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Post by xlter on Jan 2, 2014 12:26:46 GMT -5
Thought it might make an interesting thread to see what kind of shooting / hunting talents we have here on our new forum . I'm born and raised in western Pa. We're the self proclaimed capital of Whitetail Deer hunting . ( Brief History ) Growing up in Pa. has always ( for me ) involved some type of outdoor activity . Thankfully my father had been a hunter since his early youth growing up in Missouri . Until our 12th birthdays , we only got to watch when our father would return home with any harvested wild game . Knowing that we would be invited some day to join the the orange clad , rifle carrying , story telling circle of hunters . Waiting to turn the magical age of 12 was like waiting forever for Christmas to arrive .... When the real Christmas of my 11th year did arrive , I found a new Winchester Model 94, 30-30 hiding under the Christmas tree !!!!! I then knew that I would be joining my father and the circle of hunters when the next deer rifle season opened in the fall of the next year ! ( Fast forward 20yrs. later ) After harvesting many deer with the now old 30-30 and rabbits & squirrels with an old Excel single shot 12gauge , I actually started getting bored waiting for the fall hunting season . That's when I started reading about groundhog hunters using precision rifles taking football sized animals at ( then ) unbelievable distances . I was instanly HOOKED ! I read as much as possible about the type of rifles & optics these marksmen used to connect with those tiny creatures . I finally settled on a Ruger M77 Mark II Target rifle in 22-250 topped with a Leopold 6.5 X 20 . I then proceded to clean up the local farmers fields within 20 square miles . Needless to say , I was hooked for life ....
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Post by gmd52 on Jan 2, 2014 20:56:13 GMT -5
Great question....for me nothing better than tracking the trophy Mtn. whitetail, or watching the sun rise in the duckblind.....
For several years made a portion of my living shooting competitve IPSC combat pistol, and NRA Action pistol. Met some of the most friendly, and knowledgable people in this Country, and Canada. Built my own weapons, and loaded and shot in excess of 45,000 rounds per year.
Now spend what little spare time I have building, shooting and hunting with black powder weapons...the lure of history has always been great.....Gary
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Post by redjamescash on Jan 4, 2014 22:39:28 GMT -5
I always liked instinct shooting.Long range stuff I didnt have the space for.Deer hunting where I lived you were lucky to find a spot for a 150 yard shot.Our property was dense woods.The farmers field across the street was different but,always cattle around.So shotgun was basically it or pistol.I practiced fast draw,hip shooting,with Rifle and pistol.I was good with my .357 and .41.Was good with my M1 carbine.Put a penny on the top of your hand,draw and fire and keep your shot on a paper plate size target at 20 feet before the penny hits the ground.Smoke a butt and flick it away and shoot it as it hits the ground.That was my thing,burned a lot of rounds doing that.Shot my .357 loose until it started to jam,too much slop between the cartridges and the recoil plate.The cartridge rims would hang up on some spots,retired,still have it though at my brothers house.Start your hip shooting with a bb pistol,once youre somewhat on target move up to a .22 and so on,you'll be surprised how accurate you can get.Quick draw,dont go for speed at first,go for accuracy.Speed will come naturally in time.
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Post by unclebuck257 on Jan 5, 2014 13:19:17 GMT -5
Born and raised in SE Pennsylvania. Hunted natural pheasants in Montgomery, Bucks, and Berks Counties, along with whitetails in Bradford, Pa. during the various seasons. Moved to Texas and really got into long guns, shooting, and reloading for a number of calibers. I've got a 100,200,300,and 400 yd range on my place now to shoot anytime I want to. I was second in charge of an Elk and Mule Deer outfitting business for 25 years in the Gunnison, Colo. area, during first and second rifle seasons that was owned by my buddy. Used to guide first and/or second season and then Elk hunt when my hunter tagged out in second season. I reload for about 15 different rifle calibers now and I'm concentrating on teaching the grandchildren (two granddaughters)about hunting,shooting and fishing at this point in my life. My daughter and son-in-law live on the place next to ours and they are both big hunters and shooters too. Dang near have to make an appointment at my own range anymore!! LMBO!
