Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Small Game Another Limit with my Vintage Reminton-

Went back to the pecan bottom this morning, with as much intention to shoot hogs as squirrels, but the hogs were a no-show. Parked the truck in the pasture and gathered up my gear, and when I shut the truck door, a couple of gobblers sounded off down in the bottom. I had decided to start at the far east end this time, finishing up back at the truck, and walked the 300 yds to the last group of pecans near the east property line. Sat down at the base of one of the pecans and got my shooting bipod ready--6:28, or about 25 minutes before sunrise. Already nearly light enough to shoot--then I about had a heart attack when 3 turkeys flew out of the tree next to me-about 10 yds away. Got semi-settled down, and 2 more flew out. Dang those guys are noisy! Four minutes later I hear a squirrel's claws on tree bark--and then I looked over my right shoulder and about 15 yds up the tree I'm sitting under is a tail flicking up and down. Put the scope on it, but still a bit dark. The squirrel decided to come on down the limb a bit--and I got a peek at his head, but no shot. Then I hear another one barking off to my left, then one to my front, then another one back hard to my right, almost behind me. I thought to myself, "what are the odds I'll get a shot at more than one of them?" I sat there for about 5 minutes before I got a shot. The first one poked his head out again and I had a clear shot-so bang, pop, plop. The one behind me really started in, but I couldn't locate him. After about 5 more minutes, I found him sitting facing me, tail a-slashing. I put the crosshairs on his nose--bang, pop, flop. The one in front decided to cross from his tree to the next one over, and gave me a perfect clear shot--bang, pop, but then a "run down to the trunk and disappear" act. Watched and listened but no dice, so I figured he ran into a den hole. Then, before I can chamber another round, the one to the left makes a fatal mistake and it's bang, pop, flop again. So, I've taken 4 shots, 3 on the ground and one I think in a den hole. Decide the neighborhood needs a rest so I go pick up the 3 I knocked off their perches, and walk over to the tree where I thought the one made it to a den--and there it was, dead beside the trunk. So, 4 squirrels within about 15 minutes---a good start.

I put them on my "stringer", gather shooting sticks and stool, and walk back towards the truck about 100 yds and find another big pecan tree to sit beside. Hadn't even gotten my shooting sticks ready, and my rifle is still leaning against the tree, when I see #5 about 50 yds away. He's really active, up and down, back and forth, building a leaf nest. Finally gives me the shot, and bang, pop, flop. I switch magazines and kick back to enjoy the morning when another one decides to switch trees. Gets about 25 yds out on a limb, clear shot--bang, pop, ??? He sort of hunches up on the limb for a few seconds, then takes off like he's on fire for the trunk--about 5 feet from the trunk he falls and I hear the flop sound. Time to move again and I walk over to get #5 and #6. #5 is there, but #6 isn't, and I looked around the tree on the ground for 15 yds all around--no luck. Part of hunting, but I don't like it one bit. Decide to get down in the creek bed and still hunt the rest of the way back to the truck--and I get about 50 yds up the creek, stopping to peek over the bank a couple of times, but see nothing. Then I lean up against a downed tree that fell into the creekbed, with its root wad up on top of the bank. About a minute later, here comes a squirrel down the tree trunk right at me. It stops and looks, flicks its tail a couple of times, and comes closer. Repeated this 3-4 times before it decided to go back up the trunk and hop onto a big tree and look back at me from about 10 yds. Safety off, aim, let out half the breath, squeeze, bang, pop, flop. Climb up, gather him up, poke the stringer through his hind foot, and mosey on back to the truck. It's 7:18, and it's only been 50 minutes since I sat down under the first tree. Man, this squirrel hunting is a piece of cake.

Here's the end result--

Thanks for the post. Great story and a beautiful rifle.

I love the old stith on that gun... looks great!

Thanks Drew--I love it too, and you don't even have to D&T the classic rifle. I could stand a bit more magnification, but clarity is just fine on the old glass.

Great story of a successful hunt! Lots of good eatin' layin' on that log too!

Iffn' ya wanna make that piece of cake a little more challanging add a small bore flintlock to your arsenal. 'Course if you're on damage control that might not be the way to go.

I have a few sets of stiths on some Savage 99s and really enjoy them also... I could not bring myself to drill holes in an original gun...the first two are a 22HP and a 99t in 300 both wearing weaver K2.5s and the second pic is a 99H in 303 with a Lyman Alaskan... I shot several hogs with the latter.

great story and pic....thanks

The ol' 303 Savage is nearly entirely ignored and that's a shame. It's a darn good ol' cartridge. Cool rifles 99!, (I have an 1899 in 303 Savage).

Dustoffer....looks like maybe a 513-s?

always been partial to the 500 series of all types, first .22 i did much hunting with was a tired old 514.

great story, and congrats on a great hunt.

FyrepowerX--you are correct, a 513S with a "birthdate" of November 1948--almost as old as I am--

I'm a sucker for what Remington freaks call the "5-teens" and I have a set of all models with peep sights but the 514-P. My son doesn't refer to me as a collector, but an "accumulator".

dust, accumulator....I like that. Kudos to the kid!

I have a 514 that was my fathers. Not as nice as that one but it shoots.

A gunshop in my area has a 521T but they want way to much
for it.