The hunting prep thread

Martial Arts Training Forums The Armory: Weapons, Military, LEO, and Self Defen
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I’m really looking forward to this weekend’s outing. It will be me and maybe one or two other fams.

I’ve chosen my .243 Remi 700, for this hunt. It has a Tasco Woodlands 3-9x32, which has been reliable. The kit is a tack driver at 100 yards.
Sidearm I’m going to take the Keltec PF-9 in an old Blackhawk shoulder harness. I have ordered some rodent rounds (CCI ShotShell), hopefully they will be here, in time.

My primary blades:

  1. Schrade Old Timer 1420T fixed blade, this is what I use for field dressing. I wish I had the carpet hook version, but this does just fine.

  2. Case XX-Changer, for quartering and initial butchering. This one is great. Well worth the spend, mine has been in service for decades, as you can probably tell by the verdigris. The blades are nice and tight, and you can’t even tell you’re using a folder. So many options in one belt holster!

I have a couple other blades in the tub, which I’ve covered in other thread(s). The tub also has a gambrel with 4:1 rigging, a come-along, extra rope, a framing hammer, 16 penny nails, screwdrivers and a couple monkey wrenches, flashlights, matches, various survival gear, etc. Pics of this get-up forthcoming. I think I’ve got a tarp in there, too, and some nitrile gloves, work gloves, zip-lock bags… you get the idea. I’ll break this all down in some future posts.

I usually keep a shovel in the bed, too.

Cold weather gear, of course; a couple gallons of water, a large cooler with some ice, snacks, beverages, lunch, etc.

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[QUOTE=submessenger;3053904]I’m really looking forward to this weekend’s outing. It will be me and maybe one or two other fams.

I’ve chosen my .243 Remi 700, for this hunt. It has a Tasco Woodlands 3-9x32, which has been reliable. The kit is a tack driver at 100 yards.
Sidearm I’m going to take the Keltec PF-9 in an old Blackhawk shoulder harness. I have ordered some rodent rounds (CCI ShotShell), hopefully they will be here, in time.

My primary blades:

  1. Schrade Old Timer 1420T fixed blade, this is what I use for field dressing. I wish I had the carpet hook version, but this does just fine.

  2. Case XX-Changer, for quartering and initial butchering. This one is great. Well worth the spend, mine has been in service for decades, as you can probably tell by the verdigris. The blades are nice and tight, and you can’t even tell you’re using a folder. So many options in one belt holster!

I have a couple other blades in the tub, which I’ve covered in other thread(s). The tub also has a gambrel with 4:1 rigging, a come-along, extra rope, a framing hammer, 16 penny nails, screwdrivers and a couple monkey wrenches, flashlights, matches, various survival gear, etc. Pics of this get-up forthcoming. I think I’ve got a tarp in there, too, and some nitrile gloves, work gloves, zip-lock bags… you get the idea. I’ll break this all down in some future posts.

I usually keep a shovel in the bed, too.

Cold weather gear, of course; a couple gallons of water, a large cooler with some ice, snacks, beverages, lunch, etc.[/QUOTE]
Did you run the serial against the Remington 700 trigger recall list?

They produced a large batch over several years that sometimes go off when dropped or the stock jarred with enough kinetic energy, etc.

3

[QUOTE=Dr. Gonzo;3053905]Did you run the serial against the Remington 700 trigger recall list?

They produced a large batch over several years that sometimes go off when dropped or the stock jarred with enough kinetic energy, etc.[/QUOTE]

Is that the Walker trigger?

4

Binos?

5

[QUOTE=submessenger;3053904]I’m really looking forward to this weekend’s outing. It will be me and maybe one or two other fams.

I’ve chosen my .243 Remi 700, for this hunt. It has a Tasco Woodlands 3-9x32, which has been reliable. The kit is a tack driver at 100 yards.
Sidearm I’m going to take the Keltec PF-9 in an old Blackhawk shoulder harness. I have ordered some rodent rounds (CCI ShotShell), hopefully they will be here, in time.

My primary blades:

  1. Schrade Old Timer 1420T fixed blade, this is what I use for field dressing. I wish I had the carpet hook version, but this does just fine.

  2. Case XX-Changer, for quartering and initial butchering. This one is great. Well worth the spend, mine has been in service for decades, as you can probably tell by the verdigris. The blades are nice and tight, and you can’t even tell you’re using a folder. So many options in one belt holster!

