I had my last deer cut at a butcher shop in 2011. Our rifle season begins Thanksgiving week, and I was always too busy trying to hunt for a couple of days, get back home, get unpacked and help with the houswork and cooking for the holiday to do my own. Now, with a different domestic situation, I've got the time to cut up my deer myself. I get it cut the way I want it, and the taste of the meat is much better. I don't even want to think about what the "professional" cutter might have been doing to my food.
A couple of years ago, my son had a deer processed, and what he ended up with was the equivalent processed weight of his deer, not his deer. Basically, they threw it all together and handed out the end result willy-nilly. They also sold venison sausage. Hmmm.....
On the other hand, the big deer I shot down in Raleigh County in 1996 was processed by a guy working out of his garage with his daughter and another guy helping, and they did a great job, for $40.
As to bullets, I've generally just picked one in the 150-165gr range, worked up a load, and gone hunting. Never had a serious issue, and seldom recovered one. These days, I usually buy Nosler over-runs and blems from SPS, although I keep an eye out for sales at Midway and Graf's.
Last edited by Pappy348; 04/19/16.
