Lance86

I'll be doing a hog hunt in Alabama next winter and need help- Any advice on a good gun for the hunt? Anyone got any hog experience w/ a 25-06? Thanks:2guns:

Wow Annie, I've been researching the same topic for months- trying to decide on a .243 or 25-06 for my 13 yr old daughter. I've decided on the .243 for the simple fact that the recoil is next to nothing. In fact, when comparing the charts with the .243 and a .410 shotgun with a 3" slug, the recoil is almost exactly the same. Plain and simple- you need to be comfortable with the gun to be a great shot, and recoil has everything to do with making some people comfortable. I've narrowed my search to the Remington 700 SPS or the Thompson Center Venture. There is quite a bit difference in price though. The Venture is TC's "entry level" gun. It's marketed to compete with some of the lower priced competitor models, but it is made similarly to the TC Icon without a few of the bells and whistles. It retails for under $500 and has a mfr guarantee to have 1" or tighter groups @ 100 yards. The gun also has a great warranty compared to others. As for the .243 capabilities- all of the above replies have hit it on the head. Great gun for everything from p-dogs to whitetails including antelope, hogs and yotes. I am planning to pick mine up at Cabela's on Wednesday! Have fun and it's always great to hear from a lady that loves to hunt!

I'm guessing that the day I'm not emotional will be the day that I hang it up and I'm sure that there are many others out there who will agree. Harvesting an animal opens the flood gates of memories every year, but after hunting for 35 years, the biggest thrill was sitting next to my daughter last year when she took her first deer.

Anyone got any experience with the new TC Venture? I know that it's a new model that is being touted as an economical version of TC's arsenal, but little more than that. Considering it in a .243. Thanks

thanks for all of the great feedback. It's difficult to try before you buy and it's rare to find the person that has both guns and can comment. I'm hearing much of what I expected- almost a toss up and that I need to consider my daughter's preference for recoil and noise instead of mine.

I am looking for a new rifle for my daughter and am leaning toward the Remington 700 ADL in 25-06. Reason being that while she will use it for Michigan whitetails, I will also use it for antelope and hogs. I'm waffling between it and the same gun in .243. I've heard that I will need the extra punch of the 25-06 for the hogs and that it will give me a flatter shot at long range, but almost all other things are equal. Does anyone have advice, especially with regards to recoil? My daughter is 13 and I don't want to scare her with a big punch of recoil- if she can't practice with it, she won't hunt with it!

Looks like the WGI is doing the job. However, having had several cams in the past that didn't last too long, I "upgraded" to a "mid-line" camera (Moultree IR 40). For $165, I don't think you can beat it. I know that it's more than you want to spend, but a few bucks more now may save some cash in the long run. I put my camera out 4 weeks ago in the UP of Michigan- weather was cold- and I had over 600 pics on it before I checked it this past weekend. Battery life was still at 82% and the pics (both day and night) were awesome.

We always keep them out year round on our property. If for no other reason, it gives the deer a reason to hang out on our property rather that the others.

I agree w/ Leo- go straight to the 180 grain.

I bought a TC Triumph last summer and have run about 200 rounds through it- pretty much all experimental. I started with the TC Shockwaves, thinking that they were the logical choice given the gun mfr. However, I was unable to shoot more than two rounds without a cleaning. After trying the powerbelts, I won't shoot anything else. Because of the way they're made, they really load easy- much easier than anything else that I tried. Don't be fooled, you won't be able to shoot more than 3-4 without cleaning the gun- I have made it a habit to clean after every third shot. At the previous person stated, the secret to shooting a smoke pole is consistency in your setup and routine. Try lots before you settle on anything. Good Luck and shoot straight!

I've checked in the Moultrie too. Unfortunately is transmits the photo's via the AT&T cell phone satelite system and will run $30 per moth. As was stated above, cell coverage and good deer country don't mix too well in my area.

I've checked in the Moultrie too. Unfortunately is transmits the photo's via the AT&T cell phone satelite system and will run $20 per moth. As was stated above, cell coverage and good deer country don't mix too well in my area.

Was just in Gander Mountain (Appleton, WI) last night and they had several calibers in stock. I'm really impressed with the quality vs. the price. I'm looking at a .243 for my daughter. The bolt in it is really smooth- no slop at all like most of the other brands. It appears to be a really good quality gun at a great price. Gotta love the TC!

Great plot doc. I'm gonna give the beans a shot!

Thanks Redneck. Beans actually do very well in our area and they're pretty low maintenance. I kind of like the idea of having them as a late season food source. I do a lot of late season hunting in December when there is usually 12" or so of snow on the ground and they would accessible to the deer.That's great to hear that they can be broadcasted.

Thanks for the comments. Does anyone have experience with planting soybeans? I have gotten a lot of suggestions that say I should plant some in the spring, but I don't have a planter. Is there any chance that the seed will germinate if it is simply broadcasted onto the soil? Thanks

I shoot 250 gr powerbelts w/ 150 grain Triple 7. The powerbelts load MUCH easier than the Shockwaves, and I get great groups @ 50 and 100 yards.

I shoot 250 gr powerbelts w/ 150 grain Triple 7. The powerbelts load MUCH easier than the Shockwaves, and I get great groups @ 50 and 100 yards.

Do you plant in the spring or late summer? Seems like the peas would need a bit longer growing period.

At our camp and all surrounding camps, we (the adults) have made it a point to harvest mature bucks only. However, the kids have their choice of what to harvest. With this management strategy, we have managed to take several antlerless from the herd for each of the past two seasons. All of the owners in the surrounding +/- 400 acres are taking the same strategy. However, taking even more needs to be considered. In one sitting this past November, we had 16 does on the 40 acres (between three different stands) at the same time, and that really isn't all that uncommon. I plan to put in another large plot in the spring and two smaller ones in August- hopefully that might alleviate some of the pressure on the current plot. The area has a lot of corn and bean fields, but the closest ones are two miles away so I suppose they are feasting on the greens or other bait that the locals put out.

Tried the acorn rage and nothing touched it. It grew mold and got hard in a short period of time.

A year or so ago I purchased 40 acres of land in Menominee Co. Michigan. In August, I put in a food plot that is about 1.25 acres in size. I planted Evolved Habitat "Shot Plot". It came up real quick, but the deer never let it get above 3-4 inches tall- it was overgrazed in no time. Even the turnips were eaten down before the first frost. The area has a high density of deer and I'm wondering what I can do or plant to allow the crop to mature more before the deer get to it. Any suggestions?