Deer hunting refresher tread/info.

One shot on kill

Alright lads with little over a week till I can hunt my first deer I'm twitching like mad and keep looking out the door across at the mountains.

I'm sure I'm not the only one on here who will out for the first time. So here is another chance to ask the stupid question and those things you just can't make sense of or just other small details you can think off.

I suppose ill go first.

I know your not aloud shoot deer at nite. But I've heard your allowed shoot an hour before first light and an hour after last light and another guy has told me its a half an hour. So which is it and now for the stupid part first light and last light how do you find out the exact times of this.

Question 2.

I done alot of practice with the shooting sticks today. Some good shots some really bad. Do ye find when ye shoot fast of the sticks your more accurate or slower. Also where do you rest the gun up by the sling stud or closer to the magazine and last but but not least the other hand do ye grab The sticks the rifle and stick or what do people find comfortable.

Cheers boys hopefully the more experienced guys will flood us with info please feel free to add questions.

Cass

One shot on kill wrote: »

I know your not aloud shoot deer at nite. But I've heard your allowed shoot an hour before first light and an hour after last light and another guy has told me its a half an hour. So which is it and now for the stupid part first light and last light how do you find out the exact times of this.

It's an hour before sunrise and an hour after sunset. These times can be checked daily on Google.

Question 2.

I done alot of practice with the shooting sticks today. Some good shots some really bad. Do ye find when ye shoot fast of the sticks your more accurate or slower. Also where do you rest the gun up by the sling stud or closer to the magazine and last but but not least the other hand do ye grab The sticks the rifle and stick or what do people find comfortable. .

Not a huge fan of the sticks as i try to much to hold them perfectly still. Much prefer a resting shot from a bipod or off a fixed gate/post. If that fails or is not possible i'll use the sticks. I don't have a "spot" but usually between the mag and end of fore end of stock. I have a tripod (three legged sticks) so place it out, put the rifle on it and use both hands on the rifle or one on the rifle and the other "split" between the fore end of the rifle and holding the stick. IOW holding both.

Others may differ as will lads with bipods/two legged sticks.

One shot on kill

Cheers cass I found if I more the rifle up on the sticks bringing the sticks closer to the mag it was easyer to balance and shot the first 2 shots but I found I tired quicker. Ye I get what your saying about gate post I'd preferred that myself but my bipods are only 6-9 so I was thinking of just taking them off for the season.

Cass

The funny thing is i'm much more comfortable off the bipod, but find it a pain in the ass on the gun as i rarely get the chance to make use of it. So like that, i usually leave it off.

One shot on kill

Ah here no doubt its easyer with the bipods. But is it worth carrying them for the season to take one or two shots. I suppose it is you you take a deer I suppose. But I have to say when I'm propping the gun of the sticks fence gate or whatever I find they get in the way alot more than there usefull.

clivej

Use the Bi-pod if possible 9-13 @11" and rest right arm elbow on the ground, if that makes sense. This would always be my preferred way to shoot as I'm steady in the aim.

Use to use the tri-pole and found it very good. Set to kneeing height so they weren't as long to carry. Added an extra fourth leg/stock rest to it, see tips section, and could shoot out to 700+m off them, not animals only rocks.

Last season I used the 4 garden sticks and although I didn't get to shoot a deer off them they were good to carry and rest off. Again I made them from 1m sticks to use kneeing. And yes well worth the effort to use and very steady to use. I can hit a deer size kill zone shot at 300m off them from sitting.

This is what I make up for the 'Sporting Rifle' comp in The Bisley Phoenix competition this year and how I held the rifle using my left hand on top of the scope to keep it all steady. Full length poles used for the standing position. Wessex target @100y and 3" target from @200y standing, 4" target prone @300y.

Only 2 shots off the British record and beaten into second place by one shot.

One shot on kill

The sticks in the picture look the business alright.

Ye see the problem I have is some of my ground is very rough to put it mildly so I'd have to use some form of sticks in the standing position. Some places I could use the pods so hopefully the deer will play nice and go into these fields.

Vegeta

If the ground is really rough and ranges shorti'ish another option might be a proper sling. Would take practice and time to learn how to use it but it would double up as a strap for carrying the rifle so it's one less thing to carry.

Search on youtube for videos of guys using slings for rifle shooting.

One shot on kill

Vegeta wrote: »

If the ground is really rough and ranges shorti'ish another option might be a proper sling. Would take practice and time to learn how to use it but it would double up as a strap for carrying the rifle so it's one less thing to carry.

Search on youtube for videos of guys using slings for rifle shooting.

