firstcoueswas80

Interesting, many said they need to be longer than suggested COAL...well into the lands to be effective. Either way, in 100 loaded rounds at several case lengths with several powders I never got them to shoot really lights out. My zero is at 200 yards and just under 2" was the best group I could shoot with 168 VLDs pushed behind W760. Can't remember the exact charge/case length but either way it wasn't that impressive...and that was the best of the best. I will probably go back to 150 gr. Ballistic Tips and IMR 4064...I got consistent 1" groups at 200 with that load before I switched to Bergers. I wanted to get away from the BT's because of their destructive nature on meat, but after seeing the deer we harvested with Bergers this year I'd have to say they are just as brutal. Then again, dead is dead... MOA with the Bergers will work just fine as they maintian that accuracy. I never got mine to shoot lights out, but killed the buck I shot at 571 yards juuuuussssst fine. And I know the shorter COAL is a surprise, I was going the same way you are thinking until I shortened my COAL.

Not a Tikka, but the Federal Premium (red box) 140 Accubonds shoot lights out in my old Remington 721 .270.

As a side note with the VLD's... I found them to be very COAL sensitive. Try shorter rather than longer.

OUCH!!

Now, according to Operation Game Theif, shouldnt you be entitled to something like $5,000 reward for a conviction?

That is an awesome 112"er!

Sounds like the shooter.. And knowing you, I am 100% correct. Sounds like maybe the way the gun is being held. Sounds like the stock might be contacting the barrel in different ways. Make sure your not twisting the stock with your hands.

Post some pix while your laid up, Jeff (I am currently on crutches right now two)

I love those big two points! nice job Jason! Tyler, CUT YOUR HAIR DUDE!!! I didnt even recognize you!

That looks like an awesome buck BUT you have to switch up the photos of him! Lets see some head on pictures. He looks heavy and I love heavy bucks! Congrats!

I dont have a 4.5-14, but I have a 3.5-10x44 Zeiss I could sell ya. $475 shipped

Thats ok, it does just fine... The right way! Roninflag, that is from when I killed the AZ quail slam a few years ago with out moving the truck with Ihunt2live and his pups. Was a great day!

Called ya, Jim. Go ahead and mark this one as SOLD.

Not being a smart @$$, but why pass on 360 bulls at 15 yards for your first elk? Awesome bull and I love the character.

This past weekend, when I was showing my little brother how to gut a deer I was telling him..."Ok, when you make your first cut you just barely cut through the skin and make sure you dont poke the gut sack." (I just had my Charles May profesinally sharpened) Wouldn't you know it the knife goes right through and pokes the gut and there goes allllll that yummy smell right into my face. My little brother starts to laugh, then he gets a wiff of it and his face changes... Good times!

Nice job Mike! Nice bucks! 34a?

It was rough this year dude! I would have bet my paycheck we would have one down by 9 or 10 am Friday morning, especially with Clark shooting anythink with horns! You put the time in, it SHOULD have happened.... Now, get a 4x4 truck and we will make it happen next year!

Thats the HEAVY beemed buck Troy killed right?! Yeah, I probably would have eaten my gun after that. That deer was a BEAST!!!!

Exactly! And the through the ear was the buck wanted a piercing, and I wanted character for the mount! Larry has seen me bust some rocks out to 700 before!

I killed my lion in 36c in 2006.... There are a bunch out there. Ironically, I have NEVER glassed up a lion.

Sorry Coach, but that takes the cake! I have never heard of that happening before but can totally understand why/how!

