Happy to be here

[carl1775]

Hello,
I am very much a novice to all things in the realm of firearms. I have had traditional introductory training and not much more. I am excited to be a part of the community and look forward to learning a lot. I'd like to send a special thanks to Len, as I have already required his help, just to get started. If the initial service and attention I have personally received is any indication of the experience and outlet available across the entire, site, I am certainly happy to have stumbled in here. Nice to meet you all and again, thank you, Len.

 

[codyadams]

Indeed, welcome!!
This is a great place to recieve good information. You will not find nearly the amount of bickering, belittleing, and downright immaturaty you find on many other sites or facebook groups, it is simply not deemed acceptable, as we are all adults here.

I personally have made friends through this site, and gone on hunts with great people I never would have otherwise known about.

This is a great place to learn the skill, as most everyone is friendly and willing to help. Glad to have you here, and enjoy!! So where about are ya from?

 

[carl1775]

I live near Topeka, Kansas. I was born a few miles West, grew up in Topeka, traveled the World, but keep coming home. I'm one of the weirdos that truly does love KS!

 

[codyadams]

Very cool. Do you hunt in state mostly or do you go hunt other states?

 

[carl1775]

I mostly don't hunt. Lots of activities and too little time. I have been to Africa, on safari once, in '08 (college graduation present to myself) and would love my next safari to be in the South Pacific. I am an SCI life member and have been to 9 of the last 10 conventions. I guess it's one of those things, when you hit bigger deer with vehicles, than most people are priveledged enough to see in the wild... We're pretty spoiled in these parts with great game. Plenty of upland birds (quail are making a come back), waaaaay too many turkey and the typical awesome KS whitetail. So, meh, maybe this fall. For the record, I've never shot a buck larger than a 1 year old with forked horns. And my longest kill shot was 502 yds, open sights, with a 70's model Remington 700 ADL, 7mm mag. I had a Tasco 3x9. Setting on a powerline swath, with a snow storm heading in. The scope fogged over, so back-ups! I thought I had missed and was ready to go home. I counted the deer walking into the the tree line and counted them running through the cut same number. As it turned out I counted incorrectly. Any way, that's my great white hunter story. I just enjoy firearms, don't know much about them other than my ability to shoot. I take great pride in marksmanship, responsible ownership and our owed stewardship toward all things in nature. After all, if we don't take care of it, who below us in the hierarchy will?

 

[Rick Richard]

Welcome aboard sir. I can assure you that you are in good company on this site.

 

[Slick8]

I mostly don't hunt. Lots of activities and too little time. I have been to Africa, on safari once, in '08 (college graduation present to myself) and would love my next safari to be in the South Pacific. I am an SCI life member and have been to 9 of the last 10 conventions. I guess it's one of those things, when you hit bigger deer with vehicles, than most people are priveledged enough to see in the wild... We're pretty spoiled in these parts with great game. Plenty of upland birds (quail are making a come back), waaaaay too many turkey and the typical awesome KS whitetail. So, meh, maybe this fall. For the record, I've never shot a buck larger than a 1 year old with forked horns. And my longest kill shot was 502 yds, open sights, with a 70's model Remington 700 ADL, 7mm mag. I had a Tasco 3x9. Setting on a powerline swath, with a snow storm heading in. The scope fogged over, so back-ups! I thought I had missed and was ready to go home. I counted the deer walking into the the tree line and counted them running through the cut same number. As it turned out I counted incorrectly. Any way, that's my great white hunter story. I just enjoy firearms, don't know much about them other than my ability to shoot. I take great pride in marksmanship, responsible ownership and our owed stewardship toward all things in nature. After all, if we don't take care of it, who below us in the hierarchy will?

Hmmmm.....

It's incredibly rare that I do this but I gotta call BS.

You're telling me you have little to no firearm experience mixed with a little trad archery and rarely hunt. But you've made 9 of 10 SCI conventions and are a life member. That alone is an odd combo.

But you then shot a deer at 502 yards with open sights....? My longest shot on a deer is 453 yards using a 20x scope and the deer looked small in the scope.

If it truly happened as you say it did, it was luck and wildly unethical.

