RUSSELL THORNBERRY OUTDOORS

The Blind Turtle

 The Blind Turtle is a Product of Outcrop Specialties, LLC. Outcrop Specialties is owned and operated by the father/son team of Ed and Kurt Fell. The Blind Turtle was developed to fill the distinct need for an easily portable blind that is substantial enough to be left in the field all year long.

The Blind Turtle is manufactured right here in the good ol’ USA using only the highest quality products. The polyethylene is UV stabilized to maintain long life in the rigors of various climates and is offered in three colors: OD Green, Desert Sand, and Special Ops Black. These colors don’t run because they are the color of the polyethylene throughout. The Blind Turtle weighs only 135 lbs and can easily be transported in the bed of a pickup or even on a UTV if strapped down! A powder coated steel wheel kit is also available making the unit easy to move with a 4-wheeler or tractor. Blinds are available in single or double window configurations, as shown in photographs

Options Available : Lift Kit for elevating blind , shoot- through mesh windows, vent curtains, black out curtains, clear or tinted acrylic windows, trailer kit for 4-wheelers.

Check out the Blind Turtle at Outcrop Specialties Ltd. -- 7344 Frazeysburg Road,
Nashport, OH 43830

Call Toll Free: (888) 419- 5594

Blind Turtle: http://www.blindturtle.net

Email: turtlehuntingblind@yahoo.com

 

Advancements in Arrow Fletching

 

Easton Archery Introduces the Diamond Arrow Wrap

This appears to be the era of new-fangled fletching options with several shaft wrap designs on the market, with which to personalize your arrows. Easton Archery (www.eastonarchery.com) – (801) 539-1400 has come up with my pick of the litter when it comes to wraps for arrow shafts with their new Diamond Arrow Wraps. Instead of rolling an adhesive wrap onto the shaft, the Diamond wraps are actually tubes that shrink tightly and seamlessly around your arrow shaft in how water.  You then glue your vanes or feathers directly to the wrap and if you should need to re-fletch your arrow you simply cut off the Diamond wrap, which leaves no residue on the shaft, and bingo -- a clean shaft is ready for re-fletching. The Diamond wraps are available in four designs: Tribal Whitetail, Zebra, Red Flame and Green Flame and retail at $19 per package of a dozen wrap.

The Revolutionary New Fusion Vanes from Duravane

Norway Industries – www.norwayindustries.com – 800-778-4755

Fusion Vanes have revolutionized the effectiveness of short vanes. The Fusion Vane sports a high profile design based upon the increasingly popular foot print of today’s short vanes, but that’s where all similarities end.  With a profile similar to the traditional shield cut, the modified silhouette increases the surface area of the most critical point of the vanes’ anatomy, minimizing cross wind interference while maximizing broadhead flight stabilization. In short, the Fusion vanes provide a short, high profile with a proven shape.

Fused Base and Blade

 Two distinctly different proprietary polymers are used to separately create the clear base and the colored blade of the vane.  They are then “fused” together during the manufacturing process. By employing a soft and broadened suction fit and a durable and responsive, tapered blade, Duravane has created a completely unique, flexible, forgiving, easy-t- fletch vane that has all the positive characteristics that modern archers seek for unrivaled flight and accuracy. No cleaning or preparation is needed for Fusion Vanes!

 No Primer on the Vane

Because Fusion’s blend of materials requires no primer or any other material on the base of the vane for adhesion, they have an unlimited shelf life. Fusion vanes are available in 36-piece packs with eight colors to choose from and in three sizes:

 1.5-inch length -.40-inch height – 3.5 grains weight

2.1-inch length - .56-inch height – 7 grains weight

3-inch length - .45-inch length – 8 grains weight

I find the 2.1-inch Fusion vanes completely sufficient for my hunting needs and I love how quickly and effortlessly the wide, suction-fitting base attaches to the shaft.

 

Freedom on the Ground

 

 

While I have shot 99 percent of my bowhunting whitetails from treestands, I’ll be the first to admit that there are times when a ground blind would have served me better. And I tried commercial ground blinds on several occasions only to find myself so limited by the stool or chair on which I sat that when a shot presented itself I could never get properly positioned. Finally I gave up on commercial ground blinds for reasons that were really the fault of the stool rather than the blind.  Subsequently, when I just had to have a ground blind I built one of available shrubbery tall enough so that I could shoot from a standing position.  That often defeated the purpose, creating too much cutting of shrubbery that tipped off the deer.  In some cases I abandoned a perfect ground blind location for a lesser position in a tree.

