Advice on pistol to carry deer tracking…….

I’m about to buy a new pistol to carry tracking with me next year and wanted to hear some opinions. I’ve been told by another tracker that a .357 Sig is the gun I want. What do you guys think? What are some other pistols that I should check out? I want this to be a gun that’s not overly bulky to carry. I want it to be powerful enough to finish off a deer at 40-50 yards if need be but I'd still like something that's easy to shoot too. In other words, I’m not looking to shoot a cannon just for the sake of shooting a cannon if I don’t have to. Any advice or opinions?

Harold I would think a .357 with an over the shoulder harness would be ideal for your situation

Ruger vaquero 45colt

A Glock of your choosing. Personally, I wouldn't buy a 357 sig.

Glock 27 .40

4" gp100 in .357 mag

CNC shot control is the key, To be able to have good shot placement. & it could be while on the move.

Can't go wrong with his one.

Glock 20 in 10mm

glock of any kind

Glock G40 10mm mos

.44 special or magnum.

Glock 40cal

Open sight rifle?

X2. 50 yards is a long shot in the woods with a pistol of any kind

Glock 23 with a 357 SIG barrel,but may want to leave it in 40 because it is lighter and not as much kick/noise and it is getting hard to find good 357 SIG ammo. Put it in a Serpa Blackhawk holster. Put tritium fiber optic sights on it because you can see them day or night. Crimson Trace grips, tho I don't use them much. Keep a Xenon flashlight with two c123 batteries in your front pocket and with a good rest you can hit a deer at 50 yards, day or night. This gun is fast, light, powerful, low noise/recoil, secure and doesn't get hung on every vine and briar. I know a 40 isn't really gonna drop him like a 357 SIG will, but it's close with hot ammo. When I am going to a bay when Annie or Reba have one locked down, I love my Ruger American Compact Ranch in 223 with a Nikon 2x7. With a scope you can pick holes in foliage and see better at night. Set on low power you have a large F.O.V. and can make sure the dog is clear. Fully rigged and loaded it weighs under seven pounds and holds seven rounds. I know a 223 is light but we're talking about a deer that is already wounded and I don't want a bullet that goes completely thru the deer (dog safety).

I'm partial to the .357 or .45 Colt, but best thick cover tracking weapon I've seen is an 870 turkey gun stoked with buckshot. It don't carry as well as the pistol but it puts em down when you might not be able to get a bullet in deer with a pistol.

I carried a short barrel 870 with a tritium front bead for years but have found the little Ruger Compact to be more useful and not as dangerous around a baying dog. With the rifle you can kill one that has jumped in a large body of water when it comes out on the other side. It's always a trade-off tho.

I would go with a revolver.

I am about to get off topic but how about a trapper lever action in 357 mag or 44 mag. Rossi model 92 with iron sights would be good.

i don't see where you could go wrong with a mare's leg in a holster on you back

That sir, is a damn fine idea.


https://www.henryrifles.com/rifles/mares-leg/

I had a cousin who killed a nice buck with a .38 special snub nose, believe it or not. Shot placement counts.

Although I have seen many 38s and 9mms emptied into deer with no effect (can't shoot them in the head cause it might mess up the mount) J.J. has killed a many a deer with a little 380 or an airweight 38 that he carries in his pocket. Even killed one one night with his girlfriend's 32. He dropped one that his dog was baying at about 200 yards with his 7mm08. The dog was like "The Lord done smote him down for me". I talked Mike into getting a Glock 357 SIG and he loves it. But he got the sub-compact. He sometimes carries a Ruger Compact in 7mm08 but as we know that is the round that went thru the deer and hit Lucy. I tried a mare's leg but it was heavy, awkward mounting a scope, (really need that scope, especially at night) hard to carry and didn't accomplish much over a pistol. Mr. John carries a 44 mag. Thompson Center single shot pistol with a scope in a shoulder holster but it is very heavy and bulky and only one shot. When I first started tracking I carried an old S&W 38 revolver with fixed iron sights that I painted with fluorescent paint and actually killed a few deer with it. I would recommend at least a 357 SIG. If you or Otis get a deer after you you are gonna want something that will drop it quick and the 357 SIG is good at that. The hunters aren't usually gonna want you shooting their buck in the head. H., next time we get together you are welcome to wear/shoot my pistol and see if you like it or not.For a gun that light and powerful it has very little recoil. Don't get an airweight 357 mag. revolver. It is about like a firecracker going off in your hand.

