By PJ DelHomme

Chuck Adams reveals what it takes to keep bowhunting—even into your 70s.

Chuck Adams is perhaps the greatest bowhunter of all time. That’s a bold statement, but consider this. In 1990, Adams became the first archer in history to harvest all varieties of North American big game—a feat called the Super Slam. As I write this in early August 2022, he has more than 210 Pope and Young record-book entries, which is more than any other hunter in history. In addition, he’s racked up six bowhunting World’s Records. Adams turned 71 in May, and I was able to track him down before he headed back to Alaska to hunt solo for Sitka blacktail deer. Here’s what he had to say.

You started bowhunting in California when you were 13. Why bowhunting?

The minimum age you could hunt big game there was 12, and both my grandfathers and dad had great hunting spots. As a young kid, I would think about hunting deer all year. Using a rifle, I got my deer down in a few days, and I thought it was a lot of anticipation for the pay off. I took up bowhunting, so I could hunt more and kill less. I got my first deer with a bow at 16. It took me three years to do that, just like my hero Fred Bear.

How do you continually get out there and get it done? What’s your secret?

It’s probably genetics. My dad was packing deer on his back when he was in his 80s. And I live a really healthy lifestyle. I don’t drink alcohol. I don’t eat domestic red meat—it’s all wild game. I’m out there hiking around and doing something all the time. I can tell you I still feel like I’m 30. I carried three deer back to my camp [last season] about five miles. The average Sitka deer is 60 pounds of boneless meat.

How often do you practice shooting your bow?

I talked to a doctor about 20 years ago because my friends were having shoulder issues. My doctor said I would be better off shooting less. So that’s what I did, and I’m one of the few guys over 60 that I know who has had no shoulder problems. And I usually shoot a 75-pound bow.

I’ll usually start shooting 20-30 arrows twice a week in May. Then in July, I shoot about 60 arrows each week. I always warm up with about five minutes of shoulder rolls. I also take time between shots to re-oxygenate my muscles. When I shot tournament archery, I watched people shoot too fast, and they didn’t let their muscles or their mind recoup between shots.

Did you ever go on a hunt and think you weren’t going to make it back?

I wrote about the “Death March” in one of my books about a hunt in British Columbia in the 1970s. We had 29 horses and mules when we started, and nine of them died on the trail because of malnutrition. The hunt was set up with one of the companies I worked with, and they didn’t do their research. It started snowing, and we didn’t dare ride the horses except to cross the streams, which we did 28 times—I counted. If we all hadn’t been in good shape, I’m not sure what might have happened.

How much does luck play into hunting—bowhunting in particular?

It’s huge—sometimes. For example, I didn’t expect to kill the new World’s Record typical velvet Sitka deer last year, and it was the first deer I saw on the trip. Overall, though, luck is fairly small when it comes to planning. The most important thing in bowhunting is persistence. If you’re persistent enough, you will overcome anything.

Do you ever kill anything without big antlers? Do you take all that meat home?

I love the meat, and I pack it all out. I eat the heck out of wild game. Nowadays in Alaska, the excess baggage fees have gotten so high that I donate some meat to the local mission on the island. If my bush pilot needs meat, I’ll sign it over to him. And the laws are pretty clear about wanton waste. This year I applied for a cow elk permit in Wyoming, which I’ll probably get. And one in Montana, too.

Most folks can’t say they hunt for a living. Can you say that?

No. I make a living, so I can hunt. I write, do seminars, TV shows and rep a few companies that I like, so I can go hunt. If I felt any pressure to hunt, I think I’d quit. I hunt for fun, not to make money.

Any hunt you would never want to do again?

Polar bear. I was 1,000 miles away from my outfitter, and it was a rodeo from start to finish. My guide said he had the best dogs, but they had supposedly run away, so he had another set of dogs that were terrible. They ran away from the first bear we saw. I ended up stalking that bear myself.

Do you have a state or terrain that speaks to you more than others?

My two favorite states to hunt are Montana because of the variety of game and Alaska because there you can hunt most species without a guide. I only go with a guide if it’s legally required. I’ve been bowhunting for 50 years, so I don’t really need one. Guides do have knowledge of the area. But honestly, I wouldn’t want another Chuck Adams guiding me because two bowhunters make twice as much noise as one.

In just about every photo I see of you, you’re wearing the same faded camo and old boots. Why not upgrade to high-tech camo?

I don’t think all those new camo patterns work as well as merino wool and traditional stuff. I think it’s a stunt. That stuff is too expensive. You can fade a pair of black Levis and be just fine. Today, I would say there is a cult following all those camo patterns. When guys show up at hunting camp all wearing the same fancy camo, I just laugh.

Any plans to hang up your bow and take up golf?

I’ll hang up my bow when I can’t put one foot in front of the other. I’ve got 211 Pope and Young animals, the most of any hunter, and my buddy Frank is trying to catch me. That’s really not the reason, but I am challenge oriented. I can’t stand the thought of running a race and even seeing anyone close. I hunt because I love it. I think the bottom line is that I enjoy bowhunting as much as I ever have. The glitter has never worn off for me.

Learn more about Chuck Adams at his website, www.chuckadamsarchery.com. Or follow his exploits on Instagram @Chuckadamsarcheryofficial.

PJ DelHomme writes and edits content from his basement office in western Montana. He runs Crazy Canyon Media and Crazy Canyon Journal.

Other Articles You Might Like:

12 Tips to Help You See More Deer on Archery Opener

Adjust Your 3-D Archery Routine For Opening Day

When most people think of groundhogs, they think of woodchucks. But are these two animals the same? What’s the difference between a woodchuck and a groundhog? Let’s take a closer look at these two creatures to see how they differ.

Woodchucks Vs. Groundhogs: Are They The Same Animal?

The simple answer is yes, they are the same. Woodchuck” is just another name for “groundhog.”  These animals are part of the rodent family and they are in the same genus and species. So, if you’re talking about a woodchuck, you’re really talking about a groundhog.

But there is a bit more to the story. These animals are also known by other names, including “whistle-pig” and “land-beaver.” In some parts of the United States, people call them “thickwood badgers.” And in Canada, they are sometimes called “chuckies.”

How Did The Groundhog/Woodchuck Get Its Name? 

The name “woodchuck” is thought to come from an Algonquian word, wuchak. It’s also possible that the name is a corruption of the Cree word otchockwia.

The name “groundhog” comes from the fact that these animals spend most of their time on the ground. They are good swimmers and tree-climbers, but they usually stick to the ground where they can dig their burrows.

So, now you know that woodchucks and groundhogs are the same animals. But what do these creatures look like? Let’s find out.

What Do Groundhogs/Woodchucks Look Like?

Groundhogs are medium-sized rodents. They have short legs and low, compact bodies. They typically weigh between 4 and 10 pounds.

Male and female groundhogs look similar, but males are usually larger than females. Groundhogs have brown fur with a light-colored patch on their chest.

Their faces are round with small ears. They have dark eyes and long whiskers. Their tails are short and hairy.

Groundhogs are proficient climbers and can climb trees to escape predators or to get a better view of their surroundings. When they feel threatened, they will often retreat to their burrows where they will be safe from harm.

Where Do Groundhogs/Woodchucks Live?

Groundhogs are found in North America, specifically in the United States and Canada. They are most commonly found in the eastern part of the continent.

These animals typically live in wooded areas, but they can also be found in fields, meadows, and even near houses and farms. They like to live in areas where there is a lot of vegetation so that they can find food to eat.

Groundhogs build their homes by digging burrows underground. These burrows can be up to 4 feet deep and 30 feet long. The entrance to the burrow is usually hidden by grass or other vegetation.

Inside the burrow, there is a nesting area where the groundhog will sleep. There is also a bathroom area where the groundhog will go to the bathroom.

Groundhogs typically live alone, but they will sometimes share their burrows with other groundhogs. A group of groundhogs living together in one burrow is called a colony.

What Do Groundhogs/Woodchucks Eat?

Groundhogs are herbivores, which means that they only eat plants. Their diet consists mostly of grass, leaves, berries, and other vegetation. They will also eat nuts, fruits, and vegetables if they can find them.

In the wintertime, when food is scarce, groundhogs will often eat their own feces in order to get nutrients.

Groundhogs get most of the water they need from the food they eat. But if they can’t find enough water in their food, they will drink from puddles, streams, and other sources of water.

The Many Names Of The Groundhog :

• Whistle-Pig: This name is derived from the sound that a groundhog makes when it is alarmed. These animals are also sometimes called whistle-pigs or wood-pigs.
• Thickwood badger: The groundhog is the largest member of the squirrel family and is sometimes referred to as a thickwood badger, particularly in the northern part of its range.
• Canada Marmot: Groundhogs are also known as Canada marmots in some parts of their range.
• Red monk: In parts of Quebec, groundhogs are referred to as red monks, a name that is derived from the color of their fur.

Scientific Family And Order:

The Eastern groundhog is scientifically known as the Marmota monax. This animal is a member of the squirrel family and the order Rodentia.

No matter what you call them, woodchucks and groundhogs are interesting creatures. Here are a few facts about these animals:

· Groundhogs are one of the largest members of the squirrel family.

· They can weigh up to 14 pounds (6.4 kg).

· They can be as long as 26 inches (66 cm), including their tails.

· Groundhogs have short legs and small ears.

· They are good swimmers and can stay underwater for up to 5 minutes.

· Groundhogs are mostly active during the day.

· They are mainly herbivores, but they will also eat insects, snails, and small rodents.

· Groundhogs can live up to 6 years in the wild and 10 years in captivity.

Groundhogs are interesting animals, but what about their reputation for predicting the weather?

Do Woodchucks Really Predict The Weather?

The groundhog has become famous for its ability to predict the weather. According to legend, if a groundhog sees its shadow on February 2 (Groundhog Day), it means that winter will last for six more weeks. But if the groundhog does not see its shadow, it means that spring is on the way.

This tradition is thought to have started with German immigrants who came to the United States in the 1700s. In Germany, a similar tradition is associated with the badger. But when these immigrants arrived in America, they found that there were no badgers. So, they started using groundhogs instead.

Over time, the groundhog became the official “weather-predictor” in the United States. The first recorded instance of Groundhog Day was in 1841. And in 1886, the first newspaper article about Groundhog Day was published in The Punxsutawney Spirit.

