This Maven has been bouncing around and climbing up steep rough roads in the Jeep for the last 4 days. It’s also spent a lot of hours a day running around the mountains chasing deer. I’ve been hand carrying it or strapping to the outside of my pack. I have a mountain lion tag plus it’s being used as a backup rifle so it’s going everywhere I go while guiding.
It’s definitely seen some bumps along the way nothing too terrible other than last night… We were leaving a glassing spot after dark and my buddies nephew accidentally bumped the rifle and tipped it over off the long bipod onto rocky sand. The scope seemed fine, no damage to glass, just a scuff mark on the windage turret cap.
After hunting this morning I got down off the mountain and checked zero before heading home for Christmas stuff. It still shot a full magazine 3 round group dead center at 200 yards. No issues. Makes me feel really good about the delivery system as a whole.
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We’ve located 6 bucks so far two of which he wanted to go after. I put him onto a really cool 3x3 this morning which didn’t work out. He also missed an absolute dandy 4x4 at 363 yards yesterday. A really cool buck with a bloodied up face and missing an eye, he was chasing a doe which kept him nice and distracted.
I got him set up onto my rifle for a follow up shot with the deer moving away. He had moved out to 571 before the kid was ready and I told him to not take the shot. The deer never really quit moving and I don’t trust him to make that shot.
17 degree downhill angle, a bit tricky, kneeling position but with solid front and rear rests. Practice your different field positions folks!
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We will be back out on the 26th until the 31st if needed. The Maven will be along for some more field trials. Likely will be used to kill at this point if we kill a deer, as I don’t trust this kids rifle and scope.