Monthly Archives: October 2021

Deer Hunting In Rain

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Some thoughts: Deer are largely crepuscular animals, meaning early morning and late afternoon they are up and feeding etc. Bucks are more nocturnal except during the rut.

But in heavy wind and rain, they are likely to bed early and feed in darkness because both their eyesight and hearing are compromised. With bushes swaying, and wind howling and rain pelting, I would stay in bed too. 

In the case of light rain or drizzle and little wind, deer will venture to feed and rut in late October. You will have a slight advantage as your leaf crunching footsteps will not be heard. Watch the wind always. Walk into or quarter into the wind to “still hunt”.  

Watch the weather for a lull. If the rain and wind subsides, be ready to hunt. I like to hunt in the afternoon when a front pushes through. This is because I can see better and, at least, be more careful as I enter the woods.

Be prepared to stay till dark. It is the first and last 1//2 hour of light when that buck may step out. Does and yearlings will be first. 

I have a plan to increase my vigilance and body preparedness like standing “at the ready” in the last hour of light. Keep movement to a minimum, if you have to move, scratch your nose etc., do it in slow motion.  I wear a face mask to keep the squirrels and chipmunks from detecting my face. Once detected, you may be chattered as an alarm to other wildlife. Then, if early morning,  you should either move away, but then again, perhaps mimic a deer encounter with grunts and  antler rattling so wildlife get the idea that it is just another rutting deer. A nearby buck may decide to come into the ruckus… so be ready. I have done this successfully and took a dandy eight pointer in southern New Hampshire 

I like to use my grunt or bleat call in both morning and near dusk. If a buck is in hearing range, he may come and investigate. Deer have uncanny hearing and can pinpoint you so use the grunt or deer bleat sparingly, unless you are staging a buck fight.  Then break and smash twigs and bushes to mimic a fight for a full minute. Watch and listen! You may have a buck rushing or stomping in. The more you know about what buck sign is visible such as rubs and scrapes the more you can plan and stage a fight.

Bucks do not bed with does, they bed where hidden and can smell the does from his bedding area. Be aware though that during the rut, bucks are not very far away from the does and like to bed higher on the surrounding landscape.

Really big bucks do not  make very many mistakes and are only stupid during the heavy part of the rut in early November. 

Watch that wind!

Good Hunting!

©Copyright 2021

.375 Ruger Reduced Load – Bullet Track in Ballistic Gel

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This ballistics get test is for those hand-loaders that are considering owning a .375 Ruger or already own one as I do.

Questions You May Ask

Can a .375 Ruger cartridge be easily hand loaded down for deer and bear? 

Is this bullet fast enough, powerful enough at a reduced speed for the New England deer and bear hunter?

To test these questions, I shot a reduced load 235 grain Speer Hot Core Semi-spitzer (almost a round nose) into 10% FBI Ballistic Gel at 2138 fps at point blank range to simulate animal tissue damage. See the video’s below. 

Recoil is similar to a muzzleloader, but perhaps the ballistic gel didn’t think so. Check it out!

 

Further examination of the gel in my kitchen sink below. My wife had just finished a batch of mustard pickle preserves as it is a very active kitchen. Note: No mustard pickles, onions or cauliflower were injured during this exam!

I was very impressed, after seeing the cavity expansion in the 235 grain bullet track in the first 10 inches on entrance.  The track was straight, actually exited all 32 inches of the block suggesting that the bullet easily held together.  No bullet fragments were observed. Black gel burn marks were observed in the first 10 to 15 inches of the bullet path. 

Because mushrooming of lead occurs as low as 1800 fps I would not exceed 125 yard shots. Great for mixed hardwood and softwood terrain. Most shots are taken at around 50 yards in New England North Woods.

