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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 19,179
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 19,179 |
The one in my hand at the time. I don't deer hunt with one that won't kill deer. I am just now reading this thread and this IS WHAT I WAS GOING TO POST. If I don't have confidence in a rifle/cartridge for where I'm hunting---I will NOT carry it. I have morin one capable of whatever - wherever I'm hunting. From 6mm Rem, 270 W, 06, 7 RM, 300 WM, & 8 RM wherever is covered.
jwall- *** 3100 guy***
A Flat Trajectory is Never a Handicap
Speed is Trajectory's Friend !!
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 19,179
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 19,179 |
If you kill what you really think is a deer of a lifetime. What then? What's your goal? If you think you could do better, than it wasn't a deer of a lifetime. Just wondering.
Mauser - I'm not being smart but there are more than one that qualify as bucks of a lifetime. Just because I (might) kill a 180 class--I'M NOT quiting.
jwall- *** 3100 guy***
A Flat Trajectory is Never a Handicap
Speed is Trajectory's Friend !!
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 22,884
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 22,884 |
My two biggest have been with my least favorite weapon--primitive season muzzleloader.
If it had to be for any deer anywhere at any time--my 30-06 with 130 TTSX pushed as fast as feasible. I like what it does for penetration, and it leaves a big enough hole that lung shots are no problem.
For my home turf, my 243 has been getting it done just fine with most any bullet of 80 grains and up. Since I shoot it more accurately, it probably would actually be my best bet.
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,812
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,812 |
KMM and Scott:
Great Bucks guys congrats.
A .308W in my hands would please me as far as the original question. 150gr NBT.
Last edited by battue; 12/19/13.
laissez les bons temps rouler
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,128
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,128 |
CDL .30-06 loaded with 165 Gamekings. Vanguard 30-06 loaded with Hornady interlocks.
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 35,900
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 35,900 |
I'm not a trophy hunter, but I have a question for those who are.
If you kill what you really think is a deer of a lifetime. What then? What's your goal? If you think you could do better, than it wasn't a deer of a lifetime.
Just wondering. MH: They don't all have to be monsters to be fun... so you keep hunting and shooting bucks and let the Big One's just fall into place. My personal philosophy on killing big deer is ...don't dawdle,kill based on frame,and shoot a lot of them.
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,494 |
I can kill a huge one, I"ll mount it to pay it respect, but I always shoot does and culls since we love the meat.
In fact not counting culls and does, i often go years between shooting a buck, and its becoming harder and harder now too, since I typically try to shoot only 6.5 year old bucks and larger than the last.
At some point I"m sure I'll never kill a mature buck again in my life. Might be closer than I think.
But does and culls...every year since I eat...
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Joined: May 2005
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 14,104 |
It just so happens that the biggest whitetail that I ever killed was taken with a .30-06 and a 150-grain Partition, because that was the only big game rifle I had back then. The biggest mule deer was taken with a .243 Winchester and a 95-grain Ballistic Tip, because that was about all the recoil that I could stand at the time (broken hand). Like Bob, I just try to shoot the best one that I think that I am likely to see each year.
Last edited by mudhen; 12/20/13.
Ben
Some days it takes most of the day for me to do practically nothing...
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,494 |
I've never been of the opinion, and this is OT, that I have to shoot the best deer I see each year. Contrary I assume I"ll shoot a mature buck about once every 5 years.
But then I have the extra bonus of does and culls for the meat.
But if I didn't, I"d probably shoot the youngest/smallest buck I could each year assuming I didn't see the "one"
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Joined: Jan 2007
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 35,900 |
Jeff I have been on hunts where I went hardcore and passed everything....this creates a big dilemma because I love the meat!
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,678
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,678 |
Nobody has mentioned my gun/load yet! My Beretta 390 with a rifled barrel and 2 3/4" Federal Premium Barnes Expander Slugs.
