Handsome Rob

Welp... I don't know where this thread has meandered off to, but I keep my shorty .44 lever gun behind the seat of my truck for the occasional coyote, fox or coyote I come across. While I'm away in Florida, Georgia, Alabama or Texas it serves as an impromptu "Oooh....a hog!" gun. I'd never really considered it as a self/truck defense weapon. The .45 between the seats, the .44 under the seat & the .22 mag in the ashtray have me covered for that. If it goes beyond that, they can have the damn truck!

Nice buck brother!

8 bore or 4?

Even so, over that time span I'd be amazed if the meat had actually started to turn. They maybe smelled gut & assumed it'd started to go off. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

I had it explained by a butcher friend of mine & it may or may not be true, but it sounded plausible at the time & I've always stuck by it. His theory is that as you're field dressing, hair & other large solid fall into the cavity. You're also separating the anus & can't always get 100% of everything out right away. The thing is, these contaminants tend to stick to the outer surface of the drying cavity & not move much. They're also contaminating a tiny area that is developing a dry film, essentially protecting the underlying meat. By spraying or washing the cavity, you're prolonging this drying process & swilling the contaminants over a larger area creating a larger likelihood of further bacterial contamination. Sounds plausible to me, but I wouldn't be surprised to find it's utter bunkum either! I do know a lot of guys that wipe the interior of dressed deer with a clean cloth soaked in a vinegar solution & swear by this method too. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

I always gut mine in the field, however I never wash the cavity (water = bacteria = spoilage) I've hung them at 40° for 7 days before & that was the tenderest, tastiest meat I've ever eaten. Even in early bow season, with temperatures in the 70s, I hang them overnight. I hang all my deer in a relatively stable basement, but the temperature is pretty much controlled by the outside ambient temperature.

Might I suggest a different processor in future? There is no way in hell a deer is going 'bad' overnight at 45° If it was inedible, you really would've known when you gutted him. I've intentionally hung deer for 24+ hrs in temperatures up to 50° & higher.

Kindness & generosity repays kindness & generosity. Not to blow my own trumpet, but a couple of years ago I offered to process a friend's deer, as thanks for letting me hunt his property. I processed a lot more than I hunted, because to me, the opportunity was worth it. His thinking was the exact opposite. The permission cost him nothing but the processing saved him a fortune. Christmas last year, he presented me with a stainless butcher's table & a brand new chest freezer as thanks. As far as I'm concerned he has free deer processing for life. You get back what you give in this life.

I'd definitely take the axis over the Ruger. Yes, the Ruger honestly is a better quality rifle, but the accuracy simply cannot compare. The axis is quite simply the most accurate, out of the box, sub $300 on the market right now. If you keep your eyes open, Cabelas often have them on sale at $249 with savage's $50 rebate. Seriously? $200 for a sub MOA rifle? That's why I've got one, I'll tell you that much!

Super old news. Ignore me. Sorry!

Walmart, every advert in Guns & Ammo, Soldier of Fortune magazine & 9 out of 10 Facebook gun pages.

(931)455-3904 The number that xsubsailor posted is for John Anderson. He's a spectacular traditional gun builder. He's also a fine friend of mine here in Tullahoma. Please give him a call. Chances are he'll do it while you wait.

My freezers are completely filled & there's still sooo much season left! (Plus a jaunt up in Indiana next week...) Can anyone point me towards some simple recipes for storing in jars?

FYI... The .17 Hornady hornet will chamber & fire in the Ackley hornet, from what I understand. I know the Hornady is commercially available, but I have no idea where you'd find it. I guess if you could, it'd be a quick way to form brass if nothing else.

The woods were good to me again today. That makes two tasty does since Sunday. One more & I'll start seriously looking for a good buck.

Nah, we kick you to death ;) Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Awww c'mooon......Forest Bondurant! Bane, off of the Batman!

Seriously??? :) They were London's original gangsters. Possibly the most famous post-1930s gangsters in history! Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

I rarely get all 6-year-old-girl frothy about a new movie but.... https://youtu.be/WVHlrfzLjd4 Tom Hardy as BOTH the Kray twins??

I know that if I had no other, better option, I wouldn't hesitate to take my .223 GSR.

I loaned out my (now no longer my) AR last year to a friend wanting to take his 10 year old on his first hunt. I have him my handloads of 62gn Gamekings & the wee bastard went & dropped a really nice 8pt at 150yds. I want to say he had about a 20yd recovery. I butchered the deer & the near side shoulder was pretty much inedible. I was honestly shocked how much damage it did! Anthony told me that it was like gutting a waterballoon.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandworm_(Dune) A possibility?

I have an old, old Simmons 12-25x60. It's not great, the FOV sucks & it's too small for low light, but it's super clear. It's good enough for glassing into shadows to 1000yds & I'd know if there were a deer or elk in there, but I couldn't tell how many points it would have. If I was in the market for a new one though, I honestly wouldn't look at anything under $600. Vortex would be a good choice. I'd also probably want an 80mm lense. I've learnt, especially with spotting scopes, that there is absolutely no such thing as cheap & good. At shooting ranges, pretty much anything will do, but if you want to know that the elk you're going to have to hike 3 miles for, losing & regaining 2000' of elevation for really is a 6x6, not a 5x5 you've already passed on, you've got to spend. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

If you want to pm me your number, I can put you on a really productive, although tiny, patch of TVA land in Franklin County. I've not hunted it yet this year without seeing deer. It's right next to a road & you'll be able to hear people's tvs, but it's a great spot!

If you're planning on coming back down this way to hunt Bear Hole, the best advice I can give you is wear GOOD walking boots, bring a big pack & make sure you know how to quarter a deer on the ground. It's super steep & it's all downhill to get in. Meaning: if you kill something, it's all UPhill to get it back out.