X2

Thanks Randy!....I appreciate all the feedback fellas. It sounds like the consensus is a Glock of some caliber. I'm still going to check out a few of the other ones mentioned though just to see how they feel.

BTW……..While we’re on this topic, I hope it doesn’t rub too many folks the wrong the way but I’ve decided that next year I’m going to be the only one carrying a gun when we track. I don’t mean for it to take anyone’s glory away from them or to question anyone’s experience/proficiency…..It’s just that after going through a year of allowing the hunter to be the shooter, I can see that if I don’t make this move then its only a matter of time before something goes wrong. It doesn’t seem to matter if we talk about things before hand or go through how a live deer situation should unfold.....when the real situation starts then I see hunters start making their own decisions regardless of what we talked about. A lot of it I’m sure is just the excitement of the situation. There was never anything major that happened last year but an example of one small thing was that I had a hunter shoulder his rifle and start charging ahead of me as soon as Otis let out the first bark. I was like “Woah! Woah! Woah!......” It’s just a matter of time before someone gets excited and shoots when they're not supposed to . Every tracker I’ve talked to has a story about it.

I have tracked and dispatched deer with a Ruger Mark V .22. It is easy to carry, accurate but is limited to head shots.

Pistols are convenient to carry but are not extremely accurate for the average shooter. Add the adrenaline of a large buck and accuracy suffers even more. A semi auto carbine such as a Ruger in .357 or .44 magnum would be very accurate at close range. It also has the second advantage of bullets that would expand quickly and not exit. That is a positive when considering dogs, people and shooting in an unfamiliar area (may not know in the dark what is behind your target).

Glock 40 MOS(10 mm) with a reflex style sight.

Now that's a good idea!

I just watched a couple videos on those things. You guys may be onto something there now. Hmmmmm...

Crimson, i own a Ruger 44 magnum carbine. It looks just like a ruger .22, same size and everything. I would rather have that, than a pistol any day of the week.

I don't blame you a bit for this decision if for no other reason than you have no idea who the people are or how they will react to a situation and i can think of many that could come up when tracking a deer for miles...

i have a S&W 40 cal. very similar to a glock. I can shoot head shots on silhouette paper at 25 yards.

Something else to consider, ar pistol with ballistic tips.

What about that gun taurus makes thats like the judge but has 6 inch barrel. I seen one loaded with buckshot, the owner told me it would kill an alligator.

A 9mm pistol will kill a wounded deer

Go with a revolver - safer, more reliable, can be loaded with snake shot in the snakey months, and to me more accurate. Someone mentioned the .357 4" Ruger GP100. Can't go wrong with it. I like a Smith & Wesson .357, Model 66. The 686 is a little bulky. The 66 is known for it accuracy and portability. Granted, it's not as lightweight as some of these autos, but get the right holster and it's irrelevant for what you are doing.

12ga w/ buckshot, with a tac light - would be ideal.

You have to realize at night easing up to a bayed deer in a thicket all you may see is a set of eyes staring back at you as you shine a light... That deer may break at any moment and theres not a lot of time to be screwing around with a pistol. As soon as the dogs clear, aim between the eyes and pull the trigger.

I like this idea. I've always wanted an AR pistol.

Ruger SA in 44 SPC/45 Colt, SA in 44 WCF, 4" 357 DA Revolver. Have all of the above and would use any or all of them (and have most) to track a deer and finish it off. Would also carry a 1911 with good HP SD round.

I like the Ruger model 44 carbine with a 2x7 scope and sling to carry in to a bay. I don't always carry a rifle but I always carry a pistol. The revolvers are too heavy (a light one has too much recoil to shoot), and hard to find tritium fiber optics for them. If you shoot a mountable buck in the head, the hunter will be a little miffed tho sometimes it is the only shot you will have. H., I vowed last year to only let a hunter carry a weapon if I have all the ammo. I will pass it out when my dog is back by my side. She will tell me if the deer is on the ground alive or standing and I can call her out with hand signals (the deer will break bay if he hears you call the dog or smells or sees you) and then give the hunter a bullet or arrow. If it is not a "book" deer then I will dispatch it myself. If it is going in the record book then the hunter has to dispatch it with the same weapon that he/she originally shot it with.

