6.5x55 Swede never ceases to amaze me....the recoil, trajectory, power balance.

This is an old video now, but when shooting out of a treestand or even on the ground I like to face all the way to the left of where I think something will come out (being left handed) and swing to the right when something comes out to the right. This helps avoid a scenario like you just mentioned. I like that idea of going through your hunts after to improve on some things.

Heavy pressure I crawl into a blowdown, log pile, or a hole left by a tree falling over. I don't worry about behind me unless I can glance that way without showing movement. I used to smoke (A lot!) and wore plain, brown, cotton gloves. This covered the hand movements. Think how far you can see a squirrel moving with the leaves down. So can a deer. I am usually actually laying down when I sit. This does three things. 1. It contains your scent. 2. Deer are not looking for a hunter at that level. 3. You are comfortable and can move around a little. Don't lay your rifle where it will be awkward to get it into action. I pretty much use mid length cartridges, but if you are going to sit on public land, how and where you sit is everything. If you crawl in somewhere, put orange on top of the logs.

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

3 жыл бұрын

Your comments just brought back a lot of old hunting memories! I was sitting beside a blowdown sort of up against it turkey hunting one time with an old Marlin bolt action 12ga goose gun with the 36 inch barrel and a Turkey slipped in on me and popped up right on the other side of the log. The problem was the barrel of that old goose gun stuck out past the turkey and I couldn't get the shotgun far enough back to shoot him. I started to just try and hit him in the head with the barrel but decided to just wait until he walked off far enough for me shoot. Unfortunately there was a drop right beside us and when got to it he just flew down off the hill and I never could get a shot on that bird. Fun times! Those are some good tips.

What a coincidence it is that you posted this video today. I’ve been working on a load for my 243 and found a really good one today. A lot of people claim a 243 is not enough for deer but I really like mine. I found that 100 grain Sierra Pro Hunters and IMR 4831 are a good combination! Thanks for another fine and informative video. God Bless

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

3 жыл бұрын

My friend that I mentioned in this video that got one out of the other tree we picked out when scouting took his deer with a .243! And he dropped it in it's tracks. He's been killing deer with a .243 for close to 30 years and has never lost a deer with it. So don't ever think a .243 isn't enough gun for deer. It's all about shot placement. And that pro hunter should do an outstanding job!

@jdboutdoors4709

3 жыл бұрын

Try the IMR 4451 with the 100 grain pro hunter I think will be pleased with the results.

@WayStedYou

2 жыл бұрын

People who say 243 is not enough for deer just dont know where to shoot

I was a duck hunter and did some drift shooting or over decoys in a small boat. Seemed the birds knew I was limited swinging to the right and often thats the direction they came in. I remember paddling out jumping two mallards 20 yards and to the left. Thinking they had made a drastic mistake I grabbed my gun where it was laying on my decoy bag ( burlap) and it was frozen fast. I got it free but they were out of range laughing im sure.

Thanks for sharing your story with us. From your pictures, it looks very similar to Northern Saskatchewan (that's where I hunt), we just have different types of trees than you. Many areas have a very thick underbrush.There are places where I've had deer walk out under 10 yards and scare the dickens out of both of you. The are also areas we have cut lines for the forestry people that you can see along for several hundred yards quite easily. Unfortunately this is all crown (public)land and is generally got more hunters than animals so the success rate can be low as the season goes on. Cheers from Canada

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

3 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you enjoyed it. And it sounds like we are hunting very similar areas and in very similar ways. Our underbrush is usually extremely thick and we have what you call cut lines as well, along with power lines and other similar openings that create long straightaways. And our public land, which I was hunting, can also have more hunters than animals. The primary thing I'm trying to find when I'm scouting is a place without many hunters. And our season also gets a lot tougher as season goes on. Yes, very similar.

True words of wisdom!