Velocity and Energy Table Below

Calculated Table
Range Drop Drop Windage Windage Velocity Mach Energy Time Lead Lead
(yd) (in) (MOA) (in) (MOA) (ft/s) (none) (ft•lbs) (s) (in) (MOA)
0 -1.5 *** 0.0 *** 2138.0 1.991 2384.8 0.000 0.0 ***
25 -0.3 -1.3 0.1 0.4 2069.6 1.928 2234.6 0.036 1.3 4.8
50 0.3 0.6 0.4 0.8 2002.4 1.865 2091.8 0.072 2.6 4.9
75 0.5 0.6 0.9 1.2 1936.5 1.804 1956.4 0.111 3.9 5.0
100 -0.0 -0.0 1.7 1.6 1871.9 1.743 1828.0 0.150 5.3 5.0
125 -1.1 -0.8 2.7 2.1 1808.6 1.685 1706.6 0.191 6.7 5.1
150 -2.8 -1.8 4.0 2.5 1746.8 1.627 1591.9 0.233 8.2 5.2

Great deer and bear round for sure and likely moose too, even with reduced loads. Accurate? 1 inch or less at 100 yards..

 

Reduced Loads here.

More 375 Ruger Reduced Load data for Deer and Black Bear – Updated

Good Hunting!

©Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved

Ballistic Gel 6.5 Creedmoor Test Nosler 129g ABLR vs Hammer Hunter Copper 124g

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At New Hampshire Rifleman we tested both 6.5 Creedmoor bullets from Nosler and Hammer in 10% FBI formulated ballistic gel.   Tests were conducted at point blank range. Lets look at the ballistic gel blocks visually to see what happened.

For the test to be valid, e. g., apples to apples,  I needed a constant comparable speed for this test, thus both clock 2900 fps give or take so the wound channels would be comparable.

Below is the wound channel of the Hammer Hunter 124 grain at 2900 fps entering at left.

The dark color you see above is where the bullet burned the gel as it passed.  No simulated bone was or skin was placed on entry, just the gel. The bullet opened up at around 3.5 inches and fragments of petals can be seen flying after 8 to 10 inches of penetration  and exited the16 inch gel block. And the main bullet stopped at around 27 inches with more fragments in that second 16 inch block.

If moose size game is hit with this 124 grain bullet, the great  tissue damage along the 11 inch core damage track will bring him down as will the bullet at 27 inches. Note the bullet travel is in a straight line. 

Overall, the bullet lost 55 grains of copper in its travel but much of it would have exited a whitetail if hit broadside at that speed. 

At a slower speed, perhaps the fragments would spin off sooner aka in the middle of the deer adding to the possible DRT (drop right there)

Below is the wound channel from the 129 grain Nosler ABLR entering on the right and peaking energy we can see  at 4 to 5 inches inside. Where it can do the most damage as penetration progresses. I would opt for a much heavier bullet for moose.

 

The Nosler wound channel above appears more explosive but shorter in length. The bullet opens after 1/1/4 inches and does massive damage at five inches. Pieces of the Nosler bullet are seen in that explosive center. It lost around 58 grains of copper and lead in the first 6 inches of penetration but the core stayed together and entered the second block by 6 more inches.

Both bullets lost nearly the same weight. The Hammer bullet was able to turn those copper petals into more tissue damage.

Both bullets were recovered below.

Oct 14 target after ballistic test. Both bullets near 1/2 inch of each other at 100 yards. Nice!

Conclusion:

Both will kill deer humanely at that speed, and due to the major damage of the bullet travel cavities, the deer will likely drop right there. Expected terminal velocities on deer at 100 yards to be in the 2600 fps range. 

I like the fact that the Nosler opened up faster and delivered more energy to the ballistic gel. But both are great bullets, I would prefer heavier bullets for larger game. Of course the hammer hunter has no lead at all but finding those petals in the HH shot meat may bother me as I love my venison. 

More tests coming later for different bullet weights.

Good Hunting!

© Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved

 

 

Hammer Hunter: New USA Made Bullet On The Market – Initial velocity/ powderTests

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The “Hammer” Copper Hunter bullet is the new kid on the block. Like other copper hollow points, one version called the Hammer Hunter, opens with propeller like blades and folds back under high velocity to release the petals into five bullets. The base unit and the four petals still continue penetration.

What makes Hammer Bullets different?  They are US patented and made on a CNC lath with tight tolerances.

The bullets are designed for hand-loaders and the loader needs to have experience with loading rifle cartridge’s  cartridge load data and work up loads in a safe manner.

The first 6.5mm bullet I velocity tested in my Weatherby Vanguard Weatherguard 6.5 Creedmoor was the 124 grain Hammer Hunter (HH) because it lookes like a great deer hunting weight.

