I love bow hunting and mostly use a Parker Hunter Mag compound bow with IBO of 307 and draw of 60lbs. I also hunt with a Barnett RC-150 crossbow with 150 lb draw and 260 FPS. And I also hunt with a flint rock muzzy which is accurate to about 100 yards.

I am planning on getting the new Parker Black Hawk XP with 325 IBO.

 

Browning A-Bolt .375 H&H in synthetic/stainless form

 

For porcupines and other varmints I come across, a Para USA double-wide .45 Auto pistol http://www.para-usa.com/new/product_pistol.php?id=63 with a MechTech Carbine Conversion Unit http://www.mechtechsys.com/1911.html and 15 or 20 various hollowpoints in each of 5 mags. 85+1 rounds on tap. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] That's just my toy. I have more serious guns for serious hunting.

 

I'll tell you one gun I have that I just really like is a Rossi 20 gauge side by side 'stagecoach' shotgun. Meaning it's the minimum length.

It's a good quail/pheasant gun. Such short range- short barrels, fixed chokes- but it's so light and easy to carry. I've lost shots at rabbits for distance, but it's half the weight of my 870 pump. Plus it's just a neat little gun, very little recoil.

Not a serious hunting gun- I only take it on a whim. But after humping around an 870 (28 inch barrel), a heavy Howa .22-250 with scope and bipod, that Weatherby which is godawful heavy, or any of the other guns I own- that little side by side is like a breath of fresh air. My Camelbak weighs more.

I don't mind losing out on some game. I'm not going to starve without handfuls of rabbits. So carrying that piece is just nice for it's weight, but also because it's just a good, western style gun and I live in the west.

 

I think the coach guns are great for home defense, either a 20 Ga. or a 12 Ga. with low-recoil ammo. I'd hacksaw the barrels from 20" to 18-1/2" and maybe shorten the stock too because it will fit though doorways horizontally. I've had a couple of 26-30" shotguns for home defense. A pistol permit is required for them in Michigan, which is really stupid. The short stocks are no good for hunting so it's strictly a house gun or a fun toy to play with after that.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: itch

the best deer hunting i ever did was with dads old buick, 3 in one year</end quote></div>

That's how they do it in Glennie, MI. My brothers-in-law had venison in the freezer year-round. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk.1 Sportsterized

and of course the .75 caliber handgun the old Maverick 88 18 1/2 barrell and a pistol grip.

 

a darton for bow season and a .270 for rifle season

 

What kind of bow is that Francis? a high country? I just bought a new Drenalin.
Ed

 

Well I'm 34 and have never been deer hunting, but ii'm going for the first time in a few weeks... i would say it depends on the location and the quarry.... Here are some of my personal favorites to shoot, all of which are great deer hunting calibers

My personal favorite is a .308 win, also like the lever action .44 mag, 7mm mag, 30.06 and the killer of them all 3030

We are going up in the deep NGA mountains so it looks like the lever action 44 will be my first choice as i'd be lucky to have a shot over 75yds