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Pa opening day

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bandit1250
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Pa opening day

Post by bandit1250 » Sun Nov 29, 2020 10:28 am

I went out yesterday to try to fill one of my doe tags to give the deer to my grandson and his family. I took the light recoiling Remington 700 classic in 250 Savage as my shoulder still is very sore and terribly bruised from the 444 Marlin. I changed the bullet from the destructive 87 gr Hornady and loaded the 87 gr Sierra in its place. The Sierra is supposed to be a little tougher jacket and not as violent. The results with the Sierra was just as violent as the Hornady. I can see the possibility of a 100 gr. bullet next year. At 7:45 after seeing maybe a dozen deer that passed through that were already in over drive I got a shot broad side on a nice doe at around a 100 yds. When the gun went off she hit the ground and never moved. I have four tags so I waited to see what else may come through. I saw a small buck and a couple other fast moving deer that were going fast through the woods with no clear shot available for me. I gutted the one I had out and with the CWD disease in our zone I was told not to bring the deer out without boning it out and take the spinal parts and the head to a drop off. So I hung it on a over hanging tree branch with help from the land owner and standing on the tail gate of my truck was able to get it hung OK. I hung it from the head and cut the hide around the neck and then clear back to the tail with my gut hook knife. Then after making cuts in the hide down to the brisket and down the legs the hide pulled off pretty easy with only minor cuts being made. When I got to the hind legs there was a problem. This deer had been shot in the ham with a low powered small caliber rifle by maybe some one chasing it from eating stuff in their yard. It was a pretty ugly wound and infected. I called the local game warden and he said to meet him at 6:00 at a spot he uses to process claims of bad deer. There was quite a few wardens and people there with deer issues they had shot. The warden that handled mine is a warden I have had conversations with when having questions on some gray area laws and he is a nice guy with me even though others complain of his ways. I usually tell them stay with in the law and answer questions from him honestly and maybe you will see him differently. So he gave me a new permit and took the deer and I hate the fact that it will be a wasted deer but I would not want to eat it and would never give it to anyone if I wouldn't eat it myself. The damage from the little 250 was a hole going in the size of a tennis ball and bigger on the exit side. I could look right through the hole from side to side but it was a shot the barely hit any of the edible parts you want to avoid damaging. I have two weeks to hunt but decided I did not need to hunt today being Sunday.
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CT_Shooter
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Re: Pa opening day

Post by CT_Shooter » Sun Nov 29, 2020 10:44 am

Great hunting story, describing what a responsible hunter should do given those odd circumstances. Thanks, Bandit. Good luck with your four tags.
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JEBar
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Re: Pa opening day

Post by JEBar » Sun Nov 29, 2020 10:59 am

understood on hating to see game wasted .... I also understand hunting with bullets that destroy too much meat .... sometime its hard to find bullets for use in high speed, small calibers rifles that don't hand grenade on impact ... don't know if you are familiar with Nosler's 25 Caliber 100gr E-Tip® Lead Free™ Bullet ===> https://shop.nosler.com/nosler-bullets/ ... -50ct.html .... I've used them in high speed rifles (one example, our 300 WBY Mag) and they perform as advertised
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BigAl52
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Re: Pa opening day

Post by BigAl52 » Sun Nov 29, 2020 11:22 am

Hey Bandit. Sorry you had to give up that meat. But in PA what calibers are legal for hunting deer there. Im surprised at one of the states over that way allowing 223 for deer hunting.
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bandit1250
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Re: Pa opening day

Post by bandit1250 » Sun Nov 29, 2020 12:10 pm

BigAl52 wrote:
Sun Nov 29, 2020 11:22 am
Hey Bandit. Sorry you had to give up that meat. But in PA what calibers are legal for hunting deer there. Im surprised at one of the states over that way allowing 223 for deer hunting.
Any center fire cartridge is legal. Even the little 17 Hornet. I have taken many deer with a single round from my 223 rifles and have never had one go more than 20 yds. and that was only a couple that ran at all. I have hunted with 6X45 (223 necked to 6MM) rifles with 70 and 80 gr bullets that dropped deer as good as my 243's I have owned. The most impressive small case capacity deer killer I ever had was my 25/223 Ackley Improved (40* shoulder with very little body taper on the case) and 75 and 87 gr. bullets. I loaned it to a friends wife one year that had several antlerless deer tags for her home state. She leveled three straight with three shots and some hunters in the group didn't do as well with their big canyon blasters as she did with the little Sako. I had the Sako barreled with a 250 Sav. 700 Remington barrel that was set back and chambered for the little 25 cal. I really don't think she wanted to give it back.
The small calibers work with decent bullets and careful shot placement. I will drop more deer with a well placed 60 gr. 223 than a 7 Mag shooter hitting them in the guts or butt thinking his big gun will kill no matter what.
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BigAl52
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Re: Pa opening day

Post by BigAl52 » Sun Nov 29, 2020 12:26 pm

Most people arent like you Bandit and choose the best shot and best location for the shot. Thats the reason they are carrying the 7 mag. Here in Colorado nothing smaller than a 243 for deer. Its a shame someone would take a shot at the deer you had to give up and wound the animal like that. Very in humain in my book.
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North Country Gal
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Re: Pa opening day

Post by North Country Gal » Sun Nov 29, 2020 4:38 pm

Yeah, I was always partial to 100 grain bullets in the 243 and 6mm rifles I've owned and the 117s in the 257 Roberts (another great 25), assuming, of course, you have the right twist to handle the heavier bullets, well. Had a vintage Savage 99 in 250 with the old 1 in 14 that wouldn't shoot anything but 87s, well.
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Hatchdog
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Re: Pa opening day

Post by Hatchdog » Mon Nov 30, 2020 10:22 am

North Country Gal wrote:
Sun Nov 29, 2020 4:38 pm
Yeah, I was always partial to 100 grain bullets in the 243 and 6mm rifles I've owned and the 117s in the 257 Roberts (another great 25), assuming, of course, you have the right twist to handle the heavier bullets, well. Had a vintage Savage 99 in 250 with the old 1 in 14 that wouldn't shoot anything but 87s, well.


Years ago I had a Remington 700 Classic in 6mm. It loved 80 grain bullets but not so much the 100 gr. I shot a couple of deer with it and if did well with taking them down. But I always had a bit of uneasiness when carrying it so I traded it off. Loved the Classic matte finish stock on it tho.
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