I had a 7mm mag and I didn't like it- it kicked too much and it ruined too much meat- I promptly sold it- I don't recommend that calibre for anything a .300 mag is a decent calibre for elk, but much overkill for whitetail or mule deer, I don't recommend that calibre much either I'd recommend a .30-06 or a .270, both have a very wide variety of bullet weight/design choices, neither kick too bad, neither overly damage meat and both are plenty capable for deer to elk size (including black bear) animals. it's worth spending a little $ on optics too; poor optics can ruin a hunt in a hurry- I highly recommend Leupold scopes- I've been using them exclusively for the last 40 years and they've never let me down
I had a 7mm mag and I didn't like it- it kicked too much and it ruined too much meat- I promptly sold it- I don't recommend that calibre for anything
a .300 mag is a decent calibre for elk, but much overkill for whitetail or mule deer, I don't recommend that calibre much either
I'd recommend a .30-06 or a .270, both have a very wide variety of bullet weight/design choices, neither kick too bad, neither overly damage meat and both are plenty capable for deer to elk size (including black bear) animals.
it's worth spending a little $ on optics too; poor optics can ruin a hunt in a hurry- I highly recommend Leupold scopes- I've been using them exclusively for the last 40 years and they've never let me down
The 7mm Mag definitely kicks harder than I like. I don't know much about the .300 mag. He was also considering the .30-06 and .270 but was also looking for something with a little more range, hence the 7mm mag. Not sure yet what he's going to do, but I suspect it will be either the .300 mag or the .270 as he keeps mentioning that one as well, in part because some of his friends have that.
I have been pushing him to get a Leupold. I have two. One is 23-25 years old and has been sighted in twice. First when I put in on the gun and the second time when I decided to sight it for longer ranges. The other I bought last year for my daughter. Very high quality and built here in the USA.
I shoot a 7mm-.08. A very nice caliber for whitetail, OK for black bear, and the people that have used them for Elk and Caribou tell me that they are adequate for those as well. Of course if your using it out your way and run into a grizzly the grizz will eat you and use the gun for a back scratcher .
Tim
Happy to say the shit is flowing uphill again with our new grinder pump. $3287.50 is all it took. After he finished I got out for 4 miles on the horsey trails at the Battlefield. No one in sight. I really love when tourist season ends.
Some good movie choices. I like most of the best choices and if I put together a top 25, many of your choices would be on my list, especially Apocalypse Now and Fargo.
+1 on Jim Carey and Adam Sandler. Also 90% of Eddie Murphy's movies suck.
“Paralysis-to-50k” training plan is underway!
Happy to say the shit is flowing uphill again with our new grinder pump. $3287.50 is all it took. After he finished I got out for 4 miles on the horsey trails at the Battlefield. No one in sight. I really love when tourist season ends. Some good movie choices. I like most of the best choices and if I put together a top 25, many of your choices would be on my list, especially Apocalypse Now and Fargo. +1 on Jim Carey and Adam Sandler. Also 90% of Eddie Murphy's movies suck.
Wow!! I knew I should have become a plumber. I'm fortunate with my septic system. Everything flows to gravity.
I was going to include Sandler as well, but one or two of his very first movies were kind of tolerable.
Faster Than Your Couch!
Had some nice 8 or so miles in the sun.
Figured out why my Cascadias felt so well ventilated and a bit loose lately:
Those PA rocks are really unforgiving. So now I'm in my Pure Grits, hoping the trails will stay dry for a while.
As soon as I got out of the car at the trailhead, I was surrounded and attacked by those monster Ladybugs again! Horror!
Fortunately they did not follow me as I left, and the car was not covered with them all over when I returned.
Saw a nice small bird's nest, not sure if it is still in use, but it was in good shape:
Edit: It is probably a Vireo's nest, not sure which species exactly, as there are many different kinds living in PA
The last nice colors:
Easy to lose the trail with all the leaves, especially when the sun is low:
The usual rocks:
Run for fun.
8 miles mostly downhill
AT you can load the 7 mag with 140g bullet and RL 19 I'll have to look up the grams. or load 300 mag 165g bullet with IMR 4350 I would have to look up grs.
Useing a lighter bullet with a faster powder you can reduce recoil I can make a 7mag kick like a 270.
My deer cal is the 257r 90g 3350fps to 120g 2900fps
Elk 300w 180g barns solid bullet doesn't ruin meat. The 300w extremly accurate.
If it were me today I would buy the 270wsm. You could match the 7mag with less recoil and you can use imr4350.
Rest day here. Probably turn on football later, open a beer or three and do some weights and elliptical while watching. Yup that's the plan.
QOTD--I could make a long list of bad ones but I'll just pile on your mentioning of Jim Carey and Adam Sandler. Both are unwatchable. Demi Moore has a few really bad ones out there too.
