Ah ain't nothing better.
Been out at the range playing with some loads for my 257 Bob in anticipation of the 'up in coming' deer hunt. 9 more days!!

Guess if I couldn't use the rifle or one of my Contender handguns I would go back to the bow and arrow, I had alot of fun bow hunting.

Its True. Its great to be a rifle hunter. I could live with Muzzle loader hunting as well.. The long bow would be my next choice then the Shotgun.

I wouldn't feel so handicapped using a shotgun and hunting deer in Ohio. You have a great deer herd and I would love to hunt that state. The Beattie buck was shot within 20 miles of where my wife was raised. Some parts of the state could be open to rifle hunting because of low population density and I don't understand why that isn't in effect.

Yes, we're lucky, but you're missing the point. The hunt is what matters most, not the tool used for the harvest. I would still be in the woods if the only legal weapons were spears and clubs. I'd find a way to make it work.

While I appriciate your note I can't hrelp but chuckle a bit. The longest shot I ever needed to take on a Deer was just about 200 yards. Most are 100yards or less. I also have never needed to use any of those extra rounds in the magazine. So . . .some time in the future when I have worn my wife down I will likely pick up a muzzle loader and may even leave it open sights.

love my tikka, but in PA, in the areas i've scouted, you don't get a shot much beyond 100 yards anyway.

i'd love to take my remington 11-87 out with a rifled barrel, but it's an autoloader, and you can't hunt deer with an autoloader in PA...

I live in Ky and it is nice to know I can use a rifle if needed, but I choose to pistol hunt with a rifle caliber(Encore 308). I hunt where shots are usually less than 200yds, but if I need to stretch it out a little, I've also got the 308 rifle barrel for my Encore. Our bowseason comes in early Sept and we've also got an "early BP" season and most of the time, I'm tagged out even before our rifle season comes in. But, it is nice to have a rifle season if need be.

I don't feel lucky that I can hunt with a rifle...It is indeed nice to have so many options for me to use...I have had guys here in Texas give me grief that I hunt with a rifle...Saying there is no sport in shooting the animal from 300 yards away...I have never had to shoot a deer or any animal no farther that 125 - 150 Yards away ...

I guess it seems that the grass is always greener on the other side...Its not always the case...More and more guys I know have put down there rifles and have gone to bows...And the most of them want to shoot traditional bows...

You can use the analogy that Im lucky because I can use feeders here ...Some states can and some cant...

Well I have just one thing to say. Correct me if I am wrong, but it sounds like the basis for this discussion is based on the biases different types of hunters--bow vs. gun. I think the originator of the discussion was trying to upset rifle hunters, because bow hunting is apparently better than other forms. Why stop there, we could say that bow hunting is a weak form of hunting, and if you are a true hunter you would use a spear. Why use any mechanical devices other than the human body. Shooting from 50 yards, try 20 ft. Then I could say, Must be nice...... all you bow hunters. Good hunting, and I'm outta here.

I have done the VA buckshot hunting as well. With the dogs being legal and buckshot only...I would love to see what the wound to kill ratio is. I guess thats the way they do it though. That was Dec-Jan 87-88 never had the desire to go close to that area again.