Checked out a couple of different slings on the net today. By jasus there is some looking yokes out there. But one thing I would of noticed with all the reviews it all recommends as much bone support as possible.

Shooting is a very easy thing to do but hard to do right constantly.

Next I suppose we could talk about could be bullets I'm zeroed with hornady 100 grain btsp but I was thinking maybe half way through the season changing to hornady 95grain sst

German pointer

Next I suppose we could talk about could be bullets I'm zeroed with hornady 100 grain btsp but I was thinking maybe half way through the season changing to hornady 95grain sst

Why change get a round you are happy with and stick with that. Less problems trying to re zero down the line

One shot on kill

It's not that I just want to change I suppose I was just gonna try something else when the ammo ran out. That's all just putting out feelers to see what people though of the both rounds.

jagged

Just buy a couple of different brands and test them out now...find the one that works best and stick with it...

dodderangler

Don't have licence to shoot deer but I'm always keeping an eye out for them.
Was out bunny bashing last week and up on a hill looked through the scope an counted 12 does and one huge stag. Looked like an 8 but could've been a 7 pointer. Big dark lad.
Come the first he'll be nowhere to be found

4200fps

I think its Sweeden they shoot reds legally under moon light with no aid of artificial light Its not poaching in my opinion, sorry slighty of topic but anybody ever hear of this?

clivej

One shot on kill wrote: »

The sticks in the picture look the business alright.

Ye see the problem I have is some of my ground is very rough to put it mildly so I'd have to use some form of sticks in the standing position. Some places I could use the pods so hopefully the deer will play nice and go into these fields.

OSOK what did you think of my sticks and what do you think your be taking up the hills?????

One shot on kill

Hey Clive thanks very much for that yesterday on the range.
Your a busy man.
I thought the two set were good the tall ones were solid to be fair very easy to shoot off them the short ones were a little bit harder to use I reckon it was just the concrete as we said yesterday. But they were very light and still very useable. They made thing alot more easyer to be accurate.

I shot alot better on my second go of each. But I think I will try both of them in the field but I will be try the sticks for kneeling first. Because of weight and I can get that little bit more support with an elbow on one knee aswell. I'd prob just put a trap between the two supports to stop them from widening out to much.

Mauser 308

One shot on kill wrote: »

It's not that I just want to change I suppose I was just gonna try something else when the ammo ran out. That's all just putting out feelers to see what people though of the both rounds.

OSOK, Just to let you know I find the standard Hornady, 95g SST round great for deer. Both Heart and Lung shots and neck/head shots. In my opinion its a great round, and wont be found wanting once you do your bit.
Hope that helps

One shot on kill

Cheers Mauser I've been paying attention around here and on google I see alot of guys are getting good results with 95 grain in 243. With alot of searching and reading other forums I'm finding hard to get an explanation of what both the rounds do when they hit there target. Maybe I just don't understand the tech talk I don't know. And the difference between the two rounds.

Vegeta

It's a .243 right? What species of deer will be you be stalking and where will you be shooting them primarily (head, neck, shoulder, heart lungs etc etc)?

One shot on kill

Vegeta wrote: »

It's a .243 right?
Correct and right

What species of deer will be you be stalking
primarily sika the odd fallow. Might very very rarely get a shot at a red very rarely now.

and where will you be shooting them primarily (head, neck, shoulder, heart lungs etc etc)?

Starting of heart and lung shot for a while if the deer is less than 100 and a good rest I might neck them but heart lung mainly as I'm a beginner stalker.

Vegeta

Well here is a video on youtube showing how a Norma ballistic/plastic tipped bullet and a soft point bullet behave in ballistics gel.

It is a bit graphic for any delicate flowers out there, shows a head shot roe buck. Watch around the 10-12 second mark and around 4 minutes 10 for the ballistic gel shots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncm-m5xsarY

If I were in your shoes and going for heart lung shots I'd stick with the soft points. Better chance of more bullet mass getting into those vitals with the soft points.

If on the other hand you were neck and head shooting, well these parts of the animal are narrower so you need the bullet to expel it's energy in this narrow flesh and bone by expanding rapidly. The ballistic tips are great for that.

Saying that I have found the heavy sst hold together well anyway and are kind of an all rounder. Either of those bullets will do the job so then I'd look at which bullet I have more trigger time and experience with and stick with that.

Vegeta

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=g-high-rec&v=dsi0WFdbR5A

Another good ballistic gel demo at the end of this video. Highlights how the lighter ballistic tip ammo expands rapidly upon initial contact but the soft point goes deeper.

One shot on kill

Cheers vegeta I didn't get a chance to actually watch them yet but will watch them in work tomorrow.