Opening Day Success

[Guy Miner]

Long day. Was in place, glassing, before dawn. Lots of hiking and glassing today. Took a mid-day break for lunch and a nap. Back at it later. Finally got a chance late in the afternoon, a young mule deer buck, a 3x3, at 212 yards. No problem for the 25-06, sighted-in at 200 yards with the wonderful 115 gr Blue Cyclone Ballistic Tips!

I was hunting alone, so I quartered him up on the spot, finishing in the dark with my headlamp. Stuffed him into my pack, tightened the straps and hiked a bit over an hour back to the Jeep. Whew! Long day. Home now. Happy & tired. Hopefully I'll get my son on a buck in a few days.

Guy

 

[JD338]

Congratulations Guy on your mule deer. He will provide you with some excellent table fare. Those Blue Cyclone Ballistic Tips really crush game.

JD338

 

[DrMike]

Superb account, Guy; and quite a nice mule deer. Congratulations. Beautiful territory.

 

[truck driver]

Very Nice, Congrats and thanks for sharing.

 

[Rol_P]

Congratulations Guy, glad you got that mid day nap before taking that nice deer and all the work started.
Good luck getting your son out and helping him fill his tag. Thanks for sharing.

 

[AK7AN]

What a great hunt, and congrats on the success. Thanks for the pictures.
Take care
Ed

 

[TackDriver284]

Congrats Guy on your harvest. The Blue cyclones strikes again.

 

[gerry]

Nice buck Guy, congrats on a great hunt.

 

[AFG270]

Congratulations, nice mule deer buck! Sounds like an excellent hunt.

 

[EOD Diver]

Guy,
Congratulations man! Gotta love hunting the dry side and doing it alone sometimes. Solitude, self reliance and self reflection make it all very special. That 25-06 continues to carry the mail with almost boring results!
V/R,
Joe

 

[Guy Miner]

Thanks Joe - was just looking at my notes re this rifle:

First successful hunt was 2005, took a mule deer not far from where I shot this latest buck a couple of days ago.

During those 12 years, my notes show 9 mule deer, two pronghorn antelope, and a few coyotes. Not bad... The tally would be higher, but last year I used my 30-06 in Wyoming, and a few years ago I shot a whitetail with my 308 instead of the 25-06 rifle.

I've had three different scopes on the rifle: 4.5-14x Leupold, 6x42 fixed, 6x36 fixed.

I think someday the 6x42 is going back on it, after Leupold installs a LR Duplex reticle on it, or a custom reticle...

And have taken game with three different loads:
100 gr Barnes TSX @ 3340 fps
115 gr Berger VLD @ 3190 fps
115 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip @ 3120 fps

Hunted elk one year with it, with the 115 gr Nosler Partition at 3190 fps, but didn't get a shot.

Noticed recently that some of the blueing has worn off the bolt handle. Wish I'd kept a round count for this rifle. I shot it a lot the first few years getting familiar with it.

A few years ago I had a good local smith pillar bed & free-float it, and set the trigger at 3 pounds.

The new Montana Sling is GREAT!

It's real nice to have a rifle I feel so confident with. The 30-06 700 CDL is a near twin, and feels just as good to me.

Regards, Guy

 

[DrMike]

Sounds as if that rifle has become a familiar friend. In a challenging hunting situation, nothing better than having an old friend with you.

 

[c. schutte]

I love that open undulating landscape when grass turns golden. Something about it in the Fall when the air is crisp and clear. What a perfect day to be out there Guy! Glad you were successful and were able to get a nap in! :>)

 

[OU812]

Congtrats Guy and a great looking buck.

 

[6mm Remington]

Great hunt with an great cartridge Guy. Hard to beat that 25-06 in the rifle and it doesn't beat you to death. I just got back from antelope hunting and got a nice doe. Could not find a whopper buck so I would rather let the little guys grow up. Three shots now on game with my 280 Ackley Improved and three animals.

 

[Gummi_Bear]

Great write up, thanks for sharing your adventures!




The landscape looks like part of west Texas. Those columnar volcanic upheavals are all around Fort Davis, with similar grassy vegetation (I’d bet that beneath that grass is a bunch of red rock)



I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...

Henry David Thoreau

 

[FOTIS]

Congratulations Guy

 

[pre6422hornet]

Congrats Guy! Great Pics and story! Always does me good to take a walk on the wild side by myself. Does me and my soul some good.

 

[DrMike]

Congrats Guy! Great Pics and story! Always does me good to take a walk on the wild side by myself. Does me and my soul some good.

Hear, hear! Time alone, interacting with nature, restores a person's sanity.

 

[BretN]

Well done Guy! A little Brownell's Oxpho-blue cold bluing will fix that bolt up good as new. I had to do quite a bit of it on my project Mauser last winter and was really impressed with how easy and how well it worked. Heating up the metal seems to help too. Or sometimes I had to do 2-3 applications to get it to match the surrounding bluing. Or leave the 25-06 as is. Either way, your two 700 classics have sure earned their spaces in your safe. Thanks for sharing your hunt.