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Post by xlter on Jan 5, 2014 14:51:30 GMT -5
Dang ! .... I was hoping to just get some conversations going about favorite firearms & calibers . There really is an impresive group of members here . You are the type of guys that would make me late getting to the sack when sitting around a nice warm fire at camp the night before buck season . Knowing very well I have to be on stand at O-dark thirty . Pistol & blackpowder marksmen , outfitter guides !!!!!! I always kick myself for spending to much time on the computer instead of getting chores done . Then someone posts replies like these ! LMBO
Unclebuck , In my humble opinion , you've lived a life most hunters only dream/read about . Please enlighten us on some great guide stories . By the way , you would'nt be interested in adopting a new/older nephew would you ? LOL
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Post by DeepseekerADS on Jan 5, 2014 21:05:02 GMT -5
Well, I've never been a hunter, but I've been hunted.
I do like to target shoot, took my kids many times.
I'm not one to often go off on war - it sucks and not well.
Talents, let me just say that you forget all talents when someone is trying to kill you. Yes you aim, but it is very quick. I guess that's why they gave us so darned much ammo!
One of my fears is that we might see this here on our own turf. Killng another man is a burden you will always carry - you will never ever forget, never.
I've enjoyed a number of sips of nice brandy this evening. One more and it will be bedtime.
What I fear we face is very very serious business. I don't think that in the present 27 we have here, any of us will fail in our responsibilities to those we love - and that is why we have this 27 today, they are all trusted. War sucks, and I fear it.
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Post by DeepseekerADS on Jan 5, 2014 21:10:37 GMT -5
Oh! Sorry xlter! My favorite ever? I carried a Tommy gun for a while before it was confiscated. I was in love And joy was seeing quad 50's on a duce and a half doing road security - the most impressive weapon I ever fired was a 50 cal machine gun.... That was pure love! Now I have a nerf gun, and a BB gun that may still work... However, I'm hearing good things about 1000 fps air rifles now... Not regulated either, and small investment. I'll survive on my wiles.....
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2014 21:56:24 GMT -5
Oh! Sorry xlter! My favorite ever? I carried a Tommy gun for a while before it was confiscated. I was in love And joy was seeing quad 50's on a duce and a half doing road security - the most impressive weapon I ever fired was a 50 cal machine gun.... That was pure love! Now I have a nerf gun, and a BB gun that may still work... However, I'm hearing good things about 1000 fps air rifles now... Not regulated either, and small investment. I'll survive on my wiles..... I have a crossman Fury NP ... no open sights, but comes with a scope (need to "manufacture" a set) --- 1200 fps, blow through 1/2" plywood. More than enough to collect small game. Can even get hollow point pellets for it ... they're premium pellets and shoot more consistently. Of course you will have to prove you're older than 16 to buy the pellets. Gun is pretty cheap, around $100. www.cheaperthandirt.com has a bunch of those high power air rifles under $200. Get you a "pellet pen" if you get a break barrel model. Much quicker to load in the field, holds about 20 rounds.
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Post by redjamescash on Jan 5, 2014 22:06:58 GMT -5
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Post by unclebuck257 on Jan 6, 2014 13:35:45 GMT -5
Dang ! .... I was hoping to just get some conversations going about favorite firearms & calibers . There really is an impresive group of members here . You are the type of guys that would make me late getting to the sack when sitting around a nice warm fire at camp the night before buck season . Knowing very well I have to be on stand at O-dark thirty . Pistol & blackpowder marksmen , outfitter guides !!!!!! I always kick myself for spending to much time on the computer instead of getting chores done . Then someone posts replies like these ! LMBO Unclebuck , In my humble opinion , you've lived a life most hunters only dream/read about . Please enlighten us on some great guide stories . By the way , you would'nt be interested in adopting a new/older nephew would you ? LOL xlter, One of the funny stories is regarding a father and son team that came up every year together for about 4-5 years for first Elk season. The son was about 35 and Dad was in his early to mid 70's. Both were as country as country could be too. Now understand that these two always kid each other unmercifulessly and it only got worse in hunting camp. The much older Dad always got the best of the son too! I always guided the father and my buddy, the outfitter, always guided the son, so my outfitter buddy and I had our own contest going on too behind the scenes as to whose hunter would shoot the biggest bull. Between these two, without exception, I always won and the Dad always shot the biggest bull. Setting the stage with that, this one year, Dad shot a REALLY BIG, NICE, 6X6 and the son shot an average 5X5 that was quite a bit smaller. By the time they quartered out their Elk and put the meat in those big coolers for their drive home, the six foot bed of their pickup was going to be full. Dad planned on tying his antlers onto the top of the cooler nearest the cab and man did those antlers stick up and out because of their size when we did help him tie those antlers on! Since these two men tagged out opening day, they then decided to go home early and were leaving camp before everyone else. The whole hunting camp, all 8 other hunters, plus myself, the outfitter and 2-3 other guides were outside in front of the cabin sitting around the campfire between the morning and afternoon hunts eating lunch, as was Dad! The son had been finishing up packing some of his clothing, etc. and had been upstairs in their cabin bedroom and hadn't seen us help Dad load the coolers and especially Dad's antlers into/onto the pickup bed. When the son came down, he loaded his suticases and rifle into the cab of the pickup and then just stood there for a minute looking at the coolers and Dad's antlers in the completely full pickup bed. He then turned to his Dad and said in a very sarcastic way , "Well hell, you completely filled the truck bed with those coolers and YOUR antlers. Where in the hell am I supposed to put my antlers?" Without ever looking up, missing a beat, or giving any sign of emotion, his Dad said, "Ah hell, don't fret about it boy, just throw them in the glove compartment or under the front seat!" At that point, at least 4 mouthfulls of drink were spit out into the fire uncontrollably and without exception, all the guys, including me and my outfitter buddy, were beating the ground with our feet and laughing loud and hard. The Dad then just looked up and smiled and the son, well he just had nothing he could do but to laugh too at that point.
