I thought that I might try to get this back on track. We've all heard everyone's preferences; Leuopold over the Europeans, the Europeans over the Leupolds, CRF vs. push feed, Matchkings (heaven forbid ) vs. Nosler Partitions, etc.... I've gotten to know a few of the posters either personally or through e-mail correspondence. Out of curiosity I would like to know what you really hunt for most often and what you use. I'll start.

Since I live in North Texas, I mainly hunt White Tail deer. I would hunt hogs, but there are not any in my area. I have several guns, but I seem to fall back on this combination most often.

1. Weatherby Ultra-lite 270 Winchester, Leupold 4.5x14 40mm Vari-X III, reloaded with Hornady 130 gr. SST's @ 2900 fps

2. Ruger M-77 II 35 Whelen, Leupold M8 6x 36mm, Federal Premium 225 gr. TBBC

3. Weatherby SS 7mm, McMillan stock, Leupold 4.5x14 40mm Vari-X III, Weatherby Factory 154 gr. Spire Points

I'll pick and choose depending on what mood I wake up that morning. Ain't it grand!

I have a couple of Winchester Supergrades in 30-06 that I am getting ready for this upcoming season. Working up loads for one that Speedy Gonzalez just rebarrelled and blue printed for me. I'll try to post a picture of it. When he rebarreled it, he put a stainless barrel that he did his famous "spider web" pattern on it. My teeth almost fell out! Then I kinda got to where I liked it. Imagine this a pretty wood stocked Model 70 with a blued receiver, a matte stainless Hart barrel, and this shiny diamond checkerd patern circling the entire barrel. Talk about a pimp gun!

Since I live in the midwest the whitetail is my only big game species, therefor I spend more time hunting them than anything else. My state is also a shotgun/muzzleloader only state so I bounce from one to the other, depending upon where I'm hunting and the weather!
For the away from home part of my big game hunting, I love to chase big mule deer in eastern Colorado. It is wide open plains country, interspersed with canyons and big draws. Shooting is generally 200yds to as far as you feel comfortable doing. For rifles I use either my 270 or a 300mag.
Elk and bear hunting are two other passions, and I manage a hunt for one or the other every couple of years. Elk guns are typically my 33/404 wildcat or a 300mag. Bear hunting is 375 territory where I hunt them in S.E. Alaska.

[ 08-14-2002, 18:38: Message edited by: John S ]

My uncle owns several hundred acres in the upper part of Michigans LP where I hunt whitetail. I use a Husqvarna commercial Mauser in 3006. I typically use either Core-Lokts or Nosler partitions from Federal premiums because I do not reload for rifles, but I have never had a problem with them, so no reason to use anything else so far, and I feel as though they are some of the best whitetail killers when used properly.

I also have a shotgun I would use with slugs if needed, but I have not hunted with it yet.

I live in alberta and hunt whitetails,mules,elk,moose,pronghorn,black bear and bighorn.For deer,bighorn and pronghorn I use a custom 7mmstw rifle built on a stainless 700 action,swarovski 3x10x42 and shoot 140 gr ballistic tips.For moose elk and bear I use a custom 300 ultramag rifle built on a stainless 700 action,3x10x42swarovski and shoot 180gr ballistic tips.

Stubblejumper,

Your post makes me realize that sometimes it's not so hot to be a Texan.

I live in Idaho and also have offices in Texas..I hunt deer, elk, birds, in Idaho, and deer, hogs, javalina and Turkey in Texas..I am in a business where I have an opertunity to hunt anywhere in the world and I do so every year...

I like to slip out behind my house in the So. Hills of Unit 54 and shoot my buck with my 25/35 or 30-30 win. and if I draw a good elk unit I use my 300 H&H, 338, 9.3x62 or perhaps my 8x57 or 7x57. I use my 300 H&H for Texas Whitetail as the shots are very long as a rule. I have an 06 and it works for anything on this side of the pond, I have used it extensively along with a 270 but I don't use them much these days...

I shoot dangerous game in Africa with a Jefferys 450-400-3" double rifle with iron sights on Buff and big stuff along with a 404 Jefferys and a 416 Remington and a couple of 375's..I also use the 9.3x62 in Africa. All have iron sights and scopes..Most plainsgame hunting I do with my 300 H&H or 338 win. but I mix them all up and have used most of them on about everything.

