Greetings and a few questions
11-21-2009, 11:36 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1
Greetings and a few questions
GREETINGS!
Hi all, I'm new to these forums but glad I found them! Im a 23 yr old college student from NE Oklahoma with a hunting background of whitetail deer, turkey, predator, and lots of squirrel. I've been hunting since I can remember and taught by my dad.
QUESTIONS
1) I was bowhunting from a tree last weekend (first time in a tree with my bow) and got to thinking about the physics of my shot and how shooting from a tree differs from shooting from the ground. After some thought, I figured that when shooting from a tree I'll have to aim a little low because gravity will have less of an effect on the arrow's trajectory therefore making my shot high, depending on the angle from the tree stand to the ground of course. Is my logic correct that I should aim slightly lower when bowhunting from a tree?
2) Though I've been deer hunting for years I have never really understood deer behavior and how to read it to make my hunting more efficient. Can someone briefly explain or post a good link to the common behavior and lifestyle of whitetail deer? i.e. how does the rut affect the deers' behavior? Why do bucks snort? What is the average area of a whitetail's territory? Etc... Any insight is welcome!
3) Kind of a random question, but during gun season I hunt with a Winchester 70 30-06. I've been told a few times that I should use a .270 because a 30-06 is overkill for a deer, to which I thought "overkill? How do you kill something too much?". Every deer I've taken with my 06 has turned out fine. Thoughts on the subject?
STORYTIME
I took this buck just yesterday evening. Its a 10 point taken with my Winchester 70 30-06 from about 70 yards at my parents' place (20 acres in the middle of nowhere outside of Tulsa). We've seen him around on the nearby roads while driving and I've been hunting him with my bow since the season started. Biggest deer we've seen around here by far! Perfect shot placement, broadside, straight through the heart and lungs so he died instantly. The bullet knocked him plum over and he never got back up.
Good hunting and stay safe!
Hi all, I'm new to these forums but glad I found them! Im a 23 yr old college student from NE Oklahoma with a hunting background of whitetail deer, turkey, predator, and lots of squirrel. I've been hunting since I can remember and taught by my dad.
QUESTIONS
1) I was bowhunting from a tree last weekend (first time in a tree with my bow) and got to thinking about the physics of my shot and how shooting from a tree differs from shooting from the ground. After some thought, I figured that when shooting from a tree I'll have to aim a little low because gravity will have less of an effect on the arrow's trajectory therefore making my shot high, depending on the angle from the tree stand to the ground of course. Is my logic correct that I should aim slightly lower when bowhunting from a tree?
2) Though I've been deer hunting for years I have never really understood deer behavior and how to read it to make my hunting more efficient. Can someone briefly explain or post a good link to the common behavior and lifestyle of whitetail deer? i.e. how does the rut affect the deers' behavior? Why do bucks snort? What is the average area of a whitetail's territory? Etc... Any insight is welcome!
3) Kind of a random question, but during gun season I hunt with a Winchester 70 30-06. I've been told a few times that I should use a .270 because a 30-06 is overkill for a deer, to which I thought "overkill? How do you kill something too much?". Every deer I've taken with my 06 has turned out fine. Thoughts on the subject?
STORYTIME
I took this buck just yesterday evening. Its a 10 point taken with my Winchester 70 30-06 from about 70 yards at my parents' place (20 acres in the middle of nowhere outside of Tulsa). We've seen him around on the nearby roads while driving and I've been hunting him with my bow since the season started. Biggest deer we've seen around here by far! Perfect shot placement, broadside, straight through the heart and lungs so he died instantly. The bullet knocked him plum over and he never got back up.
Good hunting and stay safe!
.
11-22-2009, 07:22 AM
#5
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Port Neches, Texas
Posts: 5,514
Congrats on your buck!
As far as calibers go, use what you like, as long as its legal AND you can handle it!
I agree there is no such thing as "too dead!" Just remember, there is no such thing as a "majic bullet," either! Good shot placement is always the key!
As far as calibers go, use what you like, as long as its legal AND you can handle it!
I agree there is no such thing as "too dead!" Just remember, there is no such thing as a "majic bullet," either! Good shot placement is always the key!
11-22-2009, 11:28 AM
#7
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Eagleville Missouri
Posts: 338
Good buck! As far as bowhunting from an elevation goes,set up a practice stand, just practice that way and make needed adjustments. Know your stand hieghts and practice from the same hieght, shooting down at different angles/ranges, until you are completely comfortable making all the possible shots.
On the rifle caliber question, you have a fine rifle now and it works for you right? There are reasons such as ammo savings, saving your shoulder from excessive and unnecessary recoil, that you may want to switch guns. You may get into studying tradjectories and the energy your bullets produce downrange and you may decide you want a different action or style of gun someday. There are many reasons to trade guns, but if you are happy with it's performance, don't trade just because somebody says you should. An 0'6 is a perfectly acceptable deer rifle and who knows, you may get a chance at a larger animal someday with it. People shoot all kinds of guns and ammo at deer, and too large or too small a caliber is all relative to each individual and their skills, nobody else can determine your perfect gun, but you.
A 270 is about the best deer gun anywhere in my opinion, unless you're familiar with a 280, or a 308 and you may notice a lot less recoil, but if recoil isn't a problem for you, then you already have a damn fine rifle for deer. My favorite ammo is 125gr. pointed soft points. They are, or were a factory load when I used them in my 30/06, or they can be handloaded. They will, with proper shot placement, drop those deer right where you hit them. Zero tracking, unless you mess up the shot.
