funny guy at the range today
 

i went to the range today just to double check my 260 and make sure i'm good to go for opening deer season tomorrow. the range was packed with guys doing the same thing as me. there was one young man there (i'd say about 20-25) that had obviously just bought a brand new rifle and had never fired it before. he mounted the scope there at the range and put his target up at 25 yards. he had a friend along that wasn't shooting at all. the guy bought a remington in 375 ultra magnum! i overheard him constantly bragging about how big his bullets where and how fast they where and how he could kill a deer a mile away with it. i walked over to have a look and asked him what he bought that rifle for and he said for deer!! i mentioned it may be a bit big for deer. he asked what i was shooting and i said a 260 remington. he didn't know what that was so i showed him a shell and of course it looked tiny compared to his 375 ultra. he laughed at me and said something to the effect that i better be right next to the deer if i was going to kill it with a tiny bullet like that. i didn't say anything after that. i sat down and watched him as he was going to take his first shot. i don't think he had the butt in the right spot cause when he pulled the trigger the damn thing nearly flew out of his hands and it scared the crap out of him. i tried really hard not to laugh my butt off and i had to turn away. at this time some of the guys where in the club house to warm up and some other guys where standing around looking in his direction cause it made one hell of a noise. so i walk on over to him and ask if he hit the paper. he didn't but that could be cause of the way he mounted his scope. i told him that the gun would be really loud in the field when he won't be wearing ear muffs. he said it wouldn't be to loud at all (gotta love the know-it-all's) then he took his muffs off and got ready to shoot. the sucker pulled the trigger and droped the gun. this time i did laught at him altho i maybe shouldn't have. i don't think he heard me anyways. his ears must have been ringing. he packed up and left. i bet you guys that his gun will be for sale on tuesday in one of the stores around here. just shows ya what happens to magnum crazy city slickers :)

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: funny guy at the range today
 

Good story.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms... who's bringing the chips?

RE: funny guy at the range today
 

The 375ultra is a fine gun for africa but how did he decide it would be necessary for deer?It really makes me wonder what goes on in peoples heads to even consider this cartridge especially for deer.

RE: funny guy at the range today
 

I believe its a matter of genetic selection. As hunters, we have killed off all the &quot;soft&quot; deer over the years, and now the gene pool is made up of deer which are much tougher and require alot more killing than ever before. If you arent producing at least 3400 ft lbs at the muzzle you have a slim chance of killing a modern deer. I'm thinking of having a 50 bmg necked down to 338 so I can drive a 250 grain bullet at 6000 fps. I bet I would kill a boone and crocket with that! heh heh. The recoil and muzzle blast probably wouldnt be too bad either, do you think?

RE: funny guy at the range today
 

Well I think what prompts people to buy these big magnums is they are thinking that someday they might want to hunt something bigger. Like overnight the ice age could return and we could be over run with mammoths. Maybe even the dinosaurs will come back. I bet you guys wouldn't be poo-pooing the big mags so hard then<img src=icon_smile_clown.gif border=0 align=middle>. Seriously I think there are alot of misguided new shooters gettinf swept up into the biggest is bestest attitude. Rifle won't do you much good if you are scared to shoot it.

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: funny guy at the range today
 

I shoot a 7rum and will shoot it against anyone. I do however shoot animals other than deer such as elk and muleys. I get irritated at some of the other hunters around me who say that it is overkill, last I checked a deer or any animal for that matter can't be overkilled. I shoot very well out to 500 yds and yes I do make those shots quite often. I don't recommend anyone starting out with a magnum. I think everyone should start out with a 410 or 30/30 like I did but thats just my opinion. I guess everyone has different opinions on what they like, if you can't handle a magnum then stick with the smaller calibers, that just leaves more ammo for me!

RE: funny guy at the range today
 

I shoot magnums - don't have any bones to pick about it. Just bought a 06 to go with my 6mm, 300 savage, 270, 280 etc..so shoot &quot;standard&quot; rounds too. Your right.. too many put too much behind the 'magnum' and that guy was obvously a neofite!!!

On the other hand...consider some of the more realistic uses though -

One gun for all North American Game - ok - the 375 was way out of line! Unless Griz is on your list..but...Dead is dead for the deer. Is a 150gr slug from a 300 win mag the same size as one from a 06? Ok...with a little more poop!