Bullet    Powder    Grain   Seat depth    Muz-Vel

124     H4350       42         2.805            2620

124     H4350      42.5       ” ”                 2653

124     H4350      43           ” ”                2665

I realized that this H4350 powder was slow. Next I had some Superformance Powder, so I loaded and chronographed these HH  below

124     Superf     47.5      2.795             2840

124    “”              48         “”                   2873

124    “”              48.5     “”                    2922

Next  I loaded 110 grain HH using Varget Powder

Bullet    Powder    Grain Seat Depth    Muz-Vel

110      Varget      40         <2.800         2946

110        “”           40.5         “”               2947

110       “”            41           “”                2956

110       ”              41.5       “”                 3010

Next the 85 grain HH

85        “”           43             “”                3200

Heavier HH bullets have not been test fired yet.

Cleaning the barrel with Hoppes #9, I produced 8 very dirty swabs and a quick bronze brushing, followed by a solvent swab that was satisfactorily clean. I am going to purchase some Boretech Cu+2 cleaner and some nylon brushes. The Boretech adds say it does not stink and says will not harm barrel. So we will give it a try.

I have learned to prep my hunting barrel with a fast evaporating solvent degreaser like KG Industries 3, because it removes lubricant and appears to make cold shots group with later shots in a warming barrel.

Note: I observed an on-line ballistics gel test at slower velocities, like from a long range hit, traveling 1700 to 1800 fps and the petals opened but remained attached. The test observer suggests lower than that speed, the petals did not open. Higher velocities and the petals do reliably detach aka at 2600 fps as mini bullets, and create a much larger wound channel.

We will do some ballistic gel tests at some point soon. 

So far I give the tests a big thumbs up.

© copyright 2021

 

Is The .375 Ruger A Good Brown Bear Gun?

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A search on the web by a hunter asks;

Is the .375 Ruger a good brown bear gun?

The .375 Ruger is used world wide to take many dangerous and non-dangerous game species. Here in North America, I believe it excels at taking giant Kodiak brown bear.

It has 6% more powder case capacity than the mighty .375 Holland and Holland Magnum, made famous in Africa. The .375 Ruger is not a belted cartridge and easily feeds in a standard length bolt action. Racking a second round is faster perhaps than the Holland round. And you just may need it. 

I have owned and hunted with this rifle caliber in the Ruger M77 African for several years. I love it!

Below I was in training for my Newfoundland Moose Hunt with it in my Bog Death Grip. I was shooting 300 grain Nosler AccuBonds at 150 yards. 

It did the trick with one shot on this smaller antlered adult bull moose at 100 yards in a 20 -30 mph snow squall. He stood bewildered for a moment and fell dead right there (DRT as they say). With a Pachmayr Decelerator Recoil Pad, its like shooting a 30-06. Free standing the recoil is more of a hard push. Accuracy? It shoots sub-MOA, less than an inch at 100 yards.

Shot placement, is key.

On brown bear I would opt for a Hornady DGX (Dangerous Game Expanding Load). It costs about $70 dollars for a box of 20 rounds. I shot some DGX while testing the Ruger African at 50 yards on a bench rest. All three rounds in the same hole. That put a smile on my face!

https://www.hornady.com/bullets/rifle/375-cal-.375-300-gr-dgx-bonded#!/

Remember, A bullet in the foot of a brown bear will just enrage him. You have to place that bullet in the heart/lung area. Head brain shots are not recommended. Besides, you can’t enter a blown apart skull in Boone and Crocket record book. Practice with at least 3 shot fast groups to learn to work the bolt. If the bear is closer than 50 yards, you may likely need that skill. 

Below are some questions the experts in Alaska answer.

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=kodiakbear.ko+

iakfaqs#shoot

Hope that helps!

Good Hunting!

©Copyright 2021

COVID 19- Africa’s Conservation and Trophy Hunting Dilemma

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I had just finished my recent article to hunt Africa when I came across an article suggesting a dilemma. In the wake of COVID; To Conserve or Hunt?

A little education is in order here. Conservation is inclusive of Hunting. The term Preservation done on a country scale is to disclude hunting and unfortunately insures the reverse of wildlife and habitat safety.  Wildlife will self-destruct the biodiversity of the landscape by over population and destruction of plant, trees and other wildlife that make up the ecosystem. 

