wtnhunt

Thanks for sharing the pics with us Frank. Looks like a great time.

Very nice rifle, let us know how it shoots for you. Know you reload, might wanna check out the hornady eld-x's in 178 grain, have had good results.

Looks great Ross. Nice work.

Most anyone else in this country that had done a fraction of what that family has would be under a jail. Pretty disgusting that she is even able to consider the possibility. I still feel strongly that she should be tried for treason. Real shame how in this country some are above the law.

The single shot reg change might get a few more hunters out during muzzleloader, but doubt it will increase harvest numbers. Most those guys who would have to buy another gun just to meet the changes for "primitive weapons" likely already have a muzzleloader. Figure a "newness" type deal will just give guys that already hunt the muzzleloader season an excuse to buy another gun. Geez, with the modern day muzzleloader accuracy and long range abilities I have hunted during the rifle season here with my accura many times. Handbook still not out yet, but reg changes are able to be found online. Another one of those that makes you go huhmmm and wonder about is the new reg on air rifles. Game commission will not approve night time coyote hunting for concerns of increased poaching of deer, yet the TN.gov site if I am reading right has shown the commission has approved and adopted new regs to include the use of nearly silent air rifles above .35 caliber for hunting all big game species in our general gun season. So now it is legal to use the air gun which is super quiet, seems to me like promoting sneaky activity. Gotta wonder what kind of hunter out there is gonna drop $750 on an entry level crosman air gun. I still see in my mind the cheap bb guns crosman makes and think yeah, right??? Guess for those who are all about whacking as many does as possible where you can kill 3 a day, a quiet rifle might make it a bit easier for them, although there have been too many times to count that I have shot with a rifle and had does/deer just stand there looking around like what just happened. In my opinion decreasing harvest numbers have everything to do with the state's continued liberal limits. Maybe they will eventually figure it out.

This post is worthless without pics. lol. Congrats on the new sako, I am kinda fond of nikon optics. A gun like yours would definitely call for upper end like the monarch line. Of course you could go with swaro's or zeiss if you save a little longer.

She is supposedly again taking "campaign donations", either to run again or further pocket more fools money, or a combination of both.

Wonder who is playing who, the lefties or the illegals?????? Either way, word is hitlery is looking to run again.

Storms here last night, today too, supposed to be a cold front pushing in this afternoon and temps only gonna get into the upper 80's over the weekend. Will take a ride around this afternoon after the wife gets home to check fences and cows. Nothing planned for the weekend, and with my tractor down I won't be able to get done some things I wanted to. Dunno if the girls will do their volunteering at the riding academy Saturday or not, they called it the last couple weeks for the dangerous heat indexes, but should be ok this weekend. Sure I will find something to work on though, always something to do around here.

Don't post here nearly as much as I used to either, but then there have not been as many posts to reply to, and I kinda run outta stuff to start new posts with without feeling like I am repeating myself, and then sometimes feels like whats the point when you post something and see that a lot of readers read it and goes without any replies. That was a gripe of a few old members that quit posting, but always wondered how many of those looks without replies were the guests or bots that viewed. While I respect your opinion, I would have to disagree with some of that. I think on the contrary, most of the hunters here are not extra ordinary and are not all about bowhunting monster bucks but is rather a pretty diverse group. Sure there are some of the guys on here that most of us dream of hunting a deer like they post pics of like Rhino or fly. The part I bolded, I think most of us still here agree on those points. Why the posts on those types of topics have been far and few between is beyond me. I know personally I still enjoy reading posts about kids hunting and seeing pics of their deer. Enjoy the debates on topics too, but kinda tough to debate when there are only two folks posting in a thread, so kinda goes back to the point I made above about there not being much point to take the time to post if noone is gonna reply. I know personally, I have been a member here going on 18 years now and my own hunting has shifted since I started here, but I still will congratulate anyone who shares their success story even if the deer is not one I personally would shoot. Everyone hunts to fill their own satisfaction, theirs not mine. For me anymore, I would rather kill coyotes than kill a deer that is not worthy of the wall, but that is me. I know I will have hours of work into handling the meat, and would rather see my wife or kids take a deer than kill one myself. This forum unlike others, I don't think anyone would criticize what you shoot and share a pic or stories of. That is part of what is missing is the posts from members just like you. There are other forums that allow bashing of members for posting pics of deer they shoot, as long as I have been here, I don't think that happens here. Unfortunately I think you are probably right with this. I know there had been several who when changeovers happened that they were unable to log back on. And then all the "glitches". I can understand the frustration and could see why some would give up and move on. Shame that with what RT hoped would make this place better "upgrades" to the software, that they contributed to driving away members. The last big changeover where it took weeks for the forum to get back up and running and the loss of pics and posts really did not help when there were members already finding other sources for posting whatever they wanted to post.

Yeah Al, hope it is not crazy hot. If we get something decent enough to get me interested on cams, I may get out for one of the mornings. We had two mature bucks last season that made it through our lengthy gun season then disappeared. The one that was all busted up was very regular back here with sightings often and getting pics made on 4 different cams and he just vanished. Airbow would not apply here, only allowed for disabled hunters for archery season but allowed for all during the general gun seasons, and there is no advantage to using one for the gun seasons. I know there were proposals on "primitive" weapons and changing up our muzzleloader season, I gave my 2 cents to the commission. Looking like our muzzleloader season may also see changes with allowing single shots. I did not support that change. Supposedly theses changes are to promote getting more hunters in the woods and to increase harvest numbers. Harvest numbers were down again, don't think it is sinking in to the powers that be that the liberal limits have made for less available deer which is reflected in the lesser number of deer being killed. Hear the same old excuses, that there were too many acorns or the opener was too hot. One of my favorites was a guy on tndeer, bashing another member there saying the guy was not seeing does because he was a lousy hunter. I have confirmed the early hunt and the airbow reg on the twra site, I tried downloading the new hunter handbook and it would not load, they are usually in walmart stores by the end of July so will be able to clarify other changes.

