My father took me hunting all kinds of things while growing up. But he didn’t hunt deer or larger game. I dreamed of hunting deer and larger game and read every magazine or book on it I could find. I could not afford a rifle my first adult year, 1986. So, I bought a Remington 870 - 12 gauge. I practiced and practiced with various slugs. It had its limitations though, being unrifled and with just a vent rib and bead at the end to sight with. I found place with good deer sign at a public lake in Kansas where I then lived. 30 minutes into the start of deer season, I nailed a buck with one antler at 70 yards.

I worked about the first 1/3 of the next summer (ran a small house-painting operation), and bought a Remington 700 BDL in 300 Win Mag. I still have it, and it shoots great groups with any 180gr bullet I ever have loaded in it. Plan on giving it to my older, 14-yr-old son when he is ready to shoot reduced loads in it, and then he can amp it up from there. As of now, he still prefers his .243.

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