Today, Groundhog Day is a popular event. Every year, people gather in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to watch Punxsutawney Phil predict the weather.

Groundhogs As Pests :

Groundhogs can be a nuisance to homeowners and farmers.

They dig burrows on properties, which can damage crops, gardens, and lawns. These animals are also known to eat plants and vegetables.

How To Keep Woodchucks Out:

If you want to keep groundhogs away from your property, there are a few things you can do:

Install a fence: Groundhogs can climb, so it’s important to make sure that the fence is at least 4 feet (1.2 m) high. You can also add an electric wire to the top of the fence to deter these animals.

Remove food sources: If you have a garden or fruit trees on your property, groundhogs may be attracted to these areas. Try to keep these areas clean and free of debris.

Use traps: Trapping is one of the most effective ways to get rid of groundhogs. You can use live traps or lethal traps. But before you set any traps, be sure to check your local laws and regulations.

Hire a professional: If you’re having trouble getting rid of groundhogs, you may need to hire a professional wildlife control company. These companies can help you get rid of these animals in a safe and humane way.

Do it yourself method: Using an air rifle, for example, is one of the cheapest ways to get rid of groundhogs on your property.

(For more on the best air rifles for pest control, see this post)

Hickory nuts and walnuts may look similar, but they are actually quite different. For starters, hickory nuts are much larger than walnuts. Hickory nuts also have a thick, hard shell that is difficult to crack, while walnuts have a thin, soft shell that is easy to break open. The flavor of hickory nuts is also much stronger than that of walnuts. Finally, hickory trees are native to North America, while walnut trees are native to Europe and Asia.

The walnut tree and the hickory tree are both members of the Juglandaceae, or walnut plant family. The USDA categorizes walnuts as being in USDA plant hardiness zones 4 through 9, while hickories are classified as being in USDA plant hardiness zones 4 to 8. Because of its notoriously difficult growing conditions and messy leaves and nuts when it falls, black walnuts make an excellent plant nursery.

The hickory (genus Carya) tree is a genus of about 18 species of deciduous timber and nut-producing trees found in the walnut family (Juglandaceae).

Hickory is rated 1820 by Janka, while American or Black Walnut is rated at 1100, making it one of the hardest domestic hardwoods.

Nut trees come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including walnuts, Hickory, pecans, and persimmons.

There are over a dozen species of hickory trees, including pecans and walnuts. There are many types of leaf and trunk that have similar characteristics, including leaf structure, trunk shape, and average height. Some of the nuts that fall off of hickory trees are inedible, but most of them are safe to consume.

What Is Another Name For Hickory Nuts?

Hard-shelled nuts surround a woody husk in these Hickory fruits. The amount of shear between the species, as well as whether the sutures are winged along the entire length or one or two-thirds of the width, affects how easily they split. They can be eaten, though they vary in size and flavor.

These nuts are edible and have a nutty, sweet flavor similar to pecans. Hickory nuts can also be identified by the way they separate into four distinct segments in the hard shell. When the hicksory tree first starts producing nuts, it takes 25 to 30 years. When harvesting Hickory nuts, one of the issues is that the hard shell is broken. Hickory nuts ripen on the tree’s leaves during the fall and drop to the ground during windy or snowy weather. You can easily cook the nuts and flesh from the tree because the flesh is sweet and nutty. Hickory trees are classified into two types: those with long, pinnately compound leaves and those with lance-shaped leaflets.

Walnut trees have a smoother, gray bark that begins to crack as the tree ages. Other types of hickory nuts can be identified if you look closely at the tree’s characteristics. The shape of the leaf on a shagbark hickory nut can help you identify it. Pinnate leaves are commonly made up of five leaflets with pointed tips, each of which is short and oval. The name mockernut comes from the difficulty of opening a mockernut, which exposes a tiny kernel that is barely edible. Bitternut nuts are not suitable for human consumption because they have a rancid flavor. The diameter of the red hickory nut ranges between 1.5 and 2.5 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm), and its weight ranges between 0.5 and 1.3 pounds (0.4 to 1.5 cm).

The sand hickories are oblong, flat, and have a thin, hard outer shell that has a sweet flavor. Scrub hicksies can grow to be a shrub-like tree with 10-16 feet (3-5 m) of stems. There are three kinds of Nutmeg Hickory Nut: Hickory Nut, Smoky Nut, and Black Nut. A nutmeg hickory tree is distinguished by its pinnately compound leaves, which can reach 14 (35 cm) in length. The leaflets have toothed margins and are divided into five to nine sections. The pecan (carya illinoinensis) is an herb. A pecan nut has a greenish-gold husk with an oblong shape that denotes an oblong shape.

When the nut is ripe, the larva pupates inside the hard shell of the nut. Adult weevils emerge from their eggs in the spring. The cycle continues as long as the tree is tapped and the nuts are harvested. In the United States, the most popular hickory nuts are shagbarks, but they can be difficult to find. These are also relatively simple to find; however, they are less popular than peanuts. The most common nut weevils are closely related and collectively referred to as “nut weevils.” During the middle of summer, nut weevils attack the nuts that are developing on the tree. The immature nuts contain the eggs of the female adult weevil. An egg is laid and feeds in a creamy white larva that lives inside the nut until the fall.

Are Hickory And Walnut In The Same Family?

There is some debate over whether hickory and walnut trees are in the same family. Some botanists believe that they are in the same family, while others believe that they are in different families.

For a walnut tree, the average cost is about $2,000, whereas the average cost for a hickory nut is around $1,000. Because walnuts are larger and have a higher demand from the food industry, the price difference is due to their size. Hickory nuts and carya fruits are also interchangeable terms.

Difference Between Walnut And Hickory Tree

The main difference between walnut and hickory trees is the type of fruit they produce. Walnut trees produce a round, hard-shelled nut, while hickory trees produce a long, thin nut. Both types of nuts are edible, but hickory nuts are generally considered to be more flavorful. Hickory trees are also taller than walnut trees and have shaggy, dark bark. Walnut trees have smooth, light-colored bark.

Can You Eat Hickory Nuts

Hickory nuts are edible, but they are very hard to crack open. Most people prefer to buy them already shelled. They have a very sweet, nutty flavor that is similar to a pecan.

Although some species of Hickory nuts taste better than others, they are quite tasty. The name bitternut hickory refers to a variety of native trees, including mockernut, pignut, shagbark, and bitternut. A heavy-duty nutcracker, vise, or hammer can be used to open the nuts individually. Despite the fact that hickories can be found everywhere on Staten Island, the majority of them are found in the wooded areas of Greenbelt and Arden Heights Woods. Hickory lumber can be used to make ax handles and baseball bats. It not only creates good firewood, but it also produces fragrant smoke. The hardwood of hickory trees is extremely difficult to cut. Aside from hickories, the walnuts are another native tree that produces nuts.

Michigan produces the largest and most popular Hickory Nut in the state. It can grow in all types of habitats, from dry sandstone ridges in the upper peninsula to moist forests in the lower peninsula. The nuts of the hickory woolly bear are a valuable resource for wildlife, as they are a major food source for birds, squirrels, and other small mammals. The hickory tree is hardy and can survive in a variety of environments. The nuts in the tree are valuable for wildlife, and their wood is used in furniture, tools, and other products.

Hickory Nuts: A Highly Nutritious And Tasty Food

Hickory nuts, in addition to being a high-protein and healthy food, are also a tasty treat. They are high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium, as well as protein, making them an excellent source of minerals. As one of the vitamins recommended for expectant mothers, they are high in folate (folic acid). Toast or lightly bake them for 10 minutes in a 200o F oven; nuts can be eaten directly from the shell (in small amounts), or they can be toasted or baked for a few minutes in a 200o F oven. The nuts can be ground into a raw food by simply picking them out of the shell. Furthermore, a traditional Native American dish (from which hickory derives its name) can be made by cooking the nut meat in water until it becomes a porridge.

Bitternut Hickory Nut

The bitternut hickory is a deciduous tree that is native to eastern North America. The tree grows to a height of 50-80 feet and has a trunk diameter of 1-2 feet. The leaves of the tree are alternately arranged and are pinnately compound with 5-9 leaflets. The leaflets are oblong in shape and have serrated margins. The tree produces small, yellow-green flowers that bloom in the spring. The fruit of the tree is a nut that is enclosed in a thin, green husk. The nut is brown in color and has a bitter taste. The bitternut hickory is an important source of food for wildlife, including squirrels, mice, and birds.

The magnesium content of hickory nuts is especially beneficial to those who suffer from osteoporosis. In a study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers investigated the effects of magnesium on the bone health of postmenopausal women. Women were divided into two groups: the first group received a magnesium-restricted diet, while the second group received a magnesium-rich diet. The researchers discovered that a magnesium-rich diet reduced bone density in the women after six months. Magnesium deficiency in the diet was unfavorable to bones. The benefits of eating chestnut nuts are also demonstrated by their beneficial effects on child development and growth. Children who ate hickory nuts had higher levels of nutrients such as calcium, according to a study published in the Journal of Nutr. Children who ate hickory nuts saw a greater increase in growth and development than children who did not. Furthermore, the study discovered that the magnesium found in hickory nuts was beneficial for the development and growth of the children. In order for a person’s bones to be healthy, it is critical that they have high levels of magnesium. Magnesium also regulates calcium levels in the body in addition to assisting the body in optimizing metabolism and improving enzymes. Because of its magnesium content, the hickory nut is extremely beneficial for people who are osteoporosis patients.

This is the video transcript. To watch the video for this episode click here.

GRANT: This time of year we receive a lot of images on social media and other ways from folks asking us to help them estimate a buck’s antler score. Tell you the truth, I’m not that good at it. I try to really focus on how old they are, and usually, the antlers are something I’d like to have at home. After that, I’m probably taking a shot if I agree he’s a certain age. But I have a friend, Richard Hale, that knows a lot about estimating and actually what buck’s score because Richard is the chair of Boone and Crockett’s Record Committee. And he’s a great hunter and been scoring racks forever. Richard thanks for joining us today.

RICHARD: Thank you Grant. It’s nice to be here.

GRANT: Rich – yeah. And Richard and I have hunted together and talked a lot about in the field – I’m talking boots in the ground experience. So, I want Richard to share some of the tips he’s developed through a career of hunting and serving with Boone and Crockett on helping us estimate a buck’s score before we pull the trigger.

