I started my son and daughter out big game hunting with a Rem. Model 788 in .243. This little gun really shoots but I think it is a great coyote rifle and a good deer rifle in the hands of an experienced "expert" hunter. I have seen a number of deer and pronghorn killed with it and it does kill but I do not like the lack of blood trail it leaves and have seen two deer not recovered that were shot with it.
My son had a good buck get away last year after being hit twice with the .243. The shot placement could have been at fault but there was not the kind of blood trail I am used to following to find a wounded or dead deer.
So Ben wanted something with a little more "pop" to hunt with and at a gun auction I bought a Win. 100 in .308. Last Tuss. he sat in one of my tree stands and rattled in a little white-tail buck. Shot it and had it run over to his stand and die below him. He asked me if I was sure the .308 had more "power" than the .243 as he said it did not kick as much. (what gun kicks much when you are shooting at a deer?)
He gutted it himself and dragged it out to the truck himself and I feel a lot less "needed". He is in Uni. in Calgary and wants me to make a bunch of jerky from his buck. Seams he's descovered that deer jerky and beer go well together and makes him popular with the other engineering students.
Oh ya! it was my tree stand in a location I had scouted! Guess I still have a part in his success.
Robin in Rocky where the snow is falling finally!
My son had a good buck get away last year after being hit twice with the .243. The shot placement could have been at fault but there was not the kind of blood trail I am used to following to find a wounded or dead deer.
So Ben wanted something with a little more "pop" to hunt with and at a gun auction I bought a Win. 100 in .308. Last Tuss. he sat in one of my tree stands and rattled in a little white-tail buck. Shot it and had it run over to his stand and die below him. He asked me if I was sure the .308 had more "power" than the .243 as he said it did not kick as much. (what gun kicks much when you are shooting at a deer?)
He gutted it himself and dragged it out to the truck himself and I feel a lot less "needed". He is in Uni. in Calgary and wants me to make a bunch of jerky from his buck. Seams he's descovered that deer jerky and beer go well together and makes him popular with the other engineering students.
Oh ya! it was my tree stand in a location I had scouted! Guess I still have a part in his success.
Robin in Rocky where the snow is falling finally!
Congratulations to your son. Tell him not too let too many people know how good deer jerky and beer go together or he might not get any 
