Tasco red dot leaves during firing

[DLCTEX]

I recently put my old (15 years+-) Taco red dot on my 480 Ruger Tarus Raging Bull and was testing loads of 325 jacketed hollowpoints over H 110. 26 gr. , five shots spit powder in my face and I determined it was due to the brass not sealing. I upped the load to 27 gr, book Max., and upon the second shot I thought the cylinder had blown as parts flew, one hitting me in the chest. Then I saw the scope come down and land at my feet. The clamping rings on the scope mounts had snapped the bolts and the nuts had departed to parts unknown. The part that hit me was one of the clamps that I later found in my shirt pocket. I suspect the bolts had been stretched to almost the breaking point in the past. I had used my fingers only when attaching it, but it had Ben one many guns in it's life and attached by different persons. I will be shooting iron sights for a while. On a plus note, the brass sealed much better with very little soot. Recoil was noticably sharper with that 1 gr. increase. I have no idea about accuracy as the first shot didn't hit the target, the rings must have started giving up, and I didn't think to even lot for the second one

[44man]

I don't trust any mount system that is part of the red dot. The best are rings. Put an Ultra Dot, straight 4 minute dot on that .480. The rings that come with the Ultra Dot actually work.
I have a long list of broken scopes and red dots.

[DLCTEX]

I tried a Simmons 3X9 scope on it but couldn't make it work in hunting situations. The one chance at a deer with it the sun was behind me and I couldn't get the glare off the lens to see. I did like it for targets and rock busting at 175 yards though.

[44man]

I tried a Simmons 3X9 scope on it but couldn't make it work in hunting situations. The one chance at a deer with it the sun was behind me and I couldn't get the glare off the lens to see. I did like it for targets and rock busting at 175 yards though.
I can not use a scope for deer at all. The exit pupil light disperses before it reaches my eye and I can't see cross hairs or deer through the dim light of mornings and evenings. Plus I see the shakes. Need full light and a rest! 99% of my deer are shot off hand, the rest might have my forearms on my knees or something. Depends on where my stand is. Tree stands have no rest at all. My best is a ground seat where I can use my knees, yet deer are almost never just right. Some are moving fast too. The red dot is best.
I shot 7 last season, one with a long bow and wood arrow, the rest with revolvers. I will not admit how small some were but they are good eating. Carol always bitches about shooting dogs but in the end she does not like big buck meat at all. I can't eat the stuff either. I prefer a young doe or button buck. Harder to hit then a huge animal. You will never see me brag about a big buck, wasted meat that I have to give away. I shot too many that we could not eat.
I am a Bamby killer all the way!

[btroj]

Jim, we call those vealison. Very tender.

[GP100man]

44man , I`m a meat hunter also !

[44man]

Yeah, exactly right. A dead trophy is horns on the wall but nothing in the belly.
I love a young woodchuck or squirrel or a young chicken.
I bet all the huge deer or animals shot for trophies have the meat wasted.
I also have a big beef with hunters that shoot small deer in the guts. I found many right under stands, gut shot. but the creeps left them. Get your hands dirty, the meat is good. I have a poor respect for them and even worse for a trophy hunter. A big doe eats better and is harder to hunt then a big buck. You know you can't fool a lady. Did you ever fool your wife?
Look at videos on the TV where they shoot a big buck and go the next day to find it. Takes half a day and the meat is rotting but they brag about the antlers. Sick people.

[44man]

I have a great respect for a meat hunter. Why kill for fame? I am not a good cook. I can make super steaks or stew but have never learned to make bad or tough meat good. If I buy meat in the store I do not want a 20 year old milk cow.

[9.3X62AL]

44Man summed up my view of the hunt very well.

[freebullet]

I've never shot a deer too tough to eat. Meat is easily tenderized.

[44man]

Good men! Waste is a shame. so kill what you eat and eat what you kill. I love deer as God's creatures and thank the lord for every one I kill. I don't take pictures of all because someone will make fun of them but I will tell you good when you shoot a yearling and nothing goes to waste. I have gone to a dead deer I have shot and can hear Carol complain but never at the table.
That little thing is good so don't be afraid to show. Big racks mean nothing, I shot too many in Ohio I could not eat. Even bought a pressure cooker for one, did not work. Needed a tiny chainsaw and 50# of spice to hide the stink.
Venison is like lamb to mutton or a walleye to a carp. I can not make a carp but some can. I am not smart enough. I will catch perch or bluegills and crappie before a carp.
I shot a million pounds of carp with a bow, bury them in the garden.

[freebullet]

Couple tricks for tough deer.

Age it, let it hover right round freezing. Let it freeze, As it freezes its being tenderized. Then do your final trim and freeze for storage.

When you take it out for cooking once thawed use a fork, knife, or the meat tenderizing tool(has a bunch of little knife points) on both sides of the meat. This works wonders and i even do it to tender cuts. It prevents yer steaks from turning into tire on the grill.

Marinade, there are plenty of them that tenderize very well.

Make bacon wrapped roasts in the crock pot. I suggest pepper bacon. Tenderize the meat first.

Pound It out bread with saltines and make chicken fried steaks, ummm.

If all else fails its time to make brats or sausage.

We had an abundance of deer here for years and i was shooting lots. I found a guy with 13 kids and would give him the overage sometimes even the front legs. Even whole deers. Waste it I won't. They even made stock from the bones. I keep hides too.