Crimson, if your not confused by now on what to tote, then you haven't read all the post. LOL

Yeah no chit! In all seriousness though, I appreciate all the opinions because it gives me all of my options to consider. I’d have never thought of the mare’s leg. Taken all things into consideration….I still think I may end up going with the pistol. I think the majority of live deer situations are going to happen in pretty close quarters. Very few situations will happen outside of 40-50 yards with many of them likely being closer than that. I like the idea of having something I can quickly get to and unload multiple rounds from if need be. Every tracker has a story about a buck charging them. It can get pretty hairy real quick like. A pistol is also just so much easier to carry around than any of the other options. Most of your time tracking is spent busting through brush. I’m already wearing a vest with all kinds of chit in it…..carrying a long gun of any kind is just about out of the question.

Anyone got any knocks on using a red dot scope like this one in the video?

Video

That's a reflex style I referred to putting on a Glock 40 MOS. I have the same setup, Glock 40 MOS with a Deltapoint Pro on it. Get your checkbook out though.

If you are set on a handgun, you could do a glock 21 in 45acp then buy the 460 rowland drop in conversion. Below is the link.
glock 21 460 rowland

The 460 rowland takes the glock to 44 mag levels. Then you could put on the vortex red dot and have a beast of a glock!!!

If you are open to something else, an ar pistol in 300blk with a 8.5" or 10.5" barrel will keep you good all the way out to 100+ yards. Hogs are DRT with a good barnes tac-tx bullet at 50-100 yds with mine (10.5" barrel). You could put it in a 2 point sling and tote it really easy hands free, but it will be close to your chest should you need it quickly. You will also have larger mag capacity, and more room for a flashlight, red dot, or scope. I use the streamlight game spotter with green light on my ar pistol. Works great when I go to Texas. Doesn't kill your night vision or spook deer as bad as white light.

More options to confuse you. Probably should just buy a mares leg, a glock, and an ar pistol just to be safe.

I would like to change my vote. very good suggestion flipflop man. you never know what else you may run into while tracking i.e. hogs

Can someone please revive the thread where the guy shot a wounded deer all to pieces with a 40-cal before finally killing it. I couldn't find the thread but hopefully someone else remembers it. It was quite comical and also showed just how hard a wounded buck is to put down with a pistol.

Are y'all even serious... a Mare's Leg?

I'm going to throw out there a .22lr Deringer. I seen Mr. Dan that hunts with us kilt 50 or 60 with a single eye shot when they were running off. He was just fooling around using it because the duct tape holding the laser pin on his snub .38 Victory model got wet and lost it's sticky.

Second choice would be a GE Mini Gun. You seen what that one would do in that Predator Movie? Y'all know what I'm talkin about.

If you want my real suggestion...

Ruger 44 Carbine. The one that looks like a 10/22 and about identical. Open sights.

Not a pistol on the planet that can compete with that as long as it feeds reliably.

I would say M1 Carbine, but that is pretty light for anchoring one in their tracks. Maybe a Mini-30 or something like that.

Goat, the Ted Nugent 240 gr JHP bullets cycle nicely thru mine. Its short, lite as feather and with a shoulder strap easy to carry. I can shoot accurately out to 150 yards with mine.

I carry a 4" K frame as a side arm bow or turkey hunting in case of a charging swamp rabbit

Right now I’m liking the Glock and the Ruger 44 carbine. That carbine looks like a bad arse little gun. Even as small as it is though, I still worry about how convenient it will be to bust through brush and vines with it on my back. I’m walking around the majority of the time with my GPS in one hand watching Otis and a stylus in the other. I don’t want to have to fight with a long gun in the thick chit. We’re talking about going down rabbit trails and sometimes even making your own trail. Take the track me and Randy went on for instance. When the guy showed us where the deer ran out of the field and into the thicket…. I just looked at it and was like “Are you serious Clark?” The damn dogs could barely go through it. We had to just put our forearms in front of our faces and trail blaze. This is a big consideration in going with a pistol. Busting through brush like that is to be expected on nearly every track.

What do you guys feel like would be the limitations of a Glock 40??? Does it not have enough arse to do the job?

Get both. Use the pistol in really thick area's and the carbine for others. Afterall, in really thick spots, your probably not going to be able to shoot anyway.

I much prefer a rifle for tracking, make one of the other folks carry it unloaded. Problem solved. Be sure the dumbass stays up with you and ain't hanging back hitting on the girl that shot the deer(been there).