ANNOUNCER: GrowingDeer is brought to you by Bass Pro Shops. Also by Reconyx, Trophy Rock, Eagle Seed, Nikon, Winchester, LaCrosse Footwear, BloodSport Arrows, Flatwood Natives, Morrell Targets, Non-Typical Wildlife Solutions, Hook’s Custom Calls, Montana Decoys, Summit Treestands, Drake Non-Typical Clothing, Howes Lubricator, Genesis No-Till Drill, Yamaha, Fourth Arrow, ScentCrusher, Antler-X-Treme, iSCOPE, BoneView, Mossy Oak Properties of Heartland, Code Blue, D/Code, G5 Broadheads, Prime Bows, and Redneck Hunting Blinds.

GRANT: Collecting the dark antlers do make every deer look larger. They just show up…

GRANT: Before sharing Richard’s techniques for estimating buck score in the field, I asked him to explain the Boone and Crockett’s scoring system.

RICHARD: Eh. For a Boone and Crockett’s score, the, the first measurement that’s taken is the length of the beam, which is measured from the outside edge of the main beam in line with the eye, around the back and out to the point. That’s one of the components of the score.

RICHARD: Another measurement that everybody is aware of is the inside spread, although, it’s often confused and just, it’s not the greatest spread – it’s the inside spread of the main beam.

GRANT: Yup.

RICHARD: So, when we do that, that’s about…

GRANT: Let’s do this. So…

RICHARD: Your inside spread…

GRANT: So, we’re talking in here to in here.

RICHARD: Correct. And your inside spread is on average around, to, 10% of your score.

GRANT: 40% of a buck’s overall score on average is tine length. That’s where all the money is.

RICHARD: If you’ve got three points going up, you’re looking at a 10 point. If you’ve got four points going up, you’re looking at a 12 point.

GRANT: A great tip Richard shared about 10 pointers – three points on a side – is if there’s a difference between that G2 and G3 and a big step down to G4, it’s gonna hurt the overall score. But if a 10 pointer carries that G4 tine way out there and it sticks up high, that buck is probably gonna score fairly well.

RICHARD: Uh, the mass – which everybody likes, including me – the mass of these beams typically is about 20% of the score on, on a buck.

GRANT: Again, there’s four measurements – one measurement, two measurement, three measurements – halfway in between here – four measurement.

RICHARD: Now, another thing. You’ll see some tremendous trophy animals that have thick points, uh, and, and, I, I love those thick points. It has to be a sign of good nutrition – that’s a healthy animal just forming that. Unfortunately, the Boone and Crockett system does not in any way quantify that.

GRANT: So, Richard, this is the hunt I was on a couple years ago in Kentucky, and we’re gonna play it, and you can see what I saw live. I mean it came in. You know it was right over my shoulder.

RICHARD: This, this deer presents really well. It’s a nice looking buck. Uh, I, I noticed that it, first off it, it has a…

GRANT: Let’s roll the footage here. Let’s roll it so you’re going real time just like, like, (Inaudible).

RICHARD: Okay. Okay. So here’s the deer.

GRANT: Yeah.

RICHARD: You’re seeing a compact set of antlers. They’re not real wide – not, not really. It strikes you as a smaller deer. And then you start noticing that it’s got some point length and a pretty nice looking deer.

GRANT: Yeah, you taught us tine length is a big factor.

RICHARD: And this deer certainly has it. Um, so, my first number I’m going to throw out there – I’m going to say 138, just under 140 inches.

GRANT: Okay.

RICHARD: And then, you know I start thinking I’m a little off on this guy because he’s got tall 2s. He’s got good brows – not exceptional. He’s got really nice beams. You know, I may be five, seven points short on it – maybe 145-inch deer. Um, both the 2 and the 3 have curvature, and anytime you go around the curve you’re gaining length. So…

GRANT: Yeah, so like this right here.

RICHARD: Everything about those points is gonna measure better than your eye is telling you because your eye doesn’t pick up all that unless you’re really focused on it. So, when you see a deer with straight points, they’ll disappoint you in length. When you see a deer with a curved point or even a double – some of ‘em will curve in and then back out – those deer have long points. And with the curved beam, this deer is probably gonna be a 145-inch deer.

GRANT: You’ll notice that I actually passed this deer – certainly not ‘cause – I would’ve been proud to have those antlers on my wall. That’s a great set of antlers for me. But his body didn’t appear to be four years old. He’s sleek; his back is not sagging; his belly is not sagging. We’re not talking about aging right now, but I estimated this deer to be three years old.

GRANT: When a deer turns away – like it looks bigger there – it just gained 10 inches on me there.

RICHARD: Right. Well, part of it is you’re seeing that curvature.

GRANT: Right. It, it’s really not bigger folks but deer going away from you almost always look bigger and that gets some deer shot that shouldn’t be shot.

GRANT: Alright. So Richard here’s a different setup. This is actually at my place here at The Proving Grounds. Uh, one of my guests was hunting. And, of course, you get a situation like this. Maybe it’s wet – it looks kind of wet and damp – you don’t know there’s a deer coming, and it steps out all at once. I mean we’re talking now…

RICHARD: Right.

GRANT: …a few seconds to work. So, what’s going through your mind right off the bat? Let’s just go ahead and start this slide, Daniel; and Richard, you tell us what’s going through your mind. I see something you’ve taught us right off the bat – I’ll go before you start this. I see a big stair step here. I see – I can’t see the brow very good. Richard’s taught us to look at the brow.

RICHARD: Right.

GRANT: You tell me if I’m getting this right.

RICHARD: That’s correct.

GRANT: I can’t see the brow. Pretty decent G2; decent G3. I’m gonna say the G2 probably scores more – it’s a little bit longer…

RICHARD: Correct.

GRANT: … just because of the curvature of the beam.

RICHARD: It’s an inch and a half longer.

GRANT: Yeah, because the beam is going down – even though it look the same height here. But my G4 is one of those tiny points – inch or two.

RICHARD: Grant, that’s correct, and, I, those things jump out at me. Don’t see the brows. Usually, that’s a bad sign at this angle. We should see something if they were adequate length to score well. So, we’ve got a lot of negative factors on this deer just right off.

GRANT: Yep. And I just want to stress again. We’re not saying shoot, don’t shoot. This is all about helping you estimate the score of a buck in a hunting situation.

RICHARD: Exactly. It’s, it’s, no, it’s no issue at all whether you shoot this deer or not. I’m just trying to help you evaluate the deer to make your own decision.

GRANT: Okay, so let’s run this real time and go through it.

RICHARD: Okay.

GRANT: It’s just stepped out. Here we go.

RICHARD: So, Grant it, it seems like each thing against this deer works against it. You’ve got tiny brows – almost nonexistent – 4 on one side – no 4 on the other side. You’ve got light mass. This is not a deer that’s gonna score well.

GRANT: So, your quick estimate on this thing. He’s, he’s getting out of shot range real quick.

RICHARD: I’m, I’m thinking possibly 100 inches without doing any math. Just maybe 100, 100-inch deer.

GRANT: Yeah, yeah, 100, 110-inch deer.

RICHARD: Right. I’d say no more than 100. Easy.

GRANT: Well, it’s on my place, so I’m gonna give him 10. I’m just teasing you.

RICHARD: Well, I told Grant that. I said when a deer is on your property, you always have to deduct 10 inches because of your inherent enthusiasm.

GRANT: Richard, this was a hunt I was actually on here on my property. So, again, I’m biased. This drops off really steep, so I did not hear this deer coming. He’s actually out of bow range right now and he just stepped out in the field. So, you’re getting some of the first glances, just like I really did when this occurred.

RICHARD: Well, that, that’s, that’s a neat situation Grant. I see two things here off the bat – really three – that just strike you right off. One, is you got two points going up. You’re looking at, you’re looking at an eight point.

GRANT: Yup.

RICHARD: So, the second thing I notice is that these beams come high off the head. I mean that, that’s remarkable. You know, most of ‘em will turn out to the sides Grant. But these are, these beams are coming high off the head. So, that’s telling you this, this deer is gonna fool you a little bit. Then you look up the beam just a little bit and you’re seeing – for a deer of this size – very good brow tines. They’ve got to be four inches. They might be four and a half. So, the deer is gonna score a little better than you think – um, probably 115-inch deer.

GRANT: Okay. Let’s roll it and see what we do now that we’re rolling.

RICHARD: Okay.

GRANT: This is what I’m seeing. I see that, and I go “Ooh, look at that tine length there.”

RICHARD: Right. You’ve got a great 2. That, that bumps a little bit. You know this deer may be getting close to 120. Um, mass is ordinary for a rack of this size. Um, but.

GRANT: So, what are you giving it on mass?

RICHARD: Fourteen.

GRANT: Fourteen. Fourteen on the side. So, we would double that, it’d be 28 inches.

RICHARD: 28. A lot of symmetry; not a lot of spread; probably 12 inches inside.

GRANT: Yup.

RICHARD: Um, boy, look at that 2 now. That, that, that jumps out at you.

GRANT: Yup.

RICHARD: Um, the deer has no odd unusual points; no breakage – uh, just, just, just a beautiful deer.

GRANT: Yup.

RICHARD: Now, here, here’s a great picture, Grant, because this shows how, how tall beams will fool you. The beams come so high off the head that you look up the top of the 2, and it’s so far over the nose, that you’re thinking this is a giant deer.

GRANT: Right.

RICHARD: But as, as you go through your system, you realize that this is a young deer. It’s got a beautiful set of antlers. They’re not gonna score over 120 inches.

GRANT: Yup. So, I think that’s a critical point. This buck is what we call a high-rack buck. My generic term is a high-rack buck.

RICHARD: Right.

GRANT: And there’s only, again, eight scoreable points on here. It just doesn’t add up to much. This is nowhere close, folks. When I look at this right off the bat, I’m nowhere thinking 140, 150, 160. That’s not even in that world.

RICHARD: No, no.

GRANT: Yeah. But a great deer and got a lot of, a lot of room to grow.

RICHARD: I want to emphasize you want to look at this brow as soon as you get the chance. Because it’s the first point that goes away when there’s brush; there’s bad light; there’s a bad angle on the deer.

GRANT: Twisting around, can’t see it.

RICHARD: Right. It, it, when you get a chance to look at that brow, you want to look at it and then once you’ve done that, move on.

