308Nut

There is a defined pecking order in place. The big boys typically only fight to establish who's the boss or to try to win the right to breed when another dominant male shows up wanting to breed or to put a young punk in his place if he moves in on a doe he's trying to breed. Most of the time, the boss is established before breeding and mule deer aren't as aggressive as whitetails and elk. I don't know how long a doe stays in estrous but the biggest most dominant bucks only come out to play when one or more does is ready to breed now. They have to be pretty hot and ready. The less dominant bucks will hang around and keep the ladies company until then but when you see a really big mature buck with his nose up a doe's butt with several other bucks behind him, she's as ripe as she can be. He won't be quite as visible once she's bred unless another doe is ready right after. He'll do one of two things. 1: he'll stay close but out of sight until another is ready or 2: wander off in search of another herd. Happy hunting and I hope you get him. January truly is a magical time of year for desert archery hunters.

An elk tag is cheaper than buying a beef!

You're right but I was only counting 3A/3C. I don't even look at 22N or 4B as an option for me.

As a loyal nonresident yearly applicant I beg to differ! I only draw tags when I'm in the max point pool. Every single tag I've ever drawn in AZ has been in the max points pass. All depends on the hunt codes you're applying for. Early archery only has a handful of hunts with NR tags in the 1-2 pass. Late rifle has quite a few more. I haven't looked at the early rifle report but suspect it's not too many. Almost all the NR quota gets filled in the points pass for ALL of the best archery hunts and even some that arent the best and all but one of the early rifle hunts. I'm just saying, I only apply for hunt that traditionally have tags in the random draw and I still end up only drawing in the points pass.

As a loyal nonresident yearly applicant I beg to differ! I only draw tags when I'm in the max point pool. Every single tag I've ever drawn in AZ has been in the max points pass.

^^^^ Excellent post!! ^^^^ Have you looked at the price of Nevada bull elk tags and New Mexico big horn sheep tags lately?? Arizona is one of the more reasonable states yet has some of the most diversified game and some if the best trophy potential available for several species. At least in Arizona they give you a bonus point if you buy a license. Ever apply in Idaho? You have to buy a license to apply AND you DO NOT even get a bonus point. Now THAT is a rip off. I don't like it but don't complain about it. I just don't apply there. I'm not willing to give a state my money over above an application fee for piss poor draw odds and nothing else in return. We get spoiled where I live. We get sheep tags, moose tags, caribou tags, bear tags, deer tags, goat tags over the counter for ZERO dollars. Hunting licenses are $25.00. For the best drawing tags, it's a $5.00 application fee per choice (except bison, those are a $10.00 app fee) and tags drawn are mailed to our doors with no charge! God bless Alaska!

Very cool. What bullet is that? I'd review the SCI score sheet. He sure looks bigger than 103". Not that it matters. That's a great buck. Congrats.

One of the sweetest bucks I've seen. A buck of several lifetimes.

Sweet deal. Reminds me of 2009 when I got my buck on the 23rd and pwrguy got his 100" class buck on New Year's Eve right as the sun was disappearing. We worked our butts off trying to kill that buck. Truly one of the most memorable moments of all my hunting memories. AND right at 500 yards too! Congrats and good job for holding out. It's not if, but when. Even if 'when' is the last minute.

Bill? Is that you? OMG!! Edit: After re-reading this thread is your dad Bill? Is that you Jason? Holly crap.

That's awesome. Now grab your bow and finish what you started!

Sweet. Thanks for sharing. Great job cutting out the back ground!! Even though I know where they were taken. Sorry. I had to brag just a little! Congrats again. M

A big congrats to Annette for making an incredible shot and to you STOMP for setting her up and spotting for her. That's just too cool! Great job! M

Thought you said it was about a dime size exit. Pretty big for a 6.5. I think this thread is about the ALR and we have totally hijacked it. If you would like to continue....you should start a new thread. EDIT: looks like you actually said "nickel". My memory sucks.

Apparently you never read the reloading manual hornady issued when the amax first was introduced where they stated that the amax would be great for thinner skinned big game such as deer. They just never were marketed as such. They cant say hunting bullet when they're limited to thin skinned applications. Hunting bullets need a broader range. They also specifically mentioned 'rapid expansion'. That said, now we have a bullet designed and labeled a hunting bullet with amax type performance to give guys like you and me less to argue about such as what we're doing now. I sure cant argue about shot placement. You hit the nail on the head there. That said, I am also one that believes there are more components for quick kills such as expansion and my argument here isn't that bergers won't expand. Just that whatever the Berger can do, I have others in my line up that will do it a bit further. You of all people should know that. I don't know but I'm assuming that's why you shot your 1100 yard + deer last year with a 140 amax instead of the 140 vld. Just a guess. That was some great shooting by the way.

