2022-2023 Hunting Thread

[BabaYaga 15210]

Having my scope off always makes me nervous.  For an extended, planned trip, ever more so.  I wonder if in lieu of actually firing the rifle to verify it's dope, if you could get one of those laser sighting shells?  You actually chamber it, then line up the beam with your scope.

Anyone ever used these before?

[Herbie Hancock 7303]

Idk what I’m doing wrong, but every year I have to make adjustments and I shoot the same brand and grain ammo every time. Dad throws his rifle in the safe on the last day of deer season and doesn’t get it out again until first hunt of the season. Buys whatever ammo he can for a good price, regardless of brand or grain, and never fuckin misses. You old farts are aggravating

[BabaYaga 15210]

1 hour ago, Herbie Hancock said:

Idk what I’m doing wrong, but every year I have to make adjustments and I shoot the same brand and grain ammo every time. Dad throws his rifle in the safe on the last day of deer season and doesn’t get it out again until first hunt of the season. Buys whatever ammo he can for a good price, regardless of brand or grain, and never fuckin misses. You old farts are aggravating

Maybe have someone check the bases/rings?  They might need attending to.  Pops had fixed 4x Weaver scopes on his rifles and they were never touched.  Not even once.  The idea of sighting in the rifles was anathema back then when I started hunting.  You just grabbed one and off you went.  Might be the sensitivity of modern scopes as well.  

Also, are you shooting at the same distances?

Edited November 1, 2022 by BabaYaga

[Spaulding Smails 1551]

10 hours ago, 686 said:

Great write up @Spaulding Smails , thanks for sharing and great pics! That was a nice bull your partner got! Sucks about your scope - what cartridge and scope are you shooting if you don’t mind?

Do you think your elevation turret could have been turned a full revolution and you didn’t notice? That, or leaving the scope dialed up for some potential shot and forgetting to turn it back to zero is a fear of mine.

I bought a rifle and scope specifically for this hunt.  I was shooting a Browning X-Bolt 300 WinMag with a Swarovski X5i 5-25x56 scope and Federal 180 grain Nosler AccuBond rounds.  Here's the scoop on the scope.  I bought it at Cabela's and had them mount it.  The first time I took it to the range, I couldn't even get it on the paper at 50 yds.  I had it dialed all the way to the left and was still right of the target.  I took it back, and the "head gunsmith" there told me the first guy put it on the wrong rings.  After that, it was driving tacks.  I shot it at the range twice and at the ranch twice.  Had the elevation turret dialed in with the pre-set markers at 100/200/300.

I chalked the miss up originally to the elevation turret.  I had it set at 300 yds and didn't adjust it down for the 240 yd shot, and even though that should've only adjusted a few inches, it was my only guess.  And, I had it back to my 100 yd zero for the cow shot.  Now, after being off by 18" at 120 yds, I'm thinking there's something else going on.  MAYBE, I hit it while hunting early in the trip.  But, the rifle was secure in a good case during our travels, and I don't recall anything out of the ordinary from an impact standpoint.  

If I find out it's something with the mounts, I'll be pretty pissed at Cabela's and sternly worded letter will ensue.  I should have some time this weekend to dig into it further.  

[BabaYaga 15210]

1 hour ago, Spaulding Smails said:

I bought a rifle and scope specifically for this hunt.  I was shooting a Browning X-Bolt 300 WinMag with a Swarovski X5i 5-25x56 scope and Federal 180 grain Nosler AccuBond rounds.  Here's the scoop on the scope.  I bought it at Cabela's and had them mount it.  The first time I took it to the range, I couldn't even get it on the paper at 50 yds.  I had it dialed all the way to the left and was still right of the target.  I took it back, and the "head gunsmith" there told me the first guy put it on the wrong rings.  After that, it was driving tacks.  I shot it at the range twice and at the ranch twice.  Had the elevation turret dialed in with the pre-set markers at 100/200/300.

I chalked the miss up originally to the elevation turret.  I had it set at 300 yds and didn't adjust it down for the 240 yd shot, and even though that should've only adjusted a few inches, it was my only guess.  And, I had it back to my 100 yd zero for the cow shot.  Now, after being off by 18" at 120 yds, I'm thinking there's something else going on.  MAYBE, I hit it while hunting early in the trip.  But, the rifle was secure in a good case during our travels, and I don't recall anything out of the ordinary from an impact standpoint.  