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, but I'm not sure if it's wisdom or a lot of experience with very unwise choices? But then again maybe the two are the same? 🙂

@edwardabrams4972

2 жыл бұрын

Tom with age usually comes wisdom from mistakes we make and learned from and are willing to pass on to the next person do they don’t have to go through the same mistakes

I like this video because it involves strategy. I have my own thoughts and I have read several books from others, watched a number of vids. I hunt on public land. My funds are limited. I have spent quite a bit on rifles, plural, so it might take a few years before I can finance getting on a deer lease. In the mean time, I hunt on public land that is about an hour from where I live. And it is a few different sections. The eastern most is where I have seen a deer. I was driving up a county road to a parking area and a doe bounded across the road. I could not take a shot for several reasons. She was running from one private land across the road to another private land that I did not have permission to enter. Secondly, it is illegal to fire a weapon across a public road in most any county in my state. Third, I was driving and my rifle was buried in my trunk. And what if she had wandered on to the public property I was going to? I still could not take a shot because on that Wildlife Management Area, you can only rifle hunt a doe if you have a US Forest Service permit for a doe. Which I had past the deadline. That being said, you can archery hunt do there without a USFS permit. So, I have tried different positions. setting up near a creek. Sometimes on a path between the creek and surrounding private property. It is my theory that the deer may go to the surrounding farms to eat and come back the wilds of the WMA to rest. One spot in there, I noticed that someone left a tree stand installed, so I took it as a good sign that I was in a place other hunters found desirable. Over in the big section of the WMA that is near two small lakes, I have heard from another hunter there that he saw a spike buck. And I have feral hog sign in there. And so, when I went feral hog hunting after the end of deer season, I went there. No luck but I actually enjoyed walking in the rain. It's not hunting if you don't get a little wet or dirty. On public land here, you are not allowed to bait. But even if you wanted to scatter seeds for feed plots, good luck with that because that area is not set up for "gardening." Also, since you cannot leave deer stands set up, you will spend more time still hunting. So, it is best to practice off hand shooting and improvised support, If you have a range where you can use barricades as if they were tree branches, that could help. But I do have to agree with Paul's first rule of deer hunting. You need to be where the deer are.

Well that works in the flat piney wood. I hunt where there is no shooting lanes. Its either. On the side of mountian with big hard woods. Or in the thick. I hunt on the ground. So it's a little different for me. Now I used to hunt with dogs I had some really good hounds back then killed quite a few deer usually on the jump before they even opened up. And caught the dogs. Just after the kill,, but where I am now I can't dog hunt so usually take one either on,the ground or stalk hunting. ,,

You convinced me on the 7x57. Great vids mate!

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@G5Hohn

3 жыл бұрын

If you like the ballistics of the 7x57 (and who doesn't), then you absolutely should consider the 7-08, the 6.5 creedmoor, the 260 Rem, 6.5x55 and maybe even a 280 because they're fairly comparable to each other in terms of bullet weight and speed within 100fps and 15-20gr or so. I really like the 7-08 but the Remington reamer design is pretty terrible and doesn't do justice to the cartridge. A non-saami custom reamer and faster twist can do wonders for 7-08. I adopted 6.5cm just because it's an easy button here in the USA-- excellent factory chamber design, low recoil, abundant ammo, proper twist for heavy bullets. But if you aren't in the USA, then the 6.5 is far less available and maybe the 6.5x55 is a good choice right up there with 7x57. We've never had it so good as shooters/hunters in terms of performance and selection for the cost. At least until the recent shortages.

@Heinrichstiti270

3 жыл бұрын

@@G5Hohn thanks mate already have a 243, super popular where I live. I just like the 7x57 because of it's history. I'm not trying to snipe lol but good suggestions, I'm going to load my 7x57. Because I have a modern built gun. Cheers

@G5Hohn

3 жыл бұрын

@@Heinrichstiti270 .243 is excellent and I love the history of the 7x57 as well. Good on ya and stay safe.

Consider the .270 Win. a low recoiling round, in an 8.5 lb. scoped M70 rifle. But the Ruger African in 6.5x55mm, at 7.5 lb. and aperture sighted, is a pleasure to shoot, and anchors deer and hogs out to ~ 200 yds just as well. Thanks for the vids, Tom.