A handgun is hard to shoot accurately IN THE FIELD. I don't give a rip what you can do with yer pistol at 50 yards at the range under controlled conditions. The deer, and the dog, ain't going to sit there and set up yer shot. The deer will, a LOT of the time, not let you within 50 yards before it breaks bay.

I wonder if one those reflex style red dots would fit on a 44 carbine? That'd be pretty sweet. You could tear something's arse up! I'm going to have to give them a look. Do you guys have any gun stores that you recommend? I'm between Auburn and Montgomery but don't mind to travel a little for a purchase like this. If I'm not mistaken, it doesn't look like that gun is made anymore....Correct?

I consider myself a decent shot with a pistol but I'd hate to know I had to make a kill shot at 50yds with my Glock.

heck, I'd personally go with a revolver like a .44mag with a red dot or something like that. but that's just me.

H., if you go with the Ruger carbine you'll have to get a used one. They quit making them in 1985. They are around $800. I really think you will like a GOOD low power scope better for night work and a deer bayed in the bushes. IMO a 40 is a mighty light caliber for this job. 357 SIG or 357 mag minimum. I rarely use the crimson trace laser but I love the TRITIUM FIBER OPTIC sights on my pistol. They glow in the sunlight and at night. I usually don't carry the rifle unless I am going in to the bayed deer unless like Fred said I have the hunter carry it unloaded with the ammo in my pocket. It is way easier to make a 70 yards shot with a rifle than a 35 yards shot with a pistol and 30 yards is usually about when the deer breaks bay.

If you can't find a Ruger carbine you might consider an old style youth Contender carbine. With a 16" barrel and composite stock it will weigh under 5 lbs. And a Burris FF sight would work great on it. Only one shot, but it can be reloaded quickly and the break action makes it about as safe as a gun can be. Most any of the lower pressure deer chambering would work.

Ive shot one that was gut shot with a bow, with my 45 acp, and it knocked the deer off its feet when the bullet hit. It was a 130lb 6pt my cousin shot.
We trailed the deer up and found it bedded down no more than 10ft from us. He tried to shoot it in the head to put it out of his misery and hit high through the ears. Shot with pistol was roughly 20 yards. Im just glad it stopped for a split second.

Can you really hold a .44 MAG on target at 50 yards or more???

it can be done, just how often I don't know...

my ex brother in law gut shot a nice eight point one mid day, THEN RUN THE GUN DRY MISSING IT. It stopped across a small valley in a clear cut, 100-110 yards away. He had to run 300 yards back to the truck and get some more shells. While he was gone the buck started slowly staggering towards a really bad deep gulch. I sat down and killed him with my Beretta 92 40S&W. Not sure what % of the time I could of done it, but it worked that one time......

20 ga slug gun with ff3

Big bore short barreled ar15 with a reflex site. Would be easy to carry and have plenty of knock down power

Just a little off the subject,

How is this tracking/killing done at night, not considered "night hunting" ?

I find this whole thread amusing. One reason is even considering carrying only a hand gun, smh. I'd hate to see you prolong a track, shoot holes in someones deer or worse lose a kids first or someones deer of a life time. TOTE A LONG GUN !

Look at the Ruger Compact in .308 or 7-08. Or perhaps even better would be their Ranch Rifle in 300 Black Out ( 16" barrel I think). No matter what rifle I toted ( something short and light) it would be topped with a Leuplold VX-R 1-4. Duplex reticle and the red dot would be fine in low light or night.

Do carry on, this is entertaining.

Do you remember what kind of rifle Mike was carrying last year?

Some sort of small bolt gun only time I saw him.

it is up to the warden's discretion

Mike carries a 357 Sig that trackncur recommended to him. Something that I think is worth taking into consideration while you’re smacking yourself in the forehead is that between AJ, Randy, Mike, and JJ….you’re looking at some of the best trackers in the southeast with decades of experience. All of them carry a pistol. Now that doesn’t mean that I’ll for sure follow suit but it is worth taking note of when deciding.

I said " only a hand gun" , you even quoted it ^^^^^^ those fellers tote long guns too, right?

Cur even threw out my choice only in a different caliber.

Seems like a good Boy Scout might make a good tracker, "be prepared" !