If I find out it's something with the mounts, I'll be pretty pissed at Cabela's and sternly worded letter will ensue.  I should have some time this weekend to dig into it further.  

You'll get nothing and like it!

 

[fattyflattie 4636]

2 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

Having my scope off always makes me nervous.  For an extended, planned trip, ever more so.  I wonder if in lieu of actually firing the rifle to verify it's dope, if you could get one of those laser sighting shells?  You actually chamber it, then line up the beam with your scope.

Anyone ever used these before?

I use them for everything i have to get on paper. Usually at ~50 yds. I’m a big take my time guy on rings/scopes.  Lap everything.  Proper torque on everything.  Your gun being properly torqued all around, including stock, but certainly based and rings, is hugely important in repeatable accuracy.   I shoot in before every season but haven’t had to adjust anything in several years (I hope I didn’t just jinx myself, shooting in on Thursday this week). But my rifles also are hard cased until I get to the blind, they don’t ride in racks in the truck.
 

several years ago I talked my buddy into checking his rifle right before he left on a mule deer hunt.  Just work and life had him short on time.  He was something like 14” high at 100,  iirc. Maybe 12, something of the sort.  Got it dialed in.  He ended up killing his first mulie that trip, which was a monster.  He still mentions it, with a little thank you. 

[BHMCruiser 1813]

3 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

Having my scope off always makes me nervous.  For an extended, planned trip, ever more so.  I wonder if in lieu of actually firing the rifle to verify it's dope, if you could get one of those laser sighting shells?  You actually chamber it, then line up the beam with your scope.

Anyone ever used these before?

I've used them to bore sight new to me rifles and to help put on scopes. I wouldn't trust them more than 25 yards or so, though. Zero in at 25 with the laser then go to paper (starting at 50 probably). 

 

I think the only solution to traveling with a rifle is to put a 3 shot group on paper at 100 yards. 

[Spaulding Smails 1551]

11 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

I use them for everything i have to get on paper. Usually at ~50 yds. I’m a big take my time guy on rings/scopes.  Lap everything.  Proper torque on everything.  Your gun being properly torqued all around, including stock, but certainly based and rings, is hugely important in repeatable accuracy.   I shoot in before every season but haven’t had to adjust anything in several years (I hope I didn’t just jinx myself, shooting in on Thursday this week). But my rifles also are hard cased until I get to the blind, they don’t ride in racks in the truck.
 

several years ago I talked my buddy into checking his rifle right before he left on a mule deer hunt.  Just work and life had him short on time.  He was something like 14” high at 100,  iirc. Maybe 12, something of the sort.  Got it dialed in.  He ended up killing his first mulie that trip, which was a monster.  He still mentions it, with a little thank you. 

I bought a similar bore sight laser setup after the first snafu with the mount.  Got it dialed in and torqued down with very repeatable accuracy.  To your point about that consistency, I've been shooting the same Savage 270 with a Leopold 3.5x10 and Winchester 130 grain rounds for WT hunting since 1998, and I've had to re-sight the scope exactly zero times.  Always drives tacks.  I (incorrectly) assumed that would be the case here.  The guides seemed apathetic about shooting the day we arrived, so I didn't press the issue to check my zero before we hunted, but should have.

[fattyflattie 4636]

1 hour ago, Spaulding Smails said:

I bought a similar bore sight laser setup after the first snafu with the mount.  Got it dialed in and torqued down with very repeatable accuracy.  To your point about that consistency, I've been shooting the same Savage 270 with a Leopold 3.5x10 and Winchester 130 grain rounds for WT hunting since 1998, and I've had to re-sight the scope exactly zero times.  Always drives tacks.  I (incorrectly) assumed that would be the case here.  The guides seemed apathetic about shooting the day we arrived, so I didn't press the issue to check my zero before we hunted, but should have.

I do a lot of target shooting with this little .22 my brother built and gifted me when I graduated college. Anyhow, I was perusing YouTube one day and I came upon a video about torquing.  This guy went thru what even minuscule changes did to his groups.  His rifle ended up shooting better at about 80% stock torque.  He just played with it, dialed it in, played some more, until it was one holing. That really resonated with me, and I did the same with mine.  Rings were already lapped. Bases and rings torqued to spec.  But it helped.   For anyone who has several rifles, look into a full scope mounting kit with lapping rods and paste, torque driver, levels, etc.  Makes life so much easier and saves on ammo.  
 