GRANT: Richard here’s a different situation. And, you know, I live in the Ozark Mountains. I have some food plots but there’s no ag fields around. A lot of guys hunt in places like I do. And we see deer in timber like this. I mean here’s the buck – a lot of people probably didn’t pick it up from home. You know, looking at the monitor here. But we can’t see a whole lot; we don’t get that perfect view. So, I want to play this real time, and you just start sharing with me what’s going on.

RICHARD: Okay Grant. Thank you.

GRANT: Okay, so here we go.

RICHARD: Uh, the first thing I would notice is you’re probably gonna hear this deer coming in these dry leaves. Is, so, I’m, I’m evaluating the deer before I can see it. Is it dragging its feet? An old buck will make more noise walking through the leaves when it’s on alert. It is, when its feet hit the ground, does it sound like a big deer? Um, and then you start seeing it. If you can’t see the antlers, start looking at the body. Gather, gather whatever information is presented itself to you because it may be all you’re gonna get.

RICHARD: So, you’ve got a missing brow. You really don’t have a G3 on the right beam – the deer, on the deer’s right beam…

GRANT: Yeah.

RICHARD: …what we’re seeing on the left side. You’ve got a non-typical point coming out of the base of, of the G2. Um. Nothing really extraordinary about this deer. It’s uh. If you had to put a number to this deer, you’re probably looking at 90, 90-inch deer.

GRANT: Yup. And I, I wanted to share this one because a lot of guys in the heat of the battle; coming through timber – branches, sticks, everything in the way, see this long tine, say, “Ooh, that’s a good deer.”

RICHARD: But, but you know a hunt like that Grant can be just as fun as a hunt for a giant deer, too. You know, you get an arrow through there and get it in the right spot, and that deer goes 30 yards and piles up, and you’ve had a great time.

GRANT: Well, Richard you’ve been in my shop. I’ve got a whole bunch of those out there, right? And I can re-tell and relive all those moments, my family enjoyed the venison. So again, not knocking a deer, but we get all these questions about, “What’s this buck’s score?” And I write folks back and I’ll say, you know, 110, whatever. And they go, “Oh no, it’s a 150-inch deer.” Well, I don’t want to hurt your feelings folks, but there’s some math to this, and Richard is here to tell us his formula of how that goes together.

GRANT: Richard this was a great hunt. This was actually my daughter, Raleigh. I’ve taught my kids – we’re all worried about age and, and then we’ll figure out the score later. But let’s look. A lot of hunters want to know the score. So, as we run this real time – because things happen quick here – I want you again to share with us what’s going through your mind.

RICHARD: First thing I would say here is you’re looking – it’s just great deer. You know, mature buck; big antlers. That’s just the first thing that pops in your mind.

GRANT: Okay.

RICHARD: And then you’re seeing it’s got three points up. Now, it’s going away. So, as you noted, when a deer is going away, it’s gonna look a little bigger. Right now you’re saying 150-inch deer. Uh, but then you put a little math to it. And you realize it’s a little short out on the 4s. Brows look good. Um, I’m, my feeling right now is that that buck’s gonna get away anyway because he’s, he’s moving right along and nobody’s shooting him.

RICHARD: Um. The buck has dark antlers. Dark antlers always show up better. Uh, they will, they will make you over judge ’em a little bit. So, you, you have to say that deer is a little less than 150. Um, you know, got good 2s – not exceptional; good 3s – not exceptional. Nice spread. Spread is probably 17 inch inside, average mass. This is just a great deer.

GRANT: Um-hm.

RICHARD: Um, if, to put a number to it at this point right now I’m gonna say it’s 140 plus.

GRANT: Okay.

RICHARD: Uh, it’s every bit of it. You know, that deer…

GRANT: So, let’s let this play out here. Raleigh finally gets him stopped – boom. Done. Hugging; celebrating and all that. I actually did put a tape on this deer – and I’m not saying I’m 100% accurate because I’m not a certified scorer. But I come up with like 142. You called this a low 140, so your field estimate was spot on.

RICHARD: Well, thank you, and what a beautiful deer.

RICHARD: Interesting thing about brow tines is they can be measured from the front or the back. So, you measure ‘em over the longest way. So you – sometimes you’ll see a deer that scores best coming up the front of one beam, and it will always, of course, score longest over the curve. With this one, it kind of has a double curve. And I don’t know, I’m gonna think the front. But what you know is this is a nice brow. It’s a very good brow for a good scoring deer. It’s, it’s approximately 5 inches, which is the norm on 140 to 160-inch deer.

GRANT: Richard, this is a little cheating for you because I was hunting with you on your farm. But this was a stranger deer to me. I didn’t see this deer ahead of time. I don’t think you showed me trail camera pictures or anything. So, I’m in a tree. Uh, but I want you to walk through when we start playing this. What’s going through your mind?

RICHARD: Okay.

GRANT: Alright, so this deer steps out. I’m a stranger now at a guest’s property. I don’t know this deer. So, what am I looking at Richard?

RICHARD: Well, when he was turned sideways, you noticed tall points right off.

GRANT: Yup.

RICHARD: Beams come high off the head. It’s, it’s a five point on one side but four-typical on the other, so that’s gonna hurt the score.

GRANT: Right.

RICHARD: As he turns toward you, you notice that the brows are good – not exceptionally long. One of ‘em appears to be split on the right. Um, and the tall points strike you again and the spread of about – it’s gonna be just under 16 inches.

GRANT: Okay.

RICHARD: So, those are the things I noticed. And then now – as the deer is turning his head there, look at that G2 on the left. That, that G2 is probably over 12 inches long but not 13 – matched pretty closely on the other side — just a real nice looking deer. Um, the 4 is a little weak. It’s gonna keep it from scoring real well, and it’s non-existent on the other side. A little odd point going off the left G2. Um, a great deer. I’m gonna say that, again, that deer is gonna come in there low 140s. And I don’t remember. I’m sure we probably scored it at the time. But low 140s kind of deer. The beams aren’t exceptional. Also, it’s a mature buck.

GRANT: Yeah.

RICHARD: Being a mature buck, you know, certainly something in that size range, a person would want to consider harvesting.

GRANT: Yeah. Uh, I don’t remember exactly – several years ago since Richard allowed me to have this hunt. But I believe it was like 149 kind of high one 140s- gross score, gross score.

RICHARD: That could have been. I may have been a little low on it. Um.

GRANT: It had a kicker, also, coming off that you didn’t address. So we gained two or three inches off that one side there.

RICHARD: Right.

GRANT: When you start going through the math – and Richard is giving us some great points. Okay. Average beams – 20; start adding if they’re exceptional.

RICHARD: Right.

GRANT: Taking off if they’re less; spread 15 – unless it’s really exceptional or really narrow. Mass, we’re gonna call an average good buck…

RICHARD: 17, 18 inches.

GRANT: 17 inches on a side. So we double that. We’re 36, 37 inches, somewhere in there. Okay? You starting doing the math, and all of a sudden they starts coming down a little bit.

RICHARD: That’s right. It’s a, it’s a numeric thing.

GRANT: Richard, years ago there was a buck on our property that was a clean 12 pointer. And, and I had watched him all summer through trail camera pictures, video. And I just knew this was a good deer.

RICHARD: Hmm. Hmm.

GRANT: And sure enough in October, I saw this deer moving through the woods, and I grunted, and of course he’s shed out velvet now, and he comes up, and I make a great shot, and he piles up, and I get down there. My heart just sunk because I had memories of velvet score basically in my head, and when I got the real antlers in my hand…

GRANT: Based on his experience, Richard shared that when the velvet is removed off antlers, the score can decrease by 10 to 20%. Summertime bucks – when that velvet is really full and looking big – gosh, we can easily overestimate the score by 20%.

GRANT: Richard, this has been great because you’ve taught me a lot and I’ve been doing this a long time. I’m sure you’ve helped everyone at home. But, but summarize with just, again, your overall quick field judging tips, so they can use this in their situation. ‘Cause they’re not seeing it on a video. They can’t play it back five times like we can. They’re making a five-second decision.

RICHARD: Right.

GRANT: So, we’re looking at a deer. Kind of let’s – what’s the first thing you’re thinking?

RICHARD: I’m looking at a big, mature deer with what I consider a large set of antlers. You don’t, you don’t see anything wrong with it. Uh, so, you, you throw out a number. You’re gonna say 160-inch deer. Then, the next thing I would look at – I would try to get a little numerical about it to see if this actually is a really good scoring deer.

GRANT: Hmm. Hmm.

RICHARD: The, the first thing I notice is the spread. The spread is just ordinary for a big deer. You know 18, 18-1/2 inches inside – nothing exceptional about the beams – not exceptionally short or long – just a great looking deer.

RICHARD: So, next I’m gonna look at mass – 20% of the score. And I’m gonna call that average mass for a 160-inch deer.

GRANT: Yup.

RICHARD: So, we’re gonna call it 18 inches per side.

GRANT: Seconds are ticking away. What’s the next thing you’re looking at here?

RICHARD: Grant, Grant, the next thing I’m looking at is, is the beams. And, again, the beams are just exactly what you want to see on a 160-inch deer. They come high off the head; they, they go out; they turn back in a little bit at the tips. They don’t strike you as extraordinarily long, but they’re, they’re solid, so you’re, your just gonna say 25 inches. Um, and that’s…

GRANT: And that’s per side, per beam.

RICHARD: Correct, yeah. The brow on the deer’s left antler is short. There’s just no question about it. It’s two to three inches. It really needs to be close to six inches to get a big score out of that deer.

RICHARD: Then we get to the 4s, and you’re thinking those 4s are good. They’re gonna offset the brows a little bit because they’re close to seven inches.

GRANT: Yeah. And you like anything over six inches on the 4s.

RICHARD: Five to six inches is gonna put you in that 160 inch range. So, um, all in all, I’d, I’d just stick with that number. You know, it’s a 160-inch deer – give or take two inches – and, and really a beautiful, big deer, so.

GRANT: Yeah, yeah. And so, this is just a great example. You know, if you’re hunting 150-, 160-inch deer – this is actually ended up being 160 and a little change. This is what you want to see. You want to see that spread Richard talked about; that mass. And really importantly, that tine length.