I currently live just north of Houston, having lived 2 years prior in southeast Kansas (boy do I miss those whitetails!) and 2 years prior to that in West Texas (miss the mule deer there too). I currently hunt whitetail in South Texas with a 270 Win and 130 gr Partitions and Texas Hill Country whitetails with a 250 Savage and 100 gr Partitions. Hogs are thrown in each area and are taken with the same load used for deer. A friend from California and I meet almost every year in Colorado to hunt elk and mule deer depending upon what we draw tag wise. I have successfully used my 338-06 (210 gr Partition) and 375 H&H (260 gr Partition) on some nice bull elk, and the 308 Win (165 gr Partition) on deer there. I've done a bit of exotic hunting here as well and especially enjoy hunting nilgai which I have successfully used the 35 Whelen (250 gr Partition) on. This past June I hunted Africa using a 9.3x62 and the 250 gr Barnes X successfully taking eland, kudu, gemsbuck, blesbuck, impala, bushbuck and springbuck. The "X" performed beautifully. Bird hunting includes dove and quail these days. I use a BRNO sidelock 16 gauge SxS for dove, and a Bernadelli boxlock 28 gauge SxS on quail. For the bit of duck/goose hunting I have done most recently I used a Benelli Montefeltro 12 gauge. Yes, it's nice to read and write about hunting again. Just writing the above brought back some very good memories. Thanks.

I hunt moose in bear country, and only have one big game rifle, a stainless Ruger M77 MK-II in .338 WM with a CRF bolt. The scope is a Leupold Vary-X III, 2.5-8x, and both the rifle and scope have been outstanding performers for the past eight years, and very lucky indeed.

My favorite bullet is the former Winchester's 230-grain FS (now Combined Technology), 225 to 275-grain Swift A-Frame, and the 250 grainer NOS.
------------------
Oh, great! I forgot about knives. I am a nice guy I guess, so I will re-edict my answers to include knives as asked below.

You will be surprised of how efficient you can be when skinning large game such as moose with a relatively cheap knife, but the right kind of knife. This one is a "skinner " made by Vitorinox. It has the following words on the blade: "I Foschner" or something like that, then a circle with the letters NSF inside, and the numbers 40536 right next to the handle. These "skinners" have a 6" surgical stainless blade, and a black non-skid handle called "Fibrox" by Victorinox. The blade and handle supposedly retard bacteria growth. The blade is very hard sand difficult to sharpen. I sharpen it with a Lansky sharpener (sold at Cabela's), set at a 30 degree angle. Once sharpened, one of these knife blades will last long enough to skin a moose or maybe two without resharpening. With the Lansky sharpener I can attain an edge sharp enough to shave some of the hairs on my wrist. Price? I usually find then around town for $12.00 to $14.00, and Smokey Mountains Knife Works (catalog store) usually has them.

[ 08-12-2002, 10:51: Message edited by: Ray, Alaska ]

My favorite of all is Dall Sheep high in the Wrangells or Chugach's with a 338.

[ 11-29-2003, 01:00: Message edited by: DPhillips ]

I used to hunt mulies and antelope in NM but haven't in years. Now I hunt whitetail and hogs and varmints across western Texas and New Mexico.
Shooting crows just delights the hell out of me. I'll walk a mile to shoot a skunk. Lot of 2 legged skunks I'd enjoy capping as well, but I don't cause most aren't worth the trouble.

And I do a lot of what I call "Rock Hunting." I like to get some place where I can see for a few miles and see just how far away I can shoot and hit rocks. Sounds kinda dumb but it amuses me and has taught me one hell of a lot about long range shooting.

Oh, I forgot to mention I love to shoot turtles and fish. Just makes my day to blow a big carp or gar in half! (Ya gotta understand how shallow the water is in West Texas and New Mexico Trust me, shooting fish isn't as far fetched as it sounds.)

Several things I WON'T shoot for various reasons.
Hawks, Owls, Bobcats, to name a few.

I haven't shot a fox in years. I've made such fools out of them with calling that I haven't the heart to even shoot an animal that dumb.

