woods89
WKR
I spent some time this fall thinking about a specific type of hunt I do, and what rifle setup would be ideal for it. I'm going to lay out what I've come up with and also some questions that remain for those who have more experience than I. It's the off season, and we need productive things to discuss, right?
I have quite a lot of public land within 2 hours of my house. The terrain is rolling, and almost 100% timber. Mostly hardwood, with some pine, and lots of brushy areas. Deer densities are low, but there are deer to be killed, and some nice bucks die of old age in certain places.
In hunting some of these areas in the last 10 years, I have yet to shoot a deer over 80 yards away or so, and have shot them as close as 10 yards. Shots can happen quick, and lanes need to be picked on the fly. I rarely get a chance for a second shot, which to me means that I need a setup that allows very quick follow up shots to give me as many opportunities as possible. I occasionally still hunt, but most of the time I'm just sitting against a tree in terrain features that funnel deer. Most deer have been shot seated unsupported, or offhand, although sometimes I can use a pack, or hold the forend against a tree. I'm generally packing it in 1/2-2 mi, so lighter is better, within reason.
Currently my rifle of choice is a CZ 527 223, with a 3-9 SWFA with the old Mil Dot reticle. Ammo has been handloaded 69 gr TMK. This rifle has killed everything I've shot at, and frankly I can't complain about it. But the 1-9 twist keeps me from shooting the ideal bullets for that caliber. The 69 gr TMK have killed well, but they dont exit as often as I'd like. Often deer make it out of sight, and two holes is better than one. 9x top end on my scope is also way more than I need.
Conventional wisdom, of course, is some big, slow, "brush busting" bullet. Here's what I think would be ideal.
-223 bolt gun, 1-8 twist, barrel cut to 18", typical factory synthetic sporter stock, detachable mag system. 6 ARC would also work well, but my first choice would be a Tikka, and that's not a factory option.
-77 gr TMK, or 80 gr ELD-X if they seem to live up to expectations. We don't need BC or speed here, but good wounds without a lot of recoil.
-Aiming systems is where most of my questions lie. I think there'd be an argument for a fiber optic front/ghost ring rear set of irons, but having a peep and fiber optic front on my muzzleloader has made me realize that there is quite a bit of practical shooting time lost early and late, like 30 min+ between morning and evening. I think almost 100% of the shots I've taken I could have taken with a 1x red dot sight, but other than shooting some pigs with one at night in Texas about 10 years ago, I don't really know what the pros and cons are. Do they gather light decently? Or maybe a 1-4 or 1-6 scope?
- Otherwise this rifle would be as simple and streamlined as possible.
I'd love to hear from those of you with more experience than I. I'm not fixing to rush out and buy a rifle, but it may be warranted as I will probably spend a lot of time in the next 20 years hunting like this.
I have quite a lot of public land within 2 hours of my house. The terrain is rolling, and almost 100% timber. Mostly hardwood, with some pine, and lots of brushy areas. Deer densities are low, but there are deer to be killed, and some nice bucks die of old age in certain places.
In hunting some of these areas in the last 10 years, I have yet to shoot a deer over 80 yards away or so, and have shot them as close as 10 yards. Shots can happen quick, and lanes need to be picked on the fly. I rarely get a chance for a second shot, which to me means that I need a setup that allows very quick follow up shots to give me as many opportunities as possible. I occasionally still hunt, but most of the time I'm just sitting against a tree in terrain features that funnel deer. Most deer have been shot seated unsupported, or offhand, although sometimes I can use a pack, or hold the forend against a tree. I'm generally packing it in 1/2-2 mi, so lighter is better, within reason.
Currently my rifle of choice is a CZ 527 223, with a 3-9 SWFA with the old Mil Dot reticle. Ammo has been handloaded 69 gr TMK. This rifle has killed everything I've shot at, and frankly I can't complain about it. But the 1-9 twist keeps me from shooting the ideal bullets for that caliber. The 69 gr TMK have killed well, but they dont exit as often as I'd like. Often deer make it out of sight, and two holes is better than one. 9x top end on my scope is also way more than I need.
Conventional wisdom, of course, is some big, slow, "brush busting" bullet. Here's what I think would be ideal.
-223 bolt gun, 1-8 twist, barrel cut to 18", typical factory synthetic sporter stock, detachable mag system. 6 ARC would also work well, but my first choice would be a Tikka, and that's not a factory option.
-77 gr TMK, or 80 gr ELD-X if they seem to live up to expectations. We don't need BC or speed here, but good wounds without a lot of recoil.
-Aiming systems is where most of my questions lie. I think there'd be an argument for a fiber optic front/ghost ring rear set of irons, but having a peep and fiber optic front on my muzzleloader has made me realize that there is quite a bit of practical shooting time lost early and late, like 30 min+ between morning and evening. I think almost 100% of the shots I've taken I could have taken with a 1x red dot sight, but other than shooting some pigs with one at night in Texas about 10 years ago, I don't really know what the pros and cons are. Do they gather light decently? Or maybe a 1-4 or 1-6 scope?
- Otherwise this rifle would be as simple and streamlined as possible.
I'd love to hear from those of you with more experience than I. I'm not fixing to rush out and buy a rifle, but it may be warranted as I will probably spend a lot of time in the next 20 years hunting like this.