GRANT: Richard, you’ve spent a lifetime hunting deer, just like I have, and you’ve really specialized in the antler score. Your contributions to Boone and Crockett Club and whatnot. So, you actually donated a chapter to this book. You contributed a chapter just really highlighting in greater detail than what we shared today – all your field estimating tips.

RICHARD: Yes I did. Thank you.

GRANT: Yeah.

RICHARD: And there’s also some other methods outlined in there in one or two other chapters, um, which, which have merits of their own, so.

GRANT: Yeah.

RICHARD: Just because this is how I do it, doesn’t mean it’s, it’s the only way or even the best way.

GRANT: Yeah. So I would do what I do. If you’re into this stuff, go to Boone and Crockett’s website, get a copy of this book, and really study it before you get into the field this fall.

GRANT: Richard, it’s hard to do, but you’ve changed my opinion on a few things today. So thanks for being patient with me and giving me time. And I really look forward to hunting with you again this fall.

RICHARD: Great. Thank you Grant; enjoyed it.

GRANT: Hey, if you’d like to visit in person about food plots, habitat management, estimating a buck’s age or score, I’ll be at the Springfield Bass Pro store August 19th from 10:00 to 5:00. I’ll probably spend most of my time in the hunting department, and I look forward to visiting with you there.

GRANT: Daniel and I are blessed to have an elk hunt scheduled about a month and a half from now. And I’m super excited and preparing for that hunt. But it’s just as important that I slow down every day and enjoy Creation and take time and listen to what the Creator is saying to me. I hope you do the same. Thanks for watching GrowingDeer.

It was mid-December 2020 in southern Indiana, and my deer season was slipping through my fingers. After two hard months of hunting and over a hundred miles put on my boots, my buck tag was still just as empty as day one. I had hunted hard through early November, the midst of the fabled Midwestern rut, and according to the local hunting forums it appeared everyone in the county and their cousin had killed their buck already. I was hunting pressured public lands, and while I had run into scores of hunters during early season, now it felt like I was the last hunter in the woods. But I wasn’t ready to give up yet because I had one last trick up my sleeve – red oak acorns.

A Natural Late-Season Food Source

While late-season hunting can feel like a desperate attempt to rectify an unsuccessful season, I have begun to look forward to this part of the season more than the rut. The reasons are simple: There are fewer hunters in the woods in late season, which can vastly improve deer movement on public land; foods are limited on the landscape, concentrating deer; and red oak acorns begin to hit their peak attractiveness to deer after the rut.

The goal of this article is to share in detail my strategy for late-season hunting so you can effectively locate red oaks, scout these trees, and finally kill a buck off this dynamite late-season food source. Since we are going to focus on late-season strategies, we will not be discussing white oaks because these acorns germinate shortly after falling and are only available a few weeks. Red oak acorns do not germinate until spring, so they are available to deer all winter long. For more information on the differences between the red oak and white oak groups, read my article in the August/September 2019 issue of Quality Whitetails.

When the amount of deer sign under a tree gives me an eerie feeling because I feel deer are super close by and could walk up at any instant, I know I need to hunt it!

This is also an excellent time to note that when I refer to red oaks, I am referring to all red oak species, including northern red, southern red, scarlet, black, Shumard, nuttall, and other red oaks. Just the same, when I refer to white oaks, I am referring to many species, including white, chestnut, post, swamp chestnut, chinquapin, and more.

Why Red Oaks?

When most hunters talk about late season, the conversation is normally around a corn, soybean, brassica, or cereal grain food source. These food sources can be effective but may not be available on the land many of us hunt. Whether you have private property without agriculture fields or are confined to public land, the truth is many people don’t have access to standing crop fields to hunt in December and January. Does this mean we just hang up the bow and rifle when the rut ends? Absolutely not! Rather this is the time to return to the oaks you abandoned in mid-October.

Red oaks often get a bad rap from hunters who feel they are inferior to white oaks simply because they have higher tannin content levels on average than most white oaks. What most hunters fail to realize is tannins are found in much of the forage deer eat, and their bodies are adapted to consuming foods containing tannins. Deer food selection is much more complex than simply tannin levels. Deer diets change throughout the year, and deer seldom if ever consume just one type of food in a day. In fact, when deer are heavily consuming acorns in early fall, they are still subsidizing this hard mast with other foods like forbs and woody browse. As seasons change, the deer’s gut microbiome and energy demands shift, which along with availability of foods drives seasonal shifts in deer diets.

There is ample evidence that red oaks are an important winter food for whitetails. A 1985 study in southern Michigan found that over 90% of deer fecal sample matter was acorn matter. This same study noted that snow did not slow acorn consumption because deer dug through the snow to access this food. Similarly, during my master’s thesis research in northern Mississippi, I found deer use of red oak trees peaked in late January and then tapered off afterward. Similarly, many studies have noted deer searching out acorns when they are scarce and consuming them until they are gone. If you can find one of the last trees in the woods to have acorns, your hunt is made!

Learn Trees

Now let’s talk about how to find THE tree to hunt late season. I stress the importance of finding the right tree because this can change weekly and sometimes daily as acorn availability changes. My process for narrowing down a deer killing tree is never ending. In early season I’m merely making observations of what trees are producing. By late November I am keeping tabs on which of these trees still have acorns, and late in the season I am narrowing my efforts down to THE tree where I can kill a buck.

Before you can be an effective red oak hunter, you will have to be able to identify oak species. To learn these, you will need a good guide. I suggest the Virginia Tech Dendrology Factsheets Database for learning basic oak identification characteristics and the free iNaturalist app for identifying trees in the field. As a starter for which species to learn, my favorite late season red oaks are northern red and scarlet oaks in upland forests and Shumard and cherrybark oaks in bottomland forests.

Observe Tree Behaviors

The more you observe oaks and their behavior, the more you will learn their habits. This may sound crazy, but with a little bit of experience you can confidently predict what species will be occurring in what landscape features in your area. For instance, in south central Indiana I most commonly find northern red oaks on easterly or northerly facing slopes. They most often are not on the ridge top but rather on the sides of slopes. Using these behaviors, I look at aerial imagery to find stands of deciduous trees in these types of areas to identify spots that I should scout.

Just as much as you can predict the behavior of a given species, individual trees are unique, particularly in the timing of when they drop acorns. I’ve observed northern red oaks dropping acorns as early as Labor Day and as late as Christmas week. Just like some deer or people seem to operate on different schedules, so do some oak trees. This is why scouting is so important, because without boots on the ground, you do not know when individual trees are dropping acorns! I particularly like to find red oaks that drop super late in the year, because deer seem to be attracted to the only oak in the woods still dropping acorns.

If you notice that the scarlet oaks along the grocery store parking lot are dumping acorns, your next step will be to reference your map and find all your pins for scarlet oak clusters on your hunting grounds.

Look and Listen

Oaks do not consistently produce acorns every year, but rather a given species tends to produce a large mast crop every few years. For red oak species, these mast years occur more frequently than white oaks that generally have bumper crops every five years or so. However, since there are so many species of red oaks there is usually at least one species that will be masting, regardless of the year. For instance, 2020 in Indiana brought a bumper crop of northern red oaks and a decent crop of scarlet oaks. In this same area, 2021 looks to be a bleak year for both species, but southern red oaks are having a good year!

There are clues all around as to what is happening in the deer woods if you pay attention to acorns around you. Start looking under the oaks in your yard, in the parking lot at the store, or along the parking lot at your work to see if they are dropping acorns. When you see acorns raining down, investigate to determine the species. Knowing what’s producing acorns each year will allow you to know what trees to target before setting foot in the woods.

Never Stop Scouting

Every time you are in the woods, pay attention to the oaks around you regardless of the time of year. When you find clusters of oaks that are of good acorn producing size, generally 12 to 30 inches in diameter, drop a pin on your map. Make a special note if there is fresh or old deer sign under these trees which could be clues as to their attractiveness when they do produce acorns.

After you have compiled map pins of oaks in different locations you will be steps ahead for future hunting seasons. This comes in handy when combined with your observations of oak masting cycles in your area. For instance, if you notice the scarlet oaks along the grocery store parking lot are dumping acorns, your next step will be to reference your map and find all your pins for scarlet oak clusters on your hunting grounds. Now, you have an excellent clue to the likely locations of acorns you should be hunting.

Narrow it Down

Simply because you have found acorns doesn’t mean deer are eating them, and it doesn’t mean you have found THE tree you need to hunt. First, take an inventory of as many oaks in the area as you can, if there are only a handful with acorns, then your job will be easy. If there are many, then it will take a while.

Throughout the season, check back in with these red oaks to monitor activity under them. Many species of squirrels, raccoons, foxes and coyotes will chomp acorns and sometimes leave pieces of half-eaten nuts on the ground. But the sure sign that an acorn was munched by a deer is the tell-tale molar marks left when an acorn is smashed between a deer’s upper and lower molars and then dropped to the ground. As deer activity heats up, the leaf litter under these trees will be overturned from deer searching for acorns. Tracks will be abundant, scrapes will be nearby, and if bucks are using the tree there will probably be rubs too.

The hardest thing to know when scouting oak trees is how much sign is enough to pull the trigger and start hunting a tree. I spend a lot of time walking past good-looking deer sign in search of a tree that gives me an overwhelming feeling that deer are nearby. When you find this tree, the intensity of deer sign under it will make your hair stand up because every leaf will be overturned, there will be crunched acorns scattered everywhere, still plenty of fresh acorns left to eat, and deer tracks will be visible in bare soil. When the amount of deer sign under a tree gives me an eerie feeling because I feel deer are super close by and could walk up at any instant, I know I need to hunt it!

Does All This Really Work?

Back to my 2020 Indiana hunting season. My December strategy was simple: walk oak ridges and find northern red oaks where deer were still feeding. As I walked the spines of ridges, I glassed the bark of trees as far as I could see and looked for the trademark long pale grey stripes down tree trunks, the easiest long-range identifying characteristic of northern red oaks. I searched the ground for deer-chewed acorns and overturned leaves under each northern red I found.