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

3 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you enjoyed it and just so you know I'm also a big fan of the 6.5x55. I don't need any more rifles but there are a couple of rifles I still want and a couple of cartridges I still want and the 6.5x55 is one of them. It's definitely on my short list.

@bowiedcs1673

3 жыл бұрын

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving She's a classy ole girl, and she shoots small. Sure you will be enamored.

@bigtrev761

9 ай бұрын

🇦🇺😎👍🏁6.5x55🏁

Hey Tom, What are some safety practices commonly used when hunting on public land that an experienced woods hunter on private land might not know about? I have a few ideas, like wear orange all the time, hunt from a climbing stand, use a flashlight during twilight hours. Maybe carry a whistle to alert other hunters if they move through your area, so they know where you are. Park your truck so that you can walk straight in from where you plan to hunt. You have any more suggestions or common practices? Thanks

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

3 жыл бұрын

Now that's a great question and I think you covered the basics. I would probably not use the whistle but I would be prepared to waive my hat at someone or shine my light in low light conditions to let them know I'm there if they're walking in on me. A couple of things I would add is to try and figure out if anyone else is in the area. I'll drive past my parking spot a half mile or so just to see if anyone else is parked close to where I'm hunting and then turn around and drive back to my spot. It's easy to think no one is close by when you didn't see a vehicle on your way in but then find out a vehicle was parked 100 yards away just around the bend further down the road your spot is on. I also put in a lot of time and effort to find spots that don't have a lot of other people hunting them. Spots with fewer people are both safer and usually have the best hunting. And if I'm hunting a small parcel that's easy to circle then I'll circle the area before I go to my spot just to see how many people are in that area. Another important thing to keep in mind is that on public land you need a plan A, B, C, D, and E. There are times you'll get to your spot and someone else will already be there. That's a frustrating feeling if you're not prepared for it but if you have a plan B, C, and so on you can drive right past that spot and on to the next without ever missing a beat or getting annoyed. Usually when people know you're in an area and they just come in on top of you anyway either they just don't know proper hunting etiquette or they're frustrated because they don't have another spot and you where in "their" spot so they just came in anyway. Either way be prepared to just leave if people start crowding you and then just go to your next spot. Eventually, if you're patient and observant (watching the other people instead of getting aggravated with them) you'll find that other people can actually help you. People are way more predictable than deer and you can just let the other hunters push deer to you. Eventually you'll even start scouting with that in mind, and if you pay close attention to the wind you'll quickly realize the deer do a much better job of patterning the hunters than the hunters do the deer. Best of luck

Actually they still do make them just not the marketing n ads that Mr Hice Did.

🇦🇺😎👍Great content

Me included we miss high.

Tom, I’ve never hunted from a tree stand, and have an observation and a question. A friend of mine was bow hunting from a tree stand, and had a clear shot at an elk. But his shots (two, I think) went high. In your description of your hunt in this video, it sounds like your shot went higher than you expected. My question is this: If we’re shooting down towards an animal, how does that angle affect where we should be aiming? It seems like we need to aim a bit lower. What do you think? Thanks, Howard

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

3 жыл бұрын

That is a great question Howard and it brings up a couple of different things. You're right about aiming low with a bow because most animals instinctively drop at the sound of the release. It's called "jumping the string". Deer are notorious for it but elk do it to. So with a bow you want to aim for the heart. If the animal doesn't drop you get heart and lung. If the animal does drop you get mid to high lung. But this is probably one of the most debated topics for bow hunters so you might want to do some research on this. That's not an issue for a rifle so with a rifle you general want to aim a little higher than normal (and sometimes with a bow) when in a stand. Think about a deer, or elk, walking directly under your stand.. If you were shooting straight down. You would aim directly between the shoulder blades to hit vitals which is as high up as you can aim. So it's all about the angle. For a really sharp angle your arrow or bullet could enter high on one leg and exit low on the other. In my case there were some things going on that I didn't get into in the video just because I wanted to keep the video short. One thing I didn't mention was the buck was bigger than I thought he was. So when I judged where I thought the best place was on the shoulder I was just guessing where that spot was because I couldn't see it because of the high grass. I miss judged the size of the deer which caused me to be off a little on my guess of where the shoulder actually was. Another thing I didn't mention was the deer was also quartering to me and wasn't completely broad side like I thought. I couldn't see enough of the body to tell that and the deer was also standing on an incline which put the front of the deer higher. And this then gets into the risks of taking less then ideal shots which is a topic that probably needs it's own video? I hope that helps?

