to hunt (State Game Lands) even if they often are not the greatest hunting areas any more due to over use.

Gunplummer · May 27, 2016, 04:12 AM

Pennsylvania overall sucks for deer hunting on public land. For over 20 years I have been going to WV and hunting public land on my vacation time. I don't always get a deer there, but I have at least seen a deer even in the worst drought years. Where I live I would have a better chance of killing a bear than a deer. If I hunt deer in PA now it is only a day or two. It would be nothing but luck if I actually saw one.

stagpanther · May 27, 2016, 05:10 AM

Quote:

Pennsylvania overall sucks for deer hunting on public land. For over 20 years I have been going to WV and hunting public land on my vacation time. I don't always get a deer there, but I have at least seen a deer even in the worst drought years. Where I live I would have a better chance of killing a bear than a deer. If I hunt deer in PA now it is only a day or two. It would be nothing but luck if I actually saw one.

I thought PA has one of the highest whitetail concentrations in the east?

SansSouci · May 27, 2016, 09:15 AM

Ain't no doubt in my mind that the .30-30 Win will kill everything in North America. Big game animals have no clue of what causes their brains to suddenly stop oxygenated blood resupply. While the .30-30 Win can do it all, the same ain't necessarily true for me. It's that age-vision thing that's been causing problems.

However, after many years of pursuing big game, I've finally figured out the really important stuff. Cartridge is mostly immaterial when it comes to inviting big game to dinner. What a bullet destroys deserves a lot more attention than what's stamped on a cartridge's head. It's a lot better to shoot closer than farther. It's a lot better to aim where any bullet will kill and kill quickly. Heavy rifles are no fun to carry all day. Big cartridges don't compensate for bad shooting. Big recoil = big flinch = big game live another day. A .243 Win (or .30-30 Win) in the boiler room is a whole lot better than an '06 to the guts. Most bad shots occur with really big cartridges.

Were I accorded a hunting rifle do-over -I ain't yet figured out who parcels out hunting rifle do-overs- I'd buy one and only one excellent quality .280 Rem and never need another rifle. Since I ain't got a .280 Rem, from here on out I'll be hunting with my .270 Win. Truth be told, there ain't a whole lotta difference between the two cartridges until we get to the legendary penetrative ability of 175 grain .284 bullets. But that would only come in to play were I required to shoot through-and-through the largest bear's shoulders. That fella from the Dark Continent a century ago culled darn near a hundred elephants using a 7x57 with 175 grain bullets.

The .270 Win is darn near a centenarian. That oughta qualify for simplicity. Besides that, it kills big game. With a Leopold 2.5x8, I can even see big game animals. Even better, it doesn't kick the holy heck outta me.

But, yeah, I do appreciate getting back to days of yore and roughing it like our big game killin' forefathers. When I get back to camp, I like to warm up next to a genuine Rocky Mountain campfire. When I'm good and warm, I'll make sure the mattress pad atop of my cot is inflated and positioned directly under my goose down sleeping. Then I'll turn down my bunking equipment, light the propane heater, sit by the fire while I grub a light dinner of a well-marbled Porterhouse, a side of asparagus, and finish it off with a slice of New York cheesecake. A little sip of decently aged scotch helps with aches that come with reckless youth. Right after my third yawn, I'm 'bout ready to feather. After I've done bunked for the night, I'll reach over and turn off the heater.

I've talked to Donald Trump 'bout building a genuine roughing it hunters' resort with hot tubs, saunas, weight room, masseuses, 5-star room service, and satellite TV. I had no clue he was busy with something really important that has done took him right outta the resort building business. So I guess it's a square a day if I'm lucky, a whole lotta walkin', and a cot at night.

RaySendero · May 27, 2016, 06:43 PM

Quote:

BumbleBug wrote:

Thinking of going back to simplicity for hunting...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm old guy that loves to deer hunt & I've been lucky enough to do it my whole life. I have many deer rifles & I've tuned them, loaded for them, scoped them, & for the most part they all shoot like lasers. But for some reason I've been mulling over the idea of taking the old Win 94 .30-30 with a peep sight out this season. Is it just me or do other hunters go simple some times?