Mike carries a Ruger American Compact in 7mm08 with a 2_7 scope and a Glock sub _compact 33 in 357 SIG. Not sure what iron sights he has on his pistol. It is not always possible to carry a long gun because of thick brush, crawling, running or swimming. You'll need four hands when tracking anyway. I carry a Glock 23 with a 357 SIG barrel installed, eight bullets in it, only once have I used nine so I carry two in my pocket. I carry it in a Serpa Blackhawk holster. It's locked in but quick to draw. I have Crimson Trace grips and tritium fiber optic iron sights on it. My tracking rifle (usually only carry it when the deer is bayed) is a Ruger American Ranch Compact in 223 with a Nikon 2x7 because it is the only light, low power scope I could find that had a heavy duplex reticle. I have had the rifle lightened and fully loaded it weighs less than seven pounds. Makes a difference when you lug it after a deer for miles. The reflex sights that I tried didn't work out. Neither did the laser or tritium night sights on a shotgun. I use a 223 because I prefer the bullet not exit the deer for safety reasons.

I've been using tracking dogs for the last35+ years, mostly hounds or Mals. Most of the tracking I have done has been in daylight, but certainly a good bit at night too. I have found deer in every state of action from DEAD to very much alive and wanting to fight a dog.

I have rarely carried a handgun, usually someone else carrying as rifle of some sort. I do the shooting if needed. I've had to "rescue" my dogs twice from very aggressive wounded bucks. One of them attacked me in a wild rose thicket and only a tight six strand fence kept him off me at only a few feet, finished him with a rifle. Another threw my Mal dog twice before I could get a shot from 30 yards away. A handgun would of meant a hurt dog.

I'm probably as good a handgun shot as anyone on here, bettern most by far, esp under pressure. I feel an handgun is a last resort or for barely functional wounded deer. A deer that is on its feet and bayed needs a rifle..period.

I'll add a deer on his feet , with plenty of life left at some distance , but about to go farther. Say trackers are on one side of a river and he's on the other, that rifle would be looking awfully good IMO. If it can happen , it will happen in the "deer woods".

I have to agree with Fred. I mainly hunt hogs and I carry a sig in .357 sig on my hip. It is backup, pure and simple - to be used to keep from being gutted once a big hog is on top of me or to fight my way back to the rifle I never should have dropped in the first place.

All the rest of the hunt including a bay if using dogs I do with a rifle.

what are you going to do with the pistol? Shot big foot

I've got nothing against the 357 sig. I've got an springfield xd chambered in it, is the round good at what it does yes, it's a fast,hot load.I don't shoot mine or carry it for a bunch of reason. It's impractical to shoot unless you roll your own,not just everyone carries ammo for it so if you forget a box it's not like you can walk in to your bait and tackle store and buy a box if you needed more then what you was carrying on you. And mines not that accurite my springfield 1911 and both glocks one 30 and the other a 21 all in 45acp will shoot a circle around it, most any small backwoods place, gas station etc. that will sale ammo has a box of 45acp along with 30-30,3006,270 and 308 and I'm not getting raped with the ammo price on the 45acp compared to the 357 sig which is expensive to shoot

It is called the backpacker by Grizzly Custom Arms. Anything in similiar version you could strap crossways across your back out of the way as you run through brush. Provides stability more for better accuracy than a pistol when you get tired. With lever action should have less maintenance compared to say semi-auto's. Maybe even a leather strapped holster to put in across back. May not be legal for this not sure.

I could care less, myself.

But, it IS illegal; and expressly against the Law and in violation of Regulations. I certainly think that it should NOT be...but, plain and simple it is; from pursuing the deer with a dog in Counties that prohibit dogs for deer, shooting deer at night, and trackers killing over their limit of 3 bucks.

AND, the more it is discussed on here, just like hog-dogging, the sooner some a**hole is going to shut it down and folks will have to lobby, beg, plead and 'make deals' to get the Laws and Regulations changed.

I speak from experience!

It’s only a matter of time probably. I’d really rather them not start making a bunch of rules for tracking but I also don’t want to have to operate in some hush-hush gray area all the time either.

On a different note, I’ve been looking at and holding some of these guns we’ve talked about…..seeing how they feel. The 44 carbine is going to be tough to find. It looks like an AR may be what we have to go with. I kind of liked the one I looked at the other day. It was a .223....Not sure if that is enough arse though.