I generally keep a battery of half a dozen rifles and half a dozen pistols around to do all the above but I'm tapering off and giving my guns away to my son. Not counting my .22s, I'm currently hunting with 270 & 243. I keep hoping Longbob will give me his .35 Whelen but he's just being stubborn and selfish and keeping it for himself. (Yes, He knows I've always wanted one. )

My mainest hunting pistol is my 6" Smith 41 Mag.
I reload for just about everything that will hold powder (rifle and pistol) and make shells for a lot of my friends and their various rifles as well. I'm one of these nuts who ENJOYS reloading. It's like gardening to me. Very theraputic and has probably prevented me from doing some naughty things back in my younger days when I was a "wild child."

My weapon choice varies according to game, hunting mode (drive hunt, stalking, highseat), weather (I hate to expose high grade wood) and... fancy (aren't we gun nuts ?).

1.FN-Browning O/U in 9,3x74R + Swarovski 1,25-4x24 ;
2.K98 "Scout", 9,3x62 + Leupold EER 2x
3.Blaser R93 OffRoad, .300 Win Mag + Swarovski 2,5-10x42 ;
4.Rem 700 Sendero SS fluted,.300 Win Mag + Leupold Vari-X III 3,5-10x50 ;
5.Sauer 202, 7x64 + Swarovski 1,5-6x42 ;
6.Win 70, .338 Win Mag + Swarovski 1,5-6x42.
7.FN-Browning B25, 12 ga., 1/4-3/4, engraved & gold inlaid ;
8.FN-Browning B25, 12 ga., 1/4-1/2,standard A1 ;
9.Browning B80, 12 ga., 1/1.

Drive hunting (animals ranging from 25 to 250 kg) : fair weather = 1, if rainy = 2.
Stalking : Roedeer = 5 (rain = 3). Red deer / boar = 3-6.
Highseat : Roedeer = 5 (rain = 3-4). Red deer / boar = 3-4-6.

Small game : fair weather = 7, rainy = 8. Passing ducks & wood pigeons = 9.

Nr 6 having just been rebarreled with a Lothar Walther isn't "bloodied" yet but I certainly intend to do so in the next future.

PS. re knives : during drive hunts, I only use a knife for occasionally finishing off wounded game (gutting being done by the beaters). I then resort to either a Puma "nicker" or a long bladed Finish Martiini Pukko. When stalking and having to field dress myself, I'll carry an Ubejane from Chris Reeve.

[ 08-13-2002, 14:06: Message edited by: Andr� Mertens ]

I am a die hard waterfowl hunter from West Kentucky that in off season enjoys shooting rifles, reloading for them, and then trying out the loads on Whitetails, Elk, and anything in Alaska. Still dreaming of Africa, but getting a .416 Rem ready just in case. I shoot .22 Mag, .257 Wby, 30-30 Win, 7mm BR contender, 7mm Rem, 7mm STW, .300 Win, .340 Wby, .358 STA and the .416 Rem. I have several buddies and family that do not reload at all or shoot much, I take their rifles and work up loads and tweak them, to their satisfaction. I have used every rifle, bullet, powder combo out there, from .14 caliber to 50 BMG, the good, bad and ugly, and enjoy every minute of it. My idea of heaven is having 2-3 hours of solitude at my private benchs, with 4-6 rifles, put in the ear plugs, crank up the classical or bluegrass music and shoot to my hearts content.

[ 08-12-2002, 17:08: Message edited by: phurley ]

Passionate about most hunting, I tend to go over the top for old Whitetails. Iowa and Alberta are places I enjoy persueing them the most. I use a .50 inline in Iowa and a 300Win. or 7stw in Alberta. I have had the privilege of taking Elk in Co and Mule deer in WY. I'm looking forward to hunting Alaska in 2004 for Brown bear. My taste in rifles for big game run toward customized Mdl. 70 Win. topped with Leupold scopes although Swarovski have gotten the nod two of the last three times. I love Leica binos. and spotting scopes for glassing, and King of the Mountain wool to keep me out there. Very thankfull for each day I get to spend hunting or with my family, and try to remember to thank God for each day.

HBH

I came to hunting late in life. As a result my hunting has involved two trips to South Africa and two seasons after whitetail with friends in North Dakota.

