It's funny how this hobby/passion of mine teaches me lessons. Unfortunately, it's usually the hard/expensive way! LOL!

1. Caliber.... For most of the hunting the average Joe will be doing, the caliber that you take a deer or hog with does NOT have to say "MAGNUM" after it. It amazes me how the advertising that companies do pushes us to think that even though the XYZ caliber may be....ok....for deer hunting, the new .300 Wiz Bang Boomerslammer would be SO much better for shooting past 500 yards. (No offense meant Ridge Runner...you're most definitly NOT an average Joe!) I most certainly DO think magnums have their place in hunting big boned critters like elk and larger or for particular LONG range deer hunting situations, but I wounder how many animals have been wounded from a weekend warrior who shoots a couple times a year with his Boomerslammer????

2. Bullet construction.......At a recent trip to the rifle range and talking with a couple guys there, I ran into more than one fella' that was shooting a multi thousand dollar custom rifle with a $1,500 plus scope on it and shooting blue box federal or corlokt ammo. Not that there's anything wrong with the cheap stuff, but why would you skimp on the ONLY piece of your hunting setup that will actually put your target down? I find myself now seeing how a smaller caliber with a quality constructed bullet is superior to a big boomer shooting a bullet likely to come apart during penetration. Example: I would now be much more confident with a shot at a big bodied deer with a .25-06 or .270 loaded with Accubonds, Partitions, or TSX's (or something similar) than my current .300 Win. Mag. with cheaply constructed bullets.

3. Optics, optics, optics. I read somewhere that most hunter are "Over magnified and under scoped". Recently having the opportunity to have a Swarovski scope on my rifle, I can't help but agree. Not to say there aren't quality optics out there that don't cost a grand or more, but you sure do get what you pay for 99% of the time with optics. I always wondered how these guys I read about were taking 200-300 yard shots with scopes using "moderate" magnification. Well, now I know.

4. This is what I think is the absolute most important thing we can pass down to new or young hunters....SHOT PLACEMENT!
This may seem like such a obvious thing, but I know there are many youngsters or new hunters who are simply told to "shoot behind the shoulder". On a broadside shot...sure....but what about if the animal is quartering to or away?

This is me being bored with not much else to do than blab. I want to give a BIG thanks to all of you folks who have taken them time to help educate me, even if you only voiced opinions.

O.K......I'll stop

GO RANGERS!!!!!


SCHOOLCRAFT