Probably not what happened in your case. I’m still ticked for you that it went down that way.  I hope you can get resolution and regain confidence in the rifle. 

[sith_horn 2370]

4 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

 For anyone who has several rifles, look into a full scope mounting kit with lapping rods and paste, torque driver, levels, etc.  Makes life so much easier and saves on ammo. 

That's how I roll. Have a lapping bar and compound, alignment bars (Wheeler Engineering Scope mounting Kit), Fatwrench torque driver, and gunsmithing screwdriver set. After aligning and lapping the rings, position the scope for eye relief. I level the rifle in a gun vise facing a plum bob line to true the reticle. I don't trust putting a level on the turret cap to true the reticle. I use a Bushnell Boresighter (collimator) with arbors to bore sight. The collimator works very well to get me close to the bullseye when I go to the range. It doesn't take many shots or much adjustment to zero in.

I use purple loctite on the base and ring screws (screws and holes degreased). Some use blue loctite. Do NOT use red!

[DalTxHornFan 3085]

I must be lucky.  I've been hunting with my FIL's 1950's era Savage 99 in a .308 since the early 1980's.  I did some range practice with it when I first bought it from my BIL's, but it didn't require any adjustments even back then.  I haven't had to do any range practice since then -- and it has always sent the bullets to where I was pointing at.  I do keep the rifle in a hard shell case and don't take it out until headed to the blind.  I imagine that all the hiking that you have to do in hunting Elk could end up screwing up the optics on a rifle and scope.  

[williemackgarza 1826]

Having my scope off always makes me nervous.  For an extended, planned trip, ever more so.  I wonder if in lieu of actually firing the rifle to verify it's dope, if you could get one of those laser sighting shells?  You actually chamber it, then line up the beam with your scope.
Anyone ever used these before?

Ive used them. Past 25 yds theyre not good but that distance is what the boresight distance is good foor. Just to get u on paper.
Or you can set the gun in a vise and pull the bolt. Look thru the barrell at an object at least 25 yds or so away. Look thru the scope. Use the scope turrets and move the cross hair over that same object. Check the barrell and scope once more. Will get you on paper.

[Anastasis 23394]

On 11/1/2022 at 6:36 PM, DalTxHornFan said:

I must be lucky.  I've been hunting with my FIL's 1950's era Savage 99 in a .308 since the early 1980's.  I did some range practice with it when I first bought it from my BIL's, but it didn't require any adjustments even back then.  I haven't had to do any range practice since then -- and it has always sent the bullets to where I was pointing at.  I do keep the rifle in a hard shell case and don't take it out until headed to the blind.  I imagine that all the hiking that you have to do in hunting Elk could end up screwing up the optics on a rifle and scope.  

I hunt with a rifle from my step grandfather that passed down to me and have never touched the adjustments. A mauser from the 80-90's I believe with a period Leopold. It has never missed a shot, and I have not been particully gentle with it. But I am not shooting at any sort of range. 

[hookemATL 11609]

[fattyflattie 4636]

2 hours ago, williemackgarza said:

Ive used them. Past 25 yds theyre not good but that distance is what the boresight distance is good foor.

I just checked my typical spot (back yard).  35 yards is what I use.  I’m going to tighten that up to 20-25 going forward, but I’ve never had an issue with what I use.  It’s been a long time since I’ve pulled the bolt and done it old school. It for sure works, tho. 

[cknight 184]

Can't wait for the weekend! We didn't run any cameras this year so everything I see will be a surprise and I'm honestly excited about that. Throwing a brisket on the WSM tonight for dinner Friday; taking off early from work to get out there early. Looking forward to a weekend filled with (hopefully) bucks, bourbon and brisket.

[DalTxHornFan 3085]

I'm keeping my expectations low.  The drought has been pretty rough on our deer population.  I may not pull a trigger on anything other than hogs this fall.

[hookemATL 11609]

4 hours ago, cknight said:

Can't wait for the weekend! We didn't run any cameras this year so everything I see will be a surprise and I'm honestly excited about that. Throwing a brisket on the WSM tonight for dinner Friday; taking off early from work to get out there early. Looking forward to a weekend filled with (hopefully) bucks, bourbon and brisket.