In Africa as in the rest of the world; Conservation requires the use of Hunting as a management and essential funding tool to manage, species, diversity, land use, interaction with humans. Funding in the Billions of dollars. 

The facts are that with COVID 19 raging world wide that ecotourism and trophy hunting in Africa has been hurt badly. But it is recognized by scientists and managers that eco-tourism and photo tourism does not generate the funds to create flourishing business and commerce, nor  pay enough for proper wildlife management.

Quote from the website below:

“Wildlife conservation hasn’t escaped the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is largely due to the fact that tourism funding, which supports the conservation of wide swaths of Africa and some 23 million livelihoods, has all but dried up.

Wildlife-based tourism in Africa is worth approximately US$71 billion annually. Much of this funds the management of protected areas. For example, the protection of just one white rhinoceros at Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy costs about US$10,000 each year.

Since the start of the pandemic there’s been a cut to funds for anti-poaching, surveillance and fence line management in most African reserves. Trophy hunting is a key source of this funding. It contributes an estimated $200 million to economies across the continent annually.

Trophy hunting takes place across much of sub-Saharan Africa with South Africa, Namibia and Tanzania holding the lion’s share of the market. The debate over its utility as a source of conservation revenue takes on a new urgency in the light of COVID-19.”

https://theconversation.com/covid-19-africas-conservation-and-trophy-hunting-dilemma-140029

Without hunting, Africa and ALL its wildlife will surely be on the endangered species list and that includes the rest of the wide world as well.

Hunting provides billions of pound of lean organic protein for human consumption and a connection with the land, earth, and our DNA as hunter gatherers.

And I am so glad to be a part of it.

Good Hunting!

 

 

 

Africa Safari Hunting On Your Bucket List?

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Is Africa Safari Hunting on your Bucket List?
Maybe now is the time…

Safari Packages for 2021 and 2022 are ready.

Quote on COVID from website below.

“There is currently NO COVID vaccine requirement and NO quarantine for travelers who present a negative COVID test. There are currently direct flights running to South Africa from the United States, Europe, Dubai (UAE), and Doha (Qatar) on United, Delta, KLM, Emirates, and Qatar Airways.”

If Africa is on your bucket list, now is the time to do the research. Below is Big Game Hunting Adventures in Africa.

2024-2025 South African Hunting Safari Packages

I published my African Safari e-book Kindle edition and it is sold on Amazon for only $12.99. It was a father son hunt in South Africa and was worth every penny. The link is   African Safari Rifle and Bow And Arrow . I share our first time Safari hunt experiences, dangers, surprises, joys and getting your mounts back home. 

I hunted with bow and rifle and scored high in SCI like my Gold Medal Kudu below. 

We visited a place called Wonderwerk Cave and saw cave painting and stone spear heads and learned about our ancestral roots dating back tens of thousands of years and more. That’s in the Kindle book too. All together we took 1 Kudu, 1 Gemsbok, 1 Red Hartebeest, 3 Impala, 2 Blesbok, 1 Springbok, and an Ostrich. in a weeks time. We got to eat wild game prepared for us from our hunt each day and had a roaring campfire every night. Check it on the net, you’ll be glad you did.

Good Hunting!

© Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved.

 

 

 

Northern NH and Maine Deer, Bear and Moose Woods-Be Prepared Where is your checklist?

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Each big game animal hunt in far off place has its own check list. Common to all hunts is clothing, safety, communication, hunting laws, and tools to care for game meat and a way to get your game back to your car or truck.

Getting lost or turned around in the north woods happens every day even by experienced hunters like you and me. 

Clothing

Clothing is perhaps the most overlooked area. Camo or Orange depends on laws and timing of the hunt. Dress in layers so that after the sun comes out and you climb a hill you don’t sweat. In the deer woods, wearing a white or a tan colored shirt as an under garment should be avoided. Folks over the years have been killed or wounded as a novice hunter thinks its a deer tail or even a deer. I like green and darker colors so that if I have to change a layer, I am color safe. Today there are many choices of jackets and pants. You want them to keep you warm but able to breath and wick moisture away as well as have some water repellency. Socks should be thick enough to keep feet warm yet fit not too tightly in boots. Boots are vital so spend money and get the best for your feet. Water Proof and Warm. Hats are essential in cold weather as much of your body heat is lost via your head and neck. I was able to harvest a moose in Newfoundland just because I paid attention to clothing and a thermal head and face mask. The wind was blowing at least 20 mph every day and gusts to 30 mph making it feel below zero. It was only October!