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Post by xlter on Jan 6, 2014 14:29:00 GMT -5
DeepSeeker , no apologies necessary buddy . This is awesome hearing the huge talent & stories we have here in our members . Like I said , this group would be great to be sitting around a roaring campfire at a camp in the north woods sipping adult beverages and listening to all of the tales & stories from some really interesting lives . Extremely interesting group of members here !
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Post by xlter on Jan 6, 2014 14:49:45 GMT -5
Hilarious story Unclebuck ! My money says you have a couple hundred more of those just waiting to be posted . Just an idea , if you wrote a book on your lifes tails , it could make a nice retirement supplement .IMHO
I know hunters like myself really enjoy reading things like this .
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Post by unclebuck257 on Jan 6, 2014 15:36:24 GMT -5
xlter,
Yup, I've been blessed in many ways my friend and Elk/Mule Deer guiding/hunting in Colorado for all those years was sure one of them. Sure do wish I could go back up there but it looks like I'll never be able to go up into that altitude again. We lease a 6500 acre ranch up there for just our hunting and hunters. All free ranging Elk too. The cabin is at 10,200 ft and the top of the ranch is at 11,500 ft. Never had any altitude problems in all those years until the 2010 first rifle season when I first thought I had a broncial infection but it actually turned out to be High Altitude Pulmonary Edema very quickly. Hit me hard and out of the blue and the Colorado doctor told me it hits people in their early to mid 60's for no reason and once it hits, you have to get out of the altitude very quickly and can never go back into it or I could easily stroke out. Took my BP up to 200 over something which scared the snot out of me. Hell, I couldn't breathe because my chest was filling up with fluids and that was the scariest thing about it all. I left in 2010 and haven't been able to go back up since. Talk to my outfitter bud 3-4 times a week by phone and we get together with another close camp buddy for fishing in Canada and Spring Turkey hunting every year but I miss hunting camp in Colorado like you wouldn't believe. BTW, if I wrote any of those stories, they'd classify it as a Comic book!! LOL!
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Post by xlter on Jan 7, 2014 6:43:39 GMT -5
I used to enjoy shooting that requires quick thinking. Having a target rigged up in the center of an old tire and have someone roll it down a hill and you try to hit the moving target. Or what's called a "dueling tree" which has steel "flags on either side of a steel post that swing over to the opposite side when hit. 2 people start with an equal number of flags on their side of the post and try to send them over to the other side. First person to get them all on the other shooters side wins. NH , that Flag Tree sounds like fun . Are you allowed to use a shotgun ?? LOL
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Post by Oregon Viking on Jan 26, 2014 5:07:49 GMT -5
Every time I deer hunt, I run into pheasant. hmmm I decided, or was told, they eat good! So I started hunting pheasant, and quail. Friend tells me..Lake Earl CA, ducks! OK. so I discover I can shoot ducks! Lake is but a few miles away. Being tall, I shoot the longest barreled shot gun I can find. And A shorter then me friend had a sweet Benelli, that just did not fit him. Duck, I had to really look for a good recipe. And I eat bear, cat, wild boar. Duck was a tough cook. Father in law wants me to try skeet shooting next week. YES!! Video! Hey, I like this forum....A LOT!!
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