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solamente73

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Posts posted by solamente73

  1. Last weekend, I had the opportunity to hunt quail for the first time, and it was an absolute blast.  Had to go to Oklahoma to do it, but it was worth it.

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    We were after both pen-raised and wild quail.  The pens flew well, and we were lucky to find 2 coveys of wild birds.  Cold front hit about 30 minutes before the hunt and it was windy as hell, so I deployed the 12 gauge over the 20.  Man, it was just a ton of fun.

     

    • Hook 'Em 5
    • Like 2
  2. 10 hours ago, Party_Taco said:


    Classic Car thread out front is likely what he’s referencing.

    Cross posting this for @Party_Taco because this is fucking awesome:

    On 1/18/2025 at 2:57 PM, Party_Taco said:


    This one…

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    Here’s the final result:

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    • Hook 'Em 2
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  3. Hogs are back with a vengeance at the farm.  Finally had some time to deploy a new hog gun: 6.5mm Grendel PSA pistol with AMG Rattler V2 TS35-384 and Hyperion K.  AAC Sabre Blade Blacktip 123gr is legit.

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    Still need to refine the thermal’s zero (it’s shooting a tad high and to the right) but it gets the job done out to 200 yards.  I’m using a Maximum Point Blank Range that gives a near zero of 50 yards and far zero at 150 yards (1” high at 100) on a 2 inch target at 2250fps.  That’s good for a 2 inch head/neck shot from 29 to 179 yards.

    This rig is waaaay more fun to spot and stalk with than my old DPMS GII 308 and X-Sight 2 HD nightvision scope, unsuppressed.

    • Hook 'Em 4
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  4. After all the holiday food, we wanted to switch it up with a mushroom pasta dish.  Sautéed chicken, baby belllas, onion (felt shallot would be too mild for this dish), minced garlic, basil, oregano, pepper, salt.  Reduced two cans of chicken stock and added heavy whipping cream for the sauce - left out the wine this time going for a more earthy flavor profile.  Fresh linguini.  Shredded Parmesan.  Italian parsley.  Simple but welcome after the onslaught of holiday standards.

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    • Hook 'Em 6
    • Like 1
    • Drool 1
  5. @cactusflinthead  You’ve helped in the past, hope you can provide some guidance here.

    We have this photinia that was planted by the previous owners, and, over the past 15 years, it has grown fairly large.  Over the past year or so, I’ve noticed sections dying.  Yesterday, I just walked up and pulled an entire branch off with almost no effort.  I did some additional pruning, but not much yet.  Here is what we are looking at (pics don’t do the damage justice):

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    It provides needed privacy in addition to a pleasant view, so I’d like it to live.  Interwebs say that late winter is prime for pruning; do I just prune away the dead stuff in February?  Or is it in a known lifecycle death spiral?  FYI, there seems to be new growth from the “trunk.”  We are in the DFW area.

    TIA!

  6. Thread title includes “a lot of ducks.”  I wish.

    For 12 years our group has been duck hunting Port O’Connor.  We’ve slayed everything from teal to pintails to buffleheads to redheads and more… plus Ross and specklebelly geese.  We hunt with family who live there and guide for a living.

    Last weekend (re-opening weekend) was the first time NOT A SINGLE SHOT WAS FIRED.  Not one.  Nothing was flying.  Going to and fro we’d scare up some rafting redheads and buffleheads, but that was it.  

    From the blinds, we counted ~30 flying ducks all weekend, AM and PM.  Our guide said he’d seen more birds on Sunday AM than he’d seen in all of November.

    We looked back over time, and this has been the trend.  We’ve decided to push our annual re-opening weekend trip to January to see if we can get more birds.  So, next duck trip will be January 2026 (wow, it’s weird to type that).

    Fishing was good, though, as we were prepared to cast with the blast.  Reds and trout.  Everyone hooked up.

    Some pics.  It’s a reminder - a day at the coast, no matter the haul, is better than a day just about anywhere else.

     

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    • Hook 'Em 4
    • Like 3
    • Haha 1
  7. On 12/8/2024 at 7:39 PM, CHIEF said:

    Well, CHIEF Jr. almost got ran over by a 350 lb. boar the other night, at the lease. He kinda acted lighthearted around me. But Mrs. CHIEF and my nephew said it kinda rattled him. He is a bit tough to buy for, for Christmas, but he told me he wanted a 10mm, as his 9mm Sig just doesn't have enough lead in it's pencil. Looking like it will be an FN 510 Tactical. Looks to be running $899 at Palmetto State. It is a big ol' bastard.

    https://fnamerica.com/products/pistols/fn-510-tactical/

    CHIEF

    Seconded on the 10mm.  At my farm, I used to carry a Sig Scorpion 1911 in .45 until twice I ran into sounders at night and it just wasn’t enough to make a dent in them - not enough firepower, no light, not enough capacity.  Even finishing off big rifle-wounded pigs, the .45 just didn’t quite do it.  So, I procured this G20 10mm and never looked back.

