Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Pump Rifles and deer

It's a living. Like many things you don't make "the big bucks" unless you're in business for yourself.

One week vacation to hunt sounds like a [bleep] way to make a living. However, you seem like a happy person and that's what counts.

Truthfully I usually don't need a week to fill all my tags. Had a buck tag and two doe tags last season and filled all 3 in a total of 7 hours in the woods. Spent the rest of my vacation time Christmas shopping which I enjoy almost as much as deer hunting.

Good for you, I passed up Doe after Doe last year and a couple smaller Bucks and hunted every day of the Deer season but one. Fine season it was. Oh forgot, had the safety off on a few that were close. Some looking at me, some not. Only 7 hours in the Deer wood would not be considered the best of seasons. But dumb ass me has been known to go out most days even with a punched tag.

Sent the Doe tag in a day late this year thinking why and then thought I'd better just in case I go evil.

Christmas shopping is done way before hunting season for the most part and for a couple reasons. One I don't enjoy it all that much if I wait.

I like doing my Christmas shopping in late November and December. Seeing all the hustle and bustle and the lights and decorations is a big part of the fun for me. As to the hunting, you've got to remember I can go any day I want all year long. Deer, waterfowl, small game/upland, predators/varmints, it ain't all about deer to me and I enjoy it all. I live where I can hunt right out the back or front door and many places between work and home. I get done with work in time to go hunting afterwards any day I want and often do. I also have every weekend to hunt and I get four days off at thanksgiving and from Christmas eve to the day after New Years all paid.

Sounds like you have it right where you want it. Then why act the prick so often?

I'm known as the grumpy old curmudgeon at work. It just comes natural.

You go stud.

I agree.

I disagree. I think you work pretty hard at it.

It's a gift, along with the ability to fart at will.

I haven't killed very many deer.
But I haven't spooked one with the safety or forgot to take the safety off when needed.

Also, pump guns do have advantages.
If the shot is flubbed (stand hunters have branches around) a quick second shot could save the day. Scope mag up close can have folks shooting through unseen lumber. Bullets whacking stuff a couple feet from the hunter.

Maybe as the deer came by (on the move) it darted at the last possible nanosecond causing a miss, or bad hit.

Maybe the hunter just flat out traded his trigger finger for a crowbar.

A fast reflex reload can save the day, no need to lift face off the stock. Pretty darn quick.

I shot an 8 pt on a 2 man drive in a tree farm, hit him 3 times, he hauling arse two rows in the big trees (I had moved down and just started fwd, in the shade kill area).

Nailed that dude 3 times, with a pump 870. Group you could cover with palm of hand..........right at front edge of shoulder/neck.

Yeah, first was good enough.

But deer hunting is sometimes like sex, the more noise you make the more fun you must be having.

If my first shot had hit a tree, the other two would have gotten him.

It's like shooting for triples on doves.

Haven't always bought the pump is faster theory. Especially on aimed shots with some recoil thrown in. But one would have to work a pump pretty fast to beat this bolt.

Battue -

I'm not going to start nor enter a 'discussion', aka argument.

A proficient pump shooter will instinctively have a next round chambered with a pump - from recovering from recoil w/o changing positions of either hand.

Those who cut their teeth hunting pump shotguns use a pump rifle with incredible efficiency.

It's also similar to some dropping a lever rifle TO actuate the lever action compared to those who keep the rifle shouldered and actuate the lever.

It's a matter of familiarity.

I use bolts more than pumps and I don't have to drop the rifle from my shoulder to re chamber BUT
One must release the stock with one hand to operate the bolt THEN replace that hand on the stock to shoot again.

IMHO the difference between "proficient" bolt and pump shooters will only be a matter of a fraction of a second. Emphasis on proficient.

Jerry

Jerry,

Just throwing it out there for entertainment value. 🙄😀 And I agree when it comes to proficiency, the race could be won by either or, depending on who is doing the which.

I also can get two off quicker with a SxS vs pump in the uplands. However, not sure if I consistently shoot the quickest best.

Age old discussion. 🤔

Another: Which is faster, pump or semi? Semi is limited by the mechanism. Pump is only limited by the shooters reflex.

I've used bolts, pumps and levers all my life and am quite proficient with each. There isn't much difference between them in speed of aimed repeat fire but there is a diffence. The pump is the fastest by a slight margin, followed closely by the lever which in turn is followed closely by the bolt. It's very seldom that the difference is of any consequence in the field but it can be occasionally.

Then some here say the second shot is only noise. And they always finish-and the rest of us should also-the deed with the first. They also say the second chance will never be better than the first. Guess they never had one move off after the first and then stop in a more open position. That gets me as much as all day, every day .5inch sporting rifles.

Sorry, can't help myself. Ahh, I could but don't want to....

no mas

no fuss

Jerry

I never 'count' , depend, or expect to rely on a second shot. The vast majority are first shot kills. However, I have killed a very few with a 2nd shot. I can not remember ever killing on a 3rd shot.

That's why I'm completely comfortable hunting bolts. I have a few pumps (M 6s) and hunt them occasionally, mostly to carry something different. I do like 'clips', detachable box mags and can't really explain why.

Familiarity, familiarity, familiarity, regardless of rifle.

Jerry

Mostly first. Sometimes hit with first, finish with second.
Have fired four on a runner in an open field. Solid hit on number two according to snow spray and finished it standing with 4. Getting closer with each jump. 50%er.