My 76 year old fater in law scores in Kansas

[Bman940]

I took my father in law back to Kansas this year. We hunt on a relatives farm and always fill the freezer with grain fed whitetail. Sometimes we get lucky and get a nice buck to go with the meat doe's. This year instead of just giving my father in law a sighted in rifle and telling him to aim and pull the triggger I spent a lot of time prepping him. We went tot he range a couple of times. We went over the T/C Icon .308 top to bottom. We discussed the "new fangled" scope I installed for him.
A Nikon Prostaff 4-12 BDC reticle. I went over Nikon's Spot On Ballistic Program showing him how everything went together. Then more range time and off to Ks.. I also outfitted him with a Riflehunter 1000 rangefinder, his distance estimates were not great and a new Nikon Monarch 3 bino.
This year, he filled both his doe tags and shot a mnice mature 9 pointer. More importantly, all one shot stops and no meat damage. We had snow to hunt in and it was cold. Below zero 3 of the days with the wind chill. I don't know how many more times I'll be able to get my father in law out hunting with me but I can tell you, it was a real pleasure and most importantly, he said he had one of the best hunts of his life. I must say, so did I !

http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd363/bman940/davendeer.jpg

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

Good story, what are the details of the shots and whats your bullet?

 

[Broz]

Good for you and your dad. It is great to see he is still after em. Tell him "Way to Go" and start planning for next season.

Thanks for shaing the story and pic. He looks like he is having a great time in that pic.

Jeff

 

[Bman940]

Thanks guys. I know at 76 his days in the woods are numbered, I just told him, as long as he's not stuck in a bed I will drag him to the field, one way or another! At the very least, I'll take him hunting here in Tx. where it is a tad easier and warmer!
I had him using Winchester 150 gr. Ballistic Silver tips. Great expansion and accuracy. This T/C Icon .308 is one heck of a shooter and the 2011 Nikon ProStaff 4-12 BDC worked perfectly. Considering my father in law would rather shoot iron sights, geting him comfortable with a "new fangled" scope was a big thing. All his shot's were between 180-210 yards and all were chest impacts.
Here's a pic from one of our range sessions.

http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd363/bman940/C.jpg

 

[yobuck]

listen bart there are lots of us out there that age and older.
send him up here and we'll set him behind some real guns and good glass.
like my 338/505 for example.
you can just sit there till it's time to go drag it out.

 

[Bman940]

I was very proud of him! He get's a tad impatient on occasion. So having a nice deer blind with a heater helped a lot. The T/C Nikon combination worked perfectly for him. They shoot a nice clover leaf at 100 yards so I wasn't worried about his equipment at all. I have shot many deer using the Winchester ammo so I knew that if my father in law got the opportunity it would all be up to him. He grew up hunting in Ore. Coast range where a thirty thirty was the cal. of choice just because you could find ammo for it. In the Korean war it was iron sighted M1. I hope he wants to go next year, of course I didn't really ask him this year, I just told him he drew a tag and here's a ticket, pack everything warm you own!
http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd363/bman940/Daveanddeer.jpg

 

[hnts4fun]

Beautiful buck, but even without a deer on the ground your time together was golden. Good job Bart!

 

[Bman940]

Yup, He's still talking about the trip. This is not the first time we have gone together but it is the first time we put some serious range time in and discussed all the equipment he would be using. Usually we go tot he range once and I make sure he's safe wit hthe bolt action rifle and off we go. This time it just goes to show you no matter how old or young you are, practice pay off. Guy's, Thanks for the great comments.

http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd363/bman940/Daveanddeer.jpg

 

[jmden]

Good for you guys and congrats especially to your father-in-law! Merry Christmas!

 

[BH107]

Great story, thanks for sharing. And a very nice buck he put down.

I love these kinds of stories. My dad took my great uncle and his son to Colorado a few years back. He was in his early 70s and hadn't deer hunted in 10 years since my grandfater had died. He decided to go one last time, and ended up shooting a 170" muley that now proudly hangs on his wall.

 

[Bman940]

B., There comes a time when that is what hunting is all about.It is not about what we shoot but about the joy others get feeling what we have already felt many times before.I got so much satisfaction out of helping my Father In-Law prep for our/his hunt. Then to see him successfully harvest a buck and 2 doe with 1 shot each was huge. I get the same thrill watching my son harvest an animal as well. Practice and a well placed shot is the key. Of course teaching him to use a rangefinder and how it correlated to the BDC retilce he was using help as well. I am getting the horns mounted on a board for him, my son asked if he could have them and Grand Pa can come visit them, defintely ok with G-ma as she is not into having trophies on the wall no matter what.
I didn't mention it before but my Father In-Law has Leukemia and who know's if this was his last trip or if he'll be up to going again. What we do know is that this was an unforgettable trip for both of us.

 

[rafford]

Dear sir god bless you and your father-in lawn .time well spent and never forgotten.