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Joined: Jan 2006
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And, within defined legal shooting hours, terrain and environmental circumstances can create some very low light conditions. Large open fields, plains, desert terrain can differ greatly from a timbered valley or inside timber, as to the amount of light at a given time. Are you trying to shoot past legal shooting hours? I helped you. Some places allow 1 hour after sunset.
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Joined: Jun 2016
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OP
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Thank you for those subtensions tomk. I too wish that the Euro manufacturers would give us a heavy duplex like Leupolds. I love the reticle. I have an appointment on March 8th for an eye exam. I am going to wait until after that and look through the Leupold again as the light fades. If it greatly improves I may leave it as is. I still have to scope my boys rifle and he had zero problems getting behind it on my gun. So I may get a new one anyway. Thanks to everyone.
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,691
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Most of the deer not recovered by folks that I was hunting with were shot right at the limit of legal shooting hours. Heart/lung shot deer most always do a death run. How far? Until they bleed out. Heart shot around fifty yards, lung longer, maybe much longer. Now we need to trail them in the dark. If not found quickly, and sometimes they are not, the coyotes and other scavengers may be the lucky finders. If not scavengers, the weather may let spoilage set in unless t is really cold. In Texas, hunting can be in a blizzard or in shirt sleeves.
In other words, game shot at last light may be game wasted. I usually pack it in, just after sunset while hunting meat. If I know that a trophy buck lives there, maybe not.
Best wishes,
Jack
"Do not blame Caesar, blame the people...who have...rejoiced in their loss of freedom....Blame the people who hail him when he speaks of the 'new, wonderful, good, society'...to mean ,..living fatly at the expense of the industrious." Cicero
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Joined: Jun 2016
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Most of the deer not recovered by folks that I was hunting with were shot right at the limit of legal shooting hours. Heart/lung shot deer most always do a death run. How far? Until they bleed out. Heart shot around fifty yards, lung longer, maybe much longer. Now we need to trail them in the dark. If not found quickly, and sometimes they are not, the coyotes and other scavengers may be the lucky finders. If not scavengers, the weather may let spoilage set in unless t is really cold. In Texas, hunting can be in a blizzard or in shirt sleeves.
In other words, game shot at last light may be game wasted. I usually pack it in, just after sunset while hunting meat. If I know that a trophy buck lives there, maybe not.
Best wishes,
Jack I always stay up until the time expires. I set a vibrating alarm on my phone. When it goes off I'm done. I won't be shooting much past 150 yards at last light bc it is almost impossible to judge a buck if i can even see it. It happens once a year or so that a big buck walks out really close right at dark 30. On another subject, I couldn't find the diameter of the Z6 ocular on the website so I called. It is 1.79". The FX3 is 1.60". So a Z6 is out completely for sure. The S&B 6x42 is 1.61". I am really thinking about getting some Talley bases and Warne mountain tech rings and conduct a return to zero experiment.
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 12,156
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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In other words, game shot at last light may be game wasted. I usually pack it in, just after sunset while hunting meat. If I know that a trophy buck lives there, maybe not.
I've made probably 95% of my kills in the last 15 minutes of legal light. If I quit hunting at sunset I might as well not go, I killed one deer this year where I got on stand at sunset, 15 minutes later I shot. Deer are almost nocturnal in my part of the world. I envy those whose hunting occurs in broad daylight, but that's not reality where I hunt. Hence good optics, if one steps out right at last light you've got to be prepared to make the shot or go without. Blood trailing and recovering deer after dark is just what you do. That's what headlights and flashlights are for. I'd never not shoot for fear of having to track in the dark.
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We do a lot of bow hunting at the beginning of the season. We actually enjoy tracking at night. We get down and go to the cabin to load up on lights and beer giving the deer some time. By the way the only light I use is a surefire Maximus. It is amazing.
Last edited by RAAK; 02/21/17.
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Joined: Sep 2004
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2004
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In other words, game shot at last light may be game wasted. I usually pack it in, just after sunset while hunting meat. If I know that a trophy buck lives there, maybe not.
I've made probably 95% of my kills in the last 15 minutes of legal light. If I quit hunting at sunset I might as well not go, I killed one deer this year where I got on stand at sunset, 15 minutes later I shot. Deer are almost nocturnal in my part of the world. I envy those whose hunting occurs in broad daylight, but that's not reality where I hunt. Hence good optics, if one steps out right at last light you've got to be prepared to make the shot or go without. Blood trailing and recovering deer after dark is just what you do. That's what headlights and flashlights are for. I'd never not shoot for fear of having to track in the dark. THis ^^^^ the biggest bucks I have seen on the property I hunt in Alabama come out at last possible light.
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,332
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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In other words, game shot at last light may be game wasted. I usually pack it in, just after sunset while hunting meat. If I know that a trophy buck lives there, maybe not.
I've made probably 95% of my kills in the last 15 minutes of legal light. If I quit hunting at sunset I might as well not go, I killed one deer this year where I got on stand at sunset, 15 minutes later I shot. Deer are almost nocturnal in my part of the world. I envy those whose hunting occurs in broad daylight, but that's not reality where I hunt. Hence good optics, if one steps out right at last light you've got to be prepared to make the shot or go without. Blood trailing and recovering deer after dark is just what you do. That's what headlights and flashlights are for. I'd never not shoot for fear of having to track in the dark. THis ^^^^ the biggest bucks I have seen on the property I hunt in Alabama come out at last possible light. Same for me in Ohio.
“Lighten up Francis”
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Joined: Oct 2016
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Raak,
I've found the 6X42 works great. One small trick I've used is rather than just focus the reticle with the eye focus I use the eye focus to focus the target at around 300 ish yds. Makes a noticeable difference IMO concerning the quality of the sight picture. Especially if your eyes are not so good.
Trystan
Good bullets properly placed always work, but not everyone knows what good bullets are, or can reliably place them in the field
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