To answer the questions, just because you shoot what you may consider the buck of a lifetime, doesnt mean that you dont enjoy shooting other ones, small or large. I would really enjoy shooting a huge buck, that doesnt mean I dont enjoy shooting large bucks, or does or whatever. If the folks that are meat hunters can enjoy shooting all deer, so can the folks that enjoy shooting mature bucks. Also, the "Deer of a Lifetime" isnt always measured by inches. My current DOAL isnt the biggest I have shot, but was a really fun deer to shoot that was pretty big.
I believe DOAL is defined only by ourselves.
What you do today is important, you are trading a day in the rest of your life for it.
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,735
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,735 |
Hmmm...
I've killed two huge bodied deer. I have looked at one through the scope at about fifty yards that was smaller but had much bigger horns. I doubt I will ever shoot another "big" deer, whether it's a huge body or big horns. I like eating young deer too much. I won't even shoot a doe old enough to have twins anymore. It's a yearling doe, a two year old with a single fawn or a fawn for my table. I am fortunate enough to be able to pick and choose, and I have looked at deer for more than an hour before I decided they'd be good eating.
I shot a 200lb+ doe this year with a .223 and a couple weeks later I shot the biggest fawn I ever killed with the same .223 rifle but a different load.
I think I'd be as happy with whatever rifle I was carrying as I would given my choice of what's in the safe when a buck with big enough horns to tempt me into shooting one more big one showed up. Whatever I shoot is always enough to kill a deer at the maximum range I might have to shoot. I don't believe that bigger deer need more killing to be dead. I only shoot Barnes bullets at deer, so penetration at whatever angle I might need is not a question for me.
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Posts: 3,392
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 3,392 |
A 7-08 with 120 ttsx and varget took my best 198 7/8"
I Kill Things......deal with it..
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,494 |
Jeff I have been on hunts where I went hardcore and passed everything....this creates a big dilemma because I love the meat! Bob thats what spikes, culls and does are for. I was always amazed while guiding, that folks thumbed their noses at them...
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 3,891
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 3,891 |
Well my chance came last season on what I suspect will be my deer of a lifetime. I got him on a after work 1 hr. quickie hunt. I had grabbed my 308 Stevens 200 equipped with a Nikon 4x UCC scope. Worked like a charm, one 150gr PowerPoint thru the boiler room and I had my deer of a lifetime.
Last edited by bangeye; 12/19/13.
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,104 Likes: 6
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,104 Likes: 6 |
A 7-08 with 120 ttsx and varget took my best 198 7/8" Holy mackerel what a hog!!
A wise man is frequently humbled.
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,676
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,676 |
A 7-08 with 120 ttsx and varget took my best 198 7/8" beautiful buck,what a hog !!! ,what did he weigh ?
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 255
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 255 |
I'm certainly not a trophy hunter and shoot a lot of does and occasionally a small buck to eat. With that said, I do like looking for a nice buck. I was fortunate to kill the biggest buck I have ever seen this fall. Lots of people have told me I will never kill a bigger one. That would be fine, but I just can't bring myself to call it the "buck of a lifetime." I told one friend that it may be but the beautiful thing about deer hunting is that I don't have to retire. I'll just start looking for the next one.
However, this was about what I would shoot . . . as many have said, I'd be happy with whatever I had in my hands. For the buck I killed this year, however, I used a Ruger 77 in .30/06 with a Leupold 2.5-8x scope. I was shooting 150 grain Barnes TTSX ammo. That was my go to rifle for many years because it was all I had. I thought it was fitting I got my nicest buck with it. I suppose if I knew I was going to be presented with a shot at another big one I would probably take the same rifle simply because I have so much confidence in it.
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 27,692
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 27,692 |
A 7-08 with 120 ttsx and varget took my best 198 7/8" Good God what a BEAST!
Member: Clan of the Turdlike People.
Courage is Fear that has said its Prayers
�If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.� Ronald Reagan.
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,264
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,264 |
My biggest Buck. 270 Win. 58gr.H4831sc 140 gr. Accubond, 110 yds, never knew what hit him.
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