After finding a ridge with 10 or so northern red oaks that were covered in hot deer sign, I set a few trail-cameras and started hunting the trees. During my first few hunts, I saw several small bucks and lots of does, but none of the big bucks that were frequenting my cameras. While hiking into the ridge late one morning, I glassed a big buck feeding on the ridge where I was heading to hunt. I waited until he left and then slipped onto the ridge and climbed a tree, settling into my stand about noon. I watched several does and fawns around me on the ridge early in the afternoon. About 4:45 I looked down the ridge to see two bucks feeding under a northern red oak just 80 yards away. I steadied my muzzleloader and dropped the first buck that presented a shot. He tumbled down the slope and came to rest in the creek bottom below.

I left several trail-cameras running under these oaks through the end of winter, and the amount of buck activity blew me away. There were over a dozen nice bucks using this ridge in daylight, including some real studs. The red oaks were hammered by deer until mid-February, long after hunting season had closed. To really put the icing on the cake, I found the matching set of sheds from the big buck I had seen on the ridge as I walked in for my last hunt that morning. Both sheds were lying under a northern red that had been hammered by the deer, just 150 yards from where I had seen the buck.

I’m Sold on Red Oaks

The late-season power of hunting red oaks is a strategy I’m still learning, but every single year I become a little more surprised by how great of a hunting hotspot these trees can be. Red oak acorns’ attractiveness to deer is powerful and lasts until they are gone, which is really highlighted by my hunt and the big set of sheds I found last year. You can bet I will be re-scouting that ridge in December of 2021 in hopes of catching up with that big buck again under a red oak!

There are multiple arguments about the best coyote ammo, but hunters agree on the need to drop them fast.

The most effective .223 ammo for coyotes is Hornady Superformance Varmint 53 Grain V-MAX (Order it from MidwayUSA here). It combines the highest ballistic coefficient with great accuracy, the highest velocity, and the least damage to the pelt. There are other options for barrels with fast twist rates and that are more affordable.

Barrel twist rate, shot distance, and affordability will dictate your most likely best performers. Take the best options, and find the most accurate one for your rifle. Read on!

The Most Popular .223 Ammo for Coyote Hunting

By far, the most popular choice for varmint and small predator hunting is Hornady’s 53 grain and 55 grain V-MAX bullets. 71 percent of skilled hunters polled preferred this round after first trying multiple other options.

I personally asked over 500 coyote hunters about their favorite .223 round and why they choose it. The two most popular are Hornady’s 55 grain Varmint Express, and Hornady’s Superformance 53 grain. Most agreed that the Superformance is superior, but many opted for the Varmint Express due to price.

Hornady’s Superformance Varmint is the king of popular coyote ammo for the .223. I find it stunning to get this much following behind anything! Here’s what they had to Say:

• The 53-grain V-MAX combines both reliable accuracy and the explosive nature desired for a dedicated lightweight coyote round.
• It’s the best pelt-saving option for the .223.
• It’s a great compromise between velocity and high ballistic coefficient.

The words “explosive” and “dependable” were common descriptions attributed to this round. One hunter told me “I’ll not leave home without it. Real-world, unbiased reports from hunters continue to choose this over any other.

Hornady’s V-MAX bullet is a polymer tipped, copper-jacketed bullet with a swaged lead core. It’s a boattail design (slightly skinnier at the rear) and has a solid, flat but thin base. It also has a higher ballistic coefficient than most, which is the measurement of a straight-shooting bullet.

The Most Accurate .223 Coyote Ammo

Now let’s go over accuracy. You can’t get what you can’t hit. Accuracy is the most important part of the equation.

Hornady is well-known for making highly consistent, precision-made bullets. Their bullets are some of the more preferred for hand loaders requiring the utmost performance in cutting bullseyes and slaying canines. Hornady’s Superformance ammo is loaded under match-grade quality control.

Nosler is also a leading manufacturer of precision ammo. both companies have excellent attention to detail and quality control in the manufacturing process. Either company is an excellent bet for quality ammo.

They are super consistent in brass thickness, case length, seating depth, and powder charge. If the bullets agree with your rifle, more on that next, you can expect well under MOA (about an inch) groupings at 100 yards. That is what skilled shooters expect to find downrange.

The bullets do need to agree with your rifle. Minute differences in the chamber, throat, and barrel of your rifle will tend to favor one specific ammo over others, sometimes for no apparent reason. You need to choose the most likely accurate bullets, then try them and find the best performer for your rifle.

The best options to choose from tend to consistently be Hornady and Nosler, but don’t be afraid to try something else, sometimes that gives surprising results too. Let the rifle tell you what it likes best. Nosler does tend to over-penetrate a bit more, ruining more pelts than Hornady’s ammo.

So, what sort of accuracy do you need to hit a coyote? A rule of thumb is if you can hit a quarter (1 inch) at 100 yards, while seated at a shooting bench, you should do alright in hunting conditions. It’s important to remember that hunting conditions always reduce a shooter’s precision a bit.

The target area on a coyote is roughly the size of a softball. If you can hit a quarter on the bench, you should be able to drop a coyote in the field.

Best .223 Ammo by Barrel Twist Rate

The twist rate largely determines the best weight range of bullets you use. At .223 velocities, there’s little concern about too much twist rate, just be sure to have enough. Here’s approximately what to expect at .223 velocities.

• 1 in 14 twist: bullets under 55 grain
• 1 in 12 twist: bullets up to 55 grain
• 1 in 10 twist: bullets up to 65 grain
• 1 in 9 twist: bullets up to 68 grain
• 1 in 8 twist: bullets up to 70 grain
• 1 in 7 twist: bullets 55 grain and up

If you are looking at more affordable options, use this as a guide. I recommend Hornady Frontier 55 grain Spire Point. It’s a cheap, functional choice. It just tears up the hide a bit more.

Best Coyote Ammo to Save the Hides.

Coyote hides sell for around $20 plus or minus depending on the quality, and the current fur market. If they are torn up from a large exit wound, they are considered unsellable on the market. To “Save the Hide”, you want to make a small entrance hole and no exit.

That’s where lightweight, fast-moving bullets come in. Modern varmint and coyote hunting bullets are designed to quite literally explode reasonable hunting distances. They usually penetrate about 4 inches into a coyote. Not passing through but destroying the chest cavity.

There are lighter bullets with higher velocities, like Hornady’s lead-free 35 grain NTX, but these have lower ballistic coefficients. There is also a number offered in the 40 grain range. They start out blazing fast, with an impressively flat trajectory, but are tossed around by the wind and ineffective past 150 yards.

Best .223 Ammo for Coyotes Past 200 Yards

At 200 yards, things are starting to change for the lighter rounds, under 50 grains. Even if they are still going fast, they give to the wind too much. Heavier bullets in the same caliber tend to be less affected by the wind. That’s where the ballistic coefficient comes into play.

Once again, the general consensus is that the 53 grain Hornady round is the proven top-performer. At 250 yards, it has less wind drift and therefore kills more coyotes than lighter bullets. There is still plenty of killing power left at 250 yards to roll over a coyote and stop it in its tracks.

If you do want to shoot coyotes much further than 250 yards, I’m gonna recommend a different bullet. Something in the 65-80 grain range. Realize that these bullets will buck the wind better, but will not perform like the Hornady V-MAX and will give you pass through.

You will make hits but may not recover the animal. That’s more for damage control; just getting rid of them.

For shots over 250 yards, it’s really best to use either a faster caliber like the 22-250 or a heavier caliber like the .308 or 6.5 Creedmoor to be sure the bullet isn’t blown off course.

The AR-15 is one of the most popular rifle platforms of all time. It only stands to reason that its popularity would bleed over into the hunting world. It has, in a big way. According to a recent study by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, 27 percent of hunters surveyed have used a modern sporting rifle (MSR) in pursuit of game. Of those, 48 percent report having used a MSR within the past five years, illustrating a growth in the use of the platform among those hunters surveyed. Of those answering yes to the use of an MSR for hunting, nearly 60 percent state they have used that platform to hunt large game.

That popularity has spawned a number of larger caliber choices for AR-15 rifles. Bullet diameters ranging from 6.5mm all the way up to .450 are now mainstream. Some of the most popular include the .300 Blackout, the .450 Bushmaster, and the 6.5 Grendel. Rifles and ammo for all of these are readily available and they all do a great job on deer-sized game.

But what about the most popular caliber in the platform, the .223/5.56? With their adjustable stocks, light weight, and nearly non-existent recoil, AR-15s in the .223/5.56 caliber make the perfect gun for young or small-frame hunters. But is that caliber a legitimate choice for the deer hunter? Just a few short years ago, I would probably answer that question with a not really. Yea, the .223 would get the job done, particularly on smaller deer in the deep south, but there was just too much margin for error to make it a reliable deer cartridge.

But, all that has changed in recent years. Ammunition manufacturers, noting the increased popularity of AR rifles among hunters, have set about making the .223/5.56 a genuine deer cartridge. To make this happen, they have borrowed proven designs from other big game bullets and added innovative new features specific to the lightweight bullets found in the .223 to form a tough and reliable cartridge tailor made for deer hunting with the modern rifle platform.

Winchester Ammunition

Winchester’s foray into this market is the 64-grain Power-Max Bonded. According to Mike Stock, the center-fire product manager for Winchester, he loves the round.

Our .223 Remington 64-grain Power-Max Bonded really was created purely as a deer hunting bullet, Stock said. What makes a good deer bullet in .223 is very different than what makes a good deer bullet in larger calibers. In heavier bullets, I will always recommend a deer bullet to rapidly fragment which means a tapered jacket that is thin at the nose. However, in .223, we often max out at about 64 grains to achieve good accuracy in 1:12 bolt rifles so we have to put that weight to good use in order to get the penetration we need for deer. That means relatively thick jackets all the way to the nose and in the case of Power-Max Bonded, a protected point also helps with the delayed expansion. This all goes together for an accurate, controlled expansion bullet that can penetrate more than enough for use on deer.

Since 2005, Federal Ammunition has offered a bonded .223 bullet in their proven Fusion line as their go-to for medium game. That changed in 2015 with the introduction of their new Trophy Bonded Tip to their Premium Vital Shock line of hunting ammunition.

MODEL R-15 PREDATOR RIFLE

Federal’s J.J Reich says, The new Trophy Bonded Tip is based on our time-tested Trophy Bonded Bear Claw design. For decades, the Vital-Shock Trophy Bonded Tip has proven itself as one of the most effective cartridges available in many popular calibers. New in 2015, the .223 Rem is the newest caliber in the lineup. The bonded bullet retains more than 90 percent of its weight, penetrates deep, and shoots flat and accurately thanks to its high-ballistic coefficient. Polymer Tip, Long Boat Tail and Skiving all help that performance. The solid copper shank crushes bone, and exterior skiving on the nickel-plated bullet ensures optimum expansion at any range.

