Deer Guns & Loads Archives

9 11, 2025

.35 Remington: Thick-Woods Buck-Thumping Cartridge

Clay Hanback2025-11-09T11:55:53-05:00November 9th, 2025|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Guns & Loads, trijicon, whitetail deer|0 Comments

I bet most of you hunters under the age of 40 have never have heard of the .35 Remington, much less ever owned a rifle chambered for it. The cartridge gained popularity in the 1950s and ‘60s, when Marlin and Winchester chambered lever-actions for the .35 Rem. People who hunted thick woods, from northern Michigan to Maine to anywhere in the country where most shots are 100 yards and in, loved the hard-hitting cartridge that dropped deer on the spot. The niche round continued to be popular into the 1980s and ‘90s. I began hunting with the .35 Rem. in 2018, when Marlin, owned by the now-defunct Remington Arms Company at the time, chambered a new Model 336 lever for [...]

5 11, 2025

8 Muzzleloader Hunting Tips

Clay Hanback2025-10-26T10:16:40-04:00November 5th, 2025|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting, sportsman channel, whitetail deer|0 Comments

I’m hunting the early muzzleloader season in Virginia right now, which reminds me of these tips: Drop two 50-grain pellets of Triple Seven (or even three if you use a Remington Ultimate Muzzleloader like I do). Most modern muzzleloaders will shoot just fine with 100 grains. Insert your saboted bullet of choice at the muzzle, and start it down the bore with a short starter. With your ramrod, seat the bullet firmly all way down and on top of the powder, but don’t tamp it or beat it hard. You just want a good, firm seat. Once fully loaded, leave the ramrod in the barrel and mark it with a Sharpie. Check the “fully loaded” reference mark each time you [...]

1 09, 2025

How to Remove Rust from a Gun

Clay Hanback2025-08-26T11:40:18-04:00September 1st, 2025|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Guns & Loads, trijicon|0 Comments

You know you should store all your handguns and rifles in a locked safe, or at least in a cool, dry place, with a dehumidifier running for good measure if there is a hint of moisture (as in a basement). But if you do pull out one of your guns and see a few spots of rust on the barrel or receiver, here’s an interesting way to remove it. From Range 365, which has a collection of great gun videos: The trick…is finding a penny minted before 1982, which were 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc. To start you need some light oil (good old 3-in-1 will do just fine), a medium brass-bristle cleaning brush, some paper towels, and [...]

5 06, 2025

8 Great Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Tips

Clay Hanback2025-06-04T10:07:31-04:00June 5th, 2025|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting, trijicon, whitetail deer|Comments Off on 8 Great Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Tips

The popularity of blackpowder hunting is making a comeback! Here are 8 things to remember when you go out to smoke a buck this fall. Pour a measured charge of your powder of choice down the bore of your .50-caliber rifle, or drop in 2 or even 3 50-grain Triple 7 pellets in modern rifle that will handle 150 grains, like my trusty 700 Ultimate Muzzleloader. Some rifles shoot best with 2 pellets 9100 grains), while others like 3 pellets (150grains), so do some range testing. Insert your bullet of choice at the muzzle, and start it down the bore with a short starter. With your ramrod, seat the bullet firmly all way down and on top of the powder, [...]

30 03, 2025

Indiana: Giant Helbert Non-Typical Buck, 181 5/8”

Clay Hanback2025-03-30T11:37:32-04:00March 30th, 2025|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting, sportsman channel, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Indiana: Giant Helbert Non-Typical Buck, 181 5/8”

Today's blog on Don Helbert's buck of a lifetime is from Big Deer reporter Dean Weimer. Cool story and testament to two things: To get a 180-buck takes perseverance and creative thinking.--M.H. In the summer of 2023, a very cool 6x4 buck showed up on Don Helbert’s trail cameras, and while Don pegged the deer to be only 3 years old, he had the Indiana hunter’s attention. “I was on the fence about shooting him,” he says. That year the early October archery season proved uneventful. But on Oct. 23, Helbert got another, and better, look at the mystery buck. He was on his way home after work and caught the buck chasing a doe in his headlights. [...]