I got in my hunting shack a little before 7 this morning. I poured myself a cup of coffee and was just getting ready to take a drink when I looked out the window and saw a deer. Then more appeared 6 does and fawns in all. I kept looking for a buck but I guess it wasn't meant to be this morning. The deer started heading for the woods so I picked out the largest doe and the 20 gauge slug did it's job. It was a 76 yard shot and she went 15 yards before going down. I would love to hunt with my Savage 99R but I live in the shotgun and limited rifle zone of Southern Michigan. I did shoot her with a Savage Model 220 bolt action shotgun. She should be awful good eating. My son-in-law and I will cut and wrap her tomorrow or Saturday.

Boy you fellas sure got lucky with snow back there. We get warm temps, lots of flies and sometimes bees to worry with. I would love to hunt in the snow for a change, although t-shirt hunting has it's virtues.

Nice doe and good eating.

Nice deer and nice Kromer! Congrats!

Rod

That one should eat good!

FB,
I am sure there are quite a few hunters in Michigan who would be happy to have some warmer temps and a little less snow, especially in the U.P.
We've got about 6" of snow on the ground at my place which is just about the right amount for me. It's just the danged low temps and winds about a steady 20mph. Makes the wind chill damn miserable.
I've hunted deer for 40yrs and I can't remember where we have had as much snow and cold weather as we've had this year. We've had some cold days and snow in all those years but they never lasted as long as they have this year.

Whats a limited rifle zone?

Before this fall, southern most part of Michigan was a shotgun only hunting zone for firearm deer season. The legislature opened it to straight-wall rifle cartridges this fall. Minimum .35 caliber with a maximum case length of 1.8".We can use .357 magnum, .44 magnum, .45 Colt, .460 S&W Mag. These are the more common calibers used, but there are some others also.
I still have my buck license left and if I wanted to I could purchase another doe license. I will be in the shack tomorrow morning waiting for a buck. I am putting up the shotgun and will hunt for a buck with my Marlin 1894 .44 magnum.
My brother-in-law shot a 7 point on Tuesday with his Ruger .44 magnum and it did a job on the buck.

Good shot chappy.

Nice Deer, 2 feet of snow here!

Nice shooting. Love the jacket in the background too. Congrats sir.

Nice deer, my plastic 220 still sports a sticker! Can you shoot a 444? I bet the 1894 is fun, my 220 is very accurate but very plastic.

Good job! Only allowed one deer?

No, the case of the 444 Marlin is to long. 1.8" is max.


Lee

Nice doe Chappy, congrats.

I hunt in the restricted firearms zone also and I think it was long overdue to allow straight walled pistol cartridges in rifles. I've been thinking a 20" 460 S&W barrel for my Encore would be good, but for now I'll stay with my muzzle loader.


Lee

I've been toying with getting a .357 Max barrel for my Encore for southern Michigan since they passed this law. I'm not sure that it would give me any more reach than my rifled 20 gauge Encore barrel.

Rod

Rory,
In the Southern Lower Michigan we can actually shoot 5 does. Have to buy a separate license for each one. $20.00 each. We can also buy a combination license. You get 2 tags with it. It can be used to take a buck or doe, or 2 bucks with the stipulation that one of the bucks has to have at least 4 points on one side. Another option is to buy a doe permit and an antlered license. The buck has to have antlers at least 3" long.
I buy one doe permit and one antlered license. The reason I do not go buy another doe permit is that I live alone and I can only eat so much meat.

Polecat
I have a S&W 460 pistol with the 14" barrel, Leupold VX-3 Pistol Scope 2.5-8x 32mm Duplex Reticle, and Harris Bipod on it.
I harvested a deer with it last year. Sighted in at 150 yards. Very effective. I am hoping Henry or Marlin come out with a lever action rifle in the 460.
I just wish when the Legislature passed the legislation they would have increased the cartridge maximum length to include the 45/70.

I also have one of dem Savage 220 20 ga deer slayers. Acurate as most center-fires out to 200 yards with Remington Accu-tips. Nice to see fellow Michiganders fill the freezer.

Is the shorter hornady ammo for the 444 too long? I have been told it is much shorter than the original remmington brass.

I just measured a couple 444 cases.

Hornady leverevolution 2.060"
Remington 2.225"
1.8" max case length per hunting regs.

I suppose you could trim cases back to 1.8" and seat the hornady 265 gr bullet to it's lower canalure to save powder space but I can't see a DNR officer measuring the case when he sees 444 stamped on it, much easier to write a ticket and take your gun.

Lee

What if you scratched out one of the 4's on the barrel and put some 44mags in your pocket?

I've been toying with the idea of barreling a donor small Martini action in .357 Maximum for a bantam weight little deer rifle. I think it's one of the more under rated cartridges for chambering in a rifle.

Now that sounds very interesting. If you go forward with it keep us informed.

Take a look at the .358 Hoosier. It is all the rage with the Amish in N.Indiana, and in the hilly parts of S.Indiana. Still too hot of a round to safely shoot in smallish woods in the flatlands of Indiana. Even Chuck Hawks thinks it is a nice round.
http://www.guns.com/2011/11/09/a-deer-cartridge-just-for-one-state-the-358-hoosier/

Sorry, missed the comment about "straight wall". Nice doe by the way.