What are you packing for oppening morning?

I am going to be off for gun season oppening morning. Matt is taking his 1959 Flat top .44 mag. I am undecided between my birthday flat top and my Encore 30-06. reflex264

Ruger Bisley in .45 Colt or FA 83 in .454 -- still deciding.

T/C Contender Super 14 in 44 mag.

T/C Contender Super 14 in 44 mag.

Ruger SBHH, with a Burris FFiii, shootin Hornady 300gr xtp, in 44mag,of course! I got my first handgun deer last season, and am counting down to opening day! 18 days to go here in Ga!

T/C Contender 12" 7-30 waters.

Mark

Ruger Bisley 45 Colt, 250 XTP in front of 25.1 grains of H110.

Just in case a long shot presents, will have the 7-30 Waters close by.

Same here, I'm leaning towards my Bisley for opening day since I haven't used it for a couple of years.

I'll be carrying my 10" FA and my 4 3/4" 454.

For a 'change of pace', I'm going to carry my Ruger Bisley 'flattop' .44spec 5.5" charged with Unique and a 255gr cast LFN.

still have to sight it in but My FA 83 454, and it will be the first time afield carrying it in my Ringler custom Wyoming Combo holster...Getting excited!

First couple of days will be Muley's only, so my Colt 1911 in 45Super. Once my elk tag is good, well, not sure just yet.

Craig

breaking out the 6" FA 454 and the SRH 454.

breaking out the 6" FA 454 and the SRH 454.

My Bisley Blackhawk 45 colt and Glock 10mm with J Point sight and a large amount of anticipation / contentment! Old school, new school, and my 8 year old son. Mingokid.

7WSM striker most likely

S&W 460 xvr topped with Bushnell Elite scope. Glock 20SF 10mm iron sights as backup.

For the NC opener, still not sure...given my current stand selections, it'll probably be a combination of scoped and unscoped revolvers. I may end up leaving the decision up to coin flip or perhaps a poll here...

For my first trip into the SC woods, the decision is easy. Gotta hit 'em quiet-like with the Whisper. Stronger than average chance that the .475 Linebaugh or .500WE will be on the hip as well.

XP-100 .308.

Second week of the Pa firearms season will be the first time carrying the 7x.30 Waters afield

Ruger Blackhawk 41mag. I have to wait until Nov 17th for NY opener.

5.5 sbh 44mag. one ragged hole sight, pac. grips, 240 grn semi wad cuter @ 1200fps.

BFR 475 Linebaugh and my Ruger Bisley 45 colt, both with 7.5" barrels.

Pretty nice variety so far. If I take the Flat top it will be with the Keith Load. I have never used the Keith load on an animal. reflex264

Magnum Research 454.

6" FA .500WE.

For sure my new blackhawk hunter,and either my 12"PC 460, or my 7-30 waters.

Traded off my G2 41 Mag, and an Encore 45 LC to Ken Kelly for a FA 83 454 Predator package, I plan on mounting an Ultra Dot & shoot 45LC handloads. The Bisley 45LC with an Aimpoint micro is on stand-by.

Competitor single shot in 416 Barnes

Striker in 308win. in the morning and M.O.A. maximum 6.5 x 47 lapua in the afternoon

Well, this season's opening morning will be Saturday November 3rd in the state of Rhode Island for deer. This is the opening day of muzzleloading season. Sadly, RI doesn't seem to allow muzzleloading handguns for deer hunting. So I will be hunting with a carbine barrel mounted on my Armor Alloy TC Contender with a Choate folder mounted with an Aimpoint.

My load is a 100 grain charge of H777 3 F granulation under a 300 grain sabot which has cleared the screens at an average of 1725 fps.

That should cleanly take a whitetail, if I am lucky. I collected a trail camera on a good spot and I am impressed. I got about forty three images of deer over a 2 1/2 week period.

We have an early doe only season in Arkansas that opens on 10-13 and goes for 5 days. It is going to be a toss up between my contender 30TCU 15" Custom Shop barrel or my 9" Gary Reeder 41 GNR barrel... decisions ...decisions... Which ever one I choose I cant wait to bust a big fat nanny with it. I havent handgun hunted in 7 yrs and never have killed a deer with one...bunch of hogs and a coyote. Cant wait!!!

