If you want to maximize your chances of seeing deer during deer season, then hunt where the deer are. Below is the QDMA Deer map at both the national level, state level and by county to see deer density. In New Hampshire, state wide there are less than 15 deer per square mile in most parts of the state according to the QDMA map below. The further north you go there is even less per square mile. The coast of NH is where the deer density is highest along with hard to hunt heavily posted land.

http://www.i-maps.com/Qdma/frame/default1024_ie.asp?C=48449&LinkID=0&NID=0&cmd=map&TL=100000&GL=010100&MF=11000

Deer hunters bring dollars to many far reaching towns. As the deer population is strictly managed at very low levels in some states, hunters find other places where game is more abundant and managed equally for hunting opportunities. QDMA (Quality Deer Management Association) is an organization that brings deer science to the forefront. I am not a member at this time but will consider a future opportunity.

NH Fish and Game provide a Hunter Harvest Summary that tells of where the deer are by past harvest records.  http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/hunting/documents/2014-harvest-summary.pdf

It is August and a great time to place your tree stands for hunting.  I was doing some research and found that this QDMA hunter placed a human silhouette in his stands by cutting it out of a 4×8 T111 panel. It helped in both hiding himself from a rear approach and got the deer to accept the camo form later to be replaced by the hunter. More, that he piles brush in the rear of his stand so that deer must cross in the visible range.

https://www.qdma.com/articles/deer-stand-tip-let-shadow-man-hunt-your-stand

On the .375 a Reader Writes…I have recently acquired a .375 Ruger GG,Guide Gun and was wondering if you’d be kind enough to share load data? I’ve read your reviews on this cartridge and some of the loads mentioned. I would greatly appreciate your assistance in getting started, especially with reduced power practice loads.

Kind regards,

Joe

Ed wrote back:

Congratulations! You have the rifle that can take the Planet’s game, if you reload, from rabbits to elephant. I can honestly shoot full power loads Nosler or Hornady 260 or 300 grain loads in my t-shirt when standing or using African shooting sticks and I am an older man. The gun pushes more that it kicks. Using the best recoil pad helps to reduce felt recoil up to 50 to 70%. Reduced Load data is hard to find or in fact for some loads non-existent. Are you familiar with .375 H & H Magnum “reduced load” data by Hornady? If so, that data may be helpful like it was for me. Unfortunately, I cannot share exactly what worked in one rifle that may not work in another one. The heartening part I found was that taken in baby steps, I never had a problem in working up a load and you shouldn’t either. I killed a red deer doe at 190 pounds on the hoof at 50 yards with the 225 flat nose with a starting load. She went 20 feet and piled up with a hole in her heart the size of my thumb and it exited the doe. There was so little recoil and the report was without the mighty crack of the rifle that my guide 200 yards away never heard the gun go off. It was like I was shooting my muzzle loader.

Mid-power loads are already published. Look into the Speer 235 grain Hot Core as a mid load and extrapolate starting loads, if you are so skilled.

It is when I am at the bench hunched over the rifle and locked in so-to-speak that can hurt, so I use a Simms Limbsaver® shoulder pad and a Pachmayr Decelerator® recoil pad to make the felt recoil so tame. You have found a great rifle and cartridge. Wow is it accurate! Enjoy! Good Luck! You will be just fine if you are a veteran reloader.

Good Hunting!

Bear season is around the corner in September here in New Hampshire. Bears have been hunted since prehistoric times for meat, fur and lubricating/protection oil/grease for your gun metal and leather and for cooking and frying and so much more.

Bear Meat

Bear meat like pork contains the Trichinella parasite thus the meat must be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. I have eaten bear bear burger in chili and found that to be excellent. I am not a large fan of the meat per se but when cooked correctly and at the right temperature it is a great protein meat. I would use my pressure cooker to exceed the temperature needed and to tenderize it.   See from http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/bear_recipeguide.pdf

Bear Fur Rugs

Bear fur rugs are excellent if initially cared for after the kill by salting the hide and fast processing by a taxidermist.

Bear Grease & Oil

My brother was interested in making a bear grease years ago from a New Hampshire bear he killed and it worked well for leather and lubricating his rifle. The key for making the grease or oil is slow processing at lower temperatures so as not to cook/fry the fat at all. Here is a Wild Edible blog that provides the details. http://www.wildedible.com/blog/bear-grease-rendering-lard

Hunters for centuries used bear grease to lubricate and protect metal from rust and to soften and protect leather. Some say it is a great cooking grease too but I have never used it.