BB, Just do it. I did last fall.

Could have picked from many scoped rifles, but chose my No4 MK1*.
Got my deer and got a yote following a doe I decided to pass on.

Hunter Customs · May 27, 2016, 07:47 PM

SansSouci,

I have a Remington 700 BDL/DBM with 3x9 Leupold scope in 280 caliber, love the rifle and the cartridge, killed a lot of Missouri Whitetail with this set-up.
However if I was going to give up my handgun hunting I would take my Savage 99 Featherweight with iron sights in 300 Savage caliber, I've also killed a lot of Missouri Whitetails with this cartridge.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter

shortround60 · June 2, 2016, 03:09 PM

SanS,

My shoulder agrees with you on the big bore stuff. I had the itch to shoot something large caliber during range session in Richmond a few months ago and boy did I pay for it latter. I shot 9.3 x 62, 338 RUM, .458 and a few others. It was fun for a bit, but it sure cleared out the cobwebs and reminded my why I simplified my gun collection.

22-rimfire · June 2, 2016, 07:50 PM

Sans, I never saw much difference in recoil between the 270 win and 30-06. Same would apply to the 280 Remington. As a young man, I got a 270 for deer hunting because Jack O'Conner used one and my Dad was a -06 guy. Wanted to be different.

Quote:

Pennsylvania overall sucks for deer hunting on public land. For over 20 years I have been going to WV and hunting public land on my vacation time. I don't always get a deer there, but I have at least seen a deer even in the worst drought years.

When PA implemented their more recent game management policy, deer dwindled in numbers on State Game Lands and there were lots of complaints from hunters. But it really isn't as bad now. You might give them another look or look at different SGL's. My brothers don't seem to have a problem getting a deer in PA and mostly on SGL's.

Rifletom · June 18, 2016, 02:30 PM

Glad I saw this post. Seeing how I did not get drawn for my area, I'm taking my Mod94. It does have 4x glass on it, as my eyes aren't what they used to be. But, I will have fun not the less.

tahunua001 · June 18, 2016, 07:57 PM

I've hunted with everything from an arisaka type 44 cavalry carbine to the lastest and greatest AR15s... so yeah I would say sometimes I go simple and sometimes I go complicated

baddarryl · June 25, 2016, 10:25 AM

After a long discussed thread I put up about a brush gun, I decided on a 336 in .30-30 with peep sights. Millions of our predecessors can't be wrong. Will be using in on Eastern Whitetail in the woods of NC. I can't wait.

stagpanther · June 25, 2016, 10:45 AM

Quote:

After a long discussed thread I put up about a brush gun, I decided on a 336 in .30-30 with peep sights. Millions of our predecessors can't be wrong. Will be using in on Eastern Whitetail in the woods of NC. I can't wait.

Good selection. I saw one for sale at my local wally world for $380--I'm thinking about it--but it might be gone by now.

May 25, 2016, 11:35 AM	#26
shortround60 Member Join Date: January 15, 2005 Location: Northern, VA (Formerly Northeast, SC) Posts: 98	True words Franken, there is a lot of truth in your statements. I've got an uncle that has many big bore guns and even stated that he wants a .50 CAL rifle. He's got set ups for long range out of the wazoo and I feel it is his right to have them if he wants them; however, I keep asking him where in SC will he exercise them? He never does, but like my grandmother used to say; "He earned the money, he can spend it how he likes." Stag, I did own two fiberglass longbows coming up, but never really hunting with them so to speak. That same uncle did take a couple of deer with his compound bow over the years. I can't say that I am bored with rifle, but I may get back into hunting as I get more time on my hands and include bow hunting to add a little variety. __________________ "No Bullets, No Bang", the unofficial Ordnance Corp Motto.