I have a couple other blades in the tub, which I’ve covered in other thread(s). The tub also has a gambrel with 4:1 rigging, a come-along, extra rope, a framing hammer, 16 penny nails, screwdrivers and a couple monkey wrenches, flashlights, matches, various survival gear, etc. Pics of this get-up forthcoming. I think I’ve got a tarp in there, too, and some nitrile gloves, work gloves, zip-lock bags… you get the idea. I’ll break this all down in some future posts.

I usually keep a shovel in the bed, too.

Cold weather gear, of course; a couple gallons of water, a large cooler with some ice, snacks, beverages, lunch, etc.[/QUOTE]

Cool! What are you hunting from? Like climbing stand, tripod, blind, chair…

6

[QUOTE=BKR;3053907]Binos?[/QUOTE]

Mine broke a few years ago. I was thinking of getting a nice set of big eyes, or a spotting scope. Costco sometimes has these; I bought one to give as a gift, a while back, and they were OK.

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[QUOTE=Diesel_tke;3053910]Cool! What are you hunting from? Like climbing stand, tripod, blind, chair…[/QUOTE]

As I understand, there’s a new trailered blind on property which will likely be my spot. I haven’t been out there in months, so not 100% sure. There’s also an old crappy rotting blind, a couple of benches, etc.

On the trigger/recall. This is OG. Mfr date 10/80. I did the serial lookup, says not affected.

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[QUOTE=Dr. Gonzo;3053905]Did you run the serial against the Remington 700 trigger recall list?

They produced a large batch over several years that sometimes go off when dropped or the stock jarred with enough kinetic energy, etc.[/QUOTE]

it also goes off if the trigger was pulled while it was on safe when you later release the safety.

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[QUOTE=submessenger;3053915]As I understand, there’s a new trailered blind on property which will likely be my spot. I haven’t been out there in months, so not 100% sure. There’s also an old crappy rotting blind, a couple of benches, etc.

On the trigger/recall. This is OG. Mfr date 10/80. I did the serial lookup, says not affected.[/QUOTE]

Sounds like fun. Yall have trail cams set up out there? Are you allowed to hunt around feeders or food plots?

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[QUOTE=AprilRains;3053913]Different Remington trigger. Although some of the Walker triggers were replaced with the X Mark Pro assemblies, there is no other connection between the mechanisms and the failure modes are unrelated.

I am okay with the 700, although I prefer the controlled feed of a Mauser pattern rifle to the push feed of a 700. It isn’t really an issue unless you short-stroke the action and leave a round in the chamber when you try to feed a new one from the magazine. Nothing terrible will happen when this occurs, unless you were defending your life at the time. The solution is simple enough - work on your bolt throwing technique.

I am content with my Spanish FR-8, which has the Mauser feed, but I would not feel inadequately armed with a Remington 700, and it’s lots easier to get parts and mods for the 700.[/QUOTE]

Remi’s sister is a Browning X-bolt, also in .243 win. I prefer that action, plus removable magazine. I don’t like the optics I have on it, though. I’m not running back upstairs to check, but I believe it’s a fixed 7x24 or something moderately tiny like that. OK for daytime shooting, but way too little objective for dawn/dusk, especially since I’m old(er).

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[QUOTE=submessenger;3053915]
On the trigger/recall. This is OG. Mfr date 10/80. I did the serial lookup, says not affected.[/QUOTE]

That will have been a close kin to my first deer rifle, a 700 BDL in .30-06. Mine wore a 4x Leupold scope, and it filled my tag for many years. I practiced my bolt technique, so I never had a jam. I think that danger was exaggerated anyway.

A .243 is a fine round for whitetail deer if you use the correct load. If you use the wrong load, a .30-06 may not do the job on that same deer. It’s about the load, not just the cartridge. But I imagine you know all of that.

Good hunting!

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[QUOTE=Raycetpfl;3053916]it also goes off if the trigger was pulled while it was on safe when you later release the safety.[/QUOTE]

I think that was the earlier Walker trigger. Jack Belk has a decent paper on that subject.