Both of these bullets have proven themselves numerous times in the field on white-tailed deer. These new premium bullets have changed how we look at the .223/5.56 as a deer hunting caliber. While shots should still be limited to ranges maxing out at around 100 yards (the small bullet just sheds too much energy beyond that range), hunters can now feel confident in taking their rifles afield during deer season.

Bonus reads: The Great Debate: Firearms Seasons During the Rut | 18 Great Gun Hunting States for Deer Hunters

Click here for more deer hunting articles and videos.

Check us out on Facebook.

What is so special about 300 blackout? It seems that this caliber has really just taken off as a lot of companies talk about it and sell guns and parts especially for this round. We wanted to come out with a guide to our comprehensive coverage on the topic of why 300 BLK is so awesome and popular. We compare different calibers, review ballistic data and talk about all the cool builds that are viable with this cartridge.

However, we should preface that how and what the .300 AAC Blackout is good for will rely on what kind of gun the round is being shot out of. How long is the barrel? What kind of load does the .300 BLK you’re using have? Is the 300 BLK ammo that you’re using flying out supersonic or subsonic speeds? Is there perhaps another caliber that might be able to do the same job better if not at a cheaper price? These are just some of the factors for considerations when discerning what this cartridge is “good for.” Check out all of our past blogs to learn more about this .30 caliber round here:

Intro to 300 Blackout

When indulging in gun nerd stuff, especially when it’s about a particular caliber, it’s best to start at the beginning. Learn about where the .300 Blackout came from, its origins, what it was designed for and what it’s most optimal applications are here in our .300 blackout guide for best barrel length, build tips & more.

.300 Blackout, Supersonic vs Subsonic

As you’ll soon learn about the flexibility of .300 BLK ability to serve in multiple roles between its supersonic and subsonic rounds — In this blog, we compare 300 BLK in supersonic and subsonic so that you can decide for yourself what type of loads would work best for you if at all.

300 Blackout for Home Defense

As a caliber that can be shot very effectively and quietly while suppressed, this caliber was designed with our special forces in mind and their need to do close quarter battle. Well in our case as civilians, why not use it for home defense too? See why 300 AAC Blackout for home defense just makes sense as it’s a fantastic round for defending your property and family at home.

.300 Blackout vs 5.56mm NATO

If you’ve ever wondered which is better — 556 or 300 Blackout, you came to the right place.

Between .223 and 5.56mm NATO, these are the most commonly used calibers for the AR-15. But what about .300 BLK? How does this .30 caliber cartridge match up to the NATO round that still isn’t going anywhere any time soon? We dive into that in this blog by comparing the 300 blackout vs 556 NATO.

300 Blackout vs. 9mm Parabellum

After 5.56 NATO, 9mm is one of the most popular calibers that are commonly used and actively sought after (especially during the pandemic). With regard to building a new AR-style rifle one could pursue an AR-9 which would be incredibly fun and rewarding but could also choose an alternative caliber to the NATO round for an AR15 that you might already have in your safe at home. Which should you choose between the 300 blackout vs 9mm parabellum? Find out here.

.300 Blackout vs .300 Whisper

At this point you might be like, “Wait. Can’t the .300 BLK be shot suppressed really well in subsonic rounds already? What’s the deal with the .300 Whisper then?” Well, not to worry it’s not as complicated as it seems. See our explanation as we explain the minutiae of 300 blackout vs 300 whisper in this blog.

6.8 SPC vs 300 Blackout

https://www.80percentarms.com/blog/-68-spc-vs-300-blackout-which-is-better-for-ar15-/

The 6.8mm cartridge is a rising star in the sphere of calibers right now as Sig Sauer recently scored a military contract with the US Army to start phasing out the 5.56mm NATO round and to use Sig’s new round instead. So how does the 6.8 SPC match up against the 300 Blackout? Find out in this blog.

300 Blackout for Hunting Deer

It’s a fair question, one that we often use to gauge how effective any caliber really is — can you kill a deer with 300 aac blackout? Explore whether 300 BLK works for hunting deer with us in this blog here.

Start your next 300 BLK Build With 80 Percent Arms

Convinced yet? Got the building itch? Check out our complete AR-15 300 Blackout build kit which will get you set up real quick to build a rifle from the ground up. But if you are already an AR-15 owner and prefer a conversion kit instead we have complete uppers chambered in 300BLK as well. If you need any help, let our legendary customer service team know so they can assist you in your build.

Traps to capture birds can come in as many forms and designs as types of techniques, but they all have the same origin source in that they were constructed to capture food. Trapping fowl of any type was as a whole, not regulated or tracked in any way.

When populations were depleted or the species started showing strains from being trapped, such as when songbirds where in fashion at court for their voices or native species were hunted only for their plumage, regulations and laws were put into place to protect the birds.

Bird Haven

In the middle 1700’s, in the region of Ontario Canada, the native people were hit hard with diseases like TB (Tuberculosis) and Small Pox. The remaining people fled to more populated areas, leaving the land unpopulated and unhunted for about 75 years.

It just happens the opposite was occurring in the bird community, and a certain species had a big boom in growth. In this region of Canada, it was berry rich and predator sparse with a lack of competition for food, so a sweet haven that was perfect for birds to flourish.

Rise of the passenger pigeon

This bird was the passenger pigeon and some of its relatives like doves, and the population rivaled those of the buffalo on the plains of the west. Just one flock could swell to numbers of 2 billion birds. Due to this high number of birds, native peoples begin to move back to the prey rich lands.

This abundance in food with forests untouched by people served the native population quite well and several tribes of the Anishnaube moved into the area, with the strongest being the Ojibway.

In the Columbidae bird family there are about 42 breeds and 310 varieties. The stout bodied bird that has a short neck and slim bill many people think that dove and pigeon can be used for both. But dove is from the French for “peeping” and pigeon from the Germanic name for diving.

The larger types of this family are called pigeons, and the smaller ones are doves. But in common terms, the rock dove is what most people refer to as a pigeon and its subspecies are domesticated and the feral ones in the cities.

The passenger pigeon, at one time was thought to be one of the most numerous species on earth. One colony recorded in 1871 by ornithologist A. Wilson was reported to have over 100 million breeding birds.

Evolution of bird trapping

The type of bird and its habits help explain how the bird trap evolved to be most efficient at providing catch as a food source. In the thick Canadian forests not all traps are successful. Traps like the deadfall, spear based traps, or the scissors derivatives do not seems to be that effective for the environment.

The pole was meant for birds to serve as a perch. With birds such as grouse or grosbeaks they are more ground birds that fly straight up into the protective trees if startled to hide. As the passenger pigeons are perching birds, the Ojibwa bird pole snare was developed.

The Ojibwa Bird Pole Snare

Although a primitive trap, it has a design that is quite sophisticated in its elegance.

The basic set up consists of 4 main elements:

The Pole

The main piece is a tall pointed pole, about 4 feet in height that you drill a hole in. The hole is bored so there are no snagging pieces inside. You can use flint like the native people, or a hacksaw.

A cord or rope must go through smoothly and without any resistance. The method a lot of bush craft people use is contributed to Kochanski and it is cutting a hole with a long Bowie or hunting knife.

This method makes more of a conical bore on each side so the cord has a range of motion, you can drill the hole of course. Either method would be functional as long as the walls of the hole are smooth inside. You can use your knife to carve a point at the pole’s top. This will discourage birds from landing atop it, and aim them more towards the trigger stick for a seemingly better perching place.

The Triggering Stick

The next piece is a stick that is long enough and thick enough to let a bird perch on it, preferably non-resinous wood (so no pine or cedar). Think of the dowel rods used in bird cages to gauge the width. This triggering stick will fit into the hole as a plug, keeping the snare open by preventing it from sliding shut until it is activated by a bird’s weight on it.

When the bird lands and pressure is presented on the triggering stick, it will cause it to be released. This will allow it to close the snare and shut it.

The Snare

Through the ages many materials have been used from leather strips, natural twines, to wire. I don’t like wire as its too rigid for this type of snare trap and can get misshaped quite easily. After a few uses, it may not slide closed properly, allowing for your catch to escape, or can bend a few times then just snap right in two.

So the consensus is using cord is the best all around. I like the inner strands from paracord as they have a great tensile strength, will not rot or mildew like other natural cords, and slide pretty well allowing for the snare to shut. If you have no paracord, then most cords will do for a while.

The Weight

For this type of snare to work, the activation of the trigger will need to be countered with a weighting mechanism. There are 2 types of mechanisms that will work. A bent sapling to snap the snare closed when activated, or a rock for weight to pull the snare closed with gravity.

The rock method is the one employed by the Ojibwa as it can’t break or be affected by weather like a sapling. So during the long and harsh winter months, the rock won’t fail making it the best choice.

This is the finished Ojibwa bird pole snare:

Here is a closer view of the trigger, and the way it fits into the pole with the snare set.

This is the properly sharpened tip of the pole, to insure the pigeon or any bird to choose the trigger branch as a landing spot for a safer grip.

One variation on the Ojibwa bird pole snare is to add a toggle clip to keep the bird off raised quite a way off the ground and some say its smoother and safer for the prey, but it is not needed. The Ojibwa people used the Ojibwa bird pole snare for many centuries and it is still a reliable trap to this day, so either way is fine.

Using a toggle does insure the birds legs don’t break when the snare is closed, so it is a more humane method. It also may mean the bird, depending on its type, may escape if a particularly strong breed.

Setting the Trap

It is a fairly simple set up. It would be better to practice a few times to make sure your snare line feeds smoothly and the trigger fits snug enough to not fall too soon, but loose enough to be triggered when needed.

A note: To stop the rock for pulling the snare by gravity alone, I have seen people put a knot in the snare close to the rock. This is not advised as it may prevent the snare cord from sliding correctly and let your bird loose.

If the trigger stick is snug enough, you will not need any knots or special ties to keep it from shutting before being triggered by the bird’s weight.

This is what the trap looks like when it is set properly:

As the bird lands here (marked with red), the weight will offset the balance of the stick that has been placed in the pole’s burrowed hole, dislodging it, and letting the rock pull the snare shut as seen below.