I've settled on a primary hunting battery of: .308 Steyr Scout, .376 Steyr Scout, Blaser R93 Synthetic with .22-250, 7mm-08, and 9.3x62 barrels, and a Blaser R93 Synthetic Safari with .416 Rem Mag barrel. I've got the Merkel .470NE in case I am lucky enough to hunt buffalo again. With this set I've got everything covered from varmints to DG and have backups for medium game and up.

The Scouts wear factory-issued Leupold 2.5X Scout Scopes. I've standardized on Leupold 1.5-5X Vari-X IIIs on the Blaser barrels (except for the .22-250) so that I can readily swap them around if needed.

For LongBob: my preferred hunting knife at the moment is the Spyderco Bob Moran fixed blade model. And since I'm editing, I thought I might as well put down my standard loads. For .308 I load a 180-grain Nosler Partition at 2500 fps. In .376 Steyr, it's a 300-grain Woodleigh SP Protected Point at 2300 fps. In 9.3x62 it's a 286-grain Nosler Partition at around 2350 fps. I haven't settled on standard loads for the others yet.

[ 08-12-2002, 17:42: Message edited by: Slingster ]

Like Stubblejumper I live in Alberta. He pretty much covered the choices, (whitetails, mulies, mountain sheep, antelope, black bear, grizzly bear, wolves, coyotes, cougars, elk, moose, bison, I think thats it). There's waterfowl, upland birds, and small game (rabbits, grouse/prairie chicken, gophers, etc) for the off times. With work and all, I don't get out as much as I like, but we do what we can. As for what I use, well, I'm a gun nut, so I'm always trying out new rifles/shotguns. I guess my go to rifles would be a 308 Remington 600 and a 7mm STW Remington 700. These ones I don't have to play with, just pick up and go. Oh, the optics are Leupold. For the shotgun side, usually a Browning BSS 12 gauge or a Mossberg 500. One because I really enjoy it, and the other because no matter the weather or other abuse it just does the Timex thing. "Takes a licking and keeps on ticking". - Dan

I live in Texas so most of my hunting has been for whitetail deer. I trade guns alot and I'm liable to be hunting with just about any caliber or different make of rifle. I took my first trip to Africa a couple of years ago (I used a 416Rigby in a Ruger rifle and a 338Win mag in a Sako with a 3X9 Kahles with a TDS reticle) and looking forward to going back. Greg Rodriguez has been twisting my arm trying to get me to go to South Africa next year. He might not have to twist much harder .

1. I'm having a 375HH built in a Sabi rifle that I ordered through Nickudu. It will wear a 1.5X5 Leupold. It should be in fairly soon and I'll post more on this later. Hopefully this will by my main African rifle.

2. For my all rounder I've been using a pre64 Win. in 30-06 caliber for the last few years but it's now at the gunsmiths. I'm having a 25" Walther barrel installed along with sights from NECG, bottom metal from Ted Blackburn and a classic walnut stock. I will have QR rings and will settle on a couple of scopes for it. Probably a 4X Leupold and I'm thinking of a 3.5X10 Leupold with the Range Compensating Reticle from Priemer Reticles or a Kahles with the TDS reticle. I'll probably use the 180gr Nosler bullet for the main course.

3. I hope to try out the Ruger 77RS in a 25-06 soon, along with the Weaver Grand Slam scope. I think this will be a nice hill country rifle along with my old 30-30.

I bird hunt in the fall with a Merkel 147, 12ga. I use 7/8oz Winchester Super Speeds for doves and 1 1/8oz Sure Shots for quail along with different hand loads.

I'm with phurley, I'm happy on the bench shooting different rifles and loads early in the morning somewhere in the hill country.

Terry

I'm the typical fourth-generation western mule deer and elk hunter. I started hunting elk and deer at age 15, and I just turned 45.

It's harder to draw tags here in Oregon for my favorite hunting units, so over the last ten years I've done 90% my of my hunting out of state or out of country, and I love hunting in Africa the most of all.

My current hunting battery consists of custom Model 70 Winchesters that were built by D'Arcy Echols & Company. These rifles are chambered in .300 Winchester, .375 H&H, and .416 Remington. I have an Echols .270 Win. that I haven't worked with much yet, plus a .338 Winchester on order. Quite simply, these are the best rifles I've ever had and I won't be replacing them. I'm on the backside of getting many more rifles put together, and gun collecting is a waste of my time.