@Treeweavers

3 жыл бұрын

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving Yes - thanks, Tom. I’m still learning, even though I’m not young anymore. We have about 20 acres of young timber on our place, and are just getting it thinned and cleaned up so we can comfortably walk around in there. There is a seasonal creek running through the timber, and lots of cover along that creek all the way back up into the forested hills west of us. We’re only about three miles from town, but every type of beast that lives in northwest Oregon seems to pass through here. I’m thinking of putting a couple of tall hunting blinds in there, but I’ll need to do some target practice from up there in order to be confident about how high or low to aim. Thanks again. I’m enjoying your talks. P.S. ~ My friend who shot his arrows high missed that elk because of “buck fever”. The elk had stopped broadside to Doug, who was up in a tree. He dropped the first arrow, he was shaking so bad. Said the elk just casually looked around to see what the noise was. I think he got off two shots before the elk ambled off. But he did better on another hunt, and made a great shot with a black powder rifle. Good fun, and good food.

@G5Hohn

3 жыл бұрын

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving Great observations, Tom. Another thing to consider is that if you are shooting downhill (down angle) the effect of gravity can be less, depending on just how far the target it and just how much below you it is. This factor will cause you to miss high by overestimating drop. It's a pretty minor effect though with most medium power short action cartridges at ranges under 200y. So if you're shooting from a relatively tall stand, you'll need to go from aiming pretty high to account for the angle (at close range) to eventually having very little holdover (medium range) to having more holdover again (longer range). It's worth burning a few rounds from an elevation at varying distances to get a feel for the holds within the ranges you'd considering shooting. And THEN you have to adjust your holds to account for the fact your aiming for vitals well inside the animal, not on the surface. Great video Tom, I appreciate your perspective and the videos.

@atomicwedgie8176

Жыл бұрын

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving When you want to run fast, you drop down and get a bend in your knees, then you spring forward with power. If you just start running straight-legged you won't run as fast, as quickly, and with power. In fact people will think you probably just filled your britches! Deer drop down to gather power to spring away and gather maximum speed quicker, in a faster comparable distance, compared to just running away straight-legged and taking far longer to cover the same distance. Deer don't duck!

CAN YOU DISCUSS THINGS THAT ARE PUT ON RIFLE BUTS TO ULTIMATELY RAISE THE CHEEK WELD?

Successful deer hunting is not for dummies but sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. I've Kill a few deer in my life and missed many more. Never missed one with a rifle but missed deer by hunting mistakes like not being prepared to shoot ,falling a sleep, making noise like hitting my rifle barrel on the roof of a box blind. Murphy's law prevales in deer hunting. Of course the deer were trophy quality that I did not get a shot at because of my dumb mistakes. Ive made great shots on deer. My problem is hunting mistakes.

I used a .270 that kicked the daylights out of me, the stock was not designed right. About that time I also used a .30-06 that was a pleasure to shoot because it had a good stock design. Because of this I know exactly what you mean about low recoil calibers but I think there are also low recoil rifles?

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

3 жыл бұрын

You make a great point and there are certainly low recoiling rifles, and really hard recoiling rifles out there. And stock design along with the weight of the rifle are both huge factors. That's why I often talk about the importance of rifle weight. It makes a big difference for accuracy but also recoil and hard recoiling cartridges should be matched to appropriate weight rifles.

@jerroldshelton9367

3 жыл бұрын

I've shot .270 Winchester and yes, even .243 Winchesters, that were annoyingly unpleasant to shoot in spite of being chambered for "mild recoiling" rounds, and I've shot a few .30-'06 rifles that were pleasant to shoot in spite of the chambering. I agree that there are also "low recoil rifles". There is more to felt recoil than the chambering.

