Getting ready for PA deer

[Cold Spring]

Back when I was a kid, deer season was always heralded in our small town by men shooting their deer rifles over days before the season opener, after work and on weekends. Mostly 30/30, 32 Special, 35 Remington, 300 Savage, '06, 270 and 6.5, 7.7 and 8mm War bringbacks. Empty one gallon paint cans or cardboard boxes served as targets and set up against a coal culm dump. Shooting was done offhand, no bench rest. Scopes were then somewhat uncommon and the factory irons and peep sights were pretty stable but a few shots for practice was the norm. No one seemed to complain about the banging and the town police were supportive. Those simple times sure have changed.

I still like to hunt with the older rifles for a nostalgia kick and deer season will find me sitting along a run in the woods where a 100 yard shot is a very long one. Yep I have some modern rifles for long range work but nowadays I do most of my PA deer hunting with the old timers. I've killed plenty of deer and will just hunt for a "big un" or nothing. Today I had three rifles out for old time practice and wanted to share this with you.

Left to Right

1942 Japanese Type 99 (7.7mm) customized and with Lyman peep and ramp front sight

1965 Browning Safari Grade in 338 Win Mag with period Bushnell 2.5-8X Scopechief (loaded down for deer)

1953 Winchester Model 71 Deluxe in 348 WCF and with Lyman 56 peep sight

[6pt-Sika]

Frank nice selection ! I’ve killed a couple with a 338 Win Mag in a Ruger #1B used a Nosler 200 BT and a Hornady 225 SST . Both did a fine job and weren’t destructive , but I didn’t load them down .

[6pt-Sika]

Incidentally the first two scopes I ever had for bolt actions were a pair of Bushnell Scopechief IV 2.5-8x . A 700 in 243 and a Ruger 77R in 270 WIN . Both worked nicely . They cost me about $40 each in the mid 70’s .

[Double Lab]

Love the Mod 71.

[mobirdhunter]

Frank, you've inspired me to take my Model '99 .250-3000 out for our upcoming season. It also has a peep sight and is sweet in hand. Good luck to you!

[Cold Spring]

Gary, I'm happy I inspired you. The 99 is great classic rifle and the 250 Savage was and still is well regarded. Larry Koller's classic book Shots at Whitetails is a tribute to the Savage in 250 caliber, and on the strength of Larry's stories I went after one just as soon as I had enough scratch from setting pins at the bowling alley in town.

[charlie cleveland]

this storey has gotten to me to...I have a jap rifle converted to 25 06 and old 8 mm mauser and will use the old marlin 444 and others but will hunt some with the old 8 ga with round ball and buckshot loads.....will try the henry 327 magnum for close up work...charlie

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by charlie cleveland

8 ga with round ball...charlie

Thats high on my agenda this year as is one with the 6mm-06 shooting the Berger 115 VLD bullet .

[Jeff Christie]

Buy a drilling or bockbuchsflinte and simplify your hunt. I hunted with a drilling in Germany and Luxembourg for seven years and it solved all problems when both a shotgun and a rifle would be required.

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Jeff Christie

Buy a drilling or bockbuchsflinte and simplify your hunt. I hunted with a drilling in Germany and Luxembourg for seven years and it solved all problems when both a shotgun and a rifle would be required.

I’ve had as many as five drillings and a combo gun at once . I’ve just never found one that shall we saw grew on me . Still have two I think