Feeling the same emotions but I was able to get a few weeks worth of cam shots and it has me optimistic. Trying again this year to get my buddy on his first buck.  Should get more opportunities this season with some much deserved PTO from work (week of thanks giving and then 2 weeks for Xmas/ny). 
 

Good luck to everyone this season. If I get a deer or not, sitting in a stand in the woods watching and listening and unwinding my brain is about as good as it gets.

[JCHIL 414]

56 minutes ago, hookemATL said:

Feeling the same emotions but I was able to get a few weeks worth of cam shots and it has me optimistic. Trying again this year to get my buddy on his first buck.  Should get more opportunities this season with some much deserved PTO from work (week of thanks giving and then 2 weeks for Xmas/ny). 
 

Good luck to everyone this season. If I get a deer or not, sitting in a stand in the woods watching and listening and unwinding my brain is about as good as it gets.

Amen I’m looking forward to some quiet time this weekend.  Good luck!

 

[Storm the Field 5271]

Not expecting to shoot anything, but I'm just excited to spend time on a lease again for the first time in ages. Planning to tag along to to the lease my brother joined for a trip or two this season. Been a good 7 or 8 years since I sat in a deer blind. Far too little driving around out in the sticks and drinking beer by the campfire in my life these days.

[Reagan1k 3016]

This m'fer has to go.

Best I can tell he's climbing that fence enough to flop over and then somehow get back out the same way.  He hasn't made a hole b/c he's the only hog getting in.

Nice set of mouth scissors he's got showing up in the pics. 

Whoever in my group shoots him better have a tow strap or chain b/c one guy isn't dragging him very far by hand....at least not without getting a serious workout in the process.

 

[Anastasis 23394]

6 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

I'm keeping my expectations low.  The drought has been pretty rough on our deer population.  I may not pull a trigger on anything other than hogs this fall.

I am seeing pretty good numbers on camera and some thinning appears needed.  That being said, another case of flu in the household has scuttled my opening weekend trip with my old man. 

[hookemATL 11609]

1 hour ago, Anastasis said:

I am seeing pretty good numbers on camera and some thinning appears needed.  That being said, another case of flu in the household has scuttled my opening weekend trip with my old man. 

My eldest caught it last weekend but it was super mild for her and she was back to herself for Halloween. It’s been cold -> sinus infection -> Covid -> ear infection -> flu over the past month just passing back and forth in the household. 
 

I read my kids the riot act and told them they are not allowed to get sick until mid January. 

[fattyflattie 4636]

Checked my zero on my go to this afternoon, and spent some serious time behind the 300BO I picked up for my oldest. I’m still not getting what I want out of it, but can hang 3 in just at an inch.  Old faithful was ragged holing.  So, you heard it here first, any miss won’t be because it didn’t do its job.   I don’t run cameras so every day is a surprise.   My hunting buddy changed her mind and is going to hang back with her momma this weekend, so might pack a few more beers in the cooler tonight.  Now if only it would drop about 25 degrees, we’d be in great shape.  Safe travels to those burning up the highways tomorrow.  

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

I set up the feeders at the beginning of September and only got pictures of crows, raccoons, a coyote, and a fox that seems to come to eat corn almost every night. No signs of deer at any of the feeders, just lots of corn on the ground. I moved my camera last weekend to a creek crossing on a pipeline next to a spring and got a picture of a nice young buck with potential the first night, but nothing else but the same with the addition of a small porker until the pictures from today came through and I had a doe on the cam in the middle of the afternoon and another (possibly the same) just before sunset. This is East Texas, so maybe there are enough acorns on the ground that they could care less about the corn? I dunno. My FIL has deer coming to his feeder on his tiny little plot an hour away, so who knows. Anyhow, it looks like I'll just be sneaking around looking at places where I have historically seen deer or setting up in a stand and hoping something shows up.

Young buck:

He doesn't look old enough to shoot if I run across him, but I know there has to be more out there. This is a 350 acre property with very little hunting pressure. One side has a subdivision with 5 acre plots along it, two have tracts of land owned by kinfolks that don't get a ton of hunting pressure, and the other is a highway. There's no way there aren't mature bucks out there given the circumstances. It would be nice to get one on the cam though.

[Brisketexan 104586]

Headed to my friend’s place up past Brady today. Truck decided to shit the bed in Brady, had to get it towed to a shop to get it fixed. Friend had to come get me. Furk.