This has been a year to hunt North American game. I hunted black bear in Alaska in June, New Mexico pronghorn will follow later this month, Utah for elk in September, California for blacktails in October, and Texas for whitetails in November. I used the .416 in Alaska, and I'll use the .300 for all the rest of this year's hunts. One load: 180 gr. Nosler Partition Protected Points in Winchester cases, and Reloader 22 powered by Federal 215 primers for 3075 fps. out of my rifle's 24" barrel. This is a very efficient and deadly load, and I've used it for animals ranging in size from dik dik to eland.

AD

Longbob;
I'am sure this will raise a few eyebrows and maybe even get me "torched" a little, but here goes.
I use only one rifle for all of my big game hunting (antelope,whitetail,mule deer,sheep,bear,elk, ect.). A push feed (rather have a CRF) Win. Model 70,chambered in .375AI, McMillan stock,Pachmyer decelerator recoil pad,Douglas SS 24" match grade barrel, iron sights,Leupold QD base/rings with a Leupold 2.5-8 and Leupold 1.5-5 already zeroed, shooting 270 grn. Barnes X's @ approx. 2915 fps ( I use cast bullets for plinking and the occasional varmint/ tin can shoot). The rifle, scoped, loaded, and slung weighs 8#12oz.
While I'am sure that this would not be the choice of most, but it has served me well! -memtb

I live in Ohio and here Whitetail deer is the only big game.
Gun wise I own a 22lr for small game, a .243 BDL for varmits and if I go meat hunting out west, a older .303 british and a 12 gage shotgun.
Since I am a Bow hunter primarily that is my main hunting toot these days. I own an Onieda Eagle Compund as my main bow and a takedown recurve to match it for a backup or still huntng in the corn.

Greg

I live in VA and I hunt whitetail deer, would very much like to hunt black bear, absoultly love to hunt squirrel and will shoot a turkey when I stumble upon one. I have a Mauser M96 staight pull in 30-06 for big game, a T/C Black Diamond for muzelloader season, a Marlin 880SQ for squirrel.

Jeez, a thread where there is no name calling yet.... what a concept.
I hunt whitetails, exotics and hogs plus birds when I can get a vendor to pay for it. I use mostly a 6.5X55 (M-700 w/ Leupold 3X9 and a Swedish Mauser 96-38 w/ open sights) for hogs (though I really prefer dogs and a spear for hogs) and deer sized animals. For larger stuff like red deer and oryx, I use my M-700 Sendero in Rem 7 mag. I, along with my son have used a .338 on eland and wildebeest and I've used my Ruger magnum in .375 on a waterbuck. Long ago when I was growing up in North Dakota I used a Winchester m100 in .243 for several deer and antelope - sure wish I hadn't sold it.... Most of my scopes are Leupold but the .375 wears a Burris.

I hunt anything with hooves that I can
1. Afford
2. Is not fenced by anything other than the oceans
3. Is not baited.

I hunt larger stuff with a Sharps .45-100-550 or a .54 flintlock or a recurve or a longbow

The three exceptions to #1 are game birds with a double shotgun (20, 12, or 10 bore)

and rabbits and squirrels hunted with Win 1890 or Marlin 39a in .22 or Win 1885 in .25-20.

Brent

PS. I'm outa here to hunt smallmouth and walleys with a rapala for a week. So long.

I hunt mulies, elk and am passionate about Coues white tail in southern NM. I use a 270wby for the Coues and which ever gun I grab for the rest. I also shoot praire dogs in our pasture usually with a 10/22.

Barny

Wendell,

I was thinking the same thing. No flame for memtb unless my wife sees his post.

Oh, this has been one of the more interesting threads I have seen in a while. If I were to play a game of matching the gun to the hunter (forum poster), I would fail miserably. Except for Allen Day, I would have never guessed the tools that you guys use. My perception of your preferences vs. what you really use are totally different. This is not a bad thing. Heck, even my own post surprised me! I prefer other rifles over what I am currently using. Go figure.