@currituck

2 жыл бұрын

I agree about rifle design. My favorite rifle to shoot and the quality is incredible is my Browning A Bolt Medallion in 30/06. What a please to shoot and hunt with.

@JohnWilliams-iw6oq

Жыл бұрын

@@whiteyfisk9769 the one I used drove my thumb back into my mouth and gave me a Weatherby eyebrow as well as a nice cut across my nose.

Tom... this has to be an age thing.. I find myself too gravitating towards low recoiling rounds. Giving the situation... your choice was spot on. When we get older ... We aquire more rifles... and some are for a particular area or game specific. One thing that remains... is I enjoy shooting the low recoiling cartridges a lot more than the heavy hitters. I'm more accurate too 🙂 Maybe it's a combination of shooting the said firearm more... but the reality is... you don't need a boom stick inside 200 yards.

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

3 жыл бұрын

Agreed! I've noticed for myself that I really don't enjoy the high recoiling cartridges near as much as I used to. I had some health problems 11 years ago and every since then I've been a lot more recoil sensitive and I have come to appreciate the low recoiling cartridges more and more. And everything you wrote there is spot on.

My solution? Practice shooting both right and left handed, then i can just shoot whichever way best suits the situation.

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

3 жыл бұрын

I agree 100% with that and my Dad always practiced left handed for that reason. But truthfully I've gotten so caught up in precision shooting over the last few years that I've gotten away from actual practical practice at the range. Which is something I need to correct this summer.

@fedup3582

3 жыл бұрын

Just practicing handling the rifle left handed, in the house while watching tv or whatever, and some dry fire practice can go a long way.

Can't hunt ok n Sundays? Thats strange

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

3 жыл бұрын

It probably ties into the "blue laws" we had years ago, which means very very few places were allowed to open on Sunday. When I was young I hated it, but now I appreciate it. It gives the deer and hunters a day off. But it's only on public land. Not that many years ago there was no hunting on Sunday at all, but now you can hunt private land on Sunday.

Hunting is never a 100% deal, if it was it would be called harvesting. I use the keep it simple method, I do the best I can and dont worry about the rest..If God had wanted you to see behind, I recon he would have put eyes in the back of your head LOL

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

3 жыл бұрын

Agreed!

Yes, us experienced hunters know exactly what you are talking about, but I think you're incorrect about what you got wrong. What if it hadn't been a deer? You probably ought to use binoculars instead of your scope to verify your targets in the field. I can't tell you how many idiots I've seen checking me out with their rifle scopes to see what I was; too dumb to consider the implications of putting their scope on a human being and what other part of the firearm is also pointed at the same thing. It is VERY unnerving, you don't know if you should hit the deck, shoot first, wave and holler, or what. I do like your videos and your take on guns and hunting, but no matter how old you get if you don't learn something new every day you're not paying attention.

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

3 жыл бұрын

I have to admit that is a good point. In this instance I was sure of what it was when I used my scope to check it, and I would have known if it was another hunter at that distance. But for long distances it isn't always so easy to tell. I've never carried binoculars but just from a safety stand point for those longer distances that really is something I should probably start carrying..

@demetriuscooksey7147

3 жыл бұрын

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving I live in Idaho and over here it's kindofa must have item on the hunting gear check list. I never hunted anywhere on the East side of the country, so maybe it's not as big a deal over there.

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

3 жыл бұрын

@@demetriuscooksey7147 Binos have never been a thing here. A lot of bow hunters use them but that's about it. But our visibility here is a lot more limited because of all the vegetation. I have literally known people from the plains that became claustrophobic while driving here because the trees here are so thick in places. But it does make sense to use them in places where people and deer both look like tiny specks and you need optics to tell the difference between them.

@demetriuscooksey7147

3 жыл бұрын

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving Yeah, that's the situation over here. Gotta have a range finder too.

@myparceltape1169

3 жыл бұрын

You have told me why my uncle came back from N. America wearing a bright yellow and brown check shirt.