But…got my rifle dialed in. Got feeders fixed and set up. Had some coldbeers. Got the news that the truck was fixed, can pick it up tomorrow. Got a new case sorted out on a phone call.



Will be up and at em in the morning.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

Didn't someone say that would happen after you flushed the transmission?

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2724]

Are you Steel Shank’s cousin?

[USCATX 1067]

This weather is stupid, but I’m out here basking in the 58* warmth in Travis County waiting to see if anything exciting comes out.  

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

Good luck on your morning hunts, y'all. I've got to get the kids ready for a family reunion, but I'll be out there this evening.

Edited November 5, 2022 by NotActuallyALonghorn

[Brisketexan 104586]

In the blind north of Brady. 45 degrees, so the right kind of chilly. Wind calmed down, thankfully. Coffee with boozy creamer to keep me warm.
Second year in a row to hunt without the boy with me, while he’s overseas at school. Kinda bummed that we’ve passed the era where he is around to hunt with me. He’s grown into a guy who’s cool to have around the campfire telling bullshit stories.
Good luck, fellas. Hoping to put a fat doe in the freezer. Always looking for the big girls…like Vic Mackey.

[deadshank 24651]

Another lovely morning out.  Good luck, lads. 

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2724]

I’ll be out next weekend.
My body is ready.

[USCATX 1067]

Beautiful morning once it cooled down but I don’t think I’ve ever sat at this blind in the morning without even seeing a doe or yearling buck.  Maybe a combination of the storm, big moon, temp drop and god knows what else chased them off.  Still 10/10, will do again.  

[Brisketexan 104586]

Don’t think the big moon helped us.
I saw a nice 8 walk past, but he didn’t stop except to look around a bit. He probably needed another year on him anyway.
Now I’m hungry. There’s bacon back at the house.

The guy I’m riding back to the house with shot an 8, I’ll snap a pic.

[deadshank 24651]

10 minutes ago, USCATX said:

Beautiful morning once it cooled down but I don’t think I’ve ever sat at this blind in the morning without even seeing a doe or yearling buck.  Maybe a combination of the storm, big moon, temp drop and god knows what else chased them off.  Still 10/10, will do again.  

Major coming up in a while. Minor was over at 6 AM.  
 

Morning major will be earlier tomorrow. 

[USCATX 1067]

Saw a small 8 pacing behind the feeder and a little fork just came jogging in.  At least I have something to look at now.  

[Brisketexan 104586]

Friend didn’t shoot an 8, it was a chonky 7 - good cull.

[Al Czervik 1228]

Nice sunrise West of Johnson City. Big 8 came hustling through chasing a doe and dickhead here didn’t even have his rifle loaded.  Seen 15 different deer and 1 porcupine.  

[MalibuSheriff 1088]

I’m jealous boys.  In my thirty years in Texas, there’s not much more I enjoyed than trips to our leases or various ranches of friends in the Hill Country or northwest Texas.  Pic from a couple of years ago rolling up 71 headed to Shackelford County.

Deer season in Texas and all the peripheral activities that it entails, has no peer.

[Brisketexan 104586]

Need a healthy breakfast to warm up.

[Anastasis 23394]

38 minutes ago, MalibuSheriff said:

Deer season in Texas and all the peripheral activities that it entails, has no peer.

 

yep

 

[Anastasis 23394]

Stuck in town due to a set of circumstances that just totally unwound themselves in the last couple hours. Fuck me. 

 

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2724]

Major coming up in a while. Minor was over at 6 AM.  
 
Morning major will be earlier tomorrow. 

Which app are you using?

[Kennythetiger 9334]

1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

Need a healthy breakfast to warm up.

Coffee black. Cigarette. Start this day like all the rest. 

[jofus 2266]

Boom! First deer I saw this morning.

[Herbie Hancock 7303]

3 shots. 3 doe. Not a bad start to the morning

[deadshank 24651]

1 hour ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

Which app are you using?

iSolunar

[deadshank 24651]

1 hour ago, jofus said:

Boom! First deer I saw this morning.

Tell us more.  County?  Private land?  Public land?  Details.  
 

also let us smell your fingers.  

[Brisketexan 104586]

Got back in to Brady to pick up my no-longer busted truck. All good. And, it gave me an opportunity to grab a snack: