quote:

Biggest Myths in Hunting/shooting?

that the Sierra MatchKing is a suitable game bullet.

an out-of-the-box savage will outshoot anything, and that's BEFORE adjusting the accutrigger

the .30/30 is a 'marginal' deer cartridge.

_________________________________________________

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One of these days my reloading equipment will start paying for itself

375hnh, good one! i say that often

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Long range shooters have normal testosterone levels

And short range hunters are more ethical...

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that the Sierra MatchKing is a suitable game bullet

and manufactures are always right...

hummmmm lets see...

All hunting magazines and their articles are correct...

There is a such thing as a "brush" rifle...and the big heavy rounds bullets go through bruch better.....

#1-A biggest myth- Penetration is the only thing that matters about hunting bullets.


#1-B- Velocity is the only thing that matters about cartridge selection.

That you can be a good shot with out practice.
Judge Sharpe

quote:

Originally posted by NRC:
Buddy tried to tell me that barrels with a right hand twist will gradually drift to the right (if you only shoot them far enough).

Careful............. There is something to this.

It's really too bad more (any?) good barrel makers don't offer left-hand twist. It does everything just as well, (better even at long range) The only thing I've ever found as an inconvience is it tends to "un-screw" your bronze brush!

BigRx

quote:

Originally posted by Comet:

quote:

Myth: Weatherby is better.

I think Weatherby is better

The myth at work..........

1. Gun rag articles are real and not just paid ads for outfitters, gun makers, bullet makers, etc. (The killer for me was when the Kimber 84 in 308 averaged 2MOA, and the accuracy was described as "outstanding" by the writer. Guess my Mini-14 is outstanding too!)

2. A 100# hog needs more gun than a 200# deer.

3. You just can't keep those short, light rifles on target like the heavy ones. It might just depend on what you practice with.

quote:

Originally posted by BigRx:

quote:

Originally posted by Comet:

quote:

Myth: Weatherby is better.

I think Weatherby is better

The myth at work..........

My Remington is better

Its more important to put shots in the X ring from the bench than to hit a paper plate off hand.

I don't need hearing protection. My ears won't ring very long.

45 years of permanently ringing ears later ....

My favorite - Why should I pay extra for a good barrel, this is accurate enough for a "hunting" rifle.

Sort of like when the guy buys a rifle at a discount store and has the rifle bore sighted and considers that "good enough to go hunting".

Reminds me of a fellow I worked for that would not let me sight in or accurarize his 300 Win Mag. His hunting buddies called him "tree killer".

Old Elk Hunter -- I can recall my brother-in-law having his new '06 bore sighted at his local gun shop and he thought he was ready for the hunt -- unbeknownst to the rest of us (we thought he had actually sighted it in). It was funny watching a sub-100 yard shot kick up dirt a few feet in front of the wild hog (with a scoped 30-06!)! We still give him grief about it!

The .3006' is a better brush buster than the .270.
AND
The the 270 is a better long range caliber than the .3006'
I own and shoot both love them both the same also.

A 243 is an adequate deer cartridge.

A 270 is an adequate elk cartridge.

A Leupold scope is "better" than the top end Japanese and Chinese scopes.

Leica binoculars are clearer than Pentax binoculars.

Midwestern farm hunters have a clue what it takes to find and kill a whitetail in the piney woods of the deep south where they are KING!!!

Hunting rifles can hold 5 shot groups under 1/2 inch any more often than once in a VERY great while.

Dog hunters have it easy.

Bait hunting for bears is interesting and/or exciting.

The only ethical shot at a deer is one that can't possibly keep from killing the deer with one shot and must be at short range.

Shooting deer over feeders is a challenge.

Hunting shows on TV depict public land hunting.

Bow hunters rarely wound and lose game.

It's not possible to have a fair chase hunt inside of a high fence.

300 pound and up wild hogs that don't regularly eat at someone's feeder.

Feral cats don't decimate songbird populations.

Looking at a picture of a gun being pointed at a camera can somehow be unsafe <ROFLMAO>

$bob$

quote:

Originally posted by LDHunter:

Bait hunting for bears is interesting and/or exciting.

Hunting shows on TV depict public land hunting.

It's not possible to have a fair chase hunt inside of a high fence.

$bob$

Uhhh, I found it very exciting to be close to bears while hunting over bait. That's why I'm doing it again starting Monday for 2 weeks! 1 week in New Brunswick, and 1 in Alberta. Then, I also booked a bear hunt with hounds! I'm sure it will be a blast too.

I've seen plenty of shows that took place on public land, like The Eastman's Journal.

Please define: "fair chase"

If you don't have a Leupold scope you're using second class equipment.

It takes a rifle that will shoot at least a one minute of angle to kill any game.

Doc,

>Uhhh, I found it very exciting to be close to bears while hunting over bait. That's why I'm doing it again starting Monday for 2 weeks! 1 week in New Brunswick, and 1 in Alberta. Then, I also booked a bear hunt with hounds! I'm sure it will be a blast too.

I'm glad you found it exciting. I can't imagine why though. Guess that's your way of getting your thrills. Maybe you should tell us why you find it exciting and what is exciting about it.

As for hunting bears with hounds!!! Oh YEAH!! I'll go for that one. We hunt deer with hounds here in the south and I've only hunted bear once with hounds but it was a serious adrenaline rush and I am desparate to do it again!

>I've seen plenty of shows that took place on public land, like The Eastman's Journal.

I've not seen Eastman's Journal. I only get broadcast TV with an antennae since I gave up cable for more hunting.

>Please define: "fair chase"

Good point. I was referring to the endless horse beating over whether or not it was fair to the game or "fair chase" to hunt game in a fence. I've been there and couldn't find a danged thing... <grin>

It's not my definition.. It's theirs and it seems that any method of hunting that isn't the one they use isn't "fair chase".

Anyone that's hunted whitetail in the southeast can testify that you can be surrounded by several deer within a hundred feet or so and be clueless about their existance until they jump up and give you a heart attack.

$bob$

I cant miss from here!

I can't hit consistently from the bench, but offhand I am a dead shot.

quote:

Originally posted by LDHunter:
Doc,

>Uhhh, I found it very exciting to be close to bears while hunting over bait. That's why I'm doing it again starting Monday for 2 weeks! 1 week in New Brunswick, and 1 in Alberta. Then, I also booked a bear hunt with hounds! I'm sure it will be a blast too.

I'm glad you found it exciting. I can't imagine why though. Guess that's your way of getting your thrills. Maybe you should tell us why you find it exciting and what is exciting about it.

As for hunting bears with hounds!!! Oh YEAH!! I'll go for that one. We hunt deer with hounds here in the south and I've only hunted bear once with hounds but it was a serious adrenaline rush and I am desparate to do it again!

Many of us have sat a stand for hours and had a whitetail magically appear at close range, out of nowhere. When a 300lb bear does that to you at 15yds get ready to check your shorts. A bear can move more quietly through the woods than you can even imagine, unless of course you've tried it.

Big Guy,

I honestly don't mean to belittle anyone. I'm sure it would be exciting to be near a BIG boar. I just don't get excited about seeing a bear that has been baited.

I'd rather run them down with hounds and my own two feet. Or I'd rather spot and stalk which I've done several times but wasn't allowed to make the kill.

I also have tracked a few down when I encountered extremely fresh sign. It seems like they always figure out that they're being followed before I see them and a couple of bluff charges got my undivided attention I can assure you.

Kinda cured me from tracking down bears I wasn't allowed to shoot.

Bears are getting out of control in Florida again and it won't be long and they'll let the houndsmen go after them again. I can't wait for that day.

Anyway... I digress and have hijacked this excellent thread...

I'm outta here and I hope everyone gets to hunt what they want, when they want... That would be about as perfect a world as I could imagine.

$bob$

my bullet from my magnum is still rising at 250 yards.

I can't hit targets,but I am a dead shot on game.

quote:

The Marines I have seen around the world have, the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps." Eleanor Roosevelt, 1945

Now that's inarguably the only true statement so far.

quote:

Originally posted by LDHunter:

I'm glad you found it exciting. I can't imagine why though. Guess that's your way of getting your thrills. Maybe you should tell us why you find it exciting and what is exciting about it.


$bob$

Sure, I'll be glad to:
1) My first bear hunt was last year. Loved it. Hunted over bait in Maine.
2) It was a new experience.
3) Bears climb trees and can be in your lap before you can think, "oh shit!"
4) They are 10 times quieter than deer.
5)Imagining a 400-500-600+ animal less than 20 yards away is a "thrill."
6) You have the potential to watch a dangerous animal at close range for quite some time. Perhaps enjoy watching a sow and her cubs play, or watch a huge boar.

As far as pursuing bears any other method, well, I cannot until after I have my ACL repair in my right knee. My hound hunt is scheduled to where I'll have a 2 and a half month recovery time. If I have to reschedule, I'll have to wear my knee brace and do the best I can.

Not to be snippy, or sound that way, because that is not my intention, BUT, there are plenty of archery hunters out there that could pose a similar question to you regarding excitement as well: "Say, what's so thrilling about killing something with a gun at 75-100 yards with a bullet?" "Kind of easy, ain't it? Want a thrill? Take up a recurve, carve your own arrows and go on a REAL hunt."

Bottom line is, we both hunt. I get my thrills from killing an animal I've either pursued on foot for miles (like my antelope), or sat on a stand for 5+ hours just to stick a buck, or whatever. I like to glass western hillsides and find bedded animals and sneak up on them, and I like being in close where I may get a 20 yard or less shot at a huge boar. Even if it is stuffing it's face with Ding Dongs or Duncan Donuts.

OK?

quote:

Originally posted by poulsbo:
my bullet from my magnum is still rising at 250 yards.

I don't know what to say. I sighted in my 300 ultra 3" high at 100 yards. It was 5" high at 275 in Colorado. I was puzzled. 200 Accubond over 89.0 Re25, 28" Shilen #4. So, for me, this is no myth. Sorry.

