23ft sluggun drop from a tree
 

Wow, whata testimony I got. Yesterday I was sika deer hunting. I got 22ft or so in a pine tree, and hung up my gun by the shoulder sling on a screw in hook. I turn around to get settled in and look as the browning gold stalker slug gun with a VXII 2-7 falls 23ft to the ground. hits right on therecoil pad barrel straight up pointing at me.

I couldn't believe it. I was in shock. So Iclimb down and figured it was destroyed. I look thru the scope and all is fine. I examine the gun and notice my cheap sling has came loose from the plastic piece breaking. I guess it happened in the truck? The synthetic stock was not hurt at all. I had to take the gun apart and take a stick to get snow out of the barrel, where it bounced. I figured no reason to hunt unless I know its on. So I take two shots at a tree 50 yards away. And it hits where I aim. Get back in the tree and hunt.

It hit so hard, it thru out the shell in the gun and didn't go off thank God in heaven. I am so lucky it didn't go off.

I did some calculation with a 10lb gun falling 20ft, hitting on the stock, is over 200ft-lbs of KE. Thats assuming a infinitly hard ground. Thats twice a 458winmag almost. I know the 4" of snow and leaves helped.But it still bounced upafter impact.

So I took to the range, and nice 2" groups at 100 yards. Still zeroed. Still think I am going to send back to leupold to check things out.

Since they came out with the VX line, I have not liked the fact its a 3 piece body. But I guess its not that bad after all.

RE: 23ft sluggun drop from a tree
 

Wow you are lucky. Its amazing what good products can stand.

RE: 23ft sluggun drop from a tree
 

Sounds like your lucky you didn't get shot out of the tree. There was a very similiar accident to that last year and the guy was killed. Someone was watching over you and that Gold has a heck of a rugged trigger/sear mechanism for it not to fire. I had a bad fall about 20 ft a long time ago in PA. I had a Model 70 featherweight in 270 and my baker tree stand went down the tree like an elevatorwhen I hit the root at the bottom of the tree the stand split in half. The rifle was 3 feet away stuck in the ground barrel first down to the foreend and it was oscillating. Round in the chamber and it didn't go off either. There was a 12" plug of dirt in the bore that had to be pushed out. Gun was sighted in still(Leupold 2.5-8) and I killed a buck the next day.

RE: 23ft sluggun drop from a tree
 

I am just glad its not my older Rem 700's. I still have the older trigger on several 700's. Glad to see you still around.

RE: 23ft sluggun drop from a tree
 

Wow, talk about a close call! Glad you are alright :)

RE: 23ft sluggun drop from a tree
 

Those Baker stands were death traps. I saw one for sale on a forum a couple months ago. I believe you could be convicted for homicide if they proved you gave it to someone you disliked.

RE: 23ft sluggun drop from a tree
 

Glad to see both you and your slugger came out of that incident alright Bigcountry.

RE: 23ft sluggun drop from a tree
 

you cant beat a leupold best scope out there IMO i will never buy anything else The VX Rifleman scopes are indistructable...............glad you are ok :)

RE: 23ft sluggun drop from a tree
 

Actually they are piece of crap. I wouldn't own a rifleman. I would bet you it wouldn't have survived that fall.

RE: 23ft sluggun drop from a tree
 

Ditto!