To you OP, this is a great site with some great people. One of only two sites that I frequent. Do yourself a favor and listen to the advice freely given here if you want to improve your skills and hunting ethics.

 

[carl1775]

Ahahahaha, nice to meet you as well Slick8.
My credentials are verifiable through SCI. Before I went on my safari, I did a bunch of research. I found that SCI, was at the forefront of conservation in the global community and felt like it would be a great group to belong to. That was in '07. Also, I have been a member of RMEF, since '98. I never did get my life membership paid for while they were offering the leather bomber jackets. Then they changed the program offers and I kind of lost interest. I just pay my annual dues. Back to SCI. I prefer Reno, but mehhh, Vegas is Vegas. I work a blue collar job and don't make a ton of money. But, I create a comfortable living and was blessed enough to be in a position to not only earn enough cash every semester to pay my way through college, I was also able to save enough money to treat myself to a safari. Coincidentally, that trip ended up costing 20k, or there about. That included 7 animals, flights, lodging, taxidermy/return shipping, and a new Remington 700 PSS chambered in 300 win mag with Leopold Mark IV glass. 7 animals, 7 shots. The Zebra went the farthest after the shot. She ran approximately 100 yds. The Kudu, warthog, impala, and water buck fell where they were shot. If you're interested, there is a book on shot placement written by Dr. Kevin "Doctari" Roberts. Like I said, I take great pride in marksmanship. If you can't shoot, you should practice more. It's not my fault if you're not sure of yourself, or failed to properly prepare yourself. I spent 2.5 weeks in S. Africa. One week of hunting with Cruiser Safari's, in the Limpopo Province and the remainder of the trip traveling the coast from Kleinbaai Harbor, diving with the great white sharks and "Shark Lady," West, to the Cape. Which by the way, if you're able to make it, Boulders National Park, during sun up is absolutely awesome. Those penguins are something else. If you're not good with your personal finances, it's not my fault. Regarding the 502 yd shot, I have a witness to the kill. Don't know what else to offer than that. I am a novice when it comes to firearms. I am however a 3 time award Expert Rifleman. So says the United States Marine Corps, any how. In addition, I could be ashamed of only attaining the award of "sharp shooter," for the pistol discipline, but my qualifying was also the very first time I had ever shot a pistol. So to say I am a novice absolutely. Like what the Hell is a 6 dasher? Me, no clue. I would assume terminology like that is pretty basic for this crowd. So, I joined to learn. I would like to shoot 1,000+ yds, consistently and without luck. I am very comfortable out to 800 yds. with open sights and optics. Open sights, quite simply because that is the limit to what I have been trained. Optics only because I figure if I can do it unassisted, I sure the Hell had better be able to plug dope into my optics and make the shot. Any way, I know it truly is hard to believe, but every once in a while, during your life, you meet someone that isn't full of **** and actually does live their life to the fullest. If you remember and I'm still hanging around here next January, look me up. I'll meet up with you in Reno, and buy you a beer. ****, I just saw it starts like January 9th, or so. That's way early.

Any way, call BS all you'd like, but you'll lose every time. Against me any way. Not only do I take great pride in marksmanship and wildlife conservation, I'm probably the most honest person you'll have the privilege of knowing. But hey, thanks for saying, "Hi."

 

[carl1775]

Forgot to mention....
I shot an American buffalo on the Triple U Ranch, when Kay (can't remember her last name) still owned it. I thought I saw it was for sale a few years ago, so I am assuming she sold out. Any way, that is the herd and Ranch they used to film parts of "Dances with Wolves." So, I thought that was pretty neat. I used my grandfather's Springfield 1873 trapdoor. .45-70. There is something funky with the sights thought, to where the zero is 200 yds. I took a kitchen magnet cut a strip and through bench firing, found the correct length to extend the front sight up, in order to zero 100 yds. I shot the bull at 100 yds., resting off the back of the flat bed pick-up. I reloaded and had a follow up shot off hand, as he was running left to right. I had never shot an animal running before. So, I aimed for his horns. I figured if I aimed at them, then by the time the bullet got there, I wouldn't hit them. I hit the spine in his neck and he expired shortly there after. That was a lucky shot, not 500 sitting stationary. Any way, still happy to be here. Looking at doing a gator hunt next year, we'll see...