Safety & Survival

Safety is having piece of mind that you have covered all the bases. Maine Hunter Ed Offer a checklist that is comprehensive. See the websites below.

https://www.hunter-ed.com/maine/studyGuide/Survival-Kit-Requirements-for-Maine/20102201_150873/

Click to access maine-survival-kit.pdf

Grey Squirrel Stew- Sooo Good!

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I must admit that I hunt big game more often than I squirrel hunt. But when I do, i recall my youth and get out my sharp shooter skills with .22 rimfire, it feels good. Years back when my kids were learning to hunt, squirrel was on the menu all the time. A chest shot is fine to take them down but a head shot is better. Accordingly, the head shot is what we strive for, but it doesn’t always happen. Missing a shot at a squirrel is easy to do.

I am fortunate to have recently bagged three grey squirrels and was going to make a stew for  my grandkids. But, alas we were having difficulty with family schedules as they live an hour away and are homeschooling.

Skinning a squirrel is a straight forward proposition but the skin takes work to pull away from the meat. Once complete everything else is easy. I use a small knife and sharp small game shears. 

I decided to cook all three for my wife and I , besides I thought it was best for my son to take one of his children hunting for their own full experience from field to frying pan.

I separated the legs from the body and halved the body for browning all parts together.

I dusted them with flour and browned the meat in a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Then, on to pressure cook the meat for 14 minutes with 2 cups beef broth or bullion infused water with some salt and pepper, garlic powder, thyme and a bay leaf. It was perfect time, 14 minutes, as the meat was very tender. Some folks debone the meat after cooking. I like it on the bone. 

 

I chopped stew veggies like carrot, celery, onion and potato and pressure cooked those for 7 minutes. Mixing the cooked meat and veggies allowed the flour to help thicken the stew. Below is a small tasty meal.

OMG it tastes like leg or thigh chicken meat and no hint of wild to it. One squirrel makes a meal but I would cook more for leftovers.

Happy Hunting and Cooking.

©Copyright 2021

Kendall Jones on Hunting

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Turning Point USA Kendall Jones writes:

https://www.tpusa.com/live/exotic-hunting-is-essential-around-the-world

“Most of y’all know I have hunted around the world for a lot of different species. I have seen different cultures and the way of life in other countries. It has truly been life-changing, and I am forever thankful for these experiences. It’s something you can’t really fathom until you experience it for yourself.

One of the most common questions I get in regards to hunting “exotic” species is, “Do people really eat that?”

I can assure you, people in rural third-world countries eat EVERYTHING! For us, in America, it’s hard to understand that people really do eat elephants and lions instead of just going to a local grocery store down the road and grabbing beef. It’s important to realize that not everyone has access to places like that and/or can’t afford it.

Hunting in countries like South Africa or Zimbabwe, locals rely on hunters to get meat and protein. For those people, it’s their way of life.

I have seen firsthand local village tribes showing up once an elephant is killed to help skin the animal so that they can take some of the meat back to their village. When I harvested an elephant, I witnessed over 300 villagers show up to do their part and get the reward of the animal’s meat.

I came across this post from blood origins that is very powerful:”

See the website above for the post:

I responded with these comments:

Kendall, Your a brave woman to write this article. It is much needed to thwart the crazy lefts idea that we are
killing just for fun. Conservation of the species allows us to hunt the excess or land damaging population and connect with the local culture with money, gifts and friendship. As a lifelong deer hunter and one time hunter of Africa, I saw first hand the 100% utilization of game meat. The dollars spent go toward supporting those animals. Without those huge hunter funds, these animals an the land languish and wither. Here at home we have a family rule, if you kill it, you eat it unless it is a pest animal. In Africa we cannot bring the meat home but rest assured, it is hugely welcome by villagers. My wife is a non-hunter and over 50 years she is very supportive of hunting, cooking and consuming delicious organic game meat.

Good Hunting!