Bear Grease has been used for centuries by Native Americans and Settlers for

• Waterproofing and conditioning leather
• As a lubricant and anti-rust agent for metal and gun parts
• Oil and grease for pastry making and for frying.
• Making Soap
• A great fire starter.
• Medical; for Dry or Chapped Skin
• For light as in lamp oil

The great part about rendered bear fat as a grease, the experts say, is that it does not require refrigeration but can be frozen too. Bear oil can also be part of the render process and it remains as an oil at room temperature.

So there you have it! Try doing more with your bear this year! © 2015

I just penned a very short article on muzzle brakes and believe that they are necessary on very large bore rifles such as .338 Lapua Magnum and the 50 Caliber’s but having said that, the best recoil tamer is a “state-of-the-art” recoil pad such as those tested and proven to significantly reduce recoil. I have tested Limbsaver™ SVL® and Packmayr Decelerator® slip-on type or precision-fit replacement pads. I have not only tested them, I use them every time I go afield or to the range. These pads can and do reduce felt recoil up to 70%. Yes that means that you can shoot a 30-06 and have it feel like recoil from a .243 Winchester. An investment here is for a lifetime of easy shooting! So go get one!

http://pachmayr.com/home/

Below a slip-on version and I own one and love it!

http://www.limbsaver.com/product/airtech-slip-on-recoil/

New from Limbsaver is the Airtech shown here as a slip-on with up to 70% recoil reduction. I have tested other Limbsaver pads and will ask to test this one. I am already a believer in the Limbsaver products for rifle and for Bow and Arrow so Check them out.

The muzzle brake I have on the Savage 11/111 has not been tested yet, with the muzzle brake on, because – with a hunting jacket and the state of the art recoil pad on it – tames the rifle recoil enough for me. Rest assured… I will test it. But the noise (Decibel) level from the rearward gas that comes out of the brake requires the use of hearing protection else damage to your hearing is inevitable. Muzzle Brakes cost $300 or more to install. Hearing aids for hearing loss can cost up to $4000.

I have never owned a rifle with a muzzle brake due to the noise factor alone. Maybe the Savage Brake will change my mind. The value of the brake on the Savage is that with a twist it is turned on or off. On a cold deer stand day the use of ear muffs can be warm ears. A nice thing. If you plan to use the brake while hunting with others near you. I don’t recommend it. You may lose your friends in a hurry.

On the other more positive hand, if on a deer stand alone, it can be a large recoil reducing aid, if you are wearing ear protection and help you make that shot of a lifetime. It is up to you. Be safe out there…

Preparing to Test the Savage 11/111 Long Range Rifle:

This Savage 11/111 rifle with the long 7mm Remington Magnum cartridge requires either a scope with a long body or a modified Weaver extended base. The VX-6 requires an extended base. I found this out with lots of research the Weaver Rep. Weaver 402m part #48429. I have not put it on the rifle as it has been ordered but not installed. More to come…

Some say a picatinny rail can work but will hamper reloading.

Below is the VX-6 3-18 44mm CDS Illuminated. Leupold has sent this scope for me to test. Lets see how it works.

This scope is not for any hunter, it is a scope for a Long Range and Short Range and everywhere in between hunter that wants the best in just one scope that does it all, short or long, and knows your bullet’s Ballistic Coefficient too.

As my friend on the Radio says;

Don’t touch that Dial!

When I have a need for speed, I choose Nosler Bullets like on my African Safari, my Moose Hunt and my Bison Buffalo hunt and whitetail hunts. Nosler bullets are proven by millions of hunters to bring home the game. Of course you have to do your part and put the bullet in the vitals.

I have both 140 grain and 150 grain Nosler E-TIPS to test with the Savage 11/111 Long Range Rifle in 7mm Remington Magnum.  In fact I shot a few today with loads I am working up for hunting. I  used IMR 4831 pushing these pills at around 3020 fps.

The E-TIP or Expansion Tip Bullet is one of the finest Hunting Bullets in the World. It is solid gilding Copper and not a drop of lead to be found. It is soft enough to expand in game and hard enough not to leave copper in your barrel. I have been shooting E-Tips for years and I just love them for accuracy. I will take them hunting this fall for whitetails.

Data from JBM Ballistics Software provides the following results based on a Muzzle Velocity of a 150 grain bullet at 3020 fps and a BC of .498 (G1).

Max Point Blank Range is 300 yards for a 6 inch target.

Range of maximum height 145 yards 3 inches high.

Max PBR Zero is 256 yards.

Energy at 300 yards is 2044 ft-lbs

Velocity at 300 yards is 2477 fps.

This is a recipe for putting your deer down but pronto from zero to 300 yards with a shot to the vitals.  WOW!!!

© 2015