FULLDRAWXX75

X2 FDXX75

I have had two unrecovered deer in 31 seasons.....................that was 2 too many. Neither was from a lack of looking either. I did find the second deer three weeks later, and only by the help of the neighbors dog. I shot a really nice buck, it had all the signs of a great hit. The deer bolted off just after the shot, heading up the hill and to my right towards the orchard on the property(a known escape route to the swamp on the other side of the orchard) Well, I found hair and some blood at the impact location but not a lot of sign heading up the hill. I was dead sure it was a great hit. Well, after 5 hrs of searching/circling and back tracking it got dark and started to rain. (it rained heavy all night, I know because I was up all night sick about it) Everyday I hunted that property I looked for some sign of that deer, well one afternoon the neighbors dog was down on the edge of the field making a ruckus about something. (barking/growling/etc) for hrs. So I walked over that way on the way back to the house, and low and behold between an old 10,000 gal fuel tank and a rusted out old buick lay a deer (it was starting the stink real bad about then) Sure enough, it was the buck I shot three weeks before, except it was 200 yds in a different direction than I saw it go. It was hit through the rib cage in and out, lung shot....................how that deer made it that far I have no idea or why there was not more sign from the hit. But, it was a great looking 9 pt. rack. I felt very slightly better, but was still upset I lost him that way. FDXX75

I have to comment on the "try" a neck shot........................ First off the damage you are seeing could be a combination of several issues, shot placement and/or bullet selection. If you are aiming for the frt. shoulder expect huge damage and loses. You have multiple layers of muscle and bone to contend with and a limited area of vital organs that far forward. How much meat is actually use from the rib cage area (very little to be honest). You have a much larger area that produces a kill shot (lungs & liver) Heart shots are lethal, but you almost always loose one shoulder if not both. Now, back to the "neck" shot, I have seen way to many deer hit in the necks that did nothing but wound the animal...................unless you are really good and do a lot of shooting and know exactly where your gun hits, I don't recommend neck shots. Think about it, if you can't hit the deer broadside in the rib cage, what makes someone think they can hit the spine in the neck and kill it. Have I ever shot deer in the neck.....................................yep, plenty of times. Actually, it I am not looking to mount it, anything within 50 yds is a head or neck shot with my slug gun. No tracking, little to no waste. (besides the neck meat is some of the tastiest meat on a deer is slow cooked properly) But, I have spent/spend countless hr. shooting at the range and know exactly how my guns shoot and what to expect from them and myself. As far as the topic of damage goes........................change bullet selection and shot placement. FDXX75

I have no way of knowing your woodworking skill level, it is very patient/teedious work. It is not something you just go to town on with a router/Dremel tool or hammer and chisel. I grew up working for my grandfather in a cabinet shop, so patients and care are not an issue for me. I did incorporate the help of my friend who owns a gunsmithing shop, he had down this numerous times and I felt the experience and guidance from him was a huge plus. Once the fitting of the action/barrel & magizine box was finalized, I pretty much did all the remaining shaping and finish work myself. I actually went back to the thumbhole area three times to adjust the grip so it was just right, then never thought about wearing a glove.........................back again to open up the hole a little more and shave down the palm area a bit as well. If you are the slightest bit unsure, I would incorporate the help of a good reputable gunsmith. No sense in messing up a good stock. FDXX75

I too lost my first ever bow shot deer the same way, I guess lack of experience and being over confident was to blame back then..............I have harvested a total of four deer in 31 yrs that had either broadheads in them or wounds from broadheads. It happens more than most folks think, that is why I practice, practice, practice and if I have to think twice or even have one single doubt about the shot, it doesn't happen. The worst wound I have ever seen on a deer I harvested was inflicted by another buck...................................The 11pt. (208lbs) was goared inside his left hind leg to the bone just next to his baby maker. I always wanted to get a look at the bad boy that beat him up. His neck was all scared up and the hide had blood marks and bruised all over it when I caped him out. FDXX75

I helped work on a stock at the my buddies gun shop, similar situation. We had to modify the stock only slightly to make the fit. Correct me if I am wrong but the stock you bought is for the side safety and yours has the tang safety. We had to remove some stock material in the tang area for the safety to work properly and we inserted a piece of the lamimate into the area where the side safety "gap" was. There was some modification needed at the bolt handle notch and in the magazine box area as well. It is do able, just time consuming work. FDXX75

I would suggest trying the Brenneke Heavy Field Short Magnums 12 ga. 2 3/4"; 1 1/4 oz. I use them in my 11-87 Premiere with amazing accuracy, distance and devistating knock down results(without a ton of damage) FDXX75

Mine came as a rough cut blank, no nose or grip caps, and solid. I looked at that exact stock but they did not offer it for the action and barrel contour of my gun. I did use the style as a pattern for mine. I had help from a friend (who is a local gunsmith) when cutting in the barrel and action area. I did this stock 16 yrs ago, I started it in mid Feb. and finished it just before the start of the Northern rifle season opener. FDXX75

YEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL FDXX75

I shot the doe in this pic at 147 yds, T/C Omega; 3 - 30 gr Pyrodex pellets under a T/C 260gr. lead hollow pt. She went 30 yds tops. If you look closely you can see the entry hole, the exit was @ the size of a plum. FDXX75

I was thinking the same thing...looks kinda short ...front to back...wish we could see the head more The closest one is a yearling doe(look at the huge eye lashes on her) Seriously. The partially blocked deer looks like a yearling buck.........................appears to have a stem. LOL FDXX75

