weather is here.

Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
1,086
Location
Chico, California
Well here it is NorCal B and C zones are open. D3-5 opens this week and we have a storm system. I am stoked. may actually get to hunt in snow in california. Seems most years now I am hunting in 80 degree weather wearing a t-shirt and light pants. I will be up above 6000 feet tonight looking for those deer to start moving. I am sure they are already moving now but I want that one special buck.

Good luck everyone. This is what we hope for.

BT
 

amassi

WKR
Joined
May 26, 2018
Messages
3,658
This little system probably wont move anything. Just makes em easier to spot tuesday morning when it blows out

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Joined
Dec 10, 2018
Messages
454
Location
Santa Rosa Ca
I got a buddy headed up into the D’s looking at lows in the teens. I’m hopeful for him. It’d be cool if this weather stirred up the Bzone bucks
 

MeatBuck

WKR
Joined
Aug 30, 2018
Messages
783
Location
woodpile, Commiefornia
B zone bucks were stirred up. Unfortunately I'm tagged out and had to pass on an 18" 4x4 Monday morning. Headed back there with the ol lady this weekend, hopefully she can fill her tag with him or one of his two sidekicks.
 
OP
Huntindog45
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
1,086
Location
Chico, California
it had the deer in C4 running for the low land. i went out to some mid level areas yesterday in butte county and it looked like freeways running off the mountains. unfortunately i was not able to put cross hairs on a worthwhile buck but I hear a lot of people did including one buck killed by a kid that is unreal. wasnt my buck so i wont post the picture but it is HUGE.
 
Joined
Dec 10, 2018
Messages
454
Location
Santa Rosa Ca
Supposed to be decent for me this weekend. Looking at an overall high of 85 for the weekend and lows in the 30’s... still better than most years. I saw a pic of a B6 buck with an almost all white back ground and a chocolate horned 4x4 piled up in the snow. And a big 3x3 from somewhere near pioneer...

With one tag filled I’m playing outfitter for a family member and a couple buddy’s so I’m going to try to be selective. I’ve got a few people that get to throw copper before me...

Good luck to everyone, be safe out there and shoot straight.
 

mod700

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 2, 2016
Messages
243
Location
Magalia Ca.
Brooks is right, these deer in our neck of the woods move with the first storms, I was up in the snow opening Sunday in the coveted D3 checking out some new ground, cut 3 sets of fresh tracks , no fur seen. Got a few friends who have punched their tags. Got a couple of friends with cameras out, up higher, had a big push on migration trails between bow season, and opening of rifle. Good luck to all.....
Mike
 

MeatBuck

WKR
Joined
Aug 30, 2018
Messages
783
Location
woodpile, Commiefornia
B zone bucks were stirred up. Unfortunately I'm tagged out and had to pass on an 18" 4x4 Monday morning. Headed back there with the ol lady this weekend, hopefully she can fill her tag with him or one of his two sidekicks.
Well everything worked out perfectly until the buck didn't go down after the shot... 380yds, she smacked him in the shoulder but the buck held his footing with his three good legs and while I looked down to help her dial back the scope for a follow up shot he made his final move out of sight. Within 10 minutes of the shot a coyote comes right to the spot the buck had been. As I'm about to squeeze one off at him he suddenly bolts towards the timber the buck had gone to. Cuts down hill then back into the timber. We sat and watched and listened but nothing.
Next morning we go out to look for her buck but only find 8 small drops of blood and no dead buck anywhere. Tracks were hard to distinguish in the loose rocky ground and after putting in ten miles between us we called it a loss.
We were able to recover the large chocolate phase bear I'd crippled at 500yds the weekend before. Needless to say there was no useable meat there. Took the skull (pushing 20") and because I did so I had to fill out my tag and follow validation and tooth removal procedure.
Both of us are bummed and won't be taking anymore long shots with these federal trophy copper 130gr. Will work up a better heavier load for new lr rifle build in the off season.
In the meantime I'm goin back in midweek to hopefully see the buck in three wheel motion or worst case, dead and we can recover his rack.
Wish I could blame the copper but not knowing exact point of impact on the buck has me second guessing things. Can however curse that damned coyote. Buck probably bedded after the shot and was going to die there but coyote pushed him who knows how far and ruined any chance we had of finding him.
 
