Getting Ready?

I’m ready to hit the woods as soon as I can. Unfortunately I’ll once again miss the beginning of bow season which is always the best time for me up her in the N GA mountains. Always harder for me later in the season as they get skittish, etc. I can’t remember what was going on last year but I was late then too and for the first time in years I didn’t get one with an arrow. This year we will be in the middle of a Cruise for my wife when the season starts in GA... Bow season starts Sept 14 and we won’t be back and able to get up there until about the 25th. I’ll be using my crossbow this year since I didn’t practice with my bow enough to feel good about it. Have been working on the restoration of my old truck this past month and should have taken some time each day to shoot.
The hurricane that passed through south GA last year decimated my friends farm so we didn’t get any hunting in down there at all. Looking forward to seeing him and getting in some hunting there. Much larger and more deer than I have up here on our property. We usually all get together there first for the last couple days of muzzleloader and the first couple days of firearm season.
I’ve had a Leupold VXiii 3.5-10 on my Browning Stainless A-bolt 270 since I bought it new over 30 years ago. Had to run all over north Ga that year “hunting” for a gun store that had one of the first/new stainless rifles. I’ve got several other rifles now but that is still my old reliable.
A few months ago I refinished and completed a half-assed build the previous owner had attempted on a flintlock Kit. Picked it up for $25.00. Spent a good amount of time refitting the stock and browning the barrel. I’m anxious to give it a try with a flintlock. I’ve taken many with a traditional percussion “plains rifle” and also a modern in-line when the weather is bad. However, never tried with a flintlock where you have that lag time between trigger pull and the bang...
I’m always afraid to start swapping scopes or dialing in new loads right before the season starts but a few weeks is plenty of time to get it right and get comfortable.
What load are you going to be using in Colorado? Do you use factory or handloaded ammo?

 

Well I've got to say that I've been getting ready for the last 5 months. And have just about gone broke doing it this year anytime I went to the woods I carried something else down there. This year I bought 2 additional 350 lbs. gravity protein feeders a cell deer camera, and have been running soybeans in 3 different gravity feeders since April. On the average I'm feeding 100 lbs. a week at each feeder, and getting anywhere from 500-1,500 pictures at each per week. I have seen hogs at one feeder a couple a of times and coons at another feeder but I've started taking them out. Sadly enough I haven't seen any big bucks at these locations just yet but when the rut gets right they will be looking for the ladies. I've also laid eyes on a really nice racked buck that I will be hunting because he is one of the biggest bucks that I've seen in this club. Two week ago myself and another guy started filling and running the rest of the club feeders. We also started setting some of the hog traps to catch and cut some of the boars. Plus I've been trying to put in for quotas. So I'd say yeah I've been at it just a little bit.

 

You’ve been working hard at it bossman. I used t9 put corn out a while before my parents would come visit because they liked to watch the deer. Had to give that up though because of all the bears.
What kind of cell game camera did you get and what does that cost you per month?

 

It is a newer camera called "Exodus" They company that has come out selling cameras that are made to last longer than a year or two. They have what they call a 5 year no BS warranty and they stand behind it very well. As far as cost per month you get a Verizon data plan that cost $10 and it could go up from there depends on how many pictures you download. Most people say they never go over $15 a month.

 

Great. Thanks for the info. I’ll check in to those. My biggest problem is lack of signal in most areas and at most times on our land...

 

Always blame the ammo
Some of my rifles are exceptionally sensitive to barrel heat. I’ve found that even though perfectly floated, by the time I get to that 3rd or 4th successive shot it will start spraying them all over the place. If I make myself wait a long cool-down period in between each shot they will stay in tight.

 

Most people that don’t do a lot of shooting never realize how much of a huge difference you can get with accuracy and group size and impact point from one cartridge and load to another. Some guns are fussier than others but there will always be a difference. I used to spend a lot of time and really have fun playing with various bullet designs, weights and powders, and keeping logs to try and find the most accurate handload. The one variable that seems to make the biggest difference for me with bolt and single shot actions was getting that OAL so the bullet was just a thousandth from touching the lands. Of course when you do that you have to make sure you don’t mix your cartridges and use them in the wrong rifle...
Sounds like you have spent a lot of time so far experimenting and getting it dialed in. I hope you get the shot you are looking for this season. Always makes me cringe when I hear about or see the guys buying a new box of shells to use the next day or without even test firing prior to the hunt. The Nosler ballistic tip has always been one of my favorites but I know the partition is probably a better choice and has a better reputation for game larger than whitetail.

 

Under 1.5” at 225’ is awesome. When’s the trip?

 

Good luck and have a great trip.

 

Sounds like you have the bases covered. I would sure be excited. If you are like me, you have almost as much fun planning for and getting prepped for the trip. I would love to see a satellite image of the area you will be in (if you can do so without giving away your location).
I’ll be doing the exact opposite next week... Our first annual hunt at my buddies in S. GA was scheduled for this weekend but I was going to miss it due to my dad visiting. Lucked-up though with the storm because my friend postponed our visit until next weekend due to bad weather. Unfortunately all of my gear is 8 hrs away up in the GA mountains. My dad doesn’t leave until Wed night and I’m not up to an 8 hr drive Thursday only to come right back early Fri. So... I’ll be hunting with a borrowed rifle sans camo, binoculars, calls, and all my other usual goodies. Hey, this could work out though. Ever notice how the guests with no experience or gear always seem to kill a big boy with the borrowed rifle?