LOL FDXX75

How can you determine that for the pic??????? I am rather curious FDXX75

What set up are you shooting.................gun, gauge, etc. FDXX75

I can across this target in the drawer of my reloading desk. Browning A-5, smooth bore barrel, scoped, 12 ga. 1 1/8 oz. Remington Slugger rifled slugs 75 yds (bench and sandbags) I currently have 4 different shotguns set up for shooting strickly slugs through them, this being one of them. FDXX75

yeah, no kinding. The cost and all the new regulations set by the timber companies is crazy...................the average guy by himself can't afford to do it anymore.(lease a hunk of property that is) little lone build a camp to there specs. to have them tell you take it down or we burn it........................that is crap. FDXX75

Night and day difference between the two.........................and the thicker the recoil pad the longer your length of pull becomes, then you start cutting down the stock to compansate for that. Plus, if you shoot a lot, recoil pad will eventually break down and need replacing, not so with a surpressor. I have one in my old Beligan Browning A-5, That thing kicks like an angry mule. (Built before the gas recoil assisted autos) I love that gun, but it was brutal on the shoulder. It is tolerable now. FDXX75

Correct, I bought the blank(long chunk of laminated wood, rough shaped like your typical blanks) It is a lengthy process and takes a ton of patients, but when I was done...................the time spent has been well worth every minute. Actually the blank was not all that expensive in my eyes. But there are a lot of really nice stocks available out on the market these days. I love the thumbhole, I have three rifles with them and my accuracy improved greatly with everyone of them. FDXX75

A recoil surpressor is different than the rubber recoil pad you see externally on the gun. The surpressor is an enclosed cylinder @ 6" long and 3/4" in diameter that is installed in a drilled out cavity in the end of the butt stock. The inside of the cylinder acts like a shock absorber to reduce recoil on magnum rifles or any gun that has a stout recoil. They are made with a fluid(oil or mercury in this case) which passes through a series of orificed disks to obsorb the shock and deaden the recoil before reaching the shooters shoulder. It aids in lessening the punishment the shooter might receive over a period of time at the range, quicker and better follow up shots, and help prevent shooter flinch that can occur with shoots from heavy recoil rifles. They are available in diff. sizes and brands, pending on the need of the shooter. They make a huge difference if you spend any amount of time at the range shooting. Many professional shotgunners have them in there guns as well. FDXX75

Anybody on here do any custom work to their own guns or have a gunsmith customize them for them? Let see some pics if so.................... Here is my Ruger M77; 7mm Rem Mag I built a custom stock for it. The action is alum. pillar blocked, full floating barrel and a mercury recoil surpressor installed in the stock to help tame the punch a little. I bought a 4 color laminated blank, shaped and fitted it to my likings, set the action and barrel, added rosewood nose piece and grip butt plates w/white ash wafers. The finish is 8 coats of boiled Tung oil, then 6 layers of bowling alley wax and buffed. The gun always shot good, but it shoots great now with the custom stock (and modifications) and the custom handloads I worked up for it. It is one deadly rifle. FDXX75

I am the only one in my family that hunts, my dad never did, not my brother. Now, my mom's brother and her uncle were both avid hunters and fisherman. I took an interest in both early on and have never looked back. My main tradition was not directly around a "camp" but a family tradition, it involved the entire first week of the opener of the Southern Tier, my great uncle owned 350 acres of property just outside of Endicott, NY. Before I could drive, I would take a Greyhound bus from Schenectady,NY to Binghamton or Geneva, one uncle lived at each place at that time. I would spend the entire week there hunting every single day. That continued for 30 yrs. until my great uncle passed away and the property has since been sold off. I was a member of an Adirondack camp in the Big Range Area just outside of Speculator, NY for @ 5 yrs. I loved the fellowship and camaraderie that a camp provides. The camp was sold off due to the continually rising costs of the land lease. I joined a local club/landowner property permit deal for a few yrs. but left do to fellow members constantly squabling about rules and policing the club. I am currently looking for a good location and possibly rejoining a camp/club that might appeal to me if I can find the right fit. FDXX75

Sounds like you were taught well and paid attention, keep up the good work. FDXX75

I was brought up old school........................I will die old school. This entire country needs an arse kicking to bring it back straight......................................I am discussed with what I see on a daily basis and what this great country has become. FDXX75

Rule #1 when using an outfitter or guide.............................references and a list of previous hunters to contact. The guides own personal stats of himself are one sided and for his own WOW factor. If they can not provide a list or refuse to...............................ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, stay away!!!!!!!!! I don't care if you hunt open property or in a fenced in area..............................nothing is 100%. unless the game is tied to a stake, and that is not hunting, that is killing. FDXX

Oh, I know the feeling about loosing hunting land. My great uncle had 350 acres outside of Endicott, NY that I hunted on for 30 yrs. It was by far the best combonation of hunting terrain I have ever hunted on....................cover, open hardwoods, water(several ponds and a creek) oak grove and an apple orchard and part of it was an old christmas tree farm w/ some open farm fields. Well upon his passing away 7 yrs ago, his oldest daughter was given power of attorney of the estate. For the first three yrs she did nothing with the estate, then yr. 4 she posted and sold off all the property except for a small piece that the house sat on. She did get a grandfathered usage agreement for my uncle (her cousin) and myself to hunt the property during the deer hunting season, that was great until the buyer clear cut logged the entire wood lot and sold the property to someone else and we got booted off. That was 2 seasons ago..........................I spent alot of time on those 350 acres. I had always hoped my son would take his first buck there just as I did so many yrs. ago. The times are a changin'......................................... FDXX75