Joined
Oct 8, 2012
Messages
2,123
Meat- That’s a shame man. What rifle are you shooting the 130gr in? Lead free IMO needs high velocity especially if shooting longer ranges to work well. My personal rule is 2000fps with most monos is reliable expansion excluding Hammer, cutting edge and LRX.
A great choice for anyone handloading lead free is the Hammer bullets. They are a much better design than most other mono bullets.
 
Last edited:

amassi

WKR
Joined
May 26, 2018
Messages
3,658
Well everything worked out perfectly until the buck didn't go down after the shot... 380yds, she smacked him in the shoulder but the buck held his footing with his three good legs and while I looked down to help her dial back the scope for a follow up shot he made his final move out of sight. Within 10 minutes of the shot a coyote comes right to the spot the buck had been. As I'm about to squeeze one off at him he suddenly bolts towards the timber the buck had gone to. Cuts down hill then back into the timber. We sat and watched and listened but nothing.
Next morning we go out to look for her buck but only find 8 small drops of blood and no dead buck anywhere. Tracks were hard to distinguish in the loose rocky ground and after putting in ten miles between us we called it a loss.
We were able to recover the large chocolate phase bear I'd crippled at 500yds the weekend before. Needless to say there was no useable meat there. Took the skull (pushing 20") and because I did so I had to fill out my tag and follow validation and tooth removal procedure.
Both of us are bummed and won't be taking anymore long shots with these federal trophy copper 130gr. Will work up a better heavier load for new lr rifle build in the off season.
In the meantime I'm goin back in midweek to hopefully see the buck in three wheel motion or worst case, dead and we can recover his rack.
Wish I could blame the copper but not knowing exact point of impact on the buck has me second guessing things. Can however curse that damned coyote. Buck probably bedded after the shot and was going to die there but coyote pushed him who knows how far and ruined any chance we had of finding him.
Man that's tough
Try the barnes lrx, you'll gain some useable yardage back
Assuming your shooting a 270, the 129 lrx shoots great

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MeatBuck

WKR
Joined
Aug 30, 2018
Messages
783
Location
woodpile, Commiefornia
Meat- That’s a shame man. What rifle are you shooting the 130gr in? Lead free IMO needs high velocity especially if shooting longer ranges to work well. My personal rule is 2000fps with most monos is reliable expansion excluding Hammer, cutting edge and LRX.
A great choice for anyone handloading lead free is the Hammer bullets. They are a much better design than most other mono bullets.
.270wsm
I'm going to get the hammer hunters in 156gr. I have Berger eol elite hunter 170s in lead that I want to be able to interchange for out of state and practicing with.
 

amassi

WKR
Joined
May 26, 2018
Messages
3,658
.270wsm
I'm going to get the hammer hunters in 156gr. I have Berger eol elite hunter 170s in lead that I want to be able to interchange for out of state and practicing with.
You have a 8 twist or faster? That's a super long bullet, you'll soak up alot of the wsm case capacity if your chamber has saami freebore.
The 117 or 126 might be a better choice if you have a factory rifle

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MeatBuck

WKR
Joined
Aug 30, 2018
Messages
783
Location
woodpile, Commiefornia
You have a 8 twist or faster? That's a super long bullet, you'll soak up alot of the wsm case capacity if your chamber has saami freebore.
The 117 or 126 might be a better choice if you have a factory rifle

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Yes as part of the lr build I purchased a Lilja #6 stainless 1-8 twist diamond fluted barrel.
Going in Adjustable McMillan Game Warden stock that just showed up last week.
When the ol lady fills or eats her 2019 tags I will start the build. My tags are full but I've got a couple coyotes to take out now so can't tear it down just yet.
image.jpegimage.jpeg
 

amassi

WKR
Joined
May 26, 2018
Messages
3,658
Sweet!
I shoot the 156 in a 270 wby pac nor 8 twist, I can load them long and keep them moving. Steve @ hammer suggested the extra velocity of the 126 if I couldn't hit ~ 3150 +\- with the 156 to offset the loss of velocity.
If you havent ordered yet- he will send out sample packs of 10-12 so you can experiment


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