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What's your weapon of choice?

I can't imagine a world where it's "no rifles". I killed my first deer with a 20 gauge slug but here in Missouri we've always been able to use a rifle. I guess we're spoiled.

Jordan - I'm gonna take a guess and say those are Hornady interbonds for your .308? Cool pic.
 
For my bow I use a PSE 31in draw, Carbon Express arrows and rage 2-blade broadheads, the hunting set-up is 420gr and for gun I have a Remington 700 BDL .270 with a Leupold vari-x II scope.
 
chummer said:
I still take my grandfathers Remington 12 ga out a couple times a year.
Click to expand...

Same here. In Mass. we are shotguns only for deer...so it's a Savage 220 for the past 5 years. Before that it was a 12 ga. Remington 11-87...still have it and use it now and then. And yes, a few times a year I grab my gramp's Ithaca 37 Deerslayer just for pure sentimental reasons.

Across the border in VT it's the venable Remington 7600 carbine in .30-06.
 
Have fired / own a variety of weapons, but almost always reach out for my Marlin 30/30 AS.

It was given to me as a Christmas present by my F.I.L. shortly after I married my wife. A factory worker in South Carolina, in no way was that a cheap gift for him to buy me. Most sentimental gift I ever received and it just always feels good / right using it (should add all my current stands are set up for shots within 100 yard range / most shots I've taken have been within 50 yard range).
 
I like up close and personal too, but NO one says you cannot do the same with a gun?
NOT bashing here I'm a bow hunter as well

but its a bit off putting to ME!
when folks say they BOW HUNT Due to its UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
all the more so when SO many, any more.
shoot bows/arrows so far at game anymore?(seen MANY a TV HUNTER takeing shots past 60 trs and thinking NOTHING about it as being FAR and NO longer being an UP close and personal game)

30 yrs USED to be called a FAR shot to most bow hunters, NOW< 50 is common with MOST it seems! and many more shoot or are willing to shoot WAY past this!
Seen one guy on TV taking a 100+ yard shot and ????


But if UP close is the challenge, there is NO reason you cannot kill critters at close range with a gun too?
Heck a hand gun can be as challenging as a bow, OR more so, IMO IF you limit things
and TRUST me, I have seen MOST bow hunters being WAY more accurate at 30 yrds with a BOW< than MOST hand gun owners are at same range?? HUMM!! makes you wonder what is the MORE challenging game here!??
 
MRBB said:
I like up close and personal too, but NO one says you cannot do the same with a gun?
NOT bashing here I'm a bow hunter as well

but its a bit off putting to ME!
when folks say they BOW HUNT Due to its UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
all the more so when SO many, any more.
shoot bows/arrows so far at game anymore?(seen MANY a TV HUNTER takeing shots past 60 trs and thinking NOTHING about it as being FAR and NO longer being an UP close and personal game)

30 yrs USED to be called a FAR shot to most bow hunters, NOW< 50 is common with MOST it seems! and many more shoot or are willing to shoot WAY past this!
Seen one guy on TV taking a 100+ yard shot and ????


But if UP close is the challenge, there is NO reason you cannot kill critters at close range with a gun too?
Heck a hand gun can be as challenging as a bow, OR more so, IMO IF you limit things
and TRUST me, I have seen MOST bow hunters being WAY more accurate at 30 yrds with a BOW< than MOST hand gun owners are at same range?? HUMM!! makes you wonder what is the MORE challenging game here!??
Click to expand...

For most bow hunters, under most field conditions, the longest ethical shot moved from about 20 yards to 30 yards with the introduction of the modern compound bow and sights. That really has not changed with the introduction of crossbows. Lots of things can happen from the time an arrow is released until it travels 30 yards. With sufficient practice, I can drill arrows at 50+ yards but would never consider a shot beyond 30 yards with my compound, and in most cases 20 yards is my limit. One study showed that the average distance of a bow shot that ended with a successful harvest was only 12 yards. Shooting skills vary a bit from individual to individual, but shooting skills are a smaller factor than judgment in my opinion. Knowing when to draw, calming nerves, choosing the angle, deer demeanor, and many more factors of judgment are much more important in terms of success. The ethical component generally comes down what your personal tolerance is for wounding deer. Far too many bow hunters overestimate their own capabilities. It is quite easy to be seduced by one's performance on the range which is quite different than a field situation.

My personal method for setting my ethical shooting distance is to dress in full hunting gear including head covering, climb into a treestand, shoot one hunting arrow in low light (early morning or late evening) at an undersized 3D deer at an unmeasured distance. I do this over multiple days moving the distance and relative position of the deer. If I can't consistently make a kill shot, I've exceeded my ethical shooting distance. I have a low tolerance for wounding deer.