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    It’s a glock, so I don’t care about mud, water, dirt, or corrosion like I did with the 1911.  15 rounds of 200gr Federal Fusion (though I might switch to the new 200gr Federal Solid Core).  Streamlight TLR-7A is compact but illuminates entire fields.  One Tigris nylon holster adjusts to fit the G20 plus light and doesn’t care about sweat or elements.  Old ass leather belt completes the rig.  Once used to it, it’s not too heavy to open carry on the farm all day long, and I wear it all the time.  I’ve used it to finish off one hog and kill another - one shot each.

    The FN 510 is a great gun, and CHIEF Jr. will love it.  Put a micro red dot on it, suppress it, and have some real fun!

    • Hook 'Em 3
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    • Fuck Around and Find Out 1
  8. 58 minutes ago, immamac said:

    Quinn had a fantastic game that wasn't perfect. Perfect would have been transcendent and god mode Quinn which we know can exist. 

    This is a far cry from shit down his leg Quinn from Georgia. 

    I am 100% confident in saying he wasn't a pussy today, but I am gonna do a rewatch  and confirm. 

    Fucking 5TDs what hilarious video game stats. 

    I’m watching the game for the first time… on your point about not being a pussy today, on his pass to Gunnar to go up 14… doesn’t he step up in the pocket and take a hit?  I was like, whoa, right on.  The coverage I have is inconclusive.

     

    ETA: great phrase: “Quinn had a fantastic game that wasn’t perfect.”

    • Hook 'Em 1
  9. On 11/8/2024 at 10:47 AM, USCATX said:

    Thanks again for this recommendation. I listened to quite a few podcast episodes and then called Jason and talked through digital night vision before settling on the AGM Rattler V2 TS35-384.   These guys are really working to earn business and I was very happy to buy from them.  I think I’ll probably get more use out of this thing as a hand held for looking at things around the house, night boating, looking for downed animals, etc.  

    I’m glad that worked out for you!  I bought that same unit but have had a problem with the rifle platform, so I haven’t posted yet. The thermal exceeded my expectations, though, and Outdoor Legacy is solid IMO.  Please feel free to post what you are using it for here - I’d love to see it!

  10. Y’all know I cook over fire.  But up here, near my farm in NE Texas, my neighbor had me over for dinner last night, and thus made me appreciate cooking steak on a griddle:

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    Hard to tell in that pic, but the steak was medium rare and seasoned to perfection.  It was… incredible…

    So from a pure fire guy to y’all who griddle or sous vide or whatever… perfect your method and appreciate the results.  There are many ways to get a great steak, and perhaps that is part of the greatness that is ‘STEAK.”

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  11. @USCATX check out https://www.youtube.com/c/TheLateNightVisionShow and literally call Outdoor Legacy and Jason and/or Hans will hook you up.  I haven’t posted about this yet, but I was looking for a thermal for a 6.5 Grendel pistol and I researched for months.  Part of the research was watching that show.  I called the shop, and Jason called me back in 5 minutes.  We spent an hour OTP working through use cases I never thought about.  He gave me solid options and actually saved me $ by me not choosing something that was overkill for my needs. I bought and I’m putting together the platform - hope to post soon.  Regardless, at a minimum you get an opinion from those guys - zero sales pressure when you call.  Good luck, and post results!

    • Hook 'Em 1
  12. 18 hours ago, 686 said:

    I had a good weekend scouting trip to CO... It was a little bit more of an ass whip than I wanted it to be....

    Masochist.  

    17 hours ago, 686 said:


    I like Texas whitetail hunting and love deer lease culture/spirit as well, but getting on elk in the wilderness is just amazing to me.

    ^This right here.

    17 hours ago, 686 said:

    @solamente73 are you getting the blesbok and impala shipped back / mounted?

    All 12 trophies will be euro mounts (that's my style) and the hides will either be fur or leather product; I'm still working out what I'm going to have made (rifle cases, ammo carriers, wallets, etc.) vs. what will be "rugs."  There are two additional "cull" animals that I'll use for leather product and for barware.  Karoo Taxidermy out of Graaf-Reinet is doing the work.  I toured their facility and it was an incredibly impressive operation.  They seem to successfully scale volume, quality, and specialization.  I had met the owner back in January and had communicated with staff prior to flying over, so I had pretty much made up my mind before the safari.  Even then, I encountered no better option before, during, or after the trip.