Doc,

>Bottom line is, we both hunt. I get my thrills from killing an animal I've either pursued on foot for miles (like my antelope), or sat on a stand for 5+ hours just to stick a buck, or whatever. I like to glass western hillsides and find bedded animals and sneak up on them, and I like being in close where I may get a 20 yard or less shot at a huge boar. Even if it is stuffing it's face with Ding Dongs or Duncan Donuts.

>OK?

Absolutely. I asked you why and you told me. I am in favor of all legal hunting methods. I now understand better why someone would want to hunt a baited bear.

I'm an adrenaline junky and when possible I love to pursue game at a fevered pitch. It's what winds my clock.

One of my old favorite sayings goes like this....

"Whatever it takes to get the coon"...

$bob$

Myth: The SKS is a deer rifle.

Myth: having all the latest gadgets,gear, camo etc makes me a better hunter.

Myth: Hunting shows are real...Team Realtree really hunts all those deer and are never canned hunts.

Myth: the decal on your truck impresses people and makes them think you're a big time hunter

#1 Money is a subsitute for:

Practice with your weapon of choise.

Time spent learning about the animal you intend to hunt.

Keeping yourself in reasonable physical condition.

Ethics

quote:

Originally posted by JudgeSharpe:
That you can be a good shot with out practice.
Judge Sharpe

And indeed that you can be a good game shot merely by practice on paper....

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Midwestern farm hunters have a clue what it takes to find and kill a whitetail in the piney woods of the deep south where they are KING!!!

No doubt about that myth!!

quote:

Originally posted by 1894mk2:

quote:

Originally posted by JudgeSharpe:
That you can be a good shot with out practice.
Judge Sharpe

And indeed that you can be a good game shot merely by practice on paper....

Okay, I will take the bait...

Of course, if you never shoot at anything, you will not be a good game shot. However, show me a good competitive shooter and I will show you a guy who is death in the field. Never fails. He may not be a good hunter, but he will kill what he shoots at.

The stress of competitive shooting is a sure cure for buck fever. You just don't get it. You might be very excited, but when you aim, you go on autopilot.

This is not so much a myth but rather a paradox of sorts:

In deep thick cover a short, light, fast-handling repeating rifle is preferred.

Where I still-hunt in the deep south piedmont, there are few clear shots past 25 yds. and visibility is the same until the leaves drop. After leaf drop visibility is better, maybe 75 yds. but seldom can you pick a hole to shoot through much more than 50 yds. unless you're stand hunting and have cut lanes.

The point is, in 32 years of hunting in the exact places the lever and semi-auto are thought by many to be the ticket, my opportunities for decently clear shots at "jumped" deer or follow-ups you could count on one hand. Nearly all were unaware of my presence or trying to identify me. The only running follow-up shot that I had to make was at about 8 feet at an already heart-shot deer. And the only deer that actually stood still for follow-ups was a buck that took three through both lungs before he decided to run. But that was with a bolt-action and he piled up 15 yds away. I concede that I might could have got five into him with a lever, pump, or semi-auto.

A bolt-action or single shot is just as quick for the first shot and in REALLY tight cover you likely are not going to get a second shot anyway.

Hogs are a different matter of course or if you want to put more than one animal on the ground at once but even then a more open type cover is required.

I hunt with and love all types of rifle actions but given my experience if someone asked me if a lever, pump, or semi-auto was the best for thick cover deer, unless they were hunting with dogs I couldn't say any were the best.

Once the cover opens into scrub or mature timber it starts to make more sense, IMO, which makes it even more of a mystery why great accurate yet fast guns like the Savage M99, Win M88 and Rem M760 didn't eclipse the M94 and Marlin 336. .

1-"All" 300 grain 45-70 bullets are for Deer sized game only!
2-The 45-70 is a worthless piece of $hit for hunting big game!

Jayco

You get what you pay for.

Magnums give a margin of error.

Small calibers mean lots of tracking.

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:

Okay, I will take the bait...

Of course, if you never shoot at anything, you will not be a good game shot. However, show me a good competitive shooter and I will show you a guy who is death in the field. Never fails. He may not be a good hunter, but he will kill what he shoots at.

The stress of competitive shooting is a sure cure for buck fever. You just don't get it. You might be very excited, but when you aim, you go on autopilot.

I'm not convinced because being a good shot on game is about shooting the right one in the right place. Which is all to do with knowing if it's legal, if it's safe, when the deer is going to stop walking, if it might stop running as it reaches the wood edge, if it's going to turn broadside, when you can pass on a longer range shot because it's not worth the risk and you can get to it from another direction, where to shoot it at that angle, what it's reaction to shot indicates (ie where hit), was the shot good enough you can swing onto the others and remember where it was when you shot it, are the others going to stop - over here that process to be repeated until you have shot what is possible out of that parcel.

Thusly someone who is a poorer technical shot will likely bring home the bacon more often by knowing his quarry - can only be learnt by stalking and shooting lots of deer.

Of course practice on paper helps BUT it is only part of shooting at deer.

I would agree with 1894 IF the comment was about HUNTING the deer, but it was not. All of his comments were about hunting the deer, not the actual shot itself. I would have to agree more with AZwriter on this one.

Shooting practice helps your shot, hunting practice helps you get in position for that shot. I advocate both, by the way.