150Gr. bullets and larger are the most common found on the shelf and they work too, if you like tracking. They are heavier and don't expand enough to do enough damage in a light bodied animal like deer. They will still kill them no doubt! But not instantly. The 150 and larger Gr. bullets, to me, are more for elk or moose or grizzly bears maybe. The 125Gr. pointed soft point, was reccommended to me by a gunsmith who loads ammo and really knows his stuff. I went from being totally dissapointed with my 0'6, because my deer ran away and I had to go find it, to completely loving it after the ammo change. I shot him there, and there he lays!
Before idiot friends talked this idiot into changing guns, I happilly and instantly killed over 35 deer in their tracks with a Marlin 30/30, my first deer gun, which I kept and am hunting with today. Partly because my daughter wanted to hunt with my AR-10, in 308. But mostly because I love this gun for its 31 years of never fail service, and being my first deer gun it is special to me. It still has it's weaver 4 power scope, sighted in once and never changed, that my uncle gave to me. Thats another thing to think about too. My bro inlaw has never sold a gun he has owned, I wish I could say that, because I have traded a lot and regretted every gun sold.
On the rifle caliber question, you have a fine rifle now and it works for you right? There are reasons such as ammo savings, saving your shoulder from excessive and unnecessary recoil, that you may want to switch guns. You may get into studying tradjectories and the energy your bullets produce downrange and you may decide you want a different action or style of gun someday. There are many reasons to trade guns, but if you are happy with it's performance, don't trade just because somebody says you should. An 0'6 is a perfectly acceptable deer rifle and who knows, you may get a chance at a larger animal someday with it. People shoot all kinds of guns and ammo at deer, and too large or too small a caliber is all relative to each individual and their skills, nobody else can determine your perfect gun, but you.
A 270 is about the best deer gun anywhere in my opinion, unless you're familiar with a 280, or a 308 and you may notice a lot less recoil, but if recoil isn't a problem for you, then you already have a damn fine rifle for deer. My favorite ammo is 125gr. pointed soft points. They are, or were a factory load when I used them in my 30/06, or they can be handloaded. They will, with proper shot placement, drop those deer right where you hit them. Zero tracking, unless you mess up the shot.
150Gr. bullets and larger are the most common found on the shelf and they work too, if you like tracking. They are heavier and don't expand enough to do enough damage in a light bodied animal like deer. They will still kill them no doubt! But not instantly. The 150 and larger Gr. bullets, to me, are more for elk or moose or grizzly bears maybe. The 125Gr. pointed soft point, was reccommended to me by a gunsmith who loads ammo and really knows his stuff. I went from being totally dissapointed with my 0'6, because my deer ran away and I had to go find it, to completely loving it after the ammo change. I shot him there, and there he lays!
Before idiot friends talked this idiot into changing guns, I happilly and instantly killed over 35 deer in their tracks with a Marlin 30/30, my first deer gun, which I kept and am hunting with today. Partly because my daughter wanted to hunt with my AR-10, in 308. But mostly because I love this gun for its 31 years of never fail service, and being my first deer gun it is special to me. It still has it's weaver 4 power scope, sighted in once and never changed, that my uncle gave to me. Thats another thing to think about too. My bro inlaw has never sold a gun he has owned, I wish I could say that, because I have traded a lot and regretted every gun sold.
11-22-2009, 10:48 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 1,304
After a buddy and I got done sighting in our guns, I loved how my .260 was shooting. However, he loved the fact he was done, because his black and blue shoulder from shooting his 30-06 (11 shots) was aching. LOL!
The overkill aspect is not about the animal at all, but the power necessary to kill the deer and the 30-06 has way more than sufficient power. I don't own -06's any more because they are too much for whitetail for me. I don't need that much power. I much prefer my .270.(yeah, has some power too!) Someday when I find a good deal on a 30-06, I'll get it and knock some deer down with it, but until then, I'll be using 3-4 other smaller calibers first.
If your bow yardages are close, like up to 25 yards and your bow is shooting approx. 285fps or faster, then you won't be adjusting in vertical height because of the angle. The main reason is that when you aim downward, your bow-arm goes down and this position usually gets your arrows landing high. Some say to bend at the waist, but that is the stuff you see people repeat to each other on the forums, mags, etc. I recommend just practicing from real tree heights and angles and learn where your arrows are landing at certain heights. If you take on the advice of bending at the hips to take the shot, good luck not landing on your face when the deer is right below your stand. LOL!
Also, don't sweat your 30-06. It will do the job just fine. Maybe later you will want other guns and that is when you can start getting info and shopping around. By the looks of your excellent pic and shot, the gun did you some good!
Oh, and the stash, man, looks good. Makes you look 24. LOL!
iSnipe
The overkill aspect is not about the animal at all, but the power necessary to kill the deer and the 30-06 has way more than sufficient power. I don't own -06's any more because they are too much for whitetail for me. I don't need that much power. I much prefer my .270.(yeah, has some power too!) Someday when I find a good deal on a 30-06, I'll get it and knock some deer down with it, but until then, I'll be using 3-4 other smaller calibers first.
If your bow yardages are close, like up to 25 yards and your bow is shooting approx. 285fps or faster, then you won't be adjusting in vertical height because of the angle. The main reason is that when you aim downward, your bow-arm goes down and this position usually gets your arrows landing high. Some say to bend at the waist, but that is the stuff you see people repeat to each other on the forums, mags, etc. I recommend just practicing from real tree heights and angles and learn where your arrows are landing at certain heights. If you take on the advice of bending at the hips to take the shot, good luck not landing on your face when the deer is right below your stand. LOL!
Also, don't sweat your 30-06. It will do the job just fine. Maybe later you will want other guns and that is when you can start getting info and shopping around. By the looks of your excellent pic and shot, the gun did you some good!
Oh, and the stash, man, looks good. Makes you look 24. LOL!
iSnipe
