How To Get Unlimited Energy In Deer Hunter Classic

[Hildegard Mccauley]

Whilethis round will kill deer, is exceptionally accurate, and has almost no recoil, I cannot recommend it for deer hunting. The bullets are just a little too light and not constructed heavily enough to hold together for clean consistent kills.

Henley McIntosh, a cousin of mine, loves this round and has killed several deer with it. But again, due to the light bullets in most factory ammo, I would only recommend it in the hands of a competent marksman.

A wonderful caliber for deer but hardly anyone in my circle of friends even mentioned it. A good friend of mine who passed away a few years ago loved this caliber for its accuracy and lack of recoil. Limited supply of readily available factory ammo is a shortfall.

Another old classic that seems to be getting passed by these days has great accuracy, light recoil, and great long-range capabilities. Trish Bishop has tried different calibers but keeps coming back to her 25-06.

Jon Allen of Nighthawk Tactical Solutions uses the Grendel on hogs and is planning to deer hunt with it this year. Jon says accuracy (which I must back him up on), almost no recoil, as well as dramatic kills have him excited about this caliber. My granddaughter Maddi is already eyeing my bolt-action Grendel. The growing supply of ammunition, and choices of types of bullets and the ability to use AR style rifles as well as bolt guns are all positives for the Grendel.

I must mention the 264 out of respect to my friend Dexter Evans, as it is the only caliber he recognizes. As far as I know, the Remington Sendero SF II is the only production rifle currently available, and factory ammo is limited.

This long-time favorite was mentioned by several folks. The 270 has been available as a factory round since 1925 and is showing no signs of letting up. Extremely accurate, incredible kills, long-range capabilities, manageable recoil, incredible variety, and ready availability of factory ammunition are on its long list of attributes. It is available in bolt action, pump, semi-auto and even lever action rifles.

The 30-30 was one of the most popular calibers around years ago and it is still hanging in there. However, based on my small sample of local hunters, not nearly as many folks use it now. Retired U.S. Army Colonel Brad Turner is still a fan though. Col. Turner stated that where he hunts 100 yards is a long shot and the 30-30 still drops them in their tracks!

The 308 is one of the most popular calibers around, and there are plenty of reasons. Accuracy, long-range capabilities, good knock-down, manageable recoil, an incredible array of choice for factory loaded ammo as well as an almost endless list of components for the hand loader are just a few. The 308 is available in bolt, pump, lever, and single shot as well semi-auto rifles. Sheriff Kelly Shouse quickly replied 308 when asked what his favorite deer caliber was, an answer that was echoed by his son Hunter, as well as Benny Gabbard and his son Ben. Several others mentioned it as their second choice.

The old 30-06 has been around since 1906 and is still extremely popular. Several people mentioned it as their all time favorite or as their second choice. Availability of ammo, knockdown power, and just about any style of rifle being available are among the first attributes listed for the 06. Its only drawback can be recoil if it is in an ill-fitting stock.

One of the cornerstones of hunting ethics is to take one's game as quickly and painlessly as possible. Since more and more hunters are heading afield with Modern Sporting Rifles chambered in .223 Remington, this ethical discussion merits fresh attention.

Let's begin by putting the hyperbole aside and addressing the facts of what we're asking this cartridge to do. We are asking a bullet to reach the animal at a velocity that will allow the bullet to expand reliably, and for that bullet to penetrate deeply enough through bone, tissue, and organs in order to produce enough damage to the anatomical target (heart and/or lungs) to permanently interrupt oxygen production.

The crux of the issue is: Will the .223 Remington perform in a suitable manner to reliably penetrate through both lungs of the whitetail that you intend to hunt, at the range you intend to hunt them, from angles at which you're comfortable shooting? It depends.

Since we're dealing in facts - not what grandpa told you - let's reexamine the .223 Remington's real capabilities. Much of what the great hunting magazine gurus wrote decades ago, and what we often take as gospel, was made obsolete by the innovation of modern premium bullets. My preferred deer load for the .223 Remington is the ASYM 70-grain TSX Barrier/Hunting load. Out of my 18-inch Crane barrel, this load averages 2,620 fps of velocity and requires at least a 1-in-8 inches twist to stabilize.

This long-for-caliber bullet stays together and penetrates deeply. I've used this load successfully on three different whitetail deer this year and didn't recover a single bullet. I have used this same load on countless feral hogs, which are tougher targets than deer, and can't recall ever recovering a bullet on a broadside shot.

