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Offline JPSaxMan

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Findings from scouting
« on: September 01, 2004, 04:00:20 AM »
I am probably the luckiest SOB alive. How many people do you know can say they went out scouting for 2 hours and saw 2 bucks and escaped a skunk attack by mere inches? :)  Well, here's the story. I'm doing some scouting right around now. I've been sitting on this ridge that overlooks a field. I've seen some doe there and that's all I need. I've been on stand since 6 and it's probably close to quarter to 7. I see a deer pop out of the woods on the other side of the field. So I watch him through the binocs and before long the lone deer raises it's head. It was a deer w/a rack!! I dropped the binocs from my hand and I nearly fainted...this is the first buck I've seen on this land in ages. So...after another half our or so of no show (that buck after 5 minutes did a bee-line across the field :? ). But...there's a field up behind the ridge I was sitting at...I decided to go have a look see. And sure enough, I snuck up the little ditch that bordered the field and lone behold...another buck. This one was only a 2 pointer (or a spike that has REALLY long spikes). He didnt even see me and let's say if it was deer season (and if I had permission to hunt in that other field)...VENISON :grin: . I watched him for a little while, then I decided to go back on the ridge. Well, as I'm stepping down from the ditch, I see a skunk walk right under my feet and miss me by inches. Had I stepped down 2 seconds later, I prolly would have been screwed! :lol: . So...I was a very lucky person yesterday.
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JP

Attorney: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in
his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?

Doctor: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding

Offline cam69conv

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« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2004, 10:18:35 AM »
AHEM Fish ole buddy....Dont get all excited and fergit bout them new antler restrictions on that lil spike der feller..lol....He aint ready to be meat in tha freezer yet..lol..That skunk may get ya ifn ya pop him this year  :)
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You want a divorce if I go hunting today??? Well sorry ta see ya go...Was nice knowin ya..Dont let tha door hit ya where tha good lord split ya :D

Offline JPSaxMan

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« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2004, 11:14:00 AM »
Yea...right, that spike wasn't ready.... :roll: . If I had a .270 or a .308 and a Leupold with that new Bonne and Crockett Reticle I prolly could have taken that buck out in the field (I'm guessing he was about 200-300 yds. out; that's a long shot w/a .243 :eek: ). And today...I spooked a doe 3 times (or it was 3 separate does...or it was 2 doe and I spooked one twice). And just now I just got back in and spotted a flock of turkeys wandering the trail in the woods. Dang....makes ya feel great to be alive!
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JP

Attorney: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in
his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?

Doctor: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding

Offline 7magWoodsman

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« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2004, 02:58:18 PM »
Quote from: Fishman029
If I had a .270 or a .308 and a Leupold with that new Bonne and Crockett Reticle I prolly could have taken that buck out in the field (I'm guessing he was about 200-300 yds. out; that's a long shot w/a .243


Fishman o buddy, If you can't make a 250 yard shot with your .243, I don't think the .308 or .270 will help you out a great big bunch and I think that B & C reticle will help you even less.....
 :D

Practice makes better.
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"To me the rifle has always been the most romantic of all weapons, and of all rifles, the one I love the most is the rifle for big game." Jack O'Connor

Offline JPSaxMan

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« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2004, 05:35:21 PM »
Well 7Mag, I think ballistcally it could be done....but my scope has it zeroed (or so I hope)...at 100 yds. Any point beyond that as you know stretches your judgement limits and that's when errors start to happen (not aiming high enough...aiming too high). And actually, upon further research, the new Leupold B&C Reticle does range for you (caliber according, of course). I might say screw the Bushnell I wanted and just wait for enough money for that Leupold (which is twice the price...but, it's a Leupold, right?).
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JP

Attorney: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in
his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?

Doctor: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding

Offline 7magWoodsman

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« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2004, 07:06:43 PM »
Fishman,
You have what it takes to shoot long range. #1 most important thing is to know your limitations, which you seem to know.
My cousin's little boy killed a nice 8 point last year with a Savage .243 at 276 yards from a stand...those yards was ranged with a Nikon rangefinder...Practice makes Better.
He uses the Kentucky Post System  :lol:
With a standard duplex reticle you have crosshairs sitting on top of a thick post...well that thick post is not zeroed at 100 yards, the crosshair is...so learn to use the top of that big post...

