It starts tomorrow!

A Healthy Dose of Coues Candy

 Well I promised some recipes once I got my rounds worked up for the deer hunt.  Here is my homemade (and family tradition) recipe for Coues Candy:

For a Ruger M77 chambered in .243 Winchester.

*95 gr Nosler CT Ballistic Tip
*45.5 gr IMR 7828 (89% load cap.)
*Remington Large Rifle Primers
*Winchester Brass (once fired)

Without a chronograph, I'm estimating about 3120 fps muzzle velocity.  Nothing to be insecure about there!  This should yield about 800 ft-lbs at 500 yards and a trajectory of -39 inches at the same distance.  300 yards is a more realistic distance given my setup and ability at this point, and I should be able to deliver about 1200 ft-lbs of kinetic energy with only -6 inches of bullet drop.  Given an average chest depth of 13 inches on a Coues buck, holding the horizontal reticle on a buck's spine should deliver this little early-retirement present right to the boiler room.   I had some real trouble initially getting my powder charge to drop accurate loads, but a new digital scale and powder trickler remedied the situation and I tightened up the charges to within a tenth of a grain.   Then there was the issue of ill-seated bullets that could be turned by hand in the case - nothing that an adjustment to the resizing die couldn't cure.  It only took mushrooming a few case necks before I realized that dropping the seating die was the wrong direction to fix this aggravation.  In hindsight, building bullets has proved to be rather therapeutic, and it has helped me to weather the interminable wait before hunting season.

 Come on November 26th!

Callie Tips Over a Grand-Daddy Muley

I wasn't there to help with this hunt, but this was one tag I was really hoping got filled this year.  I'll be honest though, I didn't expect the tag to get hung on a deer of this quality.  Those Nevada boys (and girls) really know how to get it done.  Congratulations to Callie on her first deer ever!   I did have the privilege of periodic updates from Mike, Callie's boyfriend/deer guide, while they were pursuing this monster, which almost made it feel like I was on the hunt.  Great shooting and hard hunting.  Sure hope one day I can collect an old white faced bruiser like this one.   Callie did  on her first hunt what a lot of people (including me) are still dreaming about.  Way to go girl!  Now go draw your sheep tag and we'll really be talking!

This photo here belongs on the cover of a magazine.  It's that good!                                                         

When you hit the hills with guys like these, two things happen.  1- Something usually dies.  2- You're gonna have a lot of fun.  The two on the left will be accompanying me on a Coues Deer hunt in two weeks.  Really looking forward to that hunt.

Leftovers in Coues Country

I will spare you my typical long winded rant, and let the photos do the talking on this one.  Plus the story's already been written: Diagnosis Heart Explosion.  Enjoy!