schoolcraft

Folks,
I'm relatively new to this forum, but I've been hunting since I was old enough to hold a B.B. gun. I've been very blessed with a father that brought me up to appreciate the outdoors and know how luckywe are to have a sport like hunting.
Having said that, I've posted several questions recently about rifle selection, caliber selection, bullet selection, ect....and probably have bored some of you to death.
I just thought that a "thank you" was deserved to all who have replied to my never ending questions.
Instead of just hearing, I'm finally starting to UNDERSTAND what you guys mean when you dismiss the "holy caliber" or "holy rifle" theory.
It's really is all about SHOT PLACEMENT and finding the gun/caliber combo that you feel confident in using.
I've only taken about a dozen deer in my hunting career. I can remember almost every detail about every one of them. The weather that day. The gun, caliber, and ammo I was using. The shot placement. The reaction of the deer.....THESE things are whatmean the most to me. The adventure and memories of the HUNT.

I came here looking for advice on what to buy for my next deer/hog rifle and caliber, but what I got was way better......the rifle/caliber doesn't really mean much at all.

My biggest buck dropped in his tracks from a 145gr. Speer Grand Slam handload out of a 7mm. Rem. Mag.......would he have still dropped from a .270 or .30-06....most likely. I'm starting to understand that he didn't drop because I shot him with a magnum, it was because that bullet broke both shoulders and tore up the lungs.

I shot a big doe last season. A perfect double lung shot right behing the shoulder with a .270 and 130 gr. Core Lokt......she ran 50 yards before stopping. Would she have dropped on the spot with a magnum.....most likely not.

Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks to all you folks for doing more for me and my outlook on hunting than you probably realize. My problem deciding on the next deer rifle I buy had NOTHING to do with the brand or model of the gun or the caliber or bullet it's shooting. My problem was sitting right in between my ears the whole time.

I think I'll go out and buy me a .270 or .30-06 in a rifle that feels right to me. It's not the equipment that keeps us heading into the woods year after year....it's the experience.....something I realize now that I had forgotten.

So, I just wanted to say thanks to all of you for helping me remember why I love to hunt so much...the experience and the memories.

Thank you all very much.

Schoolcraft