It all depends on wind direction. If its out of the north it will be the 375 JDJ with 2x7 burris on top. If more south it will be the 44 super redhawk with iron sights in the thickets. Saw a hog yesterday hunting with stick and string that will be close to 300 pounds. Could not get a shot with bow.

I have a new competitor I plan to take a couple with this year. Haven't decided wich barrel I will use yet. The 7mm-08 will probably start the season off since the 50 AE barrel was bloodied many times over before it came into my posession. The glock 20 will be riding on the hip as usual and may come into play should something decide to get close enough.

Series 70 in .460 Rowland.

I will be using my RAGING BULL 480 Ruger...8 3/8" bbl topped with a 2-6 Burris...shooting 325 gr XTP's

Well, muzzleloader opens first so it will be my 15" 209x50 then the regular firearms season and I'll be tote'n my SSK 35 Whelen..

Humphrey,

Hey bother, you are my kind of guy with that one.

Craig

Yep that has a cool factor to it......

Eric, give em hell man! That 50 AE will do a real number on a hog!

As of right now taking in the mix where some hunters will carry more than 1 gun here is what it looks like
1. .454 with 6
2. .45 colt with 5
.44 mag with 5
3. 7x30 with 4
4. .308, .460s&w, .475L, 10MM, .500we all with 2
5. 6.5x47,30-06,.35 Whelan,.416 Barnes, .45 Super, .460 Rowland,30TCU, 50A&E, .50 ML, .480 Ruger, .375JDJ, .41GNR, 7-08, .41 MAG, 7TCU, .44 SP, 7WSM, all with 1 each caliber

Revolvers 21 not counting double ups on same caliber
Single Shots 11
Bolt Actions 3
Automatics 4
Muzzle loaders 1

I'll be taking my true love-- the 460 smith and wesson in a 14" MGM barrel on an encore platform wearing a VXIII Leupold. Will be pushing a 300gr XTP MAG with an unknown and yet to be determined ammount of H110.

So dang excited already I can hardly stand it!

If the wife hunts ... and i am in the thickets it will be the sbh 44 mag ....If i go to the lease it will be both the 308 and 44 mag.

Its kinda by default.

Busted the elevator screw off the powermag.

Spit the rear sight off the 45 blackhawk.

Out of jacketed bullets floating around to load anything for the desert eagle.

Haven't worked up a load for the old model 44.

No conicals or round balls on hand ruling out the 1860, 1858 and 1847.

I don't shoot my 1873 in 357 for beans.

The 327 fed and hi-power would work but I'd prefer a better option then shooting them in the noggen.

The Rowland on the other hand has tight sights, good to 70 so yards off hand and a mag of ammo left for it.

I'll use my 5.5" FA 97 in 44 special loaded with hard cast. The gun is sighted, the ammo is loaded and I've been practicing. This is new territory for me as all previous revolver hunting has been with 44 magnum and 454. I'm a little nervous about stepping down in power but I'm gonna give it shot -- no pun intended

I have killed a pile of deer with .44 Specials and cast bullets. You have no need to worry if you place your shots correctly. Hunt with confidence. reflex264

Encore 25-06 with a 15in barrel and a red dot sight.

Im taking a XP100 In 30 Bellm. Got a 200yd field to hunt.

And I thought I was running a little behind, as I have not worked up a 230XTP load for my 45 Super, as the bullets just became available again. You sure have me beat.

Craig

Opening day a bisley 44 mag,after that my new JRH.If they both get bloody I have a 45acp and colt waitng in the wings.

44 magnum Super Redhawk, 240gr XTP traveling around 1400fps, 2400 powder, Winchester Large Pistol primers .

Gonna take my 4" S&W 25-9 in 45 Colt this year. It will be carried crossdraw in a Simply Rugged Sourdough holster and stoked with 280 grain SWC's @1000 FPS.



Toby

That's a really nice set-up you've got there, mellonhead!

My 8" Dan Wesson 44mag loaded with 300gr XTP's on top of a healthy dose of H110.