LongBob

I hunt moose (in Canada) and Deer in northern Wisconsin. I use a Huskavana model 5000 in 30-06 with a 50mm redfield 3x9 . 180 grains for moose 165 for deer.

I also have a Marlin 336C 30-30 with iron sights for deer during those miserable blizzard days.

I am building a 9.3X62 out of a milsurp german mauser for moose (and hopefully other big game).

cheers RH

Here's my edit Longbob:

I'll eat bear whenever I can get it, Although it has been quite a while. I am waiting to get drawn for a tag in WI.

My knife is an old friend ; a Buck Special that I have had for over 20 years.

[ 08-12-2002, 17:04: Message edited by: rockhead ]

New to this board,but have been lurking for awhile picking up info on the Big Game / Africa post.
I live in the Tidewater area of Virginia,hunt mostly deer in the farm and swamp areas with an Auto-10 ga with buck shot,some areas allow slugs,
Bear, I switch between my 06'and the 45-120/750 thats built up on a No.-1 rolling block action.
Hogs,I have just started to use my TC 14" in 35 remington,Squirrles and rabbits mostly with a Single Six in 22mag.Birds with an old St.Louis Auto-5 in 12ga.
Going to Africa in 2005 and am working on loads for a 300 Weatherby given to me.

I live in Alaska, so I usually hunt caribou and moose, and sometimes blacktail deer in the Sound. Generally, I use my Model 700 .338-06Imp on a synthetic stock with a 4-12 Vari-XII. It fits good and it shoots good. Half the time Hubby takes it cause he likes it (and the scope) too (we're both leftys).
Depending on what and where we're hunting, I may carry my .416-.300WM, a SAKO action on a synthetic stock. I haven't shot a brown bear with it yet, having only seen small,ornery juvenile bears while I was carrying it, but have taken caribou and deer with it. (Talk about slight overkill!!, but it was bear country.)

I live in West Virginia so the primary big game is whitetail deer. My deer hunting rifle of choice is a 7-08, either Savage 110 (brush beater) with a Leupold VX-1 or Win. pre64 M70 with Shillen barrel and Leupold VariX2, but I PROMISED myself that this year the model 29 Smith & Wesson in 44mag. was going hunting with me and no long gun could come along, we'll see how that works out.

Most of my hunting time is spent on varmints since that is a year round proposition. I generaly mix it up on varmints quite a bit and include nearly every firearm I own in atleast one hunt a year.

What a nice thread for a change... it's great learning about other people.

I'm 41 years young and my passion is elk, though I've always drawn an antelope tag for an area where I have property. I LIKE antelope hunting and the meat is good! I also hunt Muley's and Whitetail's, though they have to be big for me to pull the trigger. The last few years I've often found myself just watching deer that I would have thought very shootable a few years ago. I'm not big on deer meat, so whatever buck I drop better have decent head gear! I usually get a black bear tag but generally don't do much in way of bear hunting... it's not a big turn-on for me, though my friend Mark Dobrenski (who posts here) is trying to change that. I generally elk hunt where there are grizzly's so I find the 338 WM, although unecessary, reassuring. I missed elk season last year because of a house-building project... that'll never happen again! This year I'm taking two weeks to backpack into elk country... I usually elk hunt solo and usually do-so "way back in." My daughter turned twelve this year and is taking hunter's ed this coming week... I'm thrilled she's interested without any pressure or coersion from dad!

My current battery consists of stainless M70's in 338 WM (22" bbl), 270 Win (22" featherweight bbl.), 300 WSM (22" bbl) and 243 Win (22" fwt bbl). All wear matte-black Leupold scopes. As you can tell I'm into "utility"... for me, a rifle is a hammer (tool) that goes "bang."

Brad

[ 08-12-2002, 04:25: Message edited by: Brad ]

i live in Colorado & have hunted Elk, mulies,bighorn sheep, Mtn Goat, black bear, Mtn lion all with my Remington Model 700 LH in 30/06. I've used 180 grain Remington"Core-lokt" bullets. I've started to hand load for sheep & goat and use a 180 grain "Hornady Spire Point". My scope is a Leupold VarX III in 2.5 X 8. The 06 does everything I ask of it, even took it to South Africa on a plains game safari. Shot kudu,warthog,zebra,impala & steenbuck with no problem.