An effective way to judge distance is to get a full size deer decoy/archery target and sit it up 200 and 300 yards away and see what power setting the deer "fills" up the crosshair part of the reticle(between the big posts)(make sure to judge from chest to rump), that way you know if it fills it up on 7x it is 200 yards and if it fills it up on 9x it is 285 yards(just examples, every reticle size varies)
You also have the bottom of the post, and also the middle of the post but stick to just the top of the post to begin with, don't rush yourself.
The more you practice at longer ranges the easier it is to judge distance...
you will know, in the back of your head what distance it is...example : "That buck is about at my top post distance."
Practice makes Better.

I am not sold on the whole Leupold thing...I prefer the Nikon Monarch myself.
The single most important thing to worry about is WIND, which the B & C Reticle does not compensate for anyway...
I would hate for you to wound a deer because you had trust in a "ranging" reticle.
Oh Yeah, when practicing and judging distance always use the same magnification setting as well as your naked eye...distance looks different through 5x than it does through 7x...with the exception of the "chest to rump" method I mentioned above.

Practice, Practice, Practice. :grin:  :D
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"To me the rifle has always been the most romantic of all weapons, and of all rifles, the one I love the most is the rifle for big game." Jack O'Connor

Offline flintlock

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« Reply #6 on: September 02, 2004, 04:26:54 AM »
Agree with 7Mag...I've used a .243 since 1980...about 3 years ago I went to the Federal Premium 85gr Sierra BTHP...I sight in 2 1/2 high at 100...I'm 2 1/2 low at 300...my buddy and I have killed 17 deer with this bullet...from 35 to 235 yards...all but 3 dropped at the shot...the 3 that ran were center lung shots...exit hole about 1 1/2 to 2 inches...good blood trail...all went less than 60 yards...

With any high velocity centerfire deer rifle and scope...you really need to sight in 2 to 3 inches high at 100...if that deer steps out at 250...you should be close to dead on...at 100-150 you will hit him about 2 inches above dead center, its been my experience that I would rather hit a deer either dead center, or a little above, than lower...With the bullet closer to the spine, all that shock usually puts them down...even with a high lung shot...I use my .243 for crows/groundhogs/coyotes etc in the summer...and regularly shoot from 50 to 300 yards...flintlock
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Offline JPSaxMan

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« Reply #7 on: September 03, 2004, 03:21:27 PM »
True true...hmm...now I'm gonna have to re-check my zero....mebe I will have to use that rifle to kill a deer at that distance. Problem is fellas...I don't have a rangefinder  :cry: . I guess I'm gonna have to get one before I can even think about trying that.
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JP

Attorney: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in
his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?

Doctor: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding

Offline 7magWoodsman

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« Reply #8 on: September 03, 2004, 05:52:03 PM »
Quote from: 7magWoodsman
An effective way to judge distance is to get a full size deer decoy/archery target and sit it up 200 and 300 yards away and see what power setting the deer "fills" up the crosshair part of the reticle(between the big posts)(make sure to judge from chest to rump), that way you know if it fills it up on 7x it is 200 yards and if it fills it up on 9x it is 285 yards(just examples, every reticle size varies).

My cousin's boy used this method, we didn't range it until the deer was already field dressed...he was sitting in the stand by his self, and he didn't even have a range finder with him...

I never even knew what a range finder was until I had already killed no telling how many deer out to and beyond 300 yards...and to this day I still DO NOT use one while hunting and never have either...

You already have all the equipment you need, now what you need is practice...The .243 is a GREAT moderately long range cartridge in the hands of a skilled shooter.
If you are not happy with your scope, upgrade, but I would take a Bushnell Elite over a Leupold although, as I mentioned above, I love the Nikon Monarch.

I will be happy to try to help you as much as possible, which is not much over the internet, but PM me if you have any questions or problems when shooting at longer ranges...I can shoot a 22lr. in excess of 100 yards, so just imagine what you can do with a .243 Win. if you just get comfortable with it.
I am in no way saying go shoot at deer outside of your comfort zone, I am saying if you practice with your rifle, your comfort zone will increase dramatically.
Quote from: 7magWoodsman
Practice, Practice, Practice.

