Which one to hunt with....

[AJMD429]

I have had a(nother) sucky year financially, thanks to the remnants of O'Bummer-care, and being too trusting with regards to 'handshake-agreements'. So Thanksgiving week I was destined to pour over a years worth of accounting data, all five bank-accounts required to do things the proper Medicare way, and the other usual get-ready-for-winter tasks for the homestead.

However, I bought the very-expensive Big Horn Armory Model 89 five years ago, celebrating what was intended to be a great business direction (I'd have made $1,050,000 had I taken the 'employee of the hospital' options - which would require what I consider gross violations of the Hippocratic Oath - instead I've made maybe a net of $75,000 total over those five years.... ...but I haven't sold my soul, so that's a good thing, and nobody forced me to do anything, so I really can't complain....but I still do.... ). It is by far the most expensive gun I've ever owned, so I decided this year maybe I should HUNT with it.

However, I'd also bought a used Marlin 336 in 35 Remington years ago, and never hunted with that ideal deer cartridge either....I always just default to my Marlin 1894 in 44 Mag, just like when I go to certain restaurants I always order what I know is good there, and don't 'experiment' with new dishes. Shame on me.

So here are the choices I faced....

Screenshot_2018-11-22-20-07-23-1.png

Note the 500 S&W BHA 89 levergun is actually slightly smaller than my 44 Mag Marlin 1894....so no excuse not to use it, right....?

Then, on Thanksgiving day (granted, our family will get together tomorrow due to work schedules), in the midst of printing out over 240 pages of bank-statements, and re-doing a 40-page spreadsheet for the fiftieth time, I just got 'cabin fever', and HAD to go out and shoot SOMETHING... Fortunately I live in a place where I can do just that - if I owned one, I could shoot a 50 BMG any time I want, right in my back yard. So, my choices were:

Shoot a gong, with:
. a) my carry-gun
. b) one of my 44 Magnums
. c) some 'thumper' category rifle - perhaps my Garand, or my 500 S&W...

Shoot some Tannerite:
. (nah...too much work, plus as genuine Rednecks, we'll shoot that tomorrow at the fambly get-together...

Do a Mag-Dump:
. a) my shorty-AR - nah, I just put a 300 Blk barrel on it, and don't have that much 300 Blk to waste.
. b) my Mini-14 - haven't shot that in awhile, but don't want to waste any 223 ammo as I'm low on it.

Decisions, decisions....

So I figure I need to check my deer-stand anyway, if I'm going to hunt this weekend, and I'll just take one of my 'deer rifles' along to get used to it, and get the feel of the stand/gun/weather and so on.

Since I don't have time to really 'hunt', and need to get back to the spreadsheet garbage, I don't bother to get out my 'hunting clothes', but just put on the coveralls I have handy, and the boots in the furnace room. I do grab my orange cap, and out I go. I decide to take the Big Horn Armory rifle, since I feel guilty owning such a great firearm, and not using it for anything important. Besides, I don't plan on actually taking a shot anyway, especially one that would need the extra 'reach' of the 35 Remington trajectory.

I go out to where my stand is....or was....and realize I'd moved it this spring....I think I know where....but now I've made all sorts of noise in the dry leaves, and going where I didn't need to go anyway....so I mosey towards the new stand site, and decide it might be better to sing and make noise, since 'sneaky' people scare deer more than dumb/noisy people. (...and I'm really good at being dumb and noisy... )

I get to the stand, climb in, making all sorts of noise, as I have to slough a bunch of crackly dry leaves that are stuck in the mesh seat off, and I finally settle into place.

After 20-30 minutes of being tempted to see what a Grizzly Big-Bore factory 370 grain hard-cast flat-point at 1500 fps would do to an annoying squirrel or two[ ], I hear a deer-walking noise off to my right/rear....of course the worst angle of approach. Sure enough, it is a small buck, and while he is behind a beech tree from me, I am able to twist and turn and get into a halfway decent 'shooting position' and wait. Quartering away from me and slowly walking, I take the shot, and the deer just bolts away full-speed....did I not have the gun sighted-in like I thought...??? Then the deer stumbles and bowls over at about 25 yards, the result of that flat point bullet going clear through the chest cavity, and tearing off the top of the heart in the process.

Screenshot_2018-11-22-20-07-04-1.png

He drops at the edge of our 'shooting range', so I can even back up the tractor right to him.

Screenshot_2018-11-22-20-06-49-1.png

For a lazy, unprepared, geezer of a hunter, I reckon I got some meat.

Now, back to the spreadsheets, but with a much better attitude...!

[crs]

Congratulations on the gun and the deer. You should have some good tender venison soon.

Plus your clear conscience will let you sleep well.

[JerryB]

Sounds like you had a good day in spite of your self, a great day after all with a great rifle.

[AJMD429]

Info on the BHA 500 S&W - http://www.bighornarmory.com/catalog/bi ... carbine-2/.