I mostly hunt Wyoming and Montana, antelope, deer and elk. I have shot a Model 70 in 7mm Remington the last 20 years for all three. The two more recent guns are a Remington 700 in 6mm-284 and a Savage 24v in 6X45mm/20 gauge; they are fine for deer and antelope, a little light for elk. I knew a guide who used a 243 for elk; he wanted something light to carry and was very skilled with it.

I have a few .22s of course, haven't shot any game with them in years. This is a situation that needs fixed.

Tom

Pecos,

You are such a stinker. If I could muster up a personal attack I would, but you are a friend of mine and I don't want to ruin this momentum.

Hands off the Whelen!!!!

Brad and the others,

This is gonna sound stupid, but do you eat bear meat? I'm not real big on deer meat until I started having it all made into hamburger. Now that is all we will eat. My hunting buddy and I will only shoot does for the meat and a buck if we are willing to mount it. How's that for game management.

I forgot one question. So everybody has to go back and modify thier post. What brand and type of knife do you use to dress your game? I am now using a Chris Reeve Ubejane or a Buck fixed blade with a rubber grip. I like fixed blades because they clean up real easy.

Now everybody go back and edit your post!!!

I live in the southeastern part of Georgia and most of my big game hunting around here
is limited to deer and wild hogs. though last year I began learning that several of the state
wildlife management areas have short bear seasons and I spent quite a bit of time exploring
and did a little bear hunting. For the last six years I have taken a trip out west or
to canada and have been fortunate to harvest a couple of mule deer, a really big whitetail,
a couple of antelope, an elk and a black bear. My hunting rifle (deer, hogs) from age 14 thru
college was a rem 700 .270 which served me well (I recently had it reworked and rebarrelled
by Shilen and replaced the adl stock with a mcmillan). As I started working Ive acquired
several other rifles but most of my hunting out west and up north has been with a rem 700
in .300 win mag with an HS precision stock and a leupold 3.5-10 vari-x III. The bear I mentioned above was taken with a Thompson center encore with a custon .35 whelen barrel.
I also use this rifle in its muzzle-loading configuration for bear and hog hunting on state land.
Currently I am working up loads for my remington 700 titanium in 30/06. this rifle wears a
Swarovski 3-10x42 in talley rings and bases and is really impressing me with the way it shoots
and handles but I have yet to hunt with it

I seemed to have lost sight of what was important in the '80s (thought girls were neater than hunting, boy was I off base ) but of more recent years have been re-discovering my true passions.

I have drawn beads on Mulies, Elk, birds, lots of rabbits, and the occasional varmint, oh and definatley my fair share of ROCKS. Have considered Antelope on several occasions but the nasty dark meat I keep hearing about seems to get in the way, not much of a trophy to me.

In short Ive hunted what all my hunting partners have also hunted, but hanging around places like this have made me realize that I need to broaden my horizons. For instance, this year for the first time I picked up a proclimation for Cougar and Black bear. Ive scouted some fine Moose and desert sheep country and have gotten to know someone personally who has succesfully hunted the difficult Henery mountian Bison draw. I may never get to all of these but Im going to do my best to get to at least some of them plus a few more.

My current battery consists of a 22lr, 223, 30-06 a 35 Rem and a couple shotguns. The 06 gets used a lot. I wish to add a flatter shooter like the 7-08 or 270 and something more suitable for the tougher animals like a 338-06. The 06 should back up either of those nicley.

Pecos,

I did a run into sothern Utah last week and was eyeballing a boatload of crows and thinking "223 fodder"

Ray,

It'd be fun to join you on that backyard hunt with my 35 if it wasnt a religious thing. Thats OK though, Im religious about that sort of thing too.. I used to wonder if I was wierd because I have always prefered to hunt on my own, but learning that many hunters on this board are the same way has reassured me of my psycological well being..

Wstrnhuntr,
I'll be more than happy to take all "...Antelope....but the nasty dark meat..." you care to send.
IMHO the best wild game there is! Too Bad I live in Ohio and it's 22 hours to hunt the speed goat

Longbob, Knife... A sharp folder. I took a rubber handled Buck to Africa since if things got hairy aa folder dosn't do much good asnd gave it as a tip.

Greg