steve863

These days they make mild loads for the bigger calibers, so I think that is something to consider also. I can understand not wanting him to start flinching and stuff, but I think one can't expect perfect shooting from a youngster in the field no matter what caliber they shoot. I just think a kid making a less than perfect shot on a deer will be better off with a 7mm-08 than he will with a .243. A .243 in my opinion is more of a rifle for someone who can shoot accurately. In most instances that 7mm slug will do more damage on that animal and it will be less likely that the animal will be lost. I think it would be worse for the kid to go thru a scenario where he might lose a deer than to be worried about the flinching. If he was 98 lbs soaking wet, I might agree with a .243 since something bigger would be punishing on him, but at his size a bigger caliber shouldn't be a problem with a little practice.

He is keeping those in a safe place. They will be zipping thru a deer or two in the coming weeks! He will show them to you again when they have some blood on them! LOL

Well, this could be argued, but I think a big youngster like him could easily handle something more potent, so why give him something on the lower end of the spectrum?? You give him one of the other bigger calibers and he pretty much could use the gun forever without ever needing another one. Price wise there will also be NO savings in getting a 243 in comparison to something bigger.

I knew it had to be home made! Hey, whatever works for him. I just love it when guys can drop more deer with this old stuff than others who spend a fortune on equipment, but have ZERO hunting skills!

Wow Doe, that definitely looks like an early 90's bow, thanks for the pictures! I love that pin setup too! Looks like someone took a hand drill and drilled holes into a piece of metal to put the pins thru! I got to get some pics of my bow which is also from the stone age compared to these high tech bows of today.

Dang, 6'4", 235lbs at 14! I think you can start him with a .375 H&H with no problem! Just kidding! A kid that sized can definitely handle a .270 or .30-06. I like the .308 and 7mm-08 also especially for northeast type hunting. A kid that sized definitely need not start with a marginal caliber like .243 in my opinion.

That is a real good comparison! It's amazing, as soon as you buy a new computer or bow there's a newer and more advanced model that comes out, so in general you can never have the latest or greatest. Guns are a whole different ballgame. How much have deer rifles changed over the years? Not much. Bolt action guns like the Remington 700, Winchester Mdl 70, Mausers, Weatherby's, Rugers have been around a LONG time virtually unchanged. Yeah, maybe you can get fiberglass stocked models, shorter or longer barrels and stuff like that, but in general they changed very little. They hold their values a heck of a lot better also. You can actually sell an old gun for considerably MORE than you paid for it originally.

Wow, I remember the Bear Whitetail. That is even older than mine. Looks like you might have won the prize for the oldest bow if you didn't get the "new" old bow!

Doc, nice to hear that you have some oldies from the 70's, but lets count only the ones that people regularly still hunt with.

If this was really a frequently asked question, then we have a issues... That was a poacher with a crossbow asking the question. He just wanted to make sure what he was doing was illegal! LOL

This is very informative. It looks like hunters won't be able to hunt with them in bow only areas and it looks like they will need to take a safety course before they can hunt with them which is unlike muzzleloaders where anyone can buy one and hunt with one. Not that I think many will hunt with crossbows during the gun season anyway, but it's interesting that they are requiring a safety course.

It seems to me that bowhunters way more than gun hunters are obsessed with having the latest and greatest equipment available. Many bowhunters even go as far as getting a new bow every year. I for one have used the same gun for 25 years and have no intentions of replacing it. I have never considered myself much of a bowhunter and honestly haven't hunted with a bow for a number of years now. For some unknown and bizarre reason I am getting an itch to give bowhunting another try again this year. I will be pulling out my vintage 1990 Bear bow with aluminum arrows and giving it a go. I would be curious to know who else might hunt with such antiquated equipment?? Knowing the gearheads bowhunters tend to be I doubt there are many, but it would be interesting to know who hunts with the oldest bow here?? Pictures would be a plus. I may snap a couple of photos of mine and post them in the coming days.

Actually if you look carefully at the picture you can see bigfoots shadow behind the mountain lion. Heck, might as well throw that in since some people will believe anything they see on the internet!

If the turkeys can get just a little closer to the deer you might luck out and kill a bird and deer with one shot!

I'll never understand why many hunters are so hung up on wanting "everyone to get along" and never want to hear hunters debating or disagreeing on anything. It simply doesn't make sense. Without debate and discussion NOTHING will ever get solved or even get done. It's not like there isn't debate and disagreement in any relationship, be it husband and wife, brothers and sisters, relatives, friends, etc. Thinking that everyone will always agree and that people shouldn't voice there differing opinions is simply unrealistic. I see no reason for a special debate forum. Like others have said, if someone has a problem with a threads content, they can simply choose to click out of it. Very simple solution!

I like that! I wonder if they will give them a smokey the bear hat with their uniform?? Those hats look a bit like condoms when you stop and think about it.

Culver, as usual you are being honest. With honesty comes truth. It really all so simple and none of it really needs to be argued.

I reckon they would call him the pecker inspector?

I have a Leupold on my main deer rifle. Have had it for over 20 years with no problems and feel that I would jinx the rifle if I changed it. I do however think that the Zeiss Conquest is the clearest scope I ever looked thru. It can be bought for about $400 which isn't far from Leupold prices these days, so if I had to buy a new one I think I'd go with the Zeiss.

No, my name isn't Adam, but my great great great great..............Granddaddy was Adam and his wife was named Eve. Heck, that might actually make us all cousins here, as frightening as that may sound! LOL

All I'm saying is what I said in the beginning. Very few if any would be planting food plots if hunting wasn't somehow involved. How can this be interpreted by anyone as not being a truthful statement? I am not condemning anyone here for planting food plots. Everyone can do what they wish on their land. Just pointing out something that someone else first brought up in another thread and I happened to wholeheartedly agree with, that is all.

Geez, some mighty sensitive souls around here! So SplitG, why don't YOU tell us the truth then? If you weren't a hunter would you be spending your 2k on food plots just because you didn't want the deer to go to sleep at night with empty stomachs??

Show me where I called anyone a liar here?? You can spend $100,000 on food plots for all I care. It's your land, you can do what you please. I have had success hunting without food plots and see no need for them for my hunting purposes. If you want them, then grow them. Telling people that food plots would be planted by very few if it somehow didn't benefit their hunting is surely not calling anyone a liar. Only pointing out the truth, like a usually do.

If there is no other way to get his phone number, I guess that might be your only option. Are there any neighboring landowners that might have his number?

I heard food plots actually benefit bigfeet. Constipation is a serious problem among the bigfeet and the green leafy veggies from food plots are a godsend!