May 25, 2016, 01:39 PM	#27
JimPage Senior Member Join Date: February 21, 2010 Location: Rome, NY Posts: 941	Many years ago I got a 308 Norma Magnum rifle. Shot a buck in Texas at over 400 yards. Other than bragging rights for about an hour, the event was rather boring. Since then I have used Marlin 336, Winchester 94 and Remington 760 in the usual calibers. In NY state woods, long shots are rare. Average range for deer is about 40 yards. I've shot them as close as ten feet. That has been fun. Once in NY I shot a deer through the trees at about 100 yds. That was interesting because picking a bullet path thru the woods was a bit tricky. But all the rest were 30 yards or less. __________________ Jim Page Cogito, ergo armatum sum

May 25, 2016, 08:14 PM	#28
Jack O'Conner Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2005 Location: Manatee County, Florida Posts: 1,976	I have been successfully hunting with my older Glenfield 30-30 carbine for more than three decades. It's put a lot of meat on our table and a few nice trophies for the wall, too. This short carbine proved to be ideal for a mule deer hunt in western South Dakota. I've never had to take a shot farther than 150 yards and within this distance my 30-30 is very lethal indeed! I continue to carry my Schrade Golden Spike hunting knife because of its well designed shape and good edge retention, too. Why mess with good hunting tools? But I will state that modern hunting boots are superior to those that we bought 40 years ago. Lighter, warmer, and better insoles for comfort. Jack __________________ Fire up the grill! Deer hunting IS NOT catch and release. Last edited by Jack O'Conner; May 25, 2016 at 08:24 PM.

June 2, 2016, 03:09 PM	#37
shortround60 Member Join Date: January 15, 2005 Location: Northern, VA (Formerly Northeast, SC) Posts: 98	Ain't that the truth SanS, My shoulder agrees with you on the big bore stuff. I had the itch to shoot something large caliber during range session in Richmond a few months ago and boy did I pay for it latter. I shot 9.3 x 62, 338 RUM, .458 and a few others. It was fun for a bit, but it sure cleared out the cobwebs and reminded my why I simplified my gun collection. __________________ "No Bullets, No Bang", the unofficial Ordnance Corp Motto.

June 18, 2016, 07:57 PM	#40
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	I've hunted with everything from an arisaka type 44 cavalry carbine to the lastest and greatest AR15s... so yeah I would say sometimes I go simple and sometimes I go complicated __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

May 26, 2016, 11:23 AM	#30
mwal Member Join Date: February 24, 2009 Posts: 91	My last deer was taken with a 336 30/30 with Ghost ring sights. I have a nice 7mm-08 but prefer the simplicity of the 30/30 almost all of my deer have been 15 to 35 yards as I hunt in thick woods. So the ghost rings are actually easier to use. There is something fun about shooting that 30/30 with those sights quick and easy no thinking just mount rifle and shoot. Mwal

May 26, 2016, 11:27 AM	#31
22-rimfire Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2005 Location: Tennessee Posts: 5,323	When my wife pretty much refused to cook venison, after a couple years I shifted to handgun hunting only. The meat on the table concept lost it's luster. Then slowly the hassle of finding places to hunt that don't require a significant investment (leases) has sunk in, I have pretty much stopped deer hunting. Getting a deer is just not worth the effort any more but I absolutely loved handgun hunting because of the challenge. It was like archery hunting+. I bow hunted when I was younger. Never did the black powder thing which might be something new and fun. I have a little shot BP 50cal rifle. So, I understand completely going back to your roots in terms of deer hunting. Enjoy yourself. For me it is all about having fun and being there and not necessarily scoring anymore. Probably need to make an effort this year to find a place to hunt that isn't too far away (driving distance without camping or motels). Then I'll bone up on my big bore shooting skills a bit. I envy folks in PA who have so much public land to hunt (State Game Lands) even if they often are not the greatest hunting areas any more due to over use.

May 27, 2016, 04:12 AM	#32
Gunplummer Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2010 Location: South East Pa. Posts: 3,364	Pennsylvania overall sucks for deer hunting on public land. For over 20 years I have been going to WV and hunting public land on my vacation time. I don't always get a deer there, but I have at least seen a deer even in the worst drought years. Where I live I would have a better chance of killing a bear than a deer. If I hunt deer in PA now it is only a day or two. It would be nothing but luck if I actually saw one.

