I know it's early but what are people hunting this year and what do you think you'll use?

I'll probably just do deer & hogs this year. I'm thinking of giving my Kimber 257R the year off and trying something different. Right now, I'm leaning towards my new Featherweight in 7mm-08. I have it dialed in with 160 Speer Mag-tips. Shoots great. I'll probably bring my mini 14 in 6.8spc as back up shooting 120 SSTs.

It is too early for me to know all my hunting plans but if I get a Landowner Deer tag I will hunt Deer with my .257 Roberts that has treated me so well. It shoots 117 Sierra's into tiny groups at 2800 fps and I have yet to recover a bullet (all pass thru's) on Deer Antelope and Coyotes.
I will use that rifle or a 6.5x55 for an antelope doe tag and if I find a leftover Bear and Elk tag I'll either use my old 30/06 or a .338 win Mag or I may just continue using the .257 Roberts.
Too many great shooting rifles to choose from really.

I'm thinking about leaving the 264 win. at home this year and using my M1A for all the big game I plan on hunting this year. Sure hope I draw the Antelope and Elk tags.

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
It is too early for me to know all my hunting plans but if I get a Landowner Deer tag I will hunt Deer with my .257 Roberts that has treated me so well. It shoots 117 Sierra's into tiny groups at 2800 fps and I have yet to recover a bullet (all pass thru's) on Deer Antelope and Coyotes.

Dang it! Now I'm thinking I may need to use my 257R again.

Scott I have a hard time leaving my .257 at home!
I love that rifle. Within the next couple years I'll shoot an elk with it.
I used to kill everything with my old 30/06 but always thought it was too much gun for Deer and Antelope.

I drew 3rd season buck and cow elk tag I'll use either 284 or 280AI. I also drew buck antelope tag may use 270Wby.

Wife drew archery buck tag and we both get OTC archery either sex elk tags and I'll see if I can get one of the archery cap bear tags.

I think I'll be using my new (to me) M70 06 FWT for elk hunting. Still have to figure out the tag situation, unit/season I'm hunting does limited OTC in july for either sex tags. If that doesn't work out, there are ALWAYS left over cow only tags for that season/unit. I'll probably bring the M70 300 WBY along for the ride as back up.

If I end up getting a left over doe antelope tag, as well as any left over late season plains doe tags, I'll be using the Vanguard 308 with 168 AMAX bullets. My friend who has my rifle right now, was printing .2-.5 on a regular basis. Just gotta get my rifle back from him to see if I can duplicate that!

My all around working gun for deer/hogs here at home is my 300WSM by HS-Precision. Light as hell and shoots very well.

Just picked up a Winchester custom shop gun in 270 WSM It is working up well so I think it will get used most this year.

SSR

I wont shoot a deer unless someone else wants it. My wife doesn't like deer and thus doesn't cook it. I like to make a little jerky, but wont shoot a deer just for that. Past many years it has been my .243, but with all the success I've seen from several others, if I shoot one I'll probably go with .223 or .222. Give me something to debate with Kabluey about.

Well in a couple of weeks my three son's and I will be using these in Africa. L-R, a Walther 7x57, a pre-64 M70 358 Win and an Erfurt Mauser 8x57.

quote:

Originally posted by Boxhead:
Well in a couple of weeks my three son's and I will be using these in Africa. L-R, a Walther 7x57, a pre-64 M70 358 Win and an Erfurt Mauser 8x57.

I hope you will have a great hunt!

At least I will hunt Red Fox, Roe Deer and Fallow Deer this year.
Maybe I also will hunt Reindeer, Red Deer, Moose and Wild Boar.

I have 4 guns I will use.
-A 223 Remington Seven Predator with a suppressor.
-A 6.5-06 post 64 m70 action with a Shilen barrel.
-A 308 Win Winchester Super Shadow with a 15.7 inch barrel and a suppressor.
-A 375 Ruger Alaskan.

I'll probably use the following rifles this year.

CO bear - either a 300 Win Mag or a 375 H&H
CO antelope doe - 243 Win
CO bull elk - either the 300 Win Mag or the 375 H&H
OK deer - 7mm-08 or the 243

I have a SS M70 LA that is ready to send off to be rebarreled as a .280. I have some SS Williams one piece bottom metal and a nice Bell & Carlson OD green with black spiderweb stock with Al bedding block for it to drop into.