Then while perusing the aisles of the annual Archery Trade Association Show I stopped abruptly at the HuntMore Booth where I gazed in amazement at a stool made for hunting from the ground. At a glance I realized that the 360 Degree Chair had addressed every malady I had ever experienced while trying to hunt in a ground blind.  It had adjustable legs, which I loved because I am extra long from the knee to the ankle. It would enable me not to have to sit peeking between my knee caps. The 360 degree silent swivel feature was perfect, as was the excellent silent adjust padded back rest and seat. The large feet were designed specifically to keep the chair from sinking into the ground. The chair collapsed and fit into a bag for ease of travel. To say that the 360 Chair revolutionized my willingness to hunt from commercial ground blinds would be an understatement.  The same blinds that were once impossible for me now work beautifully. The best ground blind on earth is of little value if you can’t get comfortable for your shot. The 360 Chair is truly the ground blind hunter’s best friend.  And lest I forget, sitting quietly in the 360 Chair in a ghillie suit often eliminates the need for a blind of any kind!

Check out the 360 Chair at www.huntmorebiz.com.

This product is one that I use and encourage others to use because of its practicality and quality. I am not sponsored by the manufacturer nor am I paid to promote it.
RT
 

 

  
 

Introducing the .257 Ferguson Hot Tamale

Introducing the .257 Ferguson Hot Tamale

Extreme velocity, pinpoint accuracy and devastating long-range results on game describe James Ferguson’s incredible wildcat.

By Russell Thornberry

For as long as ballisticians have been stuffing powder and bullets into brass cases, they have been engaged in an ongoing race with gravity. Since all objects respond to gravity’s pull at the exact same rate of drop, regardless of their weight and design, the object of the race is to launch the bullet as far as possible from the muzzle before gravity pulls the bullet into terra firma.

Magnum velocity (3,000 feet per second) was considered the ultimate conquest for many years. Today, however, we take 3,000 fps for granted. The next hurdle – 4,000 fps – remains somewhere on the very distant horizon for factory big game rifles. Notice I said “factory.”

After years of experimenting, gunsmith James Ferguson of Wharton, Texas, has actually achieved the formidable muzzle velocity of 4,000-plus fps in a caliber that will tantalize the imaginations of those who relish ultra-flat bullet trajectory – especially the .25-caliber aficionados. Ferguson has necked the 7mm STW case down to .257 caliber and, with a 100-grain bullet ahead of a specified load of Reloader 25, he’s managed to break the 4,000-fps barrier without exceeding safe pressure parameters.

Is Ferguson the first to wildcat a .257 x 7mm STW? Perhaps not. But to my knowledge, he’s the first to realize the staggering velocity of 4,000-plus fps muzzle velocity while maintaining half-minute-of-angle accuracy.

I received my Ferguson .257 Hot Tamale (my nickname for cartridge) last fall, and it put five shots into a 3/8-inch group off the bench at 100 yards. Recoil wasn’t excessive to me, but I am a big fellow and used to rifles that bite back.

Then, in December 2002, I met Ferguson in Laredo, Texas, en route to our destination for a whitetail hunt in Mexico (he’s also an outfitter). Hot weather slowed the rut to a crawl, and the mature bucks went underground for a few days. So, being anxious to feed the Hot Tamale to some wild critter, I suggested that we spend a few hours looking for some javelinas.

We found plenty of them at a variety of ranges. The first one was at 305 yards, according to our range-finder. “Hold dead on him,” Ferguson announced. I did, and the bristly little critter dropped in its tracks.

The next one we ranged at 410 yards. Ferguson repeated his previous instructions with confidence, but when I looked at the javelina through the crosshairs a quarter-mile away, something in my mind just wouldn’t believe I could just aim at him point-blank. So I held over him just a hair and touched off my shot.

“You shot over him!” Ferguson scolded. “Where did you you aim?”

“Uh -- a hair over him,” I confessed sheepishly.

“Aim right at the pig – I’m telling you that you don’t have to hold over him!”

The javelina was so far away that the first shot didn’t even register as a problem to him. I lowered my crosshair into the black silhouette and squeezed the trigger. I saw him drop through the scope before the recoil registered against my shoulder. To say that I was impressed was an understatement.

My rifle was zeroed at 350 yards. With a muzzle velocity of 4,060 fps, my 100-grain, all-copper J-36 bullet (manufactured by Lost River Ballistic Technologies Inc.) with a ballistic coefficient of .532, registered as follows:

+ 1.89 inches at 100 yards
+3.15 inches at 200 yards
+1.78 inches at 300 yards
Dead-on at 350 yards
-2.58 inches at 400 yards
-10.27 inches at 500 yards.