[GaryN]

I will agree that a young deer is better meat than an old deer. But I like to shoot the biggest one I can find. It is generally on ice within two hours. Sometimes longer if I have hiked too far. I like the bigger ones because we only get to shoot one per year here and the bigger ones have more meat. I'm talking mule deer here so I can't compare them to whitetails. I haven't ever shot a whitetail. I find that some of the problems with a bad tasting deer is in how it is taken care of.

[telebasher]

I keep the backstraps and have the rest mixed with some fresh pork and pork suet to make summer sausage. Nothing like summer sausage sharp cheddar cheese and Ritz crackers.

[44man]

It is rarely cold enough to hang a deer here more then overnight. Around 40* at night is good to get body heat out but if it is too warm I don't even go hunting. Either way, any deer is kept cold.
The worst tasting deer were from the PA forest. I would shoot a doe and it would be good but the next one, same size and same place and it would be super strong. I think a lot has to do with diet.
Here, all the deer taste good, even the largest doe. Most are full of corn.
In Ohio where I hunted, bucks got old, some were gray. I have those tenderizers and made a hammer type. Didn't work! I know I am in trouble when the deer stinks while I track and approach it. I never touch meat while skinning and the meat still stinks. Burger stunk! I hate the wild taste and smell. We had Lebanese neighbors and they made stew with sheep or goat meat. They would give me some and it was gag city.
Best came from orchards where I shot a lot of deer with unlimited tags, some where large bucks and they were OK. I gave a lot to feed the poor. Can't do it here, have to pay processing.
Meat that needs special treatment is not worth it. If I can't toss a steak in a hot skillet full of butter, I don't want it.
Maybe I am too touchy but I do eat good. I have every cook book for game and most recipes are to hide and cover poor meat.
I bet all of you know someone that refuses to eat venison because they were given nasty stuff once.

[GP100man]

I usually save a hind quarter to cut into steaks & the back straps, the rest goes to the grinder.
Yungins will eat sausage but not the steaks ???

BUT if the deer has that smell about em like 44man speaks of it all goes to the grinder with a tad more tallow in the mix.

[kweidner]

The trick is aging it. My processor will process the same day I take it to him. In South Ga there isn't a hangin option unless it's in a walk in. We quarter and then set it on fresh drained ice for a 5 day minimum. 7 is better. Keep it cold and drain off water once a day. Pulls the blood out and makes it much less gamey.

[white eagle]

I agree aging and prep is what makes the cuts gooooood
shot lots of deer like most of you never killed one I didn't eat
sure small deer are better but I shoot to eat and I may only see 1 or 2 after the opening day so what ever gives me a shot gets the shot

[44man]

I wish I could age and ice gets expensive too. I see the dry aged beef on TV that costs a fortune.
There is a guy that lives around here that hangs deer from a tree for two weeks or more but it can be 40* at night and 70* in the day, I guess he likes rotten meat!
I could never pay to have deer butchered so have boned all myself and my last figure was over 570 of them, even the meat I give away was cut and the ladies where I hunt come to help for theirs. They buy tape and freezer paper too. They get 4 a season from me. We remove all fat, connective tissue and silver skin from the meat before freezing.
I have a big 3/4 horse grinder from Cabella's that I swear I can toss meat from the garage into the kitchen and it will eat it up, great machine. The necks and all good meat is stripped and ground, necks are full of fat layers and are a pain. They make poor roasts and the cords along the spine must be cut out, they are yellow and will ruin a roast along with all the fat. Ribs need boiled to get the fat off before put on the grill, not worth the small amount of meat but are tasty.
I will take a hind quarter roast, thaw it and cut thick steaks, coat thick with seasonings and blacken in a smoking cast iron frying pan for 4 minutes a side. No need to hammer it or stick blades all through it. Shoulders make great roasts or BBQ, it is good meat. I leave them whole but clean them good. How great it would be to have a cold room! I cool them good but if it is going to warm up, it is cut.

[375RUGER]

When it's too warm to let meat hang I put it in an ice chest for about 7 days. I have 2 of those 100qt. Borrow more for bear and elk. I keep the meat on top of a sheet of plastic on top of the ice and keep the water drained. Poor man's walk-in. In addition to the cube ice I buy I usually have several+ gallons of frozen water in my freezers to supplement with, and I can rotate them every day or so so they stay real cold.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

I grew up eating wild game, I too prefer a nice young button buck/ dry doe, I have killed big elk, moose, caribou, deer and I kept some of the horns, tried for years to make a good Horn soup , just never perfected the mix , gave up. I have passed up a lot of 60-70" moose in Alaska, big elk in Montana, Wyoming, big mule deer and white tail. I made the mistake of shooting a couple of these big boys , not again....I like a very young bull, dry females or yearling, and I won't shoot them in the tundra or bogs....float the river and pop a youngster on the bank and make sure he is DRT.....If it has horns and is big, let it walk IMHO, I'll shoot the veal.....nothing against horn hunters , except when they waste the meat, then I get MAD. If you shoot it , eat it. I get tired of watching these "hunting" shows where they shoot the animal and go home, watch their movies and go back the next day to see if they can find the Trophy... Try that up in AK. and the wolves and Griz will have your game. JMHO Jim

[AMT7]

We are 2nd generation road kill connisours / scientists. Can't spell and grammar is poor but can troubleshoot, fix rebuild or overhaul nearly anything. Have only had a proper chance to shoot one. Bagged it a 4 point. But feeding 4 kids we learned from my father how to scavenge and conserve natures bounty that machines and drivers did not meet well. Squirrels, rabbits deer all fair game. We know the wardens well as if they give you permission the cops can not stop you.