Power-wise it is overkill for deer, but I wanted a big bore lever action in the same power range as Ruger 45-70 loads, without having to worry about over-stressing my Marlin Guide Gun with hot loads. The shorter and fatter cartridge is a nice compromise in the "89" action, and very modest loads make very big holes with loads that are way under the pressure maximum for that gun. The gun itself is even shorter than my 1894, with about the same heft as my Guide Gun, holds 8 instead of 6, and even with maximum loads is pleasant to shoot. The nitride-on-stainless finish is Glock-tough but beautiful against the walnut stock. (Mine looks pretty much identical to the stock photo below from their website).



Nothing to dislike but the price, but I've spent sillier money on stupider things.

Jeff reviewed them on GunBlast aways back: https://youtu.be/FMM2_p6xuJQ.

[Griff]

Sounds like you had a good day in spite of your self, a great day after all with a great rifle.

Congratulations on the gun and the deer. You should have some good tender venison soon.
Plus your clear conscience will let you sleep well.

[fordwannabe]

Well done, Doc. I hope that this country gets healthcare figured out....but I ain’t holding my breath.

[Nath]

some guy's get all the luck.
Enjoy your venison.

N.

[GunnyMack]

Well Doc you have 'blooded' one that you have obviously wanted to use, that's great! It's nice to blow off steam in a productive way.
I did a similar thing while I was putting the addition on my parents house years ago. Just having a bad day so I threw in the towel, grabbed my roundball gun and went out back. Within 10 minutes a doe came up the hill and I put a .54 through her side. Then I jumped on the lawn tractor to drag her up the hill. All said not more than 20 minutes.

Now grab that 35 Rem and got get another!

[2ndovc]

Way Cool, Doc!

Last summer there our local Cabela's had one of the BHA .500 in their "Library". Story was the guy shot it twice and brought it back.

I went back to look at it a couple of times, then it dissapeared. If it had been a .460 S&W I'm pretty sure I would have bought it the first time I looked at it, since I already had components for it.

Good to hear you got to put it to work!

jb

[gamekeeper]

Congratulations Doc, time well spent, just like the doctor ordered ….....

[Pitchy]

Cool beans, nice looking buck congrats.

[Bill in Oregon]

Nice buck for the table Doc, and your attitude adjustment was priceless. God bless you and yours in the year ahead.

[FWiedner]

It's interesting how killing something makes doing taxes more tolerable.

[AJMD429]

It's interesting how killing something makes doing taxes more tolerable.

So true....!

[Les Staley]

Congrats, Doc on first blood with the BHA Levergun! Great choice for an afternoon break from paperwork. Havent blooded mine yet. Guess I should take it for a walk this weekend. Got an antlerless deer to kill. (that was what I was after, when the little eight point got in the mix).

[Rusty]

Congratulations Doc! Jr.took his new bride to Ga to hunt camp for their honeymoon. He killed a doe on Monday.

For the record have you ever written a review on the BHA? Wondering what your opinion of it is after having it for a while. Would you do it again?

[Blaine]

Beautiful rifle. Wonderful write-up.
Since the bratty Socialists have stolen the House I doubt if healthcare will get any easier for any of us. I wish you the best.

[piller]

Now that Pee-lousy will be back in power, there is no chance to remove the UnAffordable Care-less Act-up until another election. Healthcare in America is still a tax and is still administered by the IRS. I don't like how the law doesn't let my profession have a raise. No raises and fewer hours than when we were free. I hope Nancy Pee-lousy dies of a painful aneurysm for what she has done.
Rant off.

That Big Horn Armory .50 caliber is a nice looking levergun. Buck Elliot designed a rifle similar to it. Seems as those who know what they are doing in their chosen field often solve problems almost the same way.

[AJMD429]

For the record have you ever written a review on the BHA? Wondering what your opinion of it is after having it for a while. Would you do it again?

I guess this post is really the only 'Review' I've posted on the BHA.

It definitely IS on the "If I Could Only Have a Dozen Guns" list. Add a 32-20 levergun and just between those two you could cover most hunting needs.

It and my 375 Ruger Hawkeye Alaskan would be the top two powerhouse guns. Either one will flatten any terrestial being I'll ever encounter.

It has the same heft and balance as a Marlin Guide Gun, but: bigger hole, more power, and even holds eight rounds vs six (not that you're likely to need them unless MS-13 is after you).

[Pete44ru]

.

Rx for Doc AJ:

Take 1 gun on Monday, another on Tuesday, and a 3rd on Wednesday.

Repeat as req'd (aka: PRN/pro re nata)………….




.

[Paladin]

Sorry, about the still own your soul decision having to be made. My partner in AK made the same decision to the same end and suffers from the same time restraints. Glad your escape worked out. For the last three hunts, I set up in AK he hasn't made one yet even the jet boat camp up the Tanner river. Hopefully, the Federal Judges decision revoking Obummer care will help.

[piller]

I would like to shake that Judge's hand. If it works out right, I could see my take home pay stop falling and maybe even rise for the first time in 5 years. John McCain could have been the deciding vote, but he Bravo Foxtrotted everyone again.

Anyway, the Marlin 336 in .35 Remington is one heck of a nice rifle/cartridge. I have only blooded mine once, but it worked out better than I did. I hope yours gets to take a deer someday.