airedale

My favorite handgun bullet the old discontinued Speer 44 cal 225 gr HP, recovered this one from a Boar I killed under the hide on the off side, the only one I ever recovered, they go through the Deer I have killed. Al

For me shotgun slugs have proven to be wickedly devastating on Deer when it comes to power and penetration, their main drawback has always been a lack of fine accuracy especially at longer range. Todays technology for the slugs themselves and the firearms that are made to shoot them are a far cry from the stuff used fifty years ago. Easily and securely mounted quality scopes, rifled barrels, slug design-construction and sabots have brought the accuracy in line with groups that will rival many rifles, their rainbow trajectory which limits long range somewhat and their fierce recoil is about the only downside today. Kept within it's range limitations a modern slug gun tuned for accuracy with quality ammo can handle most big game hunting with no problem. I still have my old slug gun, a Winchester Super X 1, she killed a lot of Deer in her day but is pretty much retired now. Al

For the most part YES!

None of the Deer I shot were wounded, Like Buckmaster said aim for and hit the center between the hams, not as much meat loss as one would think even if the shot is off by a bit. Al

Yeah baby If I know I can make the shot I have no problem taking it, 4 bucks and 1 doe on rear end shots, all with 12 ga shotgun slugs and none went more than a few yards after being hit, Funny how things change with time, I have books showing how to place shots on game for just about every angle possible including the rear end shot. Now for some it is taboo. Al

I sit here pondering your question and thinking back to the weapons and ammo I have personally used to take Deer. Rifles, shotguns, handguns and muzzleloaders and the one thing that is apparent I have used a wide variety of bullet brands, styles-shapes and calibers. There is nothing that really stands out head and shoulders above all others as every Deer I have ever shot except for one "anomaly" either dropped where it stood or maybe sprinted a few yards and piled up. The common denominator is they were all hit with a well placed shot into a vital area. From 222 Remington and 220 Swift to 45-70 and 338 Winchester mag and a whole lot of inbetweeners the end result was pretty much the same, dead is dead. So for me at least todays modern bullets from all manufacturers do their intended job well as long as I put them where they are supposed to go. Al

I remember it well, almost all of the early deer hunting I did was in Shotgun only areas, I had some pretty accurate slug slingers back then and killed a lot of deer with them. Since I moved to my current residence I have switched to Rifles and Muzzleloaders. With a couple of exceptions I believe all the Deer I have killed with Rifles could have been killed with my slug guns. Still I like the precise accuracy edge most of my Rifles give me, I can put one in a Deer's earhole at a pretty fair distance if I have to. Al

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After going through this recent bout of Lyme Disease, until there is snow on the ground I will be saturating my hunting clothes in permethrin and basting myself with Deet to repel those stinking ticks. That along with the stuff I use to clean and protect my firearms also add to the stench so to a Deer I will most likely smell like the inside of a chemical facility. I do not believe there is anything that will help me a whole lot masking all those scents except playing the wind to the best of my ability which is basically the way I have always hunted Deer and varmints anyway. Al

The 22-250 is one of the best long range varmint cartridges of all time, that Savage rifle has the inherent accuracy to bring out it's full potential. With the high end Vortex scope that is one nice rig for Woodchucks and a good price. Al

For this time of year when the temps start staying cold and the snow cover stays I go with the insulated-Gore-Tex LL Bean Maine hunting boot. For the hunting I do they have over the years been the best all around compromise for wet, snow and cold. For extreme cold weather hunting where I would be sitting for longer periods of time (which ain't often these days) I have a pair of Canadian Sorrels with the thick wool felt liners, clod hoppers for sure and not made for walking for long distances as far as I am concerned. Have your cold weather boots sized a little big so you can comfortably wear a pair of thick wool socks. Just slathered the leather on the Bean's with Obenauf's conditioner and set them in front of the kitchen cookstove to let it heat up and soak in. Al

My first real hunting gun purchased for me by my Dad was a Mossberg 16 ga three shot bolt action with an adjustable choke. While on the clunky side for handling and style I shot it well and took a ton of small game with that gun. A 16 ga shotgun found in a style and action you like and learned how to shoot well will be no handicap when it comes to taking game. I have long been considering getting a 16 in a side by side or over and under, just waiting for the right one to come along. Al

After hunting season I start puttering around with my hunting equipment and firearms, Trigger jobs, scope changes, stock bedding and better handloads, seems like I am in the never ending search for perfection. Motorcycles get some attention in the Spring and Summer. That stuff has a few months to go yet, as I look at the hunting seasons small game is still going strong and I like that hunting a whole lot better than Deer hunting. Grouse and Pheasant are open till Feb 29 Cottontail Rabbit and Hare till March 15 Squirrel till Feb 29 Crows till March 31 Coyote till March 29 Coons, Fox and Possums till Feb 15 THE FUN HAS JUST BEGUN!

For optimum protection I have a good set of over the ear muffs that I purchased many years ago for handgun bullseye competition, I would also use the disposable foam plugs in conjunction with the muffs as shooting indoors is very loud and this setup gave the best protection. For outdoor shooting in recent years I have gone to the plugs pictured below, They are out of the way for long guns, the sound protection is very good and the light weight and comfort of that type suits me. Al

I have used the saboted Hornady XTPs in my old TC Black Diamond inline, they are very accurate, expand well and are deadly, I use the same bullets handloaded in my 44 mag with the same results. Al

Yes they have solid arms and soft rubber type material that make a good seal preventing any wind from getting to my eyes. Al

I have a prescription pair of sport wrap around-goggle type I use for riding my E-bike and Motorcycles for the purpose of wind protection, for that they have worked out well. I have never shot with them or hunted with them but I have to think they would work OK. I want to add on mine the frame bows are very wide and they do block some peripheral vision. Al

The boots you have are reputed to be very good for cold temps, for various reasons there are folks that just do not tolerate the cold well. A friend of mine uses these toe warmers for ice fishing in the bitterest of weather and he swears by them, they are small and thin. A whole box of 40 pair go for around $30.

I hav I have not killed a Squirrel with it yet, been laid up with Lyme disease all hunting season and have just started to hit the woods. I hope to give Squirrels a shot with the Crockett before the snows come. Al

I think with a good 22 autoloader one could get some pretty good practice hitting running targets, I have some Airedales Terriers that would think they had died and gone to heaven had they been involved in one of those deals. Al

Likely more Chinese thievery.

Had to have been something to see, my Dad was involved in a big drive in the 40s while in the Navy stationed at a base in Corpus Christi Texas, no guns involved just clubs and a lot of stomping.

Form and Function, I buy my hunting outerwear sized larger than sizes I wear for street clothes so I have plenty of room for layering and free movement to use whatever the weapon of the day is. There are many hunters that worry too much about how they look and purchase their gear as if they were going to be pictured on the cover of Outdoor Life Magazine. Al

There are some things that really can not be improved upon Woolrich, LLBEAN or Filson Wool, layer up properly and you will not be cold. Be it on stand Deer hunting or hunting Hare in single digits from sun up to sun down through out the winter, my old Woolrich PA Tux never let me down when it came to keeping me warm. I have some LLBean stuff that is pretty good too. Al