I have heard that too & I kind of believe it. If I had a ranch I'd cull spikes & I really think it'd improve the deer herd.
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I've hunted this lease for several years and have seen proof that culling inferior bucks improves the quality of the trophy animals taken. At this time they also need to kill more does to get the ratio back in balance but it probably won't happen this weekend. The rut is in it's peak now and all the hunters there this weekend are looking for a trophy. Most of them would rather not kill does and generally won't kill a management buck until later in the season if at all...but that's OK with me. I'm happy to do that for them! My cousin and his son are very proud of their "management" bucks, both are at the taxidermist now.
You know outside the nice rack a doe usually tastes better than a buck anyway.
Probabaly way more so than a nice big old buck with his neck swollen to twice it's normal size.[smilie=1:
I know I have no qualms shooting a nice cow Elk if I get called for a depredation hunt.
My brother shot a nice heavy 10 point buck this evening, very nice. He said it dropped in it's tracks using my (J-word) load. I'm very happy for him, I had a nice tenderloin from the little buck I shot after putting over 30 pounds of tender young venison in the freezer. I think we're both very happy.
Two management bucks were taken this morning, one an older buck and a young buck with narrow antlers.
I agree, does and young bucks eat better than trophy bucks. Not real big on taxidermy bills either. ;-)
TXGunNut, That's great.
I got a small forked Horn Mule deer this year.
Didn't use a cast bullet, nor a old Winchester lever action, but it was a lever action. I used a Marlin 95 .45-70, that kind of qualifies?
Good shooting.
Frank, I know it's hard to jump off the CB cliff but it's been very rewarding to me. We hunt in two very different environments but it can be done where you hunt. It may take a different load development regimen, hunting strategy or just some old-fashioned stalking. It amazes me that so many CB enthusiasts won't hunt with CB's. I've only been hunting with CB's for 3-4 years but for the last few years every critter that I've put in my freezer was put there with a cast boolit.
No it's not easy. Many folks here cast a better boolit than I do. OTOH my CB's put meat in my freezer every year. I'm still trying to get the hang of this but my loads are slowly getting better, someday my shooting skills will catch up with my loads and equipment.
One thing I've learned; these old rifles have been there, done that. Quite likely some were with CB's. All we have to do is figure out how they did it.
BTW, as you may know my first CB kill was with a Marlin GG in 45-70.
I've been shooting cast bullets in handguns for about 50 years. I have takes several deer & a black bear with lead bullet loads in handguns. I can't count the number of small game & varmints I've taken with CBs in handguns. I've shot some in the .45-70. About 20 years ago a friend & I split a order for 1000 Remington .458 405gr JSP bullets. For a number of years I used them for practice with the .458 Win mag. Later I started shooting the .45-70 more & they worked well for me in the .45-70. In the meantime I bought all the Rem 405gr JSPs that were available & I could afford. I've probably got an almost lifetime supply so I haven't really needed to go to cast bullets in the .45-70. One day I likely will I know they work well from use in handguns & from what I've read from reputable people, that and the history of the early BP ctg. rifles.
I know CBs will work where I'm at & I really enjoy carrying the good old Marlin in the dark timber where we do have Grizzlys as well as the Elk I chase. One day I'll venture back into CBs for the .45-70 but in the meantime I'm happy with the old Rem. 405gr JSP.
Thanks, good shooting.
I have an original 1886 in 45/70 that I use hunting...about once a decade.
Wow Squeeze that's great I kind of like the original '86s. Heck I'd use it more often they are just plain classy.
Just between us, Frank, that Remington 405 is one excellent bullet. Their 350 gr offering is pretty awesome for Texas critters. I don't hunt the dark timber but I've been close enough to grizzly and moose to smell them and I'll respect your choice of projectiles for close encounters. Those are some BIG critters. No experience with elk, either. Unless the ones in Estes Park, CO count. I may or may not have had ammo loaded with cast boolits with me at the time. It's possible I didn't have a gun at all. ;-)
Anyone here harvested a deer with a model 71 Winchester? If so, jacketed or boolit, and which mould?
Okay, call me a sucker, but where do you find silk flylines and natural gut leaders in the 1st century?
I'm old and have been buying them up for years. You see them on ebay pretty regular . Some will be good and soften when you wet them and some have gone bad and do not soften . I have close to 100 that are good and probably that many that are not. That is the leaders. The lines are still made and can be bought new . I have 15 new lines and somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 vintage lines . Some of the vintage lines are still in good usable condition when I get them and some I have to strip of the old oil/varnish finish and reapply a new finish to be able to use them . I collect and fish vintage Fly fishing gear of all types . I ain't just a pretty face you know !
Eddie
P.S. I hunt with a 1913 16ga Mod 1912 , 1940's vintage Mod 63 and a Mod 24 12ga 26" mod/Imp . Also hunt Burglars with a 1917 12ga Mod 1912 . I used to hunt squirrel with Winchester 1903 .22auto serial #2500 but sold it when I ran out of the last ammo I was able to buy (Vintage Remington ). I found 100 boxes and negotiated from $10.00 each to $6.00 each buying the whole 100. When they were gone I sold it to a guy who collected and did not have one without a safety . I also sold him one made in 1920 that was threaded for a can and had a screw on sleeve to hide the threads .
I'm way late to this party, but what the hell....
I love the old Winchesters and have two; one made in 1886 and another in '88, both in 38-40. I chose the elder of the two for hunting.
Last season back behind the house this feller sauntered out at dusk and I whacked him with a bullet cast from an RCBS 40-180 mould. The bullet actually weighs a little over 190 grs. Seated over as much Swiss 3f as I can fit in the case, velocity is a peppy 1425 fps and accuracy is easily MOD (minute of deer) out to 200 yds.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6...ps9n2ntijz.jpg
Fast forward to April of this year when I called up this ol' Tom north of the house. Same rifle, same load, same results.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6...pschqunhns.jpg
35W
That is some really nice iron you are using there. Color me jealous. Good shooting as well.
Beautiful rifle & game 35W; thx for bumping the thread & pics. :-)
I have hunted quail and would defend myself with my twice shortened 1909 1897 Winchester. And I'm working on a bubba'd 1916 BSA SMLE to line it out for hunting. Oldies but goodies.
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1886 in 38-40.
Now that is a gun is way over built for the cartridge.