7X57 on a Mex Mod 36 action or, if my son won't let me have it back, a .257 AI on a Rem 721. Possibility of a .30-06. If I'm feeling frisky and my eyesight doesn't get any worse perhaps a .45-70 or .50-70 Trapdoor. Whitetail deer only.

Jerry Liles

quote:

Originally posted by scottfromdallas:
I know it's early but what are people hunting this year and what do you think you'll use?

I'm quite fortunate to have a New Mexico elk tag....yes a cow tag but still a hard to get item.....

I'll probably use a .280 Remington in a M-98 custom but will decide further depending on whether I will be loaning a rifle to another hunter.

I bagged a fair whitetail buck last year with the .280 so now have confidence it it's abilities.....it's a truly excellent rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

Originally posted by scottfromdallas:
I know it's early but what are people hunting this year and what do you think you'll use?

I'm quite fortunate to have a New Mexico elk tag....yes a cow tag but still a hard to get item.....

I'll probably use a .280 Remington in a M-98 custom but will decide further depending on whether I will be loaning a rifle to another hunter.

I bagged a fair whitetail buck last year with the .280 so now have confidence it it's abilities.....it's a truly excellent rifle.

An excellent choice.

I'll be using my 500 Jeffery unless my son let's me use the 375 Weatherby or 270 I gave him

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

Originally posted by scottfromdallas:
I know it's early but what are people hunting this year and what do you think you'll use?

I'm quite fortunate to have a New Mexico elk tag....yes a cow tag but still a hard to get item.....

I'll probably use a .280 Remington in a M-98 custom but will decide further depending on whether I will be loaning a rifle to another hunter.

I bagged a fair whitetail buck last year with the .280 so now have confidence it it's abilities.....it's a truly excellent rifle.

I think that is a great chambering for such a hunt, Vapo. I've shot a LOT of Rocky Mountain elk cows on eastern Oregon control forays with a Ruger No.1 in 7X65R, which is essentially the same thing. That rifle really fits me well, so that combined with a heap of luck, means I have never had to fire more than one shot per elk cow with it.

It is my favorite elk gun, period. (I have killed other elk including two nice 6x6 bulls with the .300 Wby, but that was before I started using the 7x65R.) Now I would choose the 7 m/m over the .300 Wby...not that it will out-kill the Wby, just that one doesn't need the Wby power, and I like this rifle a lot more.

Hope you have a lot of fun, whether you tag anything or not.

quote:

Originally posted by Boxhead:
Well in a couple of weeks my three son's and I will be using these in Africa. L-R, a Walther 7x57, a pre-64 M70 358 Win and an Erfurt Mauser 8x57.

WOW! Congrats! I have seldom, indeed, seen such a beautiful row of rifles.
Let's just hope your ammo won't get lost for the .358!

Personally, my hunting will obviously be the same as before with moose the main quarry; wild boar; and whitetail. There may be some roe, as well, but I'm not sure how well the population has recovered since the atrocious winters 2009-2011.
And of course in Lapland we shall have a bear tag!

I just plain love my modified 1895 Winchester in 8,2x53R so I will use it every chance I get.
The ammo shall be handloaded Nosler AccuBond 200grs - august performance and oh-so-accurate.



As secondary option I have a Tikka T3 Stainless Lite in .30-06 topped with a 2,5-10x56 Zeiss for evening hunts at the stands. I expect this gun to do a bang-up job (pun intentional) on wild boar.
I have yet to test ammo for it, but it appears that factory Norma Oryx 180grs is an excellent choice. As alternative I have Federal's "red box" Trohpy Tipped 180grs but as it has a reputation of being rather hard I'm not convinced yet.

If I go seriously bear hunting, then the TAP Lakelander in 9,3x62 will be the gun to go - again with Norma Oryx ammo.
As I have a similar Zeiss scope for this one as for the Tikka, the Lakelander may see some evening action on boar, too.

Good thread!
Thanks, Scott!

- Lars/Finland

I have the same old boring answer Scott, my 7mm-08: whitetails, hogs, pronghorn, black bear.
120/140 gr. TTSX.

Predators & javelina: .223 AR-15
55/65 gr. Sierra SBT

All Texas except the black bear, which I will be hunting in New Mexico this year.

