Setters4life

Anyone doing anything on woodcock? Season ends soon. Just interested in how some have done out there. A lot of the "local" birds I would find in the sames covers year after year have not been around this year. Finding a lot of the covers too dry. No flight birds to speak of in the southern areas yet either.

As noted above, ShotgunWorld is a good source, and Gunbroker.com and Gunsamerica.com are good as well. There are brand-specific forums (I.E. Savage, Winchester, L.C. Smith, Parker, DoubleGun.com, etc.) if you want to delve deeper into the issue. I have a Blue Book I use as a reference. Only it's a couple years old now.

NYDEC website: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/29453.html

When I click on this link I get this message: An Error Has Occurred! The topic or board you are looking for appears to be either missing or off limits to you. Odd.

I've shot Pyrodex since '81, still load the same load that proved most accurate in my .54 Renegade. 110 grs. Pyrodex & 430 gr. Maxi-Ball. It's the only muzzleloader I own. I posted this pic on another M/L topic on this site. I shot this 3-shot group off a bench using a T/C peep sight with a T/C bead front sight to which I drilled the center out and added a spot of white epoxy paint. It was probably the best group I fired with this gun at the time. Accuracy has always been superb with my Renegade. The only thing failing on me these days are my eyes at this distance.

I picked up this story on other hunting/shooting forums, along with the news links to support its existence. It's been the outpouring of comments from hunters who have expressed their displeasure or distaste for Ted's actions that strikes me as interesting for it seems that there are some definitive opinions as to what others think of his actions, both past and present. I don't recall a figure associated with the NRA or hunting past or present who was/is as controversial as Ted. One needs to ask if that's such a good thing.

;D Good post ERUSSELL!

The NRA has been silent so far with any responses defending him. I recall when pro-footballer John Riggins (a very visible NRA spokesman some years ago) made a drunken comment to Sandra Day O'Connor at an NRA dinner and the NRA dropped him like a bad habit. Seems they've eased up in their requirements. Antics like Nugent's might be reveled today. Wonder what they will do about Ted, their latest outspoken spokesman? One can be repentent. We all make mistakes as we're only human, but Ted is a little too much in your face for me. He's a legend in his own mind.

I could have enjoyed it more without some of the "drama" that goes with these reality shows. And I would have switched channels immediately if Tara had a "showmance" with another contestant. It WAS nice to see shooting anything in a positive light and something like the History Channel is a great primetime venue for a lot of people to see that guns are not as bad as others them out to be. Iain was a cool as a cucumber throughout the competition. How is it a Brit beat all those Yanks? Aren't we supposed to be the "American Riflemen"?

Is your handload duplicating the factory load using the same bullet?

You can use an old pant leg from a pair of jeans and sew the ends shut. That will work too. You can even get creative and sew a seam in the middle, fill with sand and sew the ends shut. The split will make a good forearm rest or v-wedge under the buttstock near your shoulder. I fill with rice, coarse sand, or old charcoal that comes from pool filters. Shot bags come in different sizes and you can get creative. I just gave away a dozen bags to my buddy who wanted to make some shooting bags. I'm saving these but don't think I can use the plastic bags for anything. The heavy canvas bags are the best. (Seen on the right)

I've used one bullet all these years, Hornady's 265gr. FP in my older Marlin. Haven't tried the newer bullets in my gun yet. This is an interesting post from the Marlin owners forum on handloads and penetration testing with various 240 gr. bullets. http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/index.php/topic,56314.0.html

An interesting link on the NYDEC website. Apparently, a survey poll was solicited in 2009 and this was the response: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/59626.html It seems that only big game rules these days for many. Doves are a challenging game. I used to hunt the MD opener in my youthful days. My uncle had access to a lot of neighboring farmland back when it was still pretty rural down there. He still has sunflower planted on his farm in one section to attract the doves each year. AND, they are great tasting tablefare.

Larry, The .444 Marlin is a great round, isn't it?

I suspect factory rounds are lightly crimped to cover all the bases for the applications they will be used in to prevent the bullet from moving. I think it's CYA on the ammomaker's part. If you are full-length resizing or even partial resizing, you will reduce the case neck enough to get a firm grip on the bullet when you seat it. In a bolt-action rifle, I have never experienced the bullets moving after I've seated them and I usually never crimp them for that type of rifle. Remember, those presses exert a lot of pressure on the stroke when seating the bullet. Just try moving a bullet with your fingers once it's seated. You'll find it's in there pretty tight.

I have a lot of older Weaver setups, some Redfield and Leupold too. Haven't tried the Warne or Talley rings/bases yet but may if I ever get another rifle.

I HOPE to use mine someday. It's been a safe queen for the last ten years or so which is when I bought it from someone's collection. It goes to the range occasionally, but that's about it. I think they are classic rifles. Pre-war 1939 99R in .300 Savage:

I always crimp revolver rounds in the bullet's cannelure. Don't want them to back out upon recoil. I also crimp in the cannelure groove for large-bore lever action rounds (.444 Marlin). For bolt action rifles I do not crimp, but for a semi-auto (M1) I may put a slight crimp when the bullet has a cannelure. For 9mm & .45ACP I will use a taper crimp die and slightly crimp to ensure there will be no bullet setback when worked in the action. I have not heard of increased pressures caused by a crimp, but if there is bullet movement backwards into the case, you will get increased pressures. Too much crimp can deform a bullet and cause accuracy problems.

Well said.

I believe in 1969 when the season first officially closed, there were no bears to be found in New Jersey. When pressure and public clamor for a hunt came, it was opened in 2003 for the first time since 1969. Negative sentiments flew about shortly afterwards and there was no season in 2004, but a season again in 2005. By then the activists had regrouped and pressure put on the Corzine administration and to Lisa Jackson (NJ's DEP head, and now the EPA head under the Obama administration) who closed it. Pro-hunter support aided Christie when he ran for Gov. and he intimated on the campaign trail he would approve a hunt if the study found there was no other alternative to curtail population growth. Coupled with the population growth is habitat loss every year in New Jersey. New Jersey has lost 40% of its wetlands and 35% of the Pine Barrens since presettlement times, and has 50% less farmland than in 1950. Now Christie needs to tackle NJ's $10.5 billion deficit.

More than adequate hunting accuracy and not bad for offhand either. Based upon what I witness at our range each season, most shooters can't hold a group inside an 8" bullseye offhand @ 100 yards. By summer's end loads should be developed and scopes sighted-in and the remainder of shooting practice before the sesason opens should be practiced in "hunting situations." As for shooting sticks, I've never tried them but see a lot more people using them today. For me, it would be just something I'd lose in the woods!

Thanks. I enjoyed myself this past season, looking forward to the upcoming one. This summer heat is getting to me and I can't wait until Fall!

I agree with this. For every story told of a 200 yard shot made, I'll wager there are a half-dozen or more untold stories of 200 yard misses. A poke across a pasture or open field at 200 yards from a seasoned shooter with a steady rest and a good gun with a high-magnification scope is not an undoable feat; but get into the thick woods and you can't see a clear path for 200 yards in most places.

It's an equally sad statement that these shows are so popular. American's love watching a train wreck, but I just don't get the attraction of this show. The times sure are changing.

I hear you on those dog days of summer. Here are some pics of my dog pointing woodcock early March 2010 as birds moved back into the area, and some candid shots during woodcock & pheasant season in NY & NJ 2010 & 2009: Pointing woodcock in March Look for the woodcock in plain view on the ground to the left of the dog: NY pheasant: Pheasant NJ Woodcock NJ Woodcock NY