Stay Safe. Happy Hunting/Shooting. :D
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"To me the rifle has always been the most romantic of all weapons, and of all rifles, the one I love the most is the rifle for big game." Jack O'Connor

Offline JPSaxMan

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« Reply #9 on: September 04, 2004, 03:51:53 AM »
Well 7Mag, I would give this ago just to give it a whirl...problem is...my only range I can shoot at only has max ranges of 100 yds  :cry: . Mebe after I get hunting permission in that field I could set up a target at a measured 300 yds and see what happens. And let's say I do...I don't aim w/ the center crosshairs, right? Like you said...use the bottom post of the reticle. I'll just have to see what happens. I'll keep ya posted :D
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JP

Attorney: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in
his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?

Doctor: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding

Offline 7magWoodsman

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« Reply #10 on: September 04, 2004, 03:01:56 PM »
http://www.leupold.com/products/reticles.htm
Use this link and scroll down until you see the German #1 Reticle...learn how your rifle shoots when using your duplex reticle as you would a German #1...don't forget about your crosshair though, you will still use it when shooting at your "normal" distances...I hope I didn't confuse you with my previous posts...
 :D
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"To me the rifle has always been the most romantic of all weapons, and of all rifles, the one I love the most is the rifle for big game." Jack O'Connor

Offline JPSaxMan

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« Reply #11 on: September 04, 2004, 03:25:46 PM »
Thanks 7Mag....I'll have to check that out. I'm not goin to kill myself over it right now b/c I don't really have hunting permission on that field anyway (only permission to hike and walk through....mebe soon I can get permission for the full 9 yds :grin: )  :D
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JP

Attorney: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in
his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?

Doctor: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding

Offline 7magWoodsman

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« Reply #12 on: September 04, 2004, 05:37:02 PM »
Dear Fishman029,
If I was you, I would consider asking permission to practice with your rifle(s) in the field you mentioned...if you show the owner(s) that you can be trusted to safely discharge your firearms on their property, it may get you one step closer to getting hunting permission...just a thought.

Also if they have a problem with predators or vermin, maybe "offer" to help "control" the population of the "pests"...I have gotten permission to hunt properties that no one else could, just because I got "rid" of a raccoon here and a groundhog there...puts meat in my pot too. :grin:

I won't ever forget this one old lady, the grammar school librarian, never let anyone hunt on her inherited 1500 acre farm, until one year when this coon kept eating her cat's food....I set out my homemade box trap and caught that coon and received hunting permission to 1450 acres of her farm, she didn't want the deer around her house bothered...I also didn't bother telling her I let that coon go on the backside of her property either :)

Good Luck,
7Mag
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"To me the rifle has always been the most romantic of all weapons, and of all rifles, the one I love the most is the rifle for big game." Jack O'Connor

Offline JPSaxMan

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« Reply #13 on: September 04, 2004, 05:50:28 PM »
That's a good laugh, 7Mag. But...I have to counter it. I've only seen 2 woodchuck (and they could have been the same one)...a skunk and an occasional pair of raccoon, so I regret to say there are no "pests". But when the farmer who has permission to farm there puts out corn (which hasn't been done in a while  :? )...I'm sure the deer will be enough of a pest problem. But here's the deal. We live in the boonies. And the land I own has close access to the interstate. The owner of the land has thought of sellin that land commercially. Well, since the only way to that field is through a little drive that would probably get complaints about anyway, that land is useless w/o ours. So if he ever did sell it, he would probably ask us to sell ours as well. Well, he ain't gonna earn too many brownie points w/ me if he denies me hunting permission  :twisted: . Thanks for the advice, 7Mag
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JP

Attorney: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in
his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?

Doctor: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding

Offline SLAVAGE

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« Reply #14 on: September 05, 2004, 08:33:57 AM »
too bad they dont have the bullet compensator that the old bushnells had i get so many calls for them an the ones i have seen in the last few years the guys said they love them an would buy more in a heart beat
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