Wow, that is crazy for you guys to be getting indexes that high Shaun. Been pretty miserable heat indexes here, but not quite that bad. Bad when the air feels thick, even in the shade. We often this time of year end up pumping water out of the pool or have the kids splash a lot out while running water in from the well. No idea how warm the water was yesterday, but it was up there.

The owner of the company/website you refer to has been banned here numerous times for spamming and advertising without permission. He has repeatedly attempted to post here, has even come in acting as a user and then promoting his site/products by first asking questions about it.

Pretty busy day here, been outside most of the day working on a lot of different stuff around here, did get in the pool with the family for about an hour and a half but water was too warm to cool down. Turned out the hydraulic line leak on my tractor was coming from the actual line, ughhhh. Hoping I can find a replacement line at one of the nearby kubota dealers. Food plot I had planned for the ground in the bottom keeps getting pushed back. Fixing to eat fresh corn picked from our garden this morning, and some pulled pork I cooked over hickory. Gonna take the wife and kids to town to watch fireworks in a little while.

Enjoy your retirement Dave. Congratulations.

Looks like the chances at tagging a velvet buck in Tennessee just became very good with an end of August 3 day archery private grounds only antlered hunt. Interesting, will have to see as it draws closer if there is a decent buck around, may get me in a stand with crossbow. Have not gotten the new handbook in my hands yet to verify, but heard that the use of airbows has also become legal.

Thanks for sharing those with us Dave, still cool you get a good variety of animals. Only have one trail cam out so far here this year, been nothing of any interest on it, just the typical does, skipper bucks, and a few yotes.

Been having issues here with termites getting into treated wood laying on the ground, even in posts and utility poles. Know that they are not supposed to, but they do. Would not hurt to saturate those treated 2x's with a termiticide. Reminds me I need to mix up some and spray my shed posts.

Was out in this rotten heat most the day today. Finished up what I was able to bushhog this morning and swapped over to the tiller behind the tractor. Was about to take back off and noticed a puddle under the tractor, after cleaning everything up enough id'd the leak, an o ring on the line going in the pump. It was 11:45 then, closest dealer about 45 minutes away and closed at noon so will be Monday before I can get it back going. Done with that tractor for the day, so moved on to mowing the yard and doing some cleaning up with the little tractor. Mixed up a tank full of roundup and sprayed bean plots checked the one camera I have running. Not had a decent buck on camera yet this year. Holding down the recliner in the AC for the remainder of the day. Nothing planned for tomorrow, may spend most the afternoon in the pool with the kids.

Been hot here for a good while now, don't think we really had a spring season. Been a little breezy the past few days making the humidity a little less brutal, but still have had heat advisories.

Low enough flyover for you to see it Martin?

Be sure to check around and locally too, but this may be one of the best https://www.gunbuyer.com/smith-wesson-m-p10-sport-optics-ready-308win-7-62-nato-16-barrel-20-1-11532.html prices on that smith and wesson.

The LR is the long range dpms model .308 or their long range version of the AR10, those will run a good bit higher. The dpms oracle in .308 can be bought for around $700 right now with the $50 rebate. Biggest gripe with the lower end dpms rifles seems to be the trigger, I had a jp trigger installed on my dpms lr 308 from the factory, and am very happy with it. In the $750-$850 price range you should be able to find several different manufacturers with an ar10 platform. Smith and Wesson at buds has their m&p sport for $897 https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/42778/SMITH+AND+WESSON+M%26P10+SPORT+308+WIN. They also had a diamondback for $844. There are some better deals out there, I get multiple emails daily from different gun dealers. Gunbuyer has some really good deals https://www.gunbuyer.com/firearms/rifles/ar-15s.html?caliber=57, scroll down the page they show they have the same m&p sport buds has at $897 for $819 and the gen2 dpms(not the same gun as in the first link I gave you from rural king) also for $819. I have bought from gunbuyer, they are good to deal with and typically have great prices. Kinda making me want another. lol

In the current climate, a pretty decent .308 could be bought for well under your budget. There are loads of AR platform guns on the market, not like it was 8-10 years ago where you had to wait. I waited nearly a year to get my LR308 ordered it Jan 2009 and came in Jan 2010, but I did order it how I wanted it with upgrades. I do not think dpms is as good as it once was, but here is just one example https://www.rkguns.com/dpms-panther-oracle-atacs-308-ar-15-rifle-60560.html that would leave you some $$$ leftover for a scope and mount. I was disappointed with the sportacle version dpms AR 15 I bought in comparison to my LR, but it also cost about half what the LR did. Once you have your complete rifle you have the lower that you can upgrade and customize and can replace the barrel or go with full uppers with no ffl.

Welcome to the forums. Are those the only two options you are willing to go with? Honestly in my opinion, I think you would be better off going with an AR10 in .308 if you want an AR platform that will be well suited for deer and black bear. Prices are reasonable enough on them now that it would not run you all that much more.