     

    ___________________________

    If y'all want to see what a South African taxidermy outfit looks like, here you go.  I probably focused more on the skulls than the shoulder/full mounts because of my interest.  Reminder - this is NOT my taxidermy, just my taxidermist.  Spoilered for the pics:

    Spoiler

    Welcome area:

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    Salting/prepping skins:

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    Prepping skulls (against the wall are elephant skulls(!))

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    Where the "mounts" happen:

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    Packing and shipping:

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    Carved giraffe leg bones destined for Denmark: 

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    The spoilered above looks like chaos but every single item, no matter how large or small, is labled/tagged and tracked from receiving to shipping.  The half-day was worth it to learn how it all worked.

     

     

     

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    • Hook 'Em 1
    • Like 4
  13. Sorry for the delay in updates, but life has been busy since getting back a month ago.  

    Day 3 was a day of both success and disappointment.  Spoilered for longcat.

    Spoiler

    The Safari, Day 3:  Sometimes you just have to take what the bush gives you.

    We started Day 3 with bushbuck on our minds.  Bushbuck are shy and elusive, spending most of their time browsing the thick bush rather than grazing the open fields.  While we searched for bushbuck, we knew that there would be other opportunities.  That day, it would be impala.

    We began by returning to an area called “the rugby field.”  It was a lush field about 1400 yards long surrounded by hills and thick brush.  The evening before, we had seen eland, impala, warthog, and blue wildebeest in and around the field, and as the daylight waned, I had been downscope on a really nice blue wildebeest; however, a herd of eland and the rest of the wildebeest herd conspired to block my shot.  Eventually, we called it a day as taking a 318 yard shot off sticks at last light was to risk losing a trophy in the bush after dark.  The next morning we decided to return to the rugby field to go after the impala that we had seen the evening before… and to keep looking for bushbuck.  

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    We hiked and glassed the entire area, and the abundance of life that we had seen the evening before was absent.  On the way back to the bakkie, though, we crested a ridge to find the impala herd we were after huddled in a small clearing, and they immediately fled into the dense trees.  They had been there all along, but we just didn’t know it until it was too late.

    With no bushbuck sighted and impala spooked, we loaded up the Cruiser and began making our way to what they called “the cattle farm” - a rich valley, surrounded by densely forested hills, where they actually raised cattle.  The owner’s 10 year old grandson and another young man were along for the ride, helping us spot animals.  About halfway to the cattle farm, I heard a sudden loud knocking on the cab’s roof - the boy spotters in the back had seen something.  “Impala” I heard the young man say.  The PH grabbed his binocs, took a look, turned to me, smiled, and said “get your gun.”

    We hopped out and got our gear together.  I chambered a round and set the rifle to safety.  The PH, his tracker, and I lined up and began to make our way towards where the impala was grazing, leaving the youngins behind with the cruiser.  There were several dense groves of trees scattered across the valley floor to provide cover, and we moved from grove to grove, the PH periodically peeking around the grove edges to see what the ram was up to.  

    Eventually, we ran out of cover, and the valley opened up.  I looked across the expanse and saw the impala grazing through a grove of magnificent trees.  I’ll never forget that golden ram framed under the tree’s expansive branches.  The PH set the sticks and I went downscope on the impala.  “One hundred and sixty two yards,” my PH whispered.  I put the crosshairs on the ram’s right shoulder.  “I have him,” I whispered back.  The ram took another step forward, grazing right along.  His head was now obscured by a bush, but the shoulder was still clear.  I decided to take the shot.

    Breath just right, rifle steady on the sticks, crosshairs where I wanted them, I squeezed and waited for the boom.  And while I waited, the impala took yet another step behind the bush.

    Boom!

    Thwack.

    I chambered another round.  The “thwack” told me that I’d hit him, but where?  I couldn’t find him in the scope, and I feared he’d moved into the brush.  “Where is he?” I asked.  My PH replied, “He is down, Sir!  Well done!”

    The grass was high and I couldn’t see the ram, but I knew to take the PH’s word.  We gathered up and made our way to where the impala last stood.  As long as I couldn’t see it, there was just a hint of doubt in my mind, but that doubt evaporated as soon as I saw that golden coat laying atop the lush grass.