Broadside shots - might ruin an extra rib but gets the job done and if you have a bad day and aren't rock solid or something (where you shouldn't have taken the shot)... but none the less, your shot is high or low a brisket shot or worse... which one is more likely to put that deer down. Velocity kills.

Ever hunt right next to private property, the Canadian border or in heavy cover in a heavily hunted area. Yes, bullet placement is A#1 but some would rather error with the buck in hand.

For those who are capable (not me) of a long range game shot,, eg 400 or 500 yards - what's a 06 drop? Roughly 50&quot;@500? If you can handle the recoil on a magnum is it easier to estimate 39 or 40&quot; vs the 50+? How's your range estimation anyway. Don't some magnums produce longer PBRs?

I know the object is to get closer, but they all didn't get huge standing under a tree-stand.

This guy was extreme but if a guy can handle a magnum and is looking for a multi-purpose gun, long range target, hunting including elk, moose, griz... and doesn't mind paying twice the ammo cost, I say let them do it.

I won't be the one to buy his mistake, but sure would have been nice to get him shooting the right gun - whatever that is. No?

RE: funny guy at the range today
 

I am assuming he had no muzzle brake on this rifle...This is a gun that kicks like a 378 Weatherby which is basically unshootable because of the recoil. IF he can shoot it more power he probably does not have a lot of real time hunting experience because if he did he would not go to this type of cartridge unless it was absolutely needed. Just another example of gun writers and advertising hype feeding the bigger is better theory. He'll either develop a lifetime flinch every time he pulls a trigger or he'll become a master of that 375 ultra. A couple of weeks ago I met a fellow range member that shot a 338 win mag and hunted NC deer with it, he was at the range again yesterday with 2 family members...Guess what they were all packing 338 a-bolt's w/boss system and 1 chambered in 270 winchester. Thats all they use for deer. My ears are still ringing and I have double hearing protection.

RE: funny guy at the range today
 

PrarieBoy,
You must have the same kooks in Canada we have here in Arkansas. The last time I was at the range their was this idiot shooting a 270. He was resting his barrel on a sandbag and holding his rifle down while shooting. He was shooting all over the place, and he about wore his scope adjustments out trying to get it zeroed in. Also he had two benches taken up with all his equipment, which meant I couldn't shoot until he was done. I offered some advice to him about placement of his rifle on the sandbag and not holding it down while shooting. This idiot went off on me he called me everything but a white man. From now on I let the idiots make their mistakes and hopefully they learn from them.

Rem. 222

Edited by - Rem. 222 on 11/11/2002 09:03:45

RE: funny guy at the range today
 

This is a great story, and reminded me of my .375 story. Years ago, while stationed in interior Alaska, I had purchased 20 boxes of Win. 300-grain Silvertip .375 H&H ammo from the Post Exchange (PX) for $1.00 per box on clearance sale, because they were no longer selling .375 H&H rifles. I didn't have a .375 H&H yet, but, hey, you never know! The same ammo was selling for $15.00 per box at Frontier Sporting Goods in Fairbanks at that time. Well, several monts later, in the Fort Wainwright Daily Bulletin unofficial section, a young Captain advertised a .375 H&H for sale. I went and looked at it. It was a Model 70 Super Grade made in 1949. It had a Lyman Alaskan mounted on it in a Jaeger detachable sidemount. It also had a Lyman No. 48 peep on it, and was in almost unfired condition. Seems the seller had traded an M12 Win. 12 ga. shotgun for it at a road house in B.C. on his way up the Alcan. He fired the .375 once, and decided he preferred a .243!! I got this rifle for $125.00!!! How's that for a .375 story??

Keep yore powder dry!!

RE: funny guy at the range today
 

Eldequello i hope you still have that rifle

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: funny guy at the range today
 

oldelkhunter, NO!! Like a damnfool, I traded it for a Grade V BAR, which was very pretty, but would not shoot for sour apples. I ended up trading that thing, among others, for a Heym M77B O/U 20 Ga./.30/'06, with an extra set of 12 ga. barrels. But should have kept the .375. Oh well, live & learn. Just wish the lessons weren't so expensive!!

Keep yore powder dry!!