I tote a Henry 22 mag lever rifle myself.
Don has an Excel Arms 22 mag semiauto rifle.

I would recommend either as light and accurate.
Shoot one gun and shoot it well!

H., the ruger carbines are available here but they run around 800 bucks. I am toting a 223 and will be the first to admit it is not usually enough gun. But consider that the deer is already hurt enough for the dog to bay it. You have a good tracking dog that will stay with it now for sure and I always have the 357 SIG plus a good knife if things get hairy and it needs to be taken down in a hurry. Otherwise I would go with at least a 243.

lol , you grab a good buck by the horns you better get that knee on his neck or he'll have his on yours before you can stick him . damn it can be a hand full . lol

I was kind of thinking the same thing. We’re talking about just finishing it off so it may work just fine. I was doing some reading and it seems like the question of .223 for deer hunting is a pretty debated topic. It sounded like bullet selection was a key. Certain bullets penetrated well and others exploded after a few inches. I don’t know much of crap about AR’s. It looks like if you step up from a .223 then you go to a 6.5 or a 25 WSSM.

I read an article about how they track at Tara Wildlife in Mississippi. It said they use a spear on a long pole to finish off all their deer that are still alive.

Just continuing to do a little research....Is anyone familiar with the .40 S&W Carbine....talking about an AR. It looks like it might fit the bill.

The one that takes glock mags? My fiance's father has that in a 9mm, and it's a pretty sweet gun. Put a little red dot on it and you should be good to go.

Yep.....Here's what I'm talking about.

I will say though, it's pretty freakin heavy. My 5.56 AR is much much lighter, but it also doesn't have the force of a .40

Alan Wade & Andy Bensing have been carrying collapsible spears for years. These are three part aluminum spears that screw together. They work great. I had a Glock bayonet sheath attached to the side of my Ruger American Ranch but I found a folding Kershaw that works better and I just carry it in my pocket. Lots of compromises for different reasons but you'll wind up using what suits you best. I don't put my knee on the deer's neck like a hog. I try to stand on one front leg and lift the other front leg with one hand and cut the aorta at the top of the heart. It helps if my big dog Pepper is holding it by the back of the neck.

I believe the one we're looking at here is 6 1/2 lbs. What about that gun shooting a bullet like this one in the video………..Someone tell why that wouldn’t work. The guy in the first video seemed pretty damn accurate at 50 yards with that carbine. I wonder what kind of wound this bullet would leave on a deer and how it would penetrate through minor brush? I would think it should work pretty well. Anyone disagree?

(Just looking at the ammo is this video, not the gun)

Hollow point penetration can vary, but I'm sure something can be found that will do the trick. I'm not sure how it would do through brush.The problem with a .40 is probably the devastation it would do to the meat. I would think a smaller bullet like a .223 hunting bullet would be better to finish something off with.

NEVER bring a pistol with man killing bullets to a deer killin'.

Think I'd be better off to just go with plain ol' flat nosed bullets?

No question. Man killer bullets won't penetrate.

Opening day of gun season 1995 Hornady XTP's out of a Knight muzzle loader cost me what at the time would have been by far the state record with a muzzle loader. That's my buck that got away, has a 6" webbed drop tine. How do I know, neighbor finished him off a few weeks later. I went to regular flat nose non- hollow point 45 long colt bullets, never lost another one, and I killed a bunch with that old knight.

Here we go. Here's a pretty similar gun with more arse than the .40. It actually even looks to be more compact to carry. From what I'm reading, it seems to be pretty comparable to a .44

10 MM Carbine

a 10MM is a baddddddd little gun. Extremely flat shooting bullet.

Question CNC, how long do you think these shots are going to be?

I think it’s going to vary from track to track. Just in the few live deer bay experiences I had last year, I had situations that ranged from having the deer jump up right in front of us and it feeling more like self defense…..to needing to make a 50 yard shot. From listening to other trackers, I think most shots are going to be somewhere in that general range. There will be some times when a longer shot may need to be made but I don’t think that will be the norm. I really think there will be a lot more up close encounters that you may think. These wounded deer seem to hold tight and let you get right up on them before they jump up. Otis and I don’t work very far apart so it can get exciting real fast. I'm really wanting a semi-auto for that reason.

I would get an AR in 300AAC if you're wanting a semi auto.

H., I always liked a bullet that stays in the deer for safety reasons.