    With the ram’s last-second step forward, I ended up spining him and dropping him right where he had stood.  

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    The boys brought up the cruiser, and upon hopping out, they congratulated me.  I thanked THEM, as it was they who had spotted this very nice ram.  Since my two little boys were half a world away, I was particularly happy to share that moment with those boys.  I asked them to be in the trophy picture to commemorate our team hunt, and they obliged.

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    In planning this whole trip over the past year, it seemed that Impala were almost an afterthought when it came to South African plains game.  People always go on about kudu, springbok slams, wildebeest, etc., but I find impala to be beautiful in both hide and horn.  This was my first impala, and hopefully it won’t be my last.

    That was a great morning.  The rest of the day, however, would be frustrating, and that was becoming a theme when it came to chasing bushbuck.  We hiked several promising areas; however, we only found tracks and dung.  We didn’t even see a single ewe, which surprised the PH as he said that we would have at least seen SOME where we had been hiking.  The elusive bushbuck remained, well, elusive.

    After a long day in the field, it is tradition to gather around the campfire and relive the day’s hunts, usually with an adult beverage or three (such as “policeman’s coffee,” a local favorite that is brandy mixed with coca-cola).  

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    The next day?  More searching for bushbuck, of course… and taking what the bush gives you.

    TL;DR:  While continuing to search for the elusive bushbuck, I was fortunate to come across this gorgeous impala.  162 yards, DRT with a spinal shot.  Capped off the day with a couple of “policeman’s coffees” around the camp fire.

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    More to come…

    • Hook 'Em 3
    • Like 5
  14. On 7/25/2024 at 7:31 PM, Handcruser said:


    What’s your typical distance?

    Treefiddy?  For this mission, it could be 20-200 yards depending on where I walk up on them.  Hence trying 6.5G on thermal - seems the right balance for what I encounter.  

  15. 5 hours ago, cabowabo said:

    If your total budget is $4k, then I'd look at getting a $2500 scope and a $1500 spotter/monocular.  You are not going to want to be looking for potential targets raising your gun up and scanning through your rifle scope.  That gets old real quick.  

    The need for a thermo monocular should be stressed more often.  I bought an ATN OTS-XLT 2-8x about 3 years ago, and it has served me very well as a supplement to my NV rig and just out and about at night on the farm.  I have not considered an upgrade, possibly because I don't know any better?

    1 hour ago, Handcruser said:


    Shoots fine.

    But the 90g nosler Armageddon is the tits. And I mean the tits. I have 300-400 rounds of the Sst and am buying the nosler stuff now.

    I'll check out the Nosler, though at first internet research glance, energy at distance might not work as well for pigs.

  16. 16 hours ago, Handcruser said:


    Nothing wrong with PSA. I have a 12” grendel upper from them.

    If you want a hookup for pulsar PM me.

    How does that Grendel upper shoot, and using what ammo?  I'm hoping to get ~1.5MOA using the Hornady 123gr SST for hunting.

    Will PM if I decide on a Pulsar.

  17. 15 hours ago, Handcruser said:


    So much to discuss.

    Look at AGM. I just bought a rattler 35-386. They make a clip on that co-witnesses with your regular optic and I’m considering g getting one of those so I can move it from gun to gun.

    What is your budget?
    What lower. What upper?
     

    Re: lower and upper, you are going to be so disappointed in me.

    PSA for both, with the upper being 12” 6.5 Grendel. This is a playful experiment.  I have a farm with a hog problem.  Long story short, I’m looking for a lightweight, maneuverable thermal rig (suppressed) I can use when I spot and stalk… and otherwise keep near me when out and about at night.  I already have a 308 digital NV rig for hunting feeders, and I need something more mobile and capable of CQB.  Engagement is usually 20-200 yards when just milling about the property.

    Re: Thermals.  @cabowabo will have a POV here.  Max $4k.  Short list:

    Pulsar Talions
    AGM Adders
    AGM Rattler TS35-640 2x-16
    Infiray Bolt TL35 V2
    Pulsar Thermion 2 XQ35 Pro

    The thermal I’m willing to invest good money in to last a long time (5yr).  The rifle platform is an experiment.  If I like the concept, I can do a quality build later if the PSA doesn’t hold up to moderate hunting.

    ETA: lightweight and maneuverable is key for this mission

     

     

     

    • Hook 'Em 1
  18. 2 hours ago, Handcruser said:

    I feel like someone needs to buy a gun and post it here.

    The lower just shipped.

    Upper ordered.

    Mags shipped today.

    Ammo identified.

    Thermal… I’m considering… options.

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