Outdoorsman Thread

[TripleF]

You're my hero Bruce!! Thanks for sharing your love of hunting!!

I somehow got away from hunting when I moved to Florida and can't get back to it now although my spirit yearns and cries out for it!

[Old Hunter]

TreeFarmer & Scott, thanks for the compliments guys - I just love to hunt, always have since my Dad and my Uncle Fred started taking me bird and squirrel hunting with them when I was 7 or 8 years old. My M88 is a .308 WIN made in 1963, the most common variety - I used to own a nicer M88 in .284 WIN, but I could never get it to shoot better than 3 MOA (with the best handloads I could work up) - so I traded the .284 WIN to a collector for an unfired 16 gauge M12 pump made in 1960 and some cash. This .308 WIN will shoot an honest 1-1/2 MOA with every single group using a handload of IMR4064 and a Hornady 165 grain Interlock bullet; with 150 grain factory loads (Remington CoreLokt or Winchester PowerPoint) it reverts to 3 MOA. It will give me enough 1 MOA groups from the handload to tease me really good, but I can count on 1-1/2 MOA all the time. I bought the M88 in 1995, hunted with it a little using factory loads and sold it to a buddy because I wanted something else and I had only used factory ammo in it. I realized my error and my buddy, who is a real friend, sold it back to me because I wanted it back. When I shot the buck in the first picture it was about 0820 in the morning - I could see him just fine in the old Leupold 4 X that was on the rifle then - but I had shot another buck the same morning (pictured here in this post), sitting in the same stand an hour and fifteen minutes earlier, just a few minutes into legal light, but I couldn't see worth two cents, I had to look at his head gear and estimate were the heart was. I bought the better scope you see on this picture at the MCX at Camp Lejeune the next week ( a Leupold Century 3-9x40 with really good multi-coating) - I can see great in the early morning minutes with the new scope. I am more interested in accuracy than in rarity in all my firearms, but I do prefer pre-64 Winchesters and Belgian Brownings if they will shoot. Scott - the best advice I can give you is just go hunting - being out there amongst 'em is the best psycologist I have ever found in my lifetime. My wife wonders why I go so much and only shoot a few animals each season - I tell her that the hunt is the trophy, the animal is an edible bonus - she thinks I'm nuts! By the way TreeFarmer, I have two rifles I love to hunt with, cannot decide which I like the best, so I hunt with them each some every season. My pre-64 M70 in .270 WIN is my other favorite, I rebarreled it myself under the careful tutelage of a gunsmith and a machine shop owner - I paid them to teach me as I went, using their knowledge and equipment. Here is a picture of it too; I'm standing with a young man (just finished his first year of college now) that I have been teaching to hunt since he was 15 (his Dad is a good buddy of mine).

[treefarmer]

More great pictures, Old Hunter, and if I had to choose between the 88 and the 70, I would take the bolt gun. I collect Winchesters and certainly don't have enough of them, but for a hunting rifle I got bit by the Remington 700 bug many years ago and haven't recuperated yet. My first 700 was a 30/06 and she leads a quiet life in a closet as she plays second fiddle to a .243 model 700 that doesn't beat me quite as bad! I've got a long list of old Winchesters that I have traded over the years and now regret every trade that involved one of those old prizes, am doing better with my pocket knives and trying to hold on to all the old Case knives that I can. Treefarmer

[TripleF]

Bruce-

I appreciate the advice.......it's just not doable. I'm physically capable and very possibly mentally capable, but the lacking ingredient is moolah.

That's awesome you takin' that young man out to hunt Bruce! You're double my hero now. What does he carry for a knife?

[garddogg56]

OH;NICE 88 great pic's

[Old Hunter]

TreeFarmer - nothing wrong with a Remington M700 - I owned a Classic in 6mm REM the first year they were introduced (weren't limited runs at that time) - nice rifles.

Garddogg - thank you sir!

Scott - the young man's name is Nate, he is about 19 now - I started mentoring him (at his Dad's request) when he was 15. He is a pretty accomplished hunter now - he absolutely loves it and will hunt all day with me without any griping at all - and I mean from pickup at 0500 to returning home at midnight - he will hang tough. His skinning knife is one I gave him to skin his first deer a few years ago - it came in the tin box with that Leupold Century Limited scope I put on my M88 to see better - it was a nice fixed blade, drop point - like eveyone here I have LOTS of skinning knives, when Nate shot his first deer I asked him where his knife was - he didn't have one with him, so I asked him how he intended to skin it? He thought I would do it, so I laughed and told him I would show him how with me skinning on one side and him skinning on the other - I gave him the knife to do the skinning job with (I had been saving it for that moment since I had discovered it in the box when I bought the scope.) Here is a picture of him skinning one of his deer this year with the knife - he knows how to skin one, clean his knife, sharpen it, take care of his meat, etc., - he has to if he wants to hunt with me (I don't run a country club!) His second knife is a nice bone handled CASE XX mini trapper that I bought in the late 1990's to save for a present for the right person - my wife and I gave it to him last year for his HS Graduation present. We received the nicest thank you note from him for that knife - still have it laying on my desk a year later - you can tell his parents raised him well - I don't mind giving a hand to help in mentoring a kid like that. If you want to hunt, get yourself up here to my place, all it will cost you is an out of state over the counter license (we don't have draws for deer as there are more deer living in my area than people) - I have plenty of land to hunt on, plenty of tower stands to safely hunt out of, and plenty of game to hunt. We have a club house with six lousy bunks and I snore like a freight train - adds to the ambiance and adventure of it!!

