hunting overkill

[bersaguy]

I have had the privilege of discharging what would be considered 2 heavy caliber rifles in my life. First one was a H&H 375 Caliber that hurt like hell on my shoulder and I said once was enough with that gun. The second one was a Holland & Holland side by side 454 with a metal butt plate Bengal tiger hunting gun. I wore a bruise from my shoulder to my waist and half way around my back. At that point in my life which was shortly after returning home in 1975 I promised myself if it was larger than 30-06  I would never pull a trigger. Call me chicken and I will try my best to lay an egg for you but I won't shoot anything bigger than an 06 period.......................... :ugh: :ugh:

[KahrMan]

Those are some fine trophy's Rob!  :up:

[Wingshooter]

That's awesome to make your own bow and take game with it!

[E4 No More]

I'm not a hunter, nor do I play one on TV, but I have met several "hunters" in my day that hunt wooded areas but dream of elk hunting in ____. They do not have the budget to get multiple weapons so they get one that'll handle anything. Yes, I realize that if you have just enough budget for one gun then you don't have the budget for the great hunting trip, but those fellers can dream, can't they?

[felinesNfreedom]

Rob those are all really nice trophy's. Even more amazing that they were taken with that bow. Congrats.

[DaveS]

That's pretty impressive to put it through the bear. 40 yards is a hell of a shot escpecially with something like that. I don't even like shooting my compound at 40 yards and it shoots around 300fps. I like the 30 yards and under shot just to be sure I make an ethical kill. Does that cost me deer in the long run, yes but I don't mind it. I don't like to shoot unless I know it's going to put the deer down.

I don't even shoot my Crossbow beyond 30 yards. Hell of a shot Rob!

 

Dave

[DaveS]

Florida hog.
I built the bow from a piece of Ipe deck board & bamboo flooring.....

Texas feral goat, 58# Pronghorn longbow....

Namibia '08, Black Wildebeest....

Warthog & Springbok from the same trip....

Very nice trophies Rob!

 

Dave

[Handsome Rob]

Thanks y'all! Just showing what you can do without all the 'must have' bowhunting gadgetry ;)

[Handsome Rob]

Don't get me wrong, by the way, I have absolutely nothing against big calibers (I regularly play around with my .458 win mag) but I don't understand the thinking behind a 300wm for Tennessee deer! What the heck are these people thinking? Ok, so, maybe you have it in your head that one day you'll go hunt moose or elk out west, but surely if you've done that research, you know that a $60 scope on top of a $300 gun that costs upwards of $3 per shot isn't really the best use of funds....

[JWC]

I hunted with a 7mm RM for a long time. Back in like 1997 I had the chance to go out west elk hunting very short notice. I sold my only deer rifle, a 30-30, and bought a used 700 in 7mmRM to carry. Went 2 more times in the next couple years. Haven't been since 2000 but I never seemed to have to funds to buy another rifle and couldn't bring myself to sell or trade it. I was happy and it was effective so I just kept on hunting with it for nearly 10 years. I have a couple other rifles now so it just collects dust though. Preferring my 7mm-08 or .243. So I was like the other way around of the guy that buys a gun thinking he may go out west one day.

To be honest with you I shot a doe with my 7mm-08 this year and couldn't find her. If my 7mag had been sighted in I would've carried it the next day because I was pissed. I don't recall ever losing anything with it.

[Chris]

Really nice springbuck Rob. What did that score?

[Handsome Rob]

Not a clue Chris! It's hanging in my office right now, but I wouldn't know how to measure it!

[Chris]

Nice thick bases with a really good curl... I bet he makes the books.

 

http://www.scirecordbook.org/docs/methods/Method_1.pdf

[Chris]

Here's the listing for what rates as bronze, silver and gold.

http://www.scirecordbook.org/springbok/

[Chris]

And of course, Roland and Ward as the official "Book".

 

Records:

https://www.rowlandward.co.za/content/default.aspx?pid=21&MainPage=2&SubPage=2

 

Methods of Measurement:

https://www.rowlandward.co.za/content/default.aspx?pid=24&MainPage=2&SubPage=4

[Handsome Rob]

Holy crap! It goes gold on the SCI method.
I don't have a proper tape, but using a cloth tailor's tape I get 36-5/8" after being in an air conditioned room for 7ish years.

I know the Black Wildebeest was green scored in Namibia & back then I was told it blitzed the SCI record & was top 10 at least for Rowland Ward's.

I've never really thought about entering anything though.

[Chris]

I thought so. It's a really nice ram. I'm very jealous.

The black wildebeest looked good, but I have 't taken one yet, so I didn't have a basis for comparison.

Congratulations on both of those, that's a hard hunt regardless and exponentially harder with a bow.

Even if you don't enter them in the books, it's nice to know that they scored that well.

[Johnny Rotten]

I'm guessing a 50bmg is out of the question huh..

[Kopis]

My browning A bolt 243 with some Hornady 95gr takes down deer just fine. I see your point.

[Alleycat72]

I hunted with a suppressed 300 Whisper before I got my 300 blackout SBR. It kills fine at normal hunting ranges, but I don't have a high horse when it comes to your choice of caliber.

[deerslayer]

I don't think the big calibers' popularity has as much to do with power as it has to do with trajectory.  Lots of hunters are obsessed with "flat shooting" rifles.  If they researched the matter, many would be stunned to see how little difference there is between some common standard-power rounds vs. some of the magnums.  The sad part is that many of these big caliber addicts have no business shooting at anything past 200 yards.   

[thundersnow]

This from a non hunter (yet). Choose what you feel will get the job done clean and responsibly. Don't overestimate your own abilities.

[Omega]

I don't think the big calibers' popularity has as much to do with power as it has to do with trajectory.  Lots of hunters are obsessed with "flat shooting" rifles.  If they researched the matter, many would be stunned to see how little difference there is between some common standard-power rounds vs. some of the magnums.  The sad part is that many of these big caliber addicts have no business shooting at anything past 200 yards.   

That's exactly why I chose my .270, its flat shooting and I can take it hunting in any state.  Though most of my shots are 100 yards or less, its nice to know that I can reach out further with little hold over.  I know what you mean, but many of these magnums are not really that flat shooting so it defeats the purpose. 

[10-Ring]

Rob those pictures are just impressive.  You have inspired me to at the least look into building my own bow, I think that it would be very satisfying to take a deer with something that I made myself. 

[Handsome Rob]

If you're serious, there'd a fantastic event happens just outside of Clarksville the first weekend in May: The Tennessee Classic, sponsored by Primitive Archer magazine.
You can buy the wood, pre-sorted & roughed in for around $30-80 & spend the full weekend, Friday through Sunday, building a traditional, useable, hunting weight bow under the guidance of some of the finest self-bowyers in the country. Other than the cost of a stave or blank, it's completely free of charge.