I am wondering if the correlation is direct or indirect. I own 6 big game rifles and over a 4 year period I will typically take an average of 5 animals per year.

What are your stats?

Note: I picked a 4 year period because some folks go to Africa and shoot quite a few animals but may only go every 4 or so years. I recognize others go every year. 4 just seemed like a good number.

I personally own 3 big game rifles, (30'06, 444 Marlin, and .338 Ultra Mag) I took 4 animals this year.

Antelope: 30'06
Mule Deer Doe: 444 Marlin
Mule Deer Doe: .308 Warbird (friend's gun)
Mule Deer Buck: .338 Ultra

I also own an H&R .223 and SKS, but use them for varminting only. However, my gunsafe is still calling out, longing for a CZ550 safari magnum in .458 Win Mag. Can't wait to wrap my arms around that baby.

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God Bless and Shoot Straight

I currently own 9 rifles and 3 shotguns. I have shot 4 Big game this year 2 Caribou and 2 Deer. Last year I went to Africa and shot a few animals there, but in North America I shot 1 Elk, 1 Nilgai.

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JD

This is not a very flattering statistic! There are 8 big game rifles in the cabinet and 3 bows. I have tagged 4 big game animals over 4 hunting seasons, using only 2 of those rifles (6.5 Gibbs and .375 H&H). Must be getting too fussy?!?

canuck

I'm still putting my battery together.

I should have a reasonable answer for you in about 20 yrs or 500 guns which ever comes first.

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When in doubt, do a nuclear strike.

I only have and use one big game rifle, and only hunt in Alaska with it. I kill at least one moose each year with my .338 Magnum.

My problem is I have many exellent big game rifles and handguns,but always seem to have the same ones in my hand when I kill game.
Here,I can legally kill two deer and a black bear.If every year I was lucky enough to tag out and used a different gun on each and every one of them,it'd take me about 15 years to get through the pile.I think I'll just hunt with my old favorite 7mag and 45-70,just fondel the rest and leave things simple!!

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I'm out to wrong rights,depress the opressed,and generaly make an ass of myself!

I have decide to shoot at least one head of big game with each rifle I own. Shooting 4 or five a year but more then one with some rifles and still buying others. I hope it takes me a long time before I run out of rifles to try. After 33 years of hunting I still have rifles to shoot something with.

I refuse to answer on the grounds that it may incriminate me as a rifle nut!

I several BG rifles and several varmit rifles, a hunting revolver a bow several shotguns, and O ya a sligshot
I've killed most my deer and some elk with my old Rem 788 in 308 win, but also use my 338 win for elk. Haven't shot anything but walking pin cushins, and gophers with my 45-70 AS OF YET!
Scooter AKA X-Ring

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Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition!

[This message has been edited by X-Ring (edited 12-08-2001).]

9 rifles in Battery from the .22 Hornet to my 7MM Mag. 3 of the 9 are in 30-06. (Hey, what can I tell you) Plus 3 shotguns, one Bow, and one Muzzleloader.
Didn't take anything this year.. varoius reasons, but missing was not one of them. I just didnt get the shot I wanted, and when I did, It wasn't the animal I wanted. Just not my year. In years past, though, my average would be three critters collected.

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Don't tread on me!
Pennsylvania Frank

At present I have only two big game rifles. One, a T/C contender carbine in 7mm TCU(21" barrel). This thing is so very handy in box stand or thick brush; I'm spoiled and it kills great for such a little cartridge. Then, I have a semi-custom 7x57 mauser rifle(MKII action) with 22" barrel and it's great BUT not near so handy as the T/C carbine. So, YES I am going to have the barrel cut to 20 inches and YES cut that lovely McMillin butt stock to 12 1/2 inches from 13 1/2" and make it nearly as handy as my T/C carbine. YES I am and never regret it. I have become a true carbine lover, thanks T/C!!! They both have Leupold LPS 1.5x6x42 scopes so short lenglth of pull is no problem due to the short scope. Each one has taken a deer this season and the 7x57 is going to taste hog blood sometime in the next couple of nights. SuuuuuWeeeee!

