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[Pennsyltucky Red Neck]

I Live in South Central Pennsylvania, the unpopulated park which most of us call Pennsyltucky!
Farmland and wooded mountains. Most of my closest neighbors are edible critters.
Long time hunter and rifle hand loader.
I’m pretty “Old School”, live and let live sorta guy.

 

[typhoon916]

Welcome here from ks

 

[pabearhunter]

Welcome aboard.

 

[Pennsyltucky Red Neck]

Thanks, gents.
I got fat thumbs so I gotta be careful proof reading.
Freaking auto correct has a habit of changing what I thought I wrote!
I was a longtime member of the 24hr Camp Fire, but the idiots and trolls took over.

I grew up in Bedford County just outside of Pleasantville. Still hunt the Game Lands on Pleasantville Mountain and the bottoms along Dunnings Creek. That’s all private owned and you gotta have permission.
Times, they are a changing!

 

[duckhunt]

Welcome from Iowa

 

[Keep on]

Welcome, from the Eastern end of SC PA.

 

[Pennsyltucky Red Neck]

Good to see some Pennsylvanians on here!
Most folks fail to understand that Pennsylvania is two distinctly separate states within one set of borders!
You got places like Philadelphia and Scranton, heavily populated areas, and then you’ll find areas like ours that are predominantly farm communities.
I gotta drive a little further to work and to get groceries, but I can load my rifle and hunt from the back deck!
I have my own private range out to 150 yards and I belong to a club that has ranges out to 650.
(At my age I seldom shoot at game beyond 75 or so.)
Once you hit a certain age, you lose interest in killing deer and look for freezer beef!
PTRN

 

[sneakypete]

Welcome from central Calif

 

[Lmartin5]

Welcome from Texas!

 

[mdhunter]

Welcome from the ES of Md

 

[Pennsyltucky Red Neck]

Welcome from the ES of Md

ES I Take it is Eastern Shore?
We drove through there back inthe ‘80s headed for Chinquoteage in Virginia. Saw the ponies swim across the channel. I was 15.
Never hinted outside PA though. Whitetails and small game. Bunnies with a dog and squirrels with a tack driving .22 Magnum. Also dabble with flintlocks in the late season.
PTRN

 

[mdhunter]

ES I Take it is Eastern Shore?
We drove through there back inthe ‘80s headed for Chinquoteage in Virginia. Saw the ponies swim across the channel. I was 15.
Never hinted outside PA though. Whitetails and small game. Bunnies with a dog and squirrels with a tack driving .22 Magnum. Also dabble with flintlocks in the late season.
PTRN

Yes, The ES includes Chincoteague and the ponies for sure. The area has grown plenty but is still special if you like to hunt or fish. Inshore, offshore, ducks, geese, deer, it is interesting for sure.

 

[Pennsyltucky Red Neck]

Yes, The ES includes Chincoteague and the ponies for sure. The area has grown plenty but is still special if you like to hunt or fish. Inshore, offshore, ducks, geese, deer, it is interesting for sure.

I figured it oughta be a great place for waterfowl, but never got into it myself.
I’m more tuned to rifles and handloading to ring out the best accuracy.
I did shoot trap for a while. Not competitive, but for giggles.
I quit when my partner, “Uncle Bud” hung it up. He was a disabled Vietnam vet, and we always took turns driving. I got into dirt track stock car racing with my older brother.
There’s money in racing. I oughta know, I helped put it there!
Mostly retired now. I still hunt deer, and squirrels with a .22.
Don’t have a beagle anymore. My family has mostly moved either upstairs or outta state.
And hunting ain’t about killing, it’s always been about family for me.
RTRN

 

[Pennsyltucky Red Neck]

Which on of you guys is the reason they had to put this sign up???

 

[GreenMtnBoy708]

Welcome! I’m east of you, in upper Bucks County. I’m not new to hunting, but new to hunting PA. What cartridges do you like to hand load?

 

[Pennsyltucky Red Neck]

Welcome! I’m east of you, in upper Bucks County. I’m not new to hunting, but new to hunting PA. What cartridges do you like to hand load?

Rifles nearly all.
I started handloading for my .308 soon after I got it. My first buck was killed with one of my own handloads.
.308, .30-06, 7mm Mauser, 7mm Rem Mag, .25-06, .243, .22/250, and.223.
That’s what I have dies for.
When I buy a new rifle, I buy dies, powder, and bullets in one shot. Most of my guns haven’t seen a factory load since I’ve had them.

Do you load yourself?
It’s not a money saver by any stretch. You’ll spend more on components and such. But you get better ammo, and it’s Taylor made to your own gun.
And $ per round is lower, so you can afford to shoot more.
OTOH, if you’re only hunting, you’re probably further ahead to buy a box or two of factory each year.

Different rifles, even in the same model and caliber can be finicky. Barrel harmonics, fit of chamber, and throat length make a difference.
Heck, even rimfires are different.

Just for fun, I borrowed a couple.22 magnums, and rung them out trying different factory loads.
My own M25 Marlin loves Winchester supreme ammo. At 50 yards it’ll put 5 in a quarter.
Dads gun, same model shot Federals better.
My cousin’s gun, same model, did better with CCI Maxi Mags!

You can drive yourself crazy down those rabbit holes.
But if recreational gun fire is your thing, what the heck?
Shoot as much as you can afford! And it’s still cheaper than going to a shrink for therapy!
PTRN