Bob

No mater what I'm after it will be my old Remington 700 draggin behind me.....30-06

Plan to hunt Kansas and Missouri for whitetail this year, Will either be my 257WBy or my 25-06.

quote:

Originally posted by carpetman1:
I wont shoot a deer unless someone else wants it. My wife doesn't like deer and thus doesn't cook it.

I'm lucky, my wife prefers venison over beef. She doesn't want to see me shoot anything but as long as it comes home wrapped in white butcher paper, she loves it.

quote:

My wife doesn't like deer and thus doesn't cook it.

Maybe it's time to go shopping.....if ya know what I mean!

What, does everyone have the same idea this time of year? I hadn't seen this thread earlier, but I spent the better part of last evening trying to figure out this very question. I picked up a Kimber 84 n 260 as a reclaimation project...this is the third year in my safe. it has taken a couple deer, but still not where I would like it to be from an accuracy standpoint. I also purchased this year a Win model 70 all weather in 300wsm that requires a little effort to get going. I realized early in this process that I am blessed with anumber of great deer hunting rifles and this makes the decision somewhat harder. But I beleive the rifle I will take hunting the majority of the days afield this season is a Kimber 84 in 308. Now if I can only settle on which hunting knife to carry!

it'll be the rem 8x57 with a 170 gr cast boolit.
it's just a deer and i only wanna kill it.
i think i'll step up to the 8mm lebel for elk and use a 170gr rn lyman.
i hear they need more cartridge.

7mm-08 from my stand for deer here in upstate NY. If I go for a walk in the woods, I may carry my Ruger lever action 44 Mag.

If I get that coveted Idaho Unit 29 Elk tag, I will use my new Zastava M98 in .300 WM. If not I will shoot a cow with my Browning BLR in 7MM. Daughter will use her new Rem 700 in .280.

For mediums I will be using my light as a Mauser can be 7x64 and my r25 night vision rig which happens to be in 308

Only allowed one deer this year up in Manitoba, so I might fill that tag with my archery equipment to get it outta the way...my muzzle loader & deer rifle are gonna be choked about that.

If I get drawn for rifle elk, I'll be using my 338-06 with 225gr Sierra GK's

Gonna get serious & blast the heck outta some coyotes this winter, Rem700 in 22-250 using 50gr bullets!

quote:

Originally posted by Boxhead:
Well in a couple of weeks my three son's and I will be using these in Africa. L-R, a Walther 7x57, a pre-64 M70 358 Win and an Erfurt Mauser 8x57.

I reckon that 8x57 will have to confiscated this side of the pond?

quote:

Originally posted by Cheshire:
If I get that coveted Idaho Unit 29 Elk tag, I will use my new Zastava M98 in .300 WM. If not I will shoot a cow with my Browning BLR in 7MM. Daughter will use her new Rem 700 in .280.

you'll want to get a wolf tag to go along with that elk tag, you'll likely have better luck.

Boxhead, those are some really nice rifles especially that 8x57.

My, it is early. For chucks and crows it will be my Ruger #1-B in .204. Probably use it for turkeys in the fall, also. Will put in for an elk tag. If I get one, I'll use my Sauer 202 in .300 WBY Mag. For deer and bear I'll be using my new Sako Black Bear in .30-06, and maybe my Encore in 7mm-08 for the extra doe tag. Or, maybe one of my .45-70s for the doe. Just too many choices in guns, and not enough time to hunt with them. Workwise it's my busiest time of the year.

I'll probably dust off my old push feed M70 in .30-06 and use that. I haven't killed a deer with it in 4 or 5 years.

quote:

Originally posted by CoyoteKiller82:
Only allowed one deer this year up in Manitoba, so I might fill that tag with my archery equipment to get it outta the way...my muzzle loader & deer rifle are gonna be choked about that.

If I had got drawn this year for elk it would have been my 338-378 Wby and 340 Wby. Both a bit much for elk? Perhaps. Both effective, you betcha.

Ken....

quote:

Originally posted by Heat:
If I had got drawn this year for elk it would have been my 338-378 Wby and 340 Wby. Both a bit much for elk? Perhaps. Both effective, you betcha.

Ken....

I don't consider the 340 Weatherby to be too much for elk. It's perfect.

I'm taking my 500 Jeffery this fall, plan to try and jump shoot a big bull in the black timber. Doesn't mean it isn't way too much gun for elk though. My 270 shooting 150g Partitions has always been more than enough, though I limit my shots to 500 yards and under ...