Well now,

At last count I had 32 centerfire rifles from .223 to .300RUM. Last year I killed 5 bucks and 2 does in 5 states. This year I only had one day to hunt and shot a doe.

My biggest problem has been deciding which of my 2 .280s or 2 .25-06s to use.

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Jesus is the reason for the season.

[This message has been edited by Ol' Sarge (edited 12-08-2001).]

I wouldn't know where to start, or how to get there...I have shot up to 40 animals per day on Blesbok, Springbok cull hunts with my 6x45 for 4 or 5 days in a row..10 to 15 Kudu a day for a week with a 308, 300 H&H, 338, and 3 to 6 Buffalo per day for several days running with 9.3's, 308's,300 H&H and a some big bores..It all runs together after awhile.

I usually have 10 to 15 rifles on hand at any given time, they come and go..I have about 5 or 6 that have found a perminent home and a couple of old family Winchester 94's and Savage 99's that I still hunt with from time to time. I do use them all.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

I shoul dhave said...Ray doesn't get to reply...

Mike I have 8 cenetrfires from .22 hornet to .416 Rigby, have shot a lot of game with all except the .416 (only just got it). Some of the rifles I own are to big for the game I hunt. I also have 2 shotties and 2 rimfires. I still have gaps to fill I need either a 338-378 or 375 H&H or 375 UM to fit b/w 30/06 and .416 rigby.

Over the past 4 years I've had 11 different centerfire rifles, (3) 223 Rem's, (1) 243 Win, (1) 6mm-06, (3) 308 Win's, (2) 300 Win Mag and (1) 338 RUM.

Past 4 years
1 - Elk with a 300 Win mag
2 - Black Bears with a 308 Win
1 - Moose with the 338 RUM
328 - Whitetail Deer, most with the 6mm/06 and 223 but some with each rifle, also many with 12 ga. shotgun slugs.

I have 9 centerfires rifles with a total of 60 pistols,rifles, and shotgun. I take 4 or 5 deer each year

Interesting thread.

Two centrefires: 6.5x55 and 8x57JS. Four year average 40 per year but this year higher due to cull safari. All the others were deer.

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Regards

Richard

Here in the UK I would be considered odd having 4 deer legal rifles but one is the 9.3 which gets used for practice only really.

4 year average = 47 deer per year.

Mike -- I own and shoot the following often. .257 Wby, 7mm STW, .300 Win, .340 Wby, .358 STA. I normaly take a Whitetail, Mulie, Elk each year. Every so often I go to Alaska as I will in 2002. I have taken 14 Caribou, two trophys plus meat harvesting for a village. I have also taken a Brown Bear and Moose. I dream of larger bores for Africa and the animals there. Good shooting.

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328 deer in 4 years!

47 deer per year average!

Holy Cow! I am only allowed one deer per year here (two if you lump the species together). I think we need your game managers to talk to ours! We must be doing something wrong.

Canuck

Phurley- How do you get into meat harvesting for a village? Sounds like fun, how many animals do you get to shoot at a time??? MD

Canuck,

On the land that I have been asked to stalk on I am the deer manager. There are no government/official deer managers here. People will generally cull the deer to maintain a healthy population. You get the odd unethical stalker who overshoots but in some areas here the soundest management plan is to shoot every deer you see (within the law and avoiding orphaning)

I should stress 70% of these are muntjac a years worth of which about add up to a small elk cow in weight!

MADDOG -- I was hunting with a very close friend, a native Aleut. They get to harvest harvest tags for 4 Caribou per year for subsistence. The majority of the Aleuts in that village were afraid to hunt, because of Bears, therefore we were glad to help them by killing their winter meat. We also were tagged for our trophy's taken. The friend had hunted with me in Ky. for 6 weeks the prior year, this was a payback hunt. Good shooting.

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I'm sort of like Ray, and plead the "5th".