Back Country Driveabout in Pictures...2-8-19

ilovesprig

Moderator
Staff member
Aug 3, 2012
16,429
19,775
113
Escondido
Hit the east county early this morning (flydown), before I met with officials from CNF and did some finalizing on the NWTF Spring Turkey Tune-Up....Pretty encouraged with what I saw and heard (peacock call)....Lots of recruitment in some areas and a couple areas where I hadn't seen birds in awhile had some....Back country is very wet and Mother Nature is setting itself for a great recruiting year for upland game....Fingers crossed....Misc. pics from today.

ps....Shot the new Ruger American .17 HMR today....Pretty much dead on the squeakers....Wily was in the close zone....;)

.058.JPG038.JPG068.JPG096.JPG090.JPG078.JPG079.JPG018.JPG021.JPG106.JPG
 
So am I right or what? That .17 HMR man... I'll tell ya! LOVE that cartridge! Total LaserBeam!
 
  • Like
Reactions: ilovesprig
At first, the factory stock on my Savage I didn't like it. Cheek weld with the comb was not high enough. Then after put on the HunterSpec ammo holder thingy on and it's nice suede built-up cheek comb around the stock... my cheek-weld then became the perfect scope-level height! And I do mean perfect! It's a cheap item to order too, and offers utility.

I've made shots at reDONKulously small targets with this .17 HMR (Savage 93R17 FV, the one with the Bull Barrel, got it on sale for $249). And I mean just like decimated entire Ground Squirrel families. So far worst carnage was like 7 at one sitting. And only reason there wasn't more that day was because of the windiness there usually is in that area. In this certain Ravine I'm straight... but when not in that Ravine wedged-in below the airflow... sometimes when the shots have to "jump a gap" so-to-speak... where the wind can flow thru an open-area gap in the bullets travel... and the distance is at like 100-110yds... the winds have caused me to missed by like 2-3 inches tops! I'm sure that will get better with experience though. Lil; tricky afterward because they start getting savvy to the fact that they are getting shot at after the 2nd shot or so.

Which .17 HMR rounds have you be enjoying? Been diggin' on the Hornady 15.5 gr NTX. Also have the CCI TNT Green's in 17 grain. With the CCI's I pierced thru a mild steel piece of tubing that was maybe... 1.5 or 2.0 in. diameter? and maybe... 3/8's thick? Also found a Deer Scapula and made several shots on that just to see if it'd go thru it well. And it was NOT a problem going thru even the thicker parts of that scapula!

On the steel tubing, you can see the narrow holes made by the .17 HMR coppers. As you can see, the edges of the holes are "fresh" and not oxidized. They pierced thru the first surface... but did not have enough energy to punch thru the second side of the tubing.

And on the scapula it's very apparent where the hits happened (and the places where I was able to group several hits quite close to one another, I purposefully was trying different areas of the scapula in order to be attempting different thicknesses of the bone). NOTE that scapula AND the tubing were placed at a laser-ranged 100yds away.

Also note on the metal tubing where it seems to have been hit by a larger diameter pistol round perhaps with a soft lead projectile? Whatever projectile those were looked significantly larger. Looked larger than .38's to me.

To the right of the scapula. you can see a spent and recovered .17 HMR CCI TNT Green projectile that pierced thru the mild steel tubing, but did not pierce thru the second side of the tubing.
WP_20171019_002.jpg
 
Last edited:
Awesome, Steve.

A little early for here in CO, but I saw a nice stutter after fly down a few mornings ago. We had a few nice spring days, then snow followed by -7 degree temps....

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
"Dog,

I have the same AmmoSpec sleeve on my Savage....The stock is a little small and this was a nice addition....The Ruger stock is just beefier and longer....I think it was Boyd that made after market stocks for the 93's....For whatever reason, they quit....I also have that sleeve on my daughters Savage .243

Nick,

I'm sure this time is way early for the northern tiered states and Merriams....Hence, your seasons start in the middle of April

.239.JPG
 
  • Like
Reactions: HortoTheSlayer
Steve..
Report from grannys is those damn yardbirds are at it again stealing the cat food from her porch!!! The boys will elimate that problem for her im certain...i,ll just stand there as usual and do absoulutley nothing...guess im lucky they still take me..
 
  • Like
Reactions: ilovesprig
Steve..
Report from grannys is those damn yardbirds are at it again stealing the cat food from her porch!!! The boys will elimate that problem for her im certain...i,ll just stand there as usual and do absoulutley nothing...guess im lucky they still take me..
LOL you become obsolete my friend.
 
"Dog,

I have the same AmmoSpec sleeve on my Savage....The stock is a little small and this was a nice addition....The Ruger stock is just beefier and longer....I think it was Boyd that made after market stocks for the 93's....For whatever reason, they quit....I also have that sleeve on my daughters Savage .243

Nick,

I'm sure this time is way early for the northern tiered states and Merriams....Hence, your seasons start in the middle of April

.View attachment 38107
I had one on my old 308, short barrel kicks like a mule.
It finally died.
 
Steve..
Report from grannys is those damn yardbirds are at it again stealing the cat food from her porch!!! The boys will elimate that problem for her im certain...i,ll just stand there as usual and do absoulutley nothing...guess im lucky they still take me..

I love granny's….Like hunting over a Texas feeder........;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: TheGDog
To bad Texas is mostly private.
My brother hunted there every year.
He tried inviting me several times.
I messed up didn't take his offer.
He took a couple of deer there every year. He had a friend with a large ranch.
 
Yep Lee,

We're very fortunate to have as much public land as we have....Unfortunately, our state does very little these days to enhance those public lands (guzzler maintenance, drinkers, prescribed burns, etc.)
 
Nick,

I'm sure this time is way early for the northern tiered states and Merriams....Hence, your seasons start in the middle of April

Yes, nice to see a struttin bird, but I am sure it had nothing to do with spring mating. Stretching his tail feathers and asserting dominance I imagine.

Last year was fun. I imagine this year to be the same. Just applied for a limited draw area. Same one I shot a rio in last year. In order to get 2 tags in CO, one has to be a limited license and the other OTC. You cannot have 2 OTC licenses. One of the spots I hunt is limited on one side of the road and OTC on the other. You can shoot 2 turkeys in one day a couple miles apart.





Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 

About us

  • SCHoutdoors was created in January of 2011 by a few people who love the outdoors. The main goal is still the same – bring people together who enjoy the outdoors and share their knowledge and experience.
    Outdoors in the West, Hunting gear reviews, Big Game, Small Game, Upland Game, Waterfowl, Varmint, Bow Hunting, long Range Rifles, Reloading, Taxidermy, Salt WaterFishing, Freshwater Fishing, Buy-Sell-Trade on Classifieds and Cooking/Recipes
    All things outdoors…come join us, learn, contribute and become part of the SCHoutdoors community.

Quick Navigation

User Menu