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[QUOTE=Diesel_tke;3053917]Sounds like fun. Yall have trail cams set up out there? Are you allowed to hunt around feeders or food plots?[/QUOTE]

We have a couple feeders on timers, and plenty of corn. Last ranch (a shared gig), we had laser-activated feeders, those were nifty. One of the regulars rigged up a couple of laser pointers on to some old rifle stocks. Instant game. That’s not really hunting, though. And, to be fair, I’m not really “hunting,” this year, I’m harvesting.

We have enough deer, this year, that cameras would just be a waste of time and money. See scat, see tracks, see corn being eaten, see undergrowth mowed down… and, see lots of deer. The suburbs are overrun, I’ve seen 2 roadkill in the last many weeks, “in town,” and a young buck almost spittin’ distance from my house - couldn’t have been more than 100 yards, as the bullet flies.

Damnit, now I’m getting my hopes up. But, this should be an easy and successful outing, by all accounts.

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[QUOTE=Raycetpfl;3053916]it also goes off if the trigger was pulled while it was on safe when you later release the safety.[/QUOTE]

My Dad had one like that. Had an AD when we were hunting.
Was pointed in safe direction, tho, as usual.

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[QUOTE=submessenger;3053911]Mine broke a few years ago. I was thinking of getting a nice set of big eyes, or a spotting scope. Costco sometimes has these; I bought one to give as a gift, a while back, and they were OK.[/QUOTE]

For sitting in a blind, a decent set of 10x50 is good. Helps a lot at dusk and dawn.

I use 10x42, cause I hike around a lot.

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[QUOTE=submessenger;3053921]We have a couple feeders on timers, and plenty of corn. Last ranch (a shared gig), we had laser-activated feeders, those were nifty. One of the regulars rigged up a couple of laser pointers on to some old rifle stocks. Instant game. That’s not really hunting, though. And, to be fair, I’m not really “hunting,” this year, I’m harvesting.

We have enough deer, this year, that cameras would just be a waste of time and money. See scat, see tracks, see corn being eaten, see undergrowth mowed down… and, see lots of deer. The suburbs are overrun, I’ve seen 2 roadkill in the last many weeks, “in town,” and a young buck almost spittin’ distance from my house - couldn’t have been more than 100 yards, as the bullet flies.

Damnit, now I’m getting my hopes up. But, this should be an easy and successful outing, by all accounts.[/QUOTE]

Sounds good. How many can you kill legally?

It was 5 when I was hunting in Texas.

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I’m going out with a Remington 870 with a 24" Hastings rifled barrel for it, since in my part of NY you can’t hunt with a rifle. Sabot slugs.

My sidearm is a S&W 629 (.44 mag) loaded with bear rounds in a Kenai chest holster. I use Vortex Razor 10x42 binos. I’ll be in a ladder stand on private land. I have one of those knives with replaceable scalpel style blades (but bigger) for gutting.

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[QUOTE=BKR;3053960]Sounds good. How many can you kill legally?

It was 5 when I was hunting in Texas.[/QUOTE]

You can take 5 whitetail, and 2 mule. Max 3 bucks on the whitetail. Max 1 buck on the mule.

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[QUOTE=submessenger;3053963]You can take 5 whitetail, and 2 mule. Max 3 bucks on the whitetail. Max 1 buck on the mule.[/QUOTE]

wow! i’m stuck with a single whitetail buck. we can try for a “DMP” or doe tag, but it’s a lottery and I didn’t get one this year.

we can take 1 bear, 1 buck, 1 fall turkey, 2 spring turkey, and for ducks and geese it’s a daily limit thing.

so far this year i got a big tom turkey on halloween, and 2 pheasants this past weekend (but that’s stocked land, and not really hunting. hoping for another 20 or so of those to fill the freezer.)

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[QUOTE=Ming Loyalist;3053966]wow! i’m stuck with a single whitetail buck. we can try for a “DMP” or doe tag, but it’s a lottery and I didn’t get one this year.

we can take 1 bear, 1 buck, 1 fall turkey, 2 spring turkey, and for ducks and geese it’s a daily limit thing.

so far this year i got a big tom turkey on halloween, and 2 pheasants this past weekend (but that’s stocked land, and not really hunting. hoping for another 20 or so of those to fill the freezer.)[/QUOTE]

Fair disclosure, I haven’t picked up this year’s license. I’m going off last year’s because it was handy and I’m too lazy to look it up. But, that’s been pretty much our limits in TX since I was a boy, I think. I also have 4 turkey tags.