Incredibly, the velocity at 500 yards is still in excess of 3,000 fps. Energy in foot-pounds generated at the muzzle is 3,660, and at 500 yards, it still maintains 2,057 foot-pounds of energy – plenty enough for any whitetail!

Later in the week, a beautiful white-tailed buck crossed a sendero about 300 yards from my tripod stand. A center lung shot curled him up like a scalded spider. The Hot Tamale had spoken.

James Ferguson’s son Jimmy shot several feral hogs with his rifle chambered for the same cartridge, and in each case the pigs dropped in their tracks. The amazing J-36 all-copper bullet displayed incredible penetration, driving completely through bone and heavy tissue of each hog and exiting in every case. Ferguson had originally loaded the cartridge with 100-grain Nosler Solid Base Ballistic Tip bullets, which performed exceptionally well in terms of accuracy. The softer lead-core bullet, however, expanded rapidly upon impact. It dropped animals, too, but at such velocities it didn’t always pass through and exit like the J-36 did.

I shot a blackbuck and an axis deer in the Texas Hill Country and numerous whitetails in Alabama after my Mexico experience, and in every case the bullet passed through, dropping the animals like stones.

Extreme velocity produces some astounding effects that seem to defy physical laws. This was brought to my attention years ago when I read an article in Volume I of P.O. Ackley’s classic “Handbook for Shooters & Reloaders.” Ackley noted that his experience proved that a .220 Swift was the most deadly caliber ever produced for deer and similar-sized game. His book was copyrighted in 1962, but his understanding of the compound effects of extreme velocity remains as true today as it was then.

In addition to some extensive shooting tests on animals, Ackley demonstrated his findings by firing two 48-grain bullets from a 220 Swift into half-inch armor plate on the front of a U.S. Army half-track. He also fired 100-grain bullets from a .270 Winchester and armor-piercing rounds from a government .30-06. All shots were fired from a distance of 30 feet.

The results were amazing. Both of the .220 Swift factory loads penetrated completely through the half-inch armor plate, leaving holes approximately 3/8 inch in diameter. The 100-grain .270 bullets managed no penetration whatsoever, leaving only shiny spots on the armor plate, and the .30-06 armor-piercing bullets made only shallow craters.

Suffice to say Ackley made his point about the compounded effects of hypervelocity (muzzle velocity of 4,00fps or more). His .220 Swift bullets exited the barrel at 4,100 fps, practically the same speed that the 100-grain .257 caliber bullet is leaving Ferguson’s Hot Tamale. That’s twice the bullet weight of the 48-grain .220 bullet at the same devastating speed! Little wonder the animals shot with the Hot Tamale were dropping in a heap.

Another and most important aspect of the effects of hypervelocity on game must be understood in order to fully understand its advantages. Liquid can’t be compressed, so when the force of hypervelocity impacts internal organs, the liquid contained therein becomes a deadly weapon in its own right. It explodes away from the impact with such force that it destroys all in its path. Crossing the 4,000-fps threshold of speed creates such intense hydrostatic shock within the animal that the liquid in its vital organs becomes something of an internal bomb. Magnum velocity of 3,000 fps does not approach this devastating threshold, regardless of bullet weights.

I refrained from mentioning the specific powder load used in my cartridges because it would be misleading and potentially dangerous as general information. James Ferguson doesn’t just build you a rifle and send it to you to develop your own load. He works with each rifle, measuring pressure generated and accuracy. Not only do you get a phenomenal rifle, but you also get a proven load that is safe and extremely accurate. That’s part of the package.

Two Ferguson rifles of the same caliber might not have identical handloads. One thing is for certain, assuming he makes a rifle for which factory loads are available: His handload recipes will exceed factory ammo both in velocity and accuracy. With a wildcat cartridge like the Hot Tamale, Ferguson’s predetermined loading data is an essential part of the equation.

I have long been enamoured with 1/4-inch calibers, so when Ferguson told me about his Hot Tamale, I had to have one. It has certainly exceeded even my wildest expectations. The hardest part of hunting with the Hot Tamale is believing that I can aim right at a critter at a quarter-mile away (and farther) and make clean killing shots without holding over the target. This rifle might put quite a hurt on the range-finder market.

My rifle is built on a Remington 700 long magnum action. The components of my rifle include a 26-inch, No. 4, fluted, Shilen Stainless Select Match Grade barrel — the finest barrel Shilen manufactures. The stock is a McMillan Remington Classic, and the trigger is a Jewell Hunting Trigger set at 40 ounces. Ferguson has built numerous .257 Hot Tamales on other actions as well, according to the preferences of his clients.