[garddogg56]

OH;Thats the way to handle the Lad GOOD JOB

[johnny twoshoes]

OH, thanks for the awesome post and great pictures.
I really paints your love of the outdoors well. You've taken some beautiful game my friend and even better, you've passed on your love of the outdoors.

TreeFarmer, you wouldn't happen to have a pic of that M700 in .243 would you?
Thats my exact rifle of choice and I love mine.

I may get to the range today, if I do I'll get some pics.

[garddogg56]

What a morning had a great thermos of Joe and three squirrels these layoffs are going to kill me ::shrug::I think the Wards camper is good luck

[zp4ja]

Great pics and stories guys!

Any cartridge collectors out there? In addition to collecting knives, I have a cartridge collection. It has some pretty interesting examples in it. Some calibers I have never seen or heard of for that matter. 99% of them are live rounds. Most of the dark brass cartridges are rimfire. One day I will have to go thru and try and catalog them all. Just a few examples of what the collection has in it.

The collection...

From left to right,
1. unknown
2. 38 with rounded triangular plastic sleeve
3. 38 special round with plastic casing. Low powder load or with bird shot behind it.
4. 30-06 with "practice" wood round.
5. Cigar paper round, caliber unknown.
6. 460 Weatherby MAG
7. 58 MUSK
8. 40-82
9. 45-90

Old box of 22 shells...

Some old large and small caliber rimfires....

I have some vintage reloading stuff I will share at some point if anyone if interested. I thinks I have a old bullet cast or 2 laying around and such.

Keep enjoying and sharing the outdoors. Jerry

[zp4ja]

4 inch Colt Diamondback circa 1968 based on serial number.

The Colt "Snake Series" are among the Rolls Royce of revolvers based on what I have read and my thoughts. They command a pretty high price these days.

This one has a target trigger rework. If you think about pulling the trigger, it might go off.

Also have a Colt 6 inch Python circa 1965 based on serial number that I will share at some point.

If anyone has any Colt "Snake Series" revolvers, I would love to see some pics. Would love to continue acquiring others in the series but have to unfortunately decide between which knives versus guns I want at this point.

As far as autos, I prefer Sig Sauer. My preference.

Regards All! Jerry

[treefarmer]

johnny twoshoes, We have several pictures of that rifle in our family pics, but none of it specifically, so I took one just for you and will include one that was taken a season or so back, when it was used to bust a big old west Florida coyote that was intruding on a deer hunt. In the latest picture, I have changed scopes a few weeks back and have not hunted with it yet. Put a 3X9X50mm Redfield on it, in place of the 3X9X40mm shown in the pic with the coyote. Have killed quit a few deer with it and am ticled to death with it. It was gift from my wife and 3 children on a Fathers Day several years ago. Treefarmer

[Old Hunter]

Garddogg - those are some thoroughly dead tree rats you have there! Was that a .22 LR or a pellet that did the deed?

TreeFarmer - I like your M700 - has the cut checkering and dark wood that shouts "old school" - just like an old pocketknife!

Jerry, nice revolver - I have a Python that my Dad have me as a gift many years ago, 4" barrel with a highly polished stainless steel finish.

[zp4ja]

Thanks Old Hunter. Love to see a pic of the 4" Python if you will.

The Diamondback was my Dad's also, as well as the Python. Many memories at the range from these. Still waiting on the Python to come back home but I will post a pic when I have it back. Temporarily tied up as he gifted to someone else and they have been gracious enough to give it to me when I explained all the memories tied to it. Lots of rounds and conversation tied to these guns that make them priceless not matter what the market value, not to mention a very fine revolver.

Live well, Jerry

[garddogg56]

OH; I had toooo much on Memorial day so I used a .17 pellet gun Treefarmer nice yote and 700 Is that Redfield made by Luepold???I loved my old widefield

[Miller Bro's]

4 inch Colt Diamondback circa 1968 based on serial number.

Very nice looking gun

[zp4ja]

Thanks MB !!!

[Aimus Moses]

If you can find any Colt brand wheel gun you'd better get it if you can. They ain't making them anymore. Nice firearms fellers.

Aimus

[garddogg56]

Thats a shame old Americana GONE I'll just keep Gramps best shooter I own Police Positive in a 32-20

[zp4ja]

Thats a shame old Americana GONE I'll just keep Gramps best shooter I own Police Positive in a 32-20

Hey Garddogg, nice Colt!!! And Grandpa's to boot. Priceless!

Do you know what year it was made? I have a nice little old Colt handbook that dates different models by serial number if not.

Let me know. Jerry

[garddogg56]

Jerry 1922-23,she was issued to the Chicago P.D.

[zp4ja]

Jerry 1922-23,she was issued to the Chicago P.D.

Nice!!! I really like the grips on that gun among other things! Love the old knives and guns that have been passed down thru the generations!

Enjoy in good health. Jerry

[Aimus Moses]

Hey garddogg, you probably already know this but I'm going to tell you to just be on the safe side. There are two different commercial loads for the 32-20 caliber made by a few different manufacturers. One is for revolvers in 32-20 caliber and the other is for rifles in 32-20 caliber. The rifle load has a higher cup pressure than the revolver loads and can destroy your revolver and possibly parts of your body that you like and would want to keep. The ammo boxes should be marked as for rifle or for revolver. That sure is a nice Colt you have there.

Aimus

[johnny twoshoes]

Thanks for the pics TF, I love seeing those Rem M700s.
By far my favorite rifle. I know you can get them just about everywhere, but they are still awesome rifles.

Does your's happen to have a heavy barrel?

[johnny twoshoes]

Here is my Dad's old Colt.