One way to entice birds to land and perch is to scatter grains and berries around the stand, or place a leaf with seed in the snare hole. As they come in for landing they will perch first to survey the land for competition, or predator hiding spots.

Have your trap close enough to trees that the birds will fly down onto your perch, but not too close to the local foliage that they just go straight to the seed or bait that you have placed to lure them in.

As stated before pigeons and other migratory birds that perch will be a good prey for this type of snare. This trap was made to harvest the larger passenger pigeon, so it can catch a good sized bird. Rock doves and grouse can also be caught with this type and a few more birds quite effectively.

Final Thoughts

As laws and seasons can differ in many states, you will want to check with your local Wildlife and hunting Bureau for the legality side. For a post collapse situation, using a trap such as the Ojibwa snare can mean life or death in the rough terrain of places like Canada and Alaska.

The distance a 22 bullet can travel in miles depends on several factors, including the barrel length of the gun firing it, the type and weight of the bullet, and the type of firearm powder used in the load.

Generally speaking, a 22 bullet can travel up to 1. 5 miles in a standard rifle barrel with a velocity of 1,200 feet per second, while the same bullet in a handgun barrel can reach a maximum of 0. 75 miles when fired at 1,000 feet per second.

It is worth noting that the trajectory of the bullet will also have an impact on the overall distance traveled, with the bullet losing velocity and dropping in elevation over time and across distances.

Can a 22 bullet go a mile?

It is technically possible for a 22 bullet to go a mile, however it is highly unlikely. 22 bullets travel at significant lower speeds than other ammunition due to their light weight. Depending on the gun being used, the velocity of the bullet could range from 955 to 1218 feet per second.

This means that it would take the bullet around 10 to 14 seconds to travel a mile, depending on the velocity of the bullet. Factors such as wind speed, wind direction, bullet drop, and air resistance could all significantly reduce the range of the bullet, making it even less likely for a 22 bullet to travel a mile.

If a gun is only intended for short range shooting, it would also be less accurate at long ranges, further decreasing the chances of the bullet making it a mile. Ultimately, a 22 bullet has the capability to go a mile, but various factors make it incredibly unlikely.

How many mph does a 22 bullet travel?

The exact speed of a 22 bullet when it leaves the barrel of a gun will depend on the type of gun and ammunition used. Generally speaking, the velocity of a 22 caliber rifle round or handgun round can range anywhere from 1000-2000 fps (feet per second).

This is equivalent to around 735 mph (miles per hour) to 1470 mph. For comparison, a 45 caliber round can travel up to 900 mph.

Will a 22 go through a deer?

No, a 22 caliber bullet is not likely to pass through a deer. It is an extremely small caliber bullet, designed mainly for smaller game like small birds, squirrels and rabbits. The small size of the bullet makes it incapable of producing sufficient wound channels that can effectively debilitate larger animals like deer.

Although certain modern, high-velocity 22 rounds are capable of producing sufficient energy to drop deer, one should always use larger and more powerful rounds, like the 30-06, for hunting deer. The moderate but sufficient energy that these rounds possess, combined with the larger, more effective bullet size, allows the hunter to more reliably and humanely take down deer.

What is the maximum range of .22 rifle?

The maximum range of a. 22 rifle depends on a number of factors, such as the type of rifle, the type of ammunition being used, environmental conditions, and the skill of the shooter. For typical. 22 rimfire rifles with standard velocity ammunition, the effective range is typically around 100 to 125 yards, with a maximum range of up to around 200 yards.

However, this range can be significantly increased with higher velocity ammunition such as. 22 Magnum and. 22 Hornet, and expert shooters may be able to take reliable shots up to 300 yards. The range of a.

22 rifle can also be extended even further by using heavier bullets with a higher ballistic coefficient, however this is more likely to be a factor for target shooting rather than hunting.

How far does a 22 bullet drop at 100 yards?

The bullet drop of any given round is heavily dependent on the specific round being fired, as well as the conditions in which it is fired. Generally speaking, a typical 22 caliber bullet (such as a. 22LR) fired from a rifle at 100 yards will have an approximate drop of around 22 inches.

This is assuming the bullet is being fired with a zeroed sight and that environmental factors such as wind are not present. Factors such as a different rate of twist in the barrel, projectile weight, and even muzzle velocity can contribute to the bullet drop, potentially altering the answer by a few inches.

Is .22 better than 9mm?

When debating whether the .22 is better than a 9mm, the answer really depends on the situation. It’s important to remember that there are advantages and disadvantages to both types of ammunition.

The primary benefit of a. 22 is that it is much less powerful than a 9mm. This makes a. 22 a potentially safer option to use as it has much less of an associated risk to cause serious injury if an accidental shot is fired.

Additionally, a. 22 is much cheaper than a 9mm and can be purchased in larger quantities, making them a great choice if you are looking to practice your shooting skills without breaking the bank.

That being said, the 9mm is a much more powerful round and thus is better suited for self-defense scenarios. A 9mm is more than capable of doing some serious damage so it is definitely the better choice for those looking for protection.

Furthermore, it is a relatively common caliber so it will be easy for you to find ammo for your gun if you ever need to.

In conclusion, the answer to the question of which is better between the. 22 and the 9mm depends on the situation. Those looking for a good round for training purposes would be better served by the. 22, while those looking for a round suitable for protection should go with the 9mm.

How far can you shoot a squirrel with a 22?

The maximum distance at which you can shoot a squirrel with a. 22 rifle depends on a number of factors such as the type of ammunition used, the rifle’s accuracy, the shooter’s skill and the environment in which the shooting is occurring.

Generally, most rimfire rounds (. 22 Long Rifle being the most common) are accurate to about 50 to 75 yards, depending on the rifle. For hunting squirrels, a maximum range of 50 to 60 yards is recommended, with any shots beyond that distance being very difficult to truly account for and potentially unethical due to the injury risk posed to the animal.

It is always best to consult your local gun laws with regards to hunting squirrels, as regulations often differ greatly depending on the location and season.

Is a 22 enough for defense?

The answer to this question depends on a variety of factors. Generally speaking, a 22 is not considered to be enough for self-defense, as it is often too small and low-powered to effectively stop a potential attacker.

It is important to remember that criminals may also be armed and prepared to defend themselves, so having adequate protection that offers more stopping power than a 22 is important. Additionally, if you plan to carry a handgun for self-defense, you should make sure that it is legal to do so in your state and that you are properly trained and licensed.

In some states, handguns must be at least a certain caliber or power level in order to be considered adequate for defense. Ultimately, it is important to determine which firearm is best suited to your needs, and consider factors such as size, power, and lifecycle cost before making your decision.

How many feet does a 22 go per second?

The speed of 22 feet per second is approximately 15 miles per hour, or 6. 7 meters per second. This is the velocity or speed at which something is moving for each second that passes. To find out how many feet a 22 can traverse in a given period of time, you would need to know the amount of time passed.

For example, if an object is moving at a rate of 22 feet per second and it has been moving for 10 seconds, it would have gone a total of 220 feet.

Is a 22 Magnum a powerful round?

Yes, the 22 Magnum, also sometimes referred to as the 22 WMR (Winchester Magnum Rimfire), is indeed a powerful round. It is a rimfire cartridge that was developed by Winchester in 1959 and fired a pointed soft point bullet.

Its performance is higher than the traditional 22 LR in terms of velocity, energy, and stopping power. It has been used for hunting and target shooting since its adoption. The. 22 Magnum is a high velocity round with ballistics typically ranging from 1,900 to 2,200 feet per second with muzzle energy of approximately 210 foot-pounds.

This makes it a much more powerful round than the. 22 LR, which typically has a velocity of 1,100 to 1,300 feet per second with a muzzle energy of approximately 100 foot-pounds. As such, it is a powerful and effective round for hunting small game like rabbits, squirrels, and some varmints, as well as for self-defense.

However, due to its powerful nature, special caution should be taken when handling and firing this round.

Are 22 magnums accurate?

It depends on the situation and the shooter. Generally speaking, the. 22 Magnum cartridge is more accurate than the standard. 22LR cartridge, as its longer case and higher velocity produces less muzzle flip.

With quality ammunition and good technique, it is possible to achieve good accuracy with a. 22 Magnum. That said, recoil can still be a factor, and certain shooters may find they are more accurate with the.

22 LR due to the lower recoil. Additionally, some modern rifles are better suited for the larger case of the. 22 Magnum and will be more accurate than those that are not. Ultimately, it will likely come down to personal preference and mechanical accuracy.

What is the range of a 9mm pistol?

The range of a 9mm pistol can vary greatly depending on the type, model, and ammunition being used. The range is typically somewhere between 50 and 150 feet in ideal conditions. Factors such as wind speed, humidity, and rain can affect the range drastically.

A 9mm pistol bullet will typically travel at around 1100-1300 feet per second, depending on the type of ammunition. Most 9mm pistols are designed for close range shooting and typically lack the accuracy and power for distant target shooting.

For this reason, many who use a 9mm pistol prefer to use it for self-defense rather than target practice.

How far does a 9mm bullet travel before it drops?

The answer to this question depends on the type of ammunition being used, the size and weight of the bullet, and the environmental conditions present. Ballistic tables and calculators in ballistic programs can help to estimate an accurate distance, but some broad estimates can be made.

Generally, 9mm bullets fired from pistols can travel roughly 1,200 yards before they start to drop. Rifle rounds fired from 9mm carbines have a longer range, with the bullet typically dropping around 1,800 yards.

Subsonic ammunition with bullets weighing around 110 – 115 grain have a shorter range and typically drop at around 900 yards.

These distances also depend on several environmental factors, such as wind, rain, and temperature. Inclement weather can affect the trajectory of the bullet and reduce its range, while high altitudes can increase the range of the bullet.

The muzzle velocity and bullet shape will also play a role in how far the bullet travels before it drops.

How many yards can a 9mm shoot?

A 9mm handgun is designed for short range shooting, and therefore the range of the firearm is highly dependent on the type of ammunition being used. With the proper ammunition, the typical range of a 9mm handgun can be from 25 to 75 yards, although it could potentially reach up to 100 yards.

It is important to note that snipers can achieve up to 300 yards or beyond, using 9mm ammunition. To achieve the most accuracy and distance, upgrading to a rifle would be strongly suggested as the proper platform for long range shooting.