Extreme velocity, pinpoint accuracy and devastating results on game describe the Ferguson .257 Hot Tamale.

If P.O. Ackley were still around, I have no doubt that he’d agree that the .257 Ferguson Hot Tamale is now “the most deadly caliber for deer and similar-sized game ever produced.” And I can’t imagine a more lethal sheep gun, especially in terrain that makes judging distances difficult. The Hot Tamale is truly a rifleman’s dream.

Post Scrpt
Since this article was first published in Buckmasters GunHunter Magazine, the Hot Tamale has been used successfully on several continents. It has take the largest of game including Alaska,Yukon moose, bull elk,  prairie bison and African eland with a single shot through the point of the shoulder. Even on these large species the 100-grain, all-copper bullets achieved complete pass through and dropped these animals in their tracks!

Ferguson Custom Rifles
www.fergusonrifles.com
5320 FM 1299
Wharton, TX 77488
(979) 533-0140

 

The TrailCam Revolution

 

Trail cameras are undoubtedly the greatest assets to modern deer hunters since the invention of binoculars -- that 24-hour-a-day eye peeking into the deer’s world that the hunter would otherwise never be able to see or know.  Trail cams make getting pictures of wildlife a sport unto itself.  They extend the hunting season by months each year and tell hunters what they need to know about where and when they need to hunt.  There is that rush of anticipation every time we upload our latest trail cam photos.  The simple entertainment value is immense.

From a trophy hunting point of view trailcams are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Many an average buck’s life has been spared thanks to trailcams.  Why?  Because the hunter knew there was a better buck in the area, even though he might have never seen him other than on his trailcam photos.

There is also the aspect of learning more about the social order of bucks.  If your trail cam is set up near a food source during late summer when the bucks are still in bachelor herds, trailcams allow you to see which buck is the boss (dominant) buck.  We tend to think antler size equates to dominance but that is not always true. If you are hunting “the dominant buck” in an area you might be surprised to know that the buck with the biggest rack isn’t necessarily the boss.  I was able to observe social behavior among a group of bucks this past summer, and to my surprise, a stubby-racked 10-point with short tines dominated several significantly larger-racked bucks of the same age class.  From the photos I gleaned of the bucks’ behavior when they were together, it appeared that attitude had more to do with dominance than antler size or age. One such incident was captured well on one of my trailcams:

 

Photo No. 1 shows an encounter between the 10-point buck (still in velvet) and a 9-point with a larger rack, already stripped out of velvet. Note the dominant posture displayed by the buck in velvet.

Photo No. 2 shows the 10-point buck aggressively clashing antlers with the 9-point. Usually a buck will not spar while still in velvet, but this was an exception, further illustrating the 10-point buck’s determination to dominate.

Photo No. 3 shows the larger-racked 9-point buck retreating with his tail between his legs – a sign of his submission to the other buck.

There might be more to the story than meets the eye but this insignificant 10-point ruled the roost. What I learned was that I wasn’t at all interested in shooting the dominant buck in that group.

My friend John Bott of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada, makes ultimate use of numerous trailcams in his preseason scouting, and judging from the pile of antlers in his back yard, the benefits are obvious.  I whole heartedly agree with his following comment on the use of trailcams:

“I must say - since Dad and I invested in trail cams - the average score of our archery bucks went UP markedly, and immediately. What was once considered "likely the biggest buck around here" was being passed up because we had a hit list of bucks we KNEW were bigger. If I was to point at the single most beneficial tool in my hunting tool kit to come out in the last few years - digital trail cameras would be right at NO. 1.”

Post Script
On the evening of November 8, 2009, John Bott finally bagged the buck shown in the trailcam photo at the top of this article after hunting him for three years, lending even more credence to the value of trail cameras! Below is the photo of one happy John Bott at the end of a long challenging 3-year hunt.

What's Up With Deer Droppings

Many hunters mistakenly think they can distinguish buck droppings from doe droppings.  They incorrectly assume that bucks make the clump of compressed droppings while does leave the single pellet droppings. This theory is absolutely false. Both bucks and does leave both types of droppings.

The clumped droppings indicate that the deer has been bedded down and ruminating, which, in cattleman’s terms, means chewing its cud. Deer, like cattle, have four-compartment stomachs. They feed and then bed and regurgitate the coarse vegetation they have eaten and chew it up into finer bits and swallow it again. Then, when they emerge from their beds, their first droppings are compressed in clumps. After that, as they feed and move about, their droppings are formed as single pellets.

So when trying to determine buck sign from doe sign, don’t be fooled by the false theory about droppings. Deer droppings may vary in size in accordance with the animal’s body size, but not according to its sex.