Ahhh rifles. Now finally something I know a little about. I have owned several 30-06's, 308's, 7mm-08's, 1 300mag, a 270, 35 REM, 444 Marlin, 303 British, 8mm, 7.7, 30-30, 25-06, I know there are more but can't remember off the top of my head. I know the old standby 30-06 isn't sexy but damn, that's a fine and versatile cartridge. My favorite as a deer and black bear round would be the 7mm-08 followed by the 270. Think I shot my bear with the 7mm-08. I can't embrace the 7mm mag either. Lot of noise, unnecessary recoil, and if you want to load reduced loads to mimic a 270, just get a 270. Just my opinion. I have spent and lost a lot of money on guns thru the years. Still have way, way too many.
Just to add what has been said I think the magnums mentioned are just way overkill for whitetail. Get a lighter caliber that is enjoyable to shoot and he will be far more accurate. Bullet placement counts a lot more than power.
Are we there, yet?
Reminder to myself: Do not run at Ridley Creek State Park on what is supposed to be a recovery day. Even walking the hills was exhausting. Turned back at the first opportunity and logged only 1.6 miles.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
Daydreamer, I have an extra Leupold scope in 2x7 just sitting around. It's older but in mint shape if you're interested.
Mentioning calibers I forgot I also have a custom rifle that I had chambered old school in .308 Norma Mag. Had to be a little different, ya know. Little less than a .300 Win in power and noise. Stock in AAA French Walnut and custom checkered. shot 1 deer with it and now it sits in the vault.
Looks like you do some handloading? One of these years I'd like to get into that.
As for the .257 Roberts, I've been coveting one of those for many years. Sooner or later I'll have one.
Some really nice calibers there. My brother had a old 35 Rem. Took many deer with it. Then he left it sit out in the barn so he could grab it if he saw a ground hog. Last I saw it, it was in rough shape. I used to work with a guy that had a lot of guns. Brought in a 444 one day and we were shooting at lunch break. Ended up with a sore shoulder. I agree on the .30-06. I have one but it's a old 1903 military carbine. Not in collector shape, but too hard to drill for a scope. I still think that's what he should get.
I'll keep the scope in mind. I told him he can use my old Tasco, but he may be able to get a better price on a combo deal.
Oh, BTW, you can not, in anyway shape or form, have too many guns. Too little money is possible, but not too many guns .
I am sure my dad, aunt and my sister would agree to that! They are the hunters in the family.
some call me Tim
Great pics, Couch! It's just a gorgeous day and I've been deliriously enjoying it when possible. I'm tapering, and good thing I am because yesterday morning consistent tooth pain just built and built till it was too late to get in to the dentist's office and I realized that nothing could touch it, not even 800mgs of ibuprofen which I don't like using but has always worked for me in the past. This was one insanely inflamed nerve bundle! I tried ALL my tricks, from eugenol to salt water to relaxation and accupressure. Nothing. I made it through last night by pacing up and down the driveway for 9 hours, took the kids to school and then was off to the dentist, who took mercy on me and gave me a shot of novocaine and a referral to an endodontist. This afternoon I had a lovely root canal (seriously, I don't know what people are complaining about - the really tough shit comes BEFORE the procedure!) and now everything is better
qotd: Great to see all the Coen love here. The Big Lebowski is one of my absolute favorites, definitely most-quoted, and there was a time when I taped the audio and would drive around in my old '79 Ford F-150 listening to it over and over. They're gonna kill that poooooor woman! Anyway(I'm a little manic now and all I'm on is Motrin, I'm just so relieved)
For worst I'll take one of my favorite worsts, so-bad-it's-good, Battlefield Earth, the Scientology blockbuster with John Travolta and Forest Whitaker in heavy makeup cussing with 'craplousy!' and plotting to get leverage on the man-animals by figuring out what their favorite food is. So. Much. Debris.
Have a great night all. I'm gonna sleep like a baby - like a goddamn baby I tell you!!
ME WEBLARG
Ya know it's Friday here so I may just go for a Threesome tonight.... that would be a 3 mile run, right?
Nice photos FTYC.
All you guys with your rifles.... "don't shoot your eye out." (Obscure reference to the qotd I guess.)
qotd: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is my favorite. Agree anything with Jim Curry is really bad.
2/17/24 - Forgotten Florida 100 Mile, Christmas, FL
To be honest, for me it's not so much about the hunting. I do like just general shooting even though I do far too little of it. Along with that I view a well kept gun as a work of art. Strange, but true.
That's exactly how my dad sees his guns and rifles, too.
He likes to take his guns out of the locked cabinet that he keeps them in, and clean them, take them apart and put them together again.
I remember one trip to Italy when I was a kid, when my dad visited a riflemaker, to order a custom-made rifle for hunting. Several weeks later, we went there again to pick up the rifle. It was beautiful, and I still remember the engravings, and the beautiful wooden parts. I think my dad still has the rifle in his cabinet.