I probably wouldn't hunt deer with a .223/556 if I had another option.

.308 in an AR platform would be better...but there are also other caliber options including .243. I've used .556 for coyotes, but the noise of the action are the biggest downfall for me(and weight with a bull barrel). At the very least, you HAVE to use a hunting round. High likelihood it will just pass through without a knockdown.

Unfortunately for me, all of my guns fell out of the wagon when it flooded as we forded the river.

Thanks guys. It's just such a damn fun gun to shoot, I'd love the accuracy (I've had some issues with the 30/30, but that's probably me more than the gun) and the weight. I dunno, i have a few months of course, and I need to practice with it. We'll see...

No...that would be a dream!!!

You can build yourself an upper in 6.8 SPC..it is a 223 cartridge necked up to hold basically a 270 bullet..that would work for deer and you wouldn't have to change lower or magazines

Hmmmm...might look into that. Thanks!

Not sure where your hunting but most states require at least 80 grain for deer I think.

30/30 is better in the brush & woods. If your AR has a 1/7 twist you can shoot the heavier 75 to 90 grain bullets.
When you get much past 75 grains. The round becomes to long for the AR magazine & you have to load one round at a time by hand. The .224 bullet is best suited for killing humans & varmints.

First longbeard of the year. Stats are a 9" beard, 1 1/4" spurs and he tipped the scale at 25.3 pounds. This guy was henned up bad. Had to slip in between him and his hens to get a shot. Spent 4 hours yesterday watching him 100 yards away from my set with his 6 hens. Even got to watch him open a can of whoop ass on 2 jakes that tried to interrupt his fun..lol Hope everyone's season is going well for them!

[IMG]http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...32_resized.jpg[/IMG]

Finally had a good morning. She got a pass, but managed a tom later in the morning.

http://s31.postimg.org/k0axzrt4r/IMG_6846s.jpg

I haven't. Been out yet, but these two suicidal toms have been strutting within shotgun range of my bedroom window several times in the past week.

I'm a couple of weeks out but am pretty excited about it this year.

So for all the bow hunters...want to pick your brain...

I've had the desire to get into it seriously and this is the year I think I'm going to...already got my eyes on a few bows.

My big question is, what is the best method for starting out? I mean is it just a matter of getting a bow, getting used to drawing it, and then target shoot all the time?

I mean I know it sounds pretty straight forward but is the best way to get started?

Go to a small bow shop. Get measured. Shoot their bows, go to a chain and shoot their bows and figure out which one in your price range you feel most comfortable with....then go buy your bow from the mom pop shop.

Then...shoot 10 arrows per day until October.

I've shot 2 squirrels with a pellet gun!

...hey, at least it's a start lol

Definitely buy what feels right as Iowanian said, but I'd suggest sticking with something with a brace height of 7" with a smooth draw and solid back wall. A short brace height, short axle to axle, and speed demon type of bow can be much less forgiving for the beginning archer. A soft back wall can also cause problems for someone who doesn't have the muscle memory to control the pull into it either. A rock solid back wall will give you no choice but to use it, allowing your body to learn and build a consistent muscle memory. Starting with a slightly more forgiving bow will allow for quicker success and less mental struggle, which is 90% of the archery game.

Don't get caught up in thinking you need a $1,500 rig either. Bows are one of the fastest depreciating things on the planet. Getting a year or two old bow used from some weekend warrior that makes it to the tree three times a year can be a HUGE discount on a basically new item. The archery world has hit a bit of a technological wall, so even a 5-7 year old bow that hasn't been used isn't really much different from some of the brand new bows.

Go to a bow shop, get measured then buy a cheap pos bow on craiglist. Shoot that for a year them decide if u really want to bow hunt then if you do go buy a nice hoyt or Matthews +60 lbs