Fair enough but below 1800'sec they're too unpredictable. Maybe the will expand. Maybe they won't. Too many maybes for my taste. Cases where they've worked below the 1800' mark are far less than when the haven't worked. If they're working for you, I've no desire to see you change directions. They don't always work for me. Have I used them? Yup. Have I killed game with them? Yup. Will I continue to use them? Yup. But with the same attitude I take when approaching a flashing yellow light while driving. That is, proceed with caution. I use them more in my 6.5x284 than anything. Like anything else, bullets should be used within the parameters for which they were designed. Since I know some of my hunting shots will be at ranges where impact velocities will be below 1800'sec, I won't use them on any hunt where my abilities are greater than the ability of the bullet. Hence the reason I've used amaxs so extensively in my 308s over the years. Reliable expansion even way out there. Now I have a 190 class bullet in a vld design with the expansion of an amax. When Berger offers that, I'll be an even bigger fan than I already am. Until then, I will continue to see life beyond the Berger.

Not quite true. Many if the bergers require 1800'sec to expand. 500'sec is a big difference. Even the 260 can benefit from the lower velocity for expansion threshold.

Cant ask for much more. So far they seem encouraging. I have yet to hear anybody say that they hold together like a traditional accubond but I'm not sure you can have a bullet hold up like the original AND expand at 1300'sec. Either way, it's nice to have a hunting bullet with a lower expansion threshold and decent BC. Thanks, M

Did you recover that bullet?

Aright alright. Email the pix to somebody who can post them already! Yes I'm a spoiled impatient brat!! I've dreamed about that hunt for years and always eagerly await pix from those who succeed on it. I had enough points to draw it a few years ago when my cousin talked me into a late whitetail hunt instead. Can't say I regret it. I walked away with a 109-1/8" buck sporting a 19-1/2" outside spread, but,...I always wonder what might have been had I went with the muzzy mulie hunt. I think I'll be putting in for the late rifle mulie and late muzzy mulie hunt till I draw one or die. Whichever comes first... Can't wait to see your buck.

I like to but can't most of the time. A lot of my hunts are backpacking in. Once I get there I don't want to alert any game to my presence. I don't have the option to test my zero near camp and then drive several miles to my hunting area. I'm camping in my hunting area. For that reason, I A: transport my rifle in as bomb proof a case as possible. I use a pelican case whether im traveling by commercial jet or by 4 wheeler. My case gets strapped to the rack. B: I use as durable scope mounting components as possible. I'm using one piece bases, nightforce rings. All torqued to proper specs. C: I use as durable a scope as possible. I'm using nightforce and the original mark4 scopes. In 15 years of some very rugged hunting I've never to this point had a change in zero. Lets just say that I have occasionally put my scopes through he!!. I have total confidence in my system. All that said, if I have the opportunity to verify, I will.

Simply awesome. Having bow hunted AZ for quite a few seasons years ago I prayed for years that AZ would offer a few December or January tags for the rifle hunters. If I ever draw one it'll be a dream come true. Late season AZ mulie hunts there are world class. The only thing missing was the rifle. Now that's no longer the case. Hopefully though, they will keep the tags few. As far as I'm concerned, you hit the magic 190+ mark. A stellar once in a lifetime buck for any unit, any weapon.

Don't give up on him. Look for every clue possible. Look for ravens too. Unfortunately, coyotes can eat a deer to the bone in one night. I'd be out there all night listening. I'd kill or die, maybe even give up a nut for that tag. Sounds like you've had a good time so far, keep your head up and your focus on that desert floor. Persistence and patience pays. Sometimes all that is needed is just a little more effort.

Are you sure that's not a Kansas whitetail? Judas friggin priest thats a mutant.

Rex, do you read my mind?? I think I'll have some time today to run some numbers. You Illustrated why the 7mm isn't 'superior' and vice versa. Each are superior to the other in different categories but both have their strengths and weaknesses. As far as sitting around in the dark, I'll be sitting at the range today fine tuning loads for my latest 308 barrel. At least it isn't -20 like it was yesterday and the day before...I think I'll hit the 2750'sec mark today with the 190 VLD over R17. 2700 in 28" pipes is under SAMMI spec pressure. With 29" and 5R rifling, I'm sure 2700' is even more so under max spec pressure. I've already topped 2700. Bolt lifts like its an empty chamber and primers look new minus the dimple from the firing pin. Thank goodness for mercury vapor range lights!! BTW we'll be gaining daylight in a couple more days!