The real balance, regardless of weapon, is having a challenge you enjoy without increasing wounding. Also keep in mind that not everyone hunts for the challenge and different folks find different things challenging. Long rifle range hunting doesn't have the challenge of getting very close to game, drawing, and executing in the presence of game, however it has the challenge of long distance precision shooting accounting for both drop and drift and shot placement precision.

I find it interesting how some hunters view hunting as a competition between hunters for a limited resource while others view it as a challenge between themselves and the game, and still others view it as simply being grounded in the cycle of life.

Many reasons to hunt, many weapons and techniques, one brotherhood...Brothers sometimes argue, but let someone get in your brothers face and watch out!

Thanks,

Jack
 
For bow a 2013 BEAR Carnage 70# backed down to 62# 31" draw, Ripcord ACE, TR React, GT 400 Velocity Hunters 7"white wraps with two white/black tiger stripe one white 2" Blazers pushing 100 grn Slick Trick Mags.

Deer rifle; Winchester special edition 1886 takedown 45/70 pushing Remington 300 grn jacketed HP.

For yotes Savage Axis 243 topped with Nikon Prostaff 3X9 pushing 80grn Barnes TTSX.

For my every day CC a stainless S&W model 60 357 polished up and pimped out with bone grips inside the pant holster pushing 125 grn PDX1.

For everything else H&K/Benelli SBE1
 
For a bow I shot a Mathews Switchback xt 350 victory arrows with montec 100g broadheads

Rifle is between my Ruger American 30-06 3x9 redfield scope or marlin 30-30 with a bushnell which is special to me because it's my wife grandpas gun

Shotgun is Remington 11-87
 
Sounds like we're all more alike than we are different. I'm new to the habitat thing but it sure seems that for the most part we're so much more than just bow hunters, gun hunters or whatever. Heck, here in Missouri we can even use an atalatl if we choose. Even though we might choose different weapons for different reasons, and measure our successes in a variety of different ways, in the end we're all deer hunters with a passion for the outdoors. I'm still very new to this site but I love the freedom to exchange ideas and learn from others with similar passions and to have the opportunity to read and share both the same and differing viewpoints. That's Awesome stuff to me.
 
52# Allegheny Mountain Recurve. Off the shelf, no sights. Made by Bill Kerner when he own the business a few miles from me. I assisted him in making my bow so it's a little more special to me.
Grizzly Stick carbon arrows (the only tapered carbon shaft as far as I know) tipped with single bevel 2 blade Eclipse heads, set up to weigh 175 grains. Total arrow weight is about 570 grains. And it's what I use in our firearm season as well.
I've killed about 25 deer with it:)
 
Tap - sounds Sweet!
 
In the past a 243, 7 MM Rem Mag, 264 Win Mag, 300 Win Mag....

This year I'm going to hunt with a 308 Tikka I just bought recently. First day at the range with factory Hornady Superformance 150 SST ammo - 1/2 MOA groups at 100 yds. Never had another rifle I could do that with using factory ammo. And extremely light to carry.....
 
Usually a muzzleloader for me, one of my old White Rifles in-lines or a Lyman flintlock. I've not gotten out hunting much the last few years, 3 to 5 times for deer each year. My bow has sat in its case. For regular firearms season in PA, I might break out one of my few centerfire rifles, a .30-30 or Howa in swedish mauser. I have not hunted firearms much in NY and always in a non-rifle area so I use a muzzleloader instead of a shotgun.
 
Browning A-bolt in .243 for deer and hogs with rifle.

PSE BruteX for bow.
 
A bow would always be my first choice, just suits my hunting style more. Currently a Elite "Hunter" with Easton arrows and a 2 blade "Rage". Have killed a deer or two with my Remington .270 in synthetic and stainless shooting 130 gr Remington Coreloks. If time permits and I think there is any hope of shooting a deer in December I break out the TC "Impact" muzzleloader and try to stuff something down the barrel that will kill a deer!:)
 
Marlin 308 mx, chambered in 308 marlin express of course. I've always loved lever action rifles, but not the weak calibres they were offered in. Was ecstatic when Marlin and Hornady got together and created this. Luckily I bought one that was actually made by Marlin before Remington bought them out.
 
binoculars,habitat-talk.com,Coors Lite

bill
 
Remington Model 742 Woodsmaster Carbine chambered in .30-06 with a 3x9x40mm Bushnell scope and over/under iron sights. 165gr Remmy Core-Lokt ammo. This combo has never let me down.
 
My brother runs the same setup - excellent combo.
 
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