Tough year hunting and I am done.

[Oglala Bowyer]

Congrats neighbor!  For what it's worth I've experienced my fair share of disappointments this year. Case in point, lazy "ranchers" not checking their fences on a regular allowing livestock to wander in every conceivable hunting spot of mine. Note to self, make sure no studs or bulls are in the vicinity of your grunt call. Otherwise prepare to sprint like an Olympian.

[JW_Halverson]

     Well glad to hear that you have the coffee cup issue, resolved.  But I guess once is all it would take.  Did you have a chance to test fire the rifle yet?  Oh, why did you choose the 8 X 40 binoculars?  Even as a kid, I always wondered why, anyone would choose a 7 X 35 pair of binoculars.  For my own personal choice, it is at least a 10 power, fixed, or variable.  But everyone has their likes, and dislikes.  Let us know what the outcome is for your rifle.  How is the barrel bedding now?  A lot of things could cause a miss like that. Snow, in between the stock, and barrel, wood expanding, or contracting, etc.  But I think that is all stuff you already are aware of.  I had a doe permit, one year, and saw a nice big doe, about a hundred yd.s away, and sighted in on her heart area, and bang, a complete miss, she did not move, just looked around, and went back to feeding, another, shot, and then another, and different sighting, finally she and the other does, took off.  Later the next day, the coyotes, were celebrating.  After the shots, I checked the scope mount, and it was sloppy loose.  I felt sick, and knew I should have checked before the next shots.  But I did not, and felt, and still feel bad about the doe.  I don't know where I hit her.  She did not act like she was hit at all.  And when she and the other does, left, it was not a fast run, just sort of a slow trot.  No hint of being wounded.  I honestly thought I had missed by a mile.
                                    Wayne

The stock is wedded to the receiver and that is all. Not only zero contact between barrel and stock, but the stock came from a gun with a bull barrel and my barrel is standard!  Talk about free floating!

As for binocular choices, I find 8x plenty since most of my work is fairly close in.  I don't need to spot half a mile away because the woods are just not conducive to that kinda sight lines.  I have tried 12x and 10x and without expensive stabilization they are too shakey and make me seasick!  I find the 8's to be perfect.  For reaching out further (example, trying to lock on leg bands for osprey nesting on power line structures/etc, I have the 40x Leupold spotting scope!  I can tell the sex on emerging mayflies at 100 yds with those!

[stickbender]

     
     Cool!  Thanks for replying.  I have just always wondered why people chose a low power set of binoculars.   I can see the reason, if you are in a fairly wooded area, and or not much open spaces.  I have always liked the variable binoculars, for that reason, you can drop down, for close up, and zoom in for the distant critter, or object.  So have you had the time to test fire your rifle?  Yeah, I kinda figured you were familiar with bedding of the barrel and stock.  Wow, I would say you have a free floating barrel.  Sort of like those race stocks they make for custom Ruger 10-22 rifles.  They have the fore stock not touching the barrel by about two inches, or more.  They are angled.  Looks like some kind of Hollywood version of a modern rifle.  I am curious now about the rifle and scope, to see what the problem is, or was.  Take care, J.W., and have a very Happy Thanks Giving.  I am doing it right.  I am eating at my Neighbors!   I "am" baking some banana nut bread, and taking a bottle of wine, so I won't feel totally like a moocher.  But it is good food, and I don't have to spend time making it!  Take care, and have a great day.
                                  Wayne
 P.S.
 I wonder, if the birds, would like some warmed up raw turkey?  I boil down venison, and elk scraps for my cat.  He goes ape shit over it.  I have to thaw out some more for him.  He runs back and forth, meowing the whole time, while I am heating it up after being in the fridge.  Then he runs to the half bath, and laundry room, where I keep his litter box, and feed him.  Do you feed the birds any of the deer, or other game you harvest?
                                   

[bowtarist]

That's s gooder Jdub . It's been a tough year for me too. I'm trying to get my 11 year old out as much as possible and we hunt from the ground. It's been tough. Way to stay with it! dp

[JW_Halverson]

Wayne, I have not yet taken the gun out for a test firing, I am trying to get caught up on all the things I let slide so I could put so many hours into chasing deer.  I am paying the butcher's bill for that now!

The barrel is surely free floated, LOL!  It was originally an ADL, but I found the BDL stock for trade and I upgraded for about $5!!!

All the birds get some form of wild game today.  Squirrel, rabbit, bird, what-have-you.  If you wanna smile, go find the Black Hills Raptor Center's Facebook page.  I gave our American kestrel a chunk of turkey neck this morning for his breakfast.  He spent two hours picking and snacking on it, what with all the tendons and ligaments, it was a real workout! 

Since my deer was shot with copper ammo, I saved the liver for special uses.  From time to time a bird comes in that has been on the ground for a while and is emaciated.  Often their gut tract has shut down for lack of anything to work with, restarting it is a tricky operation and feeding will often kill them.  We start with Pedialyte, then when they are hydrated and have a boost of electrolytes such that they have a watery poop or two, we add a little liver to the Pedialyte and run it thru a blender.  It is simple enough proteins that it is easily digested.  Eventually, we feed straight liver, in chunks until they build up some strength.  This deer provided us with 2 1/2 lbs of good, strong liver.

[okie64]

Beautiful buck JW!

[stickbender]

     Good glad to hear, the kids, get some of of your kills.

                                    Wayne