Let me start out by saying Cory, my 14 year old brother doesnt have near the hunting passion I do. He has been shooting for a long time and recently was one of only two people in his JROTC class to win the award "marksman" but he has never really had the desire to hunt. A couple of months ago, Scott and I put in for this weekend off to go to Houston, Tx to pick up our African trophies... They havent even left Africa yet. Since I had the time, I asked my dad and brother if they wanted to get left over tags. My dads answer was "of course" and much to my surprise, Cory agreed to it as well and said he would like to go deer hunting. I JUMPED at the chance! A few years ago I bought him a .243 that he shoots often, but I wouldnt call it "sighted in" so we (I) opted for him to use my .257 wby aka Chupacabra. He had an event for JROTC Saturday morning, so after a couple hours of that, him and my dad were on their way down south, only about 25 minutes to me headed to a place in 36b we havent really hunted much but know it holds some good deer. We get there Saturday evening, quickly set up camp and Cory and I head out to glass for a few hours before the sun goes down... Well, much to my dismay we dont see a single deer. I was in shock, disappointed, and worried but I knew the exact area we were glassing had to hold deer! It was too good not too! Early the next morning, off we go. We had a predetermined glassing point from the day before. We get there about 20 minutes later than we should have, as I underestimated how steep and nasty this hill was! A whopping 5 minutes after we get to the top of the hill, we head down as I immediately glass up a spike and we are after it! We get to the ridge we need to be but I think we were too loud and he is nowhere in sight. Once we cant locate the spike, we move to the top of that ridge and I start glassing. I glass up a few more deer, all skin heads. at 930 I glass up a lone doe at 638 yards and I watch her because I doubt she is alone. About 5 minutes go by and I can see two more deer behind a dead oak tree above her and to her right. Through the oak tree I am pretty sure I can see antlers on one of the deer, but I wanted to make sure it wasnt a limb. He moved his head a few times and it was game on! I was raning different knobs below us, and I knew we could get to 400 easily and knew with Cory's ability to shoot and my rifle 400 was a cake walk. We go straight at these deer, being out of sight for most of the time and get to where we need to be. 425 yards. I immediately find one of the bucks standing right where I last saw him. As soon as I spot him, he takes one step and disappears. I assumed they had laid down as it was getting warm. Cory and I move about 25 yards closer and to a different angle. As soon as we set up I can see ears/neck/head/ANTLERS of a deer laying there. I tell Cory where he was, but he couldnt find it through the scope. Once he looks through my binos he could see him and had no problem finding him in the scope. Cory is laying prone with my bipod out and I ask him if he thinks he can make the shot at the deer bedded, we opt not to do that. I thought we might be in for a few hours of waiting on the buck to stand, but he was already half way in the sun so I thought we might get lucky. While we are waiting for the buck to stand, Cory and I go over shot placement, the feel of the trigger on my gun and other pregame preperation. All of a sudden the buck stands! I see him as he stands up and I tell Cory hes up! Can you see him? "Yes" Put one in and kill him! He cycles a round, I hear him let out half a breath and I see the bullet go right over the bucks back. "He hasnt moved, put another one in and hold a touch lower." The second shot absoluletely hammers him! Drops him straight down and leaves him kicking for about 5 seconds. I yell louder than I ever have, and get the shakes more than I ever have minus killing my lion at 25 feet. After a few high fives and hugs (and one VERY proud big brother holding back tears of joy) we walk over there. And find his shot absolutely perfect. Through the top of the shoulder, takes out the plumbing above the heart and the lungs are jelly. That moment in time is among the very best of mine in my hunting career and not likely to ever drop. I am so proud of my little brother I can not put it into words. Now on to the good stuff: Here is the other buck wondering what just happened to his buddy Basically straight up from that bucks rear hip is where Corys deer is laying down dead he was standing between the two green bushes. And of course, the traditional war paint of the blood from one's first big game kill: We then loaded the buck whole into my backpack and headed back to camp. It was a fairly easy hike out, but 1.5-2 miles with about 130 pounds (all my stuff and a whole deer) gets rough and let me tell you, my shoulders are feeling it today but it was 100% worth it and I would gladly do it again!

I normally wear liners and 2 pairs of wool/smart wool socks.

That was probably a easy tracking job! Lets see... I blew the head off a 93-95" coues buck on the 3rd day of my first/only December tag. Opening morning of that hunt I shot at a buck and missed not knowing the size of it just listening to a buddy say SHOOT! (Glad I missed actually) and to this date that is the only big game animal I have shot at and missed. Shot my first pig with a bow... Instead of watching where HE went, I turned to my friend and started celebrating... Never found him. Shot a cow elk at about 30 yards with my 30-06..... Never found her

100 grain Barnes TTSX. After seeing them on his deer, and on about 18 animals in Africa (mine and scotts) I think they are AWESOME bullets!!