May 27, 2016, 09:15 AM	#34
SansSouci Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2013 Location: Heart of Reagan Country Posts: 479	Ain't no doubt in my mind that the .30-30 Win will kill everything in North America. Big game animals have no clue of what causes their brains to suddenly stop oxygenated blood resupply. While the .30-30 Win can do it all, the same ain't necessarily true for me. It's that age-vision thing that's been causing problems. However, after many years of pursuing big game, I've finally figured out the really important stuff. Cartridge is mostly immaterial when it comes to inviting big game to dinner. What a bullet destroys deserves a lot more attention than what's stamped on a cartridge's head. It's a lot better to shoot closer than farther. It's a lot better to aim where any bullet will kill and kill quickly. Heavy rifles are no fun to carry all day. Big cartridges don't compensate for bad shooting. Big recoil = big flinch = big game live another day. A .243 Win (or .30-30 Win) in the boiler room is a whole lot better than an '06 to the guts. Most bad shots occur with really big cartridges. Were I accorded a hunting rifle do-over -I ain't yet figured out who parcels out hunting rifle do-overs- I'd buy one and only one excellent quality .280 Rem and never need another rifle. Since I ain't got a .280 Rem, from here on out I'll be hunting with my .270 Win. Truth be told, there ain't a whole lotta difference between the two cartridges until we get to the legendary penetrative ability of 175 grain .284 bullets. But that would only come in to play were I required to shoot through-and-through the largest bear's shoulders. That fella from the Dark Continent a century ago culled darn near a hundred elephants using a 7x57 with 175 grain bullets. The .270 Win is darn near a centenarian. That oughta qualify for simplicity. Besides that, it kills big game. With a Leopold 2.5x8, I can even see big game animals. Even better, it doesn't kick the holy heck outta me. But, yeah, I do appreciate getting back to days of yore and roughing it like our big game killin' forefathers. When I get back to camp, I like to warm up next to a genuine Rocky Mountain campfire. When I'm good and warm, I'll make sure the mattress pad atop of my cot is inflated and positioned directly under my goose down sleeping. Then I'll turn down my bunking equipment, light the propane heater, sit by the fire while I grub a light dinner of a well-marbled Porterhouse, a side of asparagus, and finish it off with a slice of New York cheesecake. A little sip of decently aged scotch helps with aches that come with reckless youth. Right after my third yawn, I'm 'bout ready to feather. After I've done bunked for the night, I'll reach over and turn off the heater. I've talked to Donald Trump 'bout building a genuine roughing it hunters' resort with hot tubs, saunas, weight room, masseuses, 5-star room service, and satellite TV. I had no clue he was busy with something really important that has done took him right outta the resort building business. So I guess it's a square a day if I'm lucky, a whole lotta walkin', and a cot at night.

May 27, 2016, 07:47 PM	#36
Hunter Customs Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2005 Location: Osborn, Missouri Posts: 2,697	SansSouci, I have a Remington 700 BDL/DBM with 3x9 Leupold scope in 280 caliber, love the rifle and the cartridge, killed a lot of Missouri Whitetail with this set-up. However if I was going to give up my handgun hunting I would take my Savage 99 Featherweight with iron sights in 300 Savage caliber, I've also killed a lot of Missouri Whitetails with this cartridge. Best Regards Bob Hunter

June 18, 2016, 02:30 PM	#39
Rifletom Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2011 Location: So-Cal Posts: 789	Glad I saw this post. Seeing how I did not get drawn for my area, I'm taking my Mod94. It does have 4x glass on it, as my eyes aren't what they used to be. But, I will have fun not the less.

June 25, 2016, 10:25 AM	#41
baddarryl Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2011 Location: Cape Fear! Posts: 1,683	After a long discussed thread I put up about a brush gun, I decided on a 336 in .30-30 with peep sights. Millions of our predecessors can't be wrong. Will be using in on Eastern Whitetail in the woods of NC. I can't wait.