Swift Sciroccos, Nosler Partitions, and Hornady's GMX are all bullets that can be relied on to penetrate and stay together adequately to get the job done on most whitetails. I say "most" because I've never shot one of the Midwestern or Canadian giants with a .223 and don't like to offer expertise where it doesn't exist; I'm funny like that.

So we've established that the cartridge is capable of killing a deer from a purely technical point of view: So at least in the technical sense, the .223 is an adequate deer cartridge. Why would you use something that's merely adequate? Well, for one, a .223 may be the only rifle that you own.

Let's say that you weren't a rifle guy until you became one of the thousands of folks who bought a "black rifle" in 2013. Ubiquity aside, the advantage of using a .223 for hunting is that it's very forgiving from a recoil perspective and therefore very easy to shoot accurately.

Practice ammunition is inexpensive as compared to traditional deer cartridges, which allows a hunter to build supreme confidence in his or her rifle - the importance of this cannot be overstated. Most deer hunters I know use up a 20-round box of .270 Winchester or .30-06 over the course of three or four years; they're lucky if they even check their zero before the season starts.

Shot placement is absolutely key when using a cartridge that is at its margin, and there's no better way to ensure proper shot placement than by using a cartridge you're not afraid of and practicing with it.

We know what the .223 can do; let's talk about what it can't do, at least not reliably. I paid a lot of money for a mule deer hunt last fall, a high country affair with lots of big bucks in the area. Thanks to some bad luck - and some really bad behavior on the part of some other hunters - the hunt came down to the last afternoon on the last day. The shot I ended up with was a 280-yard, steep-downhill, quartering-on shot at a four-point muley.

I didn't have a great rest and the wind was blowing. Admittedly, it was a tough shot that I wouldn't have dreamed of taking with a .223. When I'm hunting whitetails at home or elsewhere in the South, I'm likely hunting an undisturbed animal out of a stand or a ground blind where the shots aren't terribly long and there's usually a rail or a tree limb that makes for a passable shooting rest: The .223 works just fine under these circumstances.

On a real wilderness hunt for a trophy animal, you sometimes have to take quick, tough shots from bad angles. When these challenging shots present themselves, you need a cartridge that's far more than adequate to get the job done.

In my experience - which includes a dozen or so deer shot with the .223 - it is a viable deer cartridge when the appropriate bullets are used. It is good enough when shots aren't excessively long and a broadside shot presents itself. It's not a foolproof cartridge, however. If you choose to hunt with it, be prepared to pass on an animal when the angle or distance isn't right.

If you're not responsible enough to use it within its limitations, get yourself something more powerful. It wouldn't be my first choice on bucks weighing over 200 pounds, and I wouldn't pack one on an expensive trophy hunt, but if you pick your shots well it will get the job done.

One of bowhunting's most important accessories is the arrow rest, a key component to achieving deadly accurate arrow flight when Mr. Big is only 25-yards away and turned broadside for just a moment. And as Pure Archery Group's Todd Snader tells North American Whitetail magazine editor and television show host Haynes Shelton, the three models of Ripcord Arrow Rests' rejuvenated lineup for 2024 deliver amazingly accurate shots downrange, whether that's into the 10-ring of a summertime 3-D target or the boiler room of a mature buck moving through the woods in November.

Dale Evans is at the Browning Trail Camera booth during the ATA show to look at the new offerings for 2024. If you hunt in a state that doesn't allow cellular trail cameras, then these new SD card exclusive cameras from Browning are your best bet. Offering new lens that have been perfectly tuned for day and night photos, these are some of the best cameras we've ever seen.

The Avenge-X offers a level of modularity never experienced with PCP air rifles, making it the perfect all-purpose pellet rifle for hunters and shooters. Renowned outdoor writer Brad Fitzpatrick gives an in-depth review.

Digital Editor, Dale Evans walks you through the features of the new for 2023 Bowtech CP30. With a short axle-to-axle, the CP30 is perfect for the tree stand or ground blind. Available in many different color options, a wide array of draw lengths and weights, and boasting an IBO speed of 331 FPS; this bow can do it all. It truly gives you extreme maneuverability with maximum stability no matter what comes your way.

Editor in Chief, Haynes Shelton breaks down Browning's OVIX camouflage. After years of testing, the North American Whitetail team depends on OVIX in the field. With its highly effective and versatile detail throughout, the intentionally placed browns, grays, and greens are guaranteed to break up any outline no matter the distance. Using this pattern from the southeast to the far north, it's shown time and time again this revolutionary camouflage's effectiveness.

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