SBHH Bisley 44 with a 9 1/2" Green Mountain barrel. 240 XTP with 25 gr. H110. First big game hunt with a handgun.

I'm not doing my deer and elk hunting with a gun this year but went back to traditioanl archery. I have been carrying my 3screw 44spcl with 255gr WNPB @ 1100fps. It's for incidental run ins with bears and cats. Now I'm taking my wife out rifle hunting and I'm carrying my Bisley 45LC and if I'm sitting on a stand spotting for her I have my Encore pistol in 300 Win Mag for longer shots at a bear, cat, coyote, etc.

Taurus Raging Bull 454 Casull.

That should do the job just fine. Maybe if my new barrel gets here soon enough and I can get the machine work done, I'll pack the DMAX 454 later in the season.

Taurus Raging Bull .44 8 3/8" barrel 240 gr but not sure the bullet type yet

14 inch Contender in 7mm TCU with a 120 grn NBT at 2400 fps

Probably the 209x50 or .357 mag match. I will be doing short range hunting the first couple of days and neither of these two have come eye to eye with a deer yet.

Opening morning of muzzle loader season it will be a Ruger Old Army converted to .50 cal by Dave Clements, for gun season it will be a Reminton 1911 in .460 Rowland.

That would be cool. Too bad it would also be illegal here in MN.

Provided I draw a tag this year (I was turned down on the first go round) I'll be totin my new to me Super 14 .30-30 AI Contender with 125gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded in .30-30 Winchester Brass (fireform load) as I haven't had a chance to get a good amount of brass fireformed as yet. If I don't get a tag I guess I'll be a guide for the Grand Daughter and Son in Law as they are the only ones that got drawn so far this year.

Larry

scoped ruger 44mag 9inch barrel 240 gr sp zeroed at 100yds.come on oct 20

Was going to take the new MOA Maximum in 284 win. But the best i can get it to shoot (i,ve tried several deferent load combinations)is 1 1/4" groups. So Friday i took out old reliable (my 10" 454 FA,s) and proceeded to shoot a 4 shot 7/8" inch group at 100 yards. Whats wrong with that picture?

I've killed them with every kind of action except an auto, so I biult a custom Glock 20SF w/Jpoint sight over the summer. It will be with me until it draws first blood.

14'' S&W PC 460, in my part of Michigan we can only use stright walled cartidges.

leaning to the FA 475 with irons but the 629 with scope is a close second. ive got two tags may take both. I dont have a way to carry the 629 may have to bag it.First year to hunt with handgun.

Well, I've got a few new toys that need to be broke-in, but I think opening morning I'll be tote'n this one...



...it's a 209x50 contender. I'll be shoot'n 75gr of pyrodex and a 250gr WFN w/sabot.

FA 475, aimpoint, 380 gr Miha HP home cast, 14 gr HS6.

I am using my smith 24-4 4" 44 special with handloads. I'm late to the posting of this so I can say I "used" it on the first day, yesterday, and will be all year.

Howdy and welcome aboard JoeB!!!


No no no no no...


You can't give a 475 FA and a MIHEC 477-640 mold without posting pictures... just a no no... LOL


Chears!


Duane

Well for me, it will be my Smith 500 with 275g Barnes hollow points sitting over 41g of H110. Speed avg. 1600 fps 3" groups at 100 yd. I'm pretty sure that's Minute of Deer. LOL

That should work like a charm!

I'll be carrying my new RSBH in 44. I didn't have enough time to work up a handload for this season so I will be using a 240 grain XTP or federal or remington hollow point. I hate that I haven't even committed to a factory round but they all shoot well. Season starts tomorrow. I'm going to put a cylinder full of each this evening and tightest group wins.

going to cary my old model flattop 44 maggie with keith loads. if i can knock one down with them, i think i am going to switch over to GARRETS 310 Hammerhead full power load and try to smoke one with it as well.

Will be sitting on my Upper Michigan stand with my favorite handgun - a Contender .30-30.

In the morning I will be headed out the door with my 9.5" 480 Ruger Super RedHawk. I am still using the Black UltraDot 30 sight. My load will be a 400 Grain Lee "Home Cast" over 18.0 grains of AA #9.

Bob