257 Handi had success today.

[Fred M]

Started on Nov 4th season opens on my 80th birth day. Jeep went dead daybreak. No hunting till late after noon had a shot at a doe with the 6.5x284 and missed the head the only visible part.

Next morning I picked a spot and a med. sized doe walked by at
about 200yrds and I toke it with my 7x57 #1. No problem.

This week starting Wednesday I hunted by myself until Friday to bucks showed up with no chance to get a shot with my Handi 257 Roberts. Today Saturday I hunted with my friend Dennis.
Around noon we spoted a buck laying down with a doe standing
watching. Both at dead center of a 1/4 section at the pivot point of a sprinkler. 440 yards from either road.

Two other hunters on the North/South road spotted the deer too.
We were watching from the  East /West road. Near an a bandoned farm with lot of cover thinking that where the buck would run to. The other hunters spooked the deer and the buck ran south to and old cattle enclosure jumped the fence and hid behind the old boards.

We waited until the othe hunters went away. I knew excact ly where the buck was. The 1/4 section was adjacent to a prairie
pasture. We found a gate to get into the community pasture
and approached the the old cattle enlosure from the south the buck was between the fence and the enclosure.
Dennis approched from the east and saw the buck but the buck saw him too and highballed it out the other side.

He was in high gear and out 120yards before I got a good sight on him I held high with a couple of feet lead and broke his spine
just above the back of the shoulder. The buck skitted to stop and went down for the count.

The buck has 9 points and weighs a ton, had a hard time getting him into the jeep wagon. Pulling with a rope from the front, and haeving and grunting from the back no fun for an old timer.

My Handi 257Rob is very light and with absolutely perfect ballance. Swings and tracks like my upland 20 O/U, even with a 24" barrel. I used a 100gr Speer Hot core. A coyote bit the dust the day before, for a bonus.

[Lazermule]

Nice work!  Sounds like some darn good shootin...

[bigvarmnt]

Lazermule beat me to it.  Nice deer and a heck of a shot.
I thought that pic in avatar was you. That's not an 80 year old man in that pic.

[Fred M]

bigvarmnt
You are right that picture was taking last year when I was 79, ha?

[bigvarmnt]

Sorry, Still don't believe you. I've seen 80 year old men before.

[Slufoot]

Very nice buck Fred and some mighty fine shooting too!

[quickdtoo]

Congrats Fred, I sure hope I'm doing as well in 18yrs!! 


Tim

[av-doctor]

i thought it was Tackleberry from the police acedemy movies in his avatar,lol nice deer Fred

[billy_56081]

Thanks for sharing Fred, congratulations on the deer.

[petemi]

Nice buck Fred.  Great shooting.  Hit my buck in the same spot last year with the .45-70.  It really takes them down.

Pete

[zoner]

Excellent shot,sir. 120 yds running hard and you hit it right behind the front shoulder.....once again,excellent shot.....i probly woulda passed cuz he was running

[The Montanan]

Awesome shooting Fred, thanks for sharing.

[Badnews Bob]

Great job Fred, I hope I can still do that 32 years from now when I am 80.

[PHATINJUN]

Great job Fred looks like you had fun. And a real bonus for us not ONE cross word about your Beautiful Handi. Way to go. Kurt

[Mac11700]

Congrats Fred on a successful hunt...BTW...Happy Belated birthday you ole "Goat hunter"...

Mac

[dpe.ahoy]

That's a darn nice birthday buck Fred.  Congratulations on being 80 years YOUNG.  DP

[Dead doc]

NICE  BUCK and NICE SHOT     enjoy  I hope im half what your doing in 20 years

[Fred M]

Thank you to all of you who replied to my hunting story. Doing a lot of skeet shooting helps to make running shots at deer. I am
not looking for a running shot at deer, but have taken quite a few deer over the years in that manner. The swing is the thing

Yes that custom 257 Roberts Handi is one fine deer rifle. I am going to use it next week since I have two more doe deer tags.

Tim that Goop epoxy is doing very well and is very easy to use.
The 0.005" gap is well healed. No set back sofar.

[quickdtoo]

That's great Fred, glad to hear that!! 

Tim

[cbourbeau32]

Great story and great buck.

[Austin1]

Started on Nov 4th season opens on my 80th birth day. Jeep went dead daybreak. No hunting till late after noon had a shot at a doe with the 6.5x284 and missed the head the only visible part.

Next morning I picked a spot and a med. sized doe walked by at
about 200yrds and I toke it with my 7x57 #1. No problem.

This week starting Wednesday I hunted by myself until Friday to bucks showed up with no chance to get a shot with my Handi 257 Roberts. Today Saturday I hunted with my friend Dennis.
Around noon we spoted a buck laying down with a doe standing
watching. Both at dead center of a 1/4 section at the pivot point of a sprinkler. 440 yards from either road.

Two other hunters on the North/South road spotted the deer too.
We were watching from the  East /West road. Near an a bandoned farm with lot of cover thinking that where the buck would run to. The other hunters spooked the deer and the buck ran south to and old cattle enclosure jumped the fence and hid behind the old boards.

We waited until the othe hunters went away. I knew excact ly where the buck was. The 1/4 section was adjacent to a prairie
pasture. We found a gate to get into the community pasture
and approached the the old cattle enlosure from the south the buck was between the fence and the enclosure.
Dennis approched from the east and saw the buck but the buck saw him too and highballed it out the other side.

He was in high gear and out 120yards before I got a good sight on him I held high with a couple of feet lead and broke his spine
just above the back of the shoulder. The buck skitted to stop and went down for the count.

The buck has 9 points and weighs a ton, had a hard time getting him into the jeep wagon. Pulling with a rope from the front, and haeving and grunting from the back no fun for an old timer.

My Handi 257Rob is very light and with absolutely perfect ballance. Swings and tracks like my upland 20 O/U, even with a 24" barrel. I used a 100gr Speer Hot core. A coyote bit the dust the day before, for a bonus.

Nice deer Fred! a typical big alberta buck, guy's down south have to exp are deer up here the body's are big! and so are the horns. I am 41 and still have trouble getting them in the back of the truck by myself, I bet it went 230 on the hoof? I spent last week hunting with a young guy a 76 year old we age very slowly up here, I still get asked for ID sometimes, must be the deer meat! That's a very nice deer! and a cool Caliber too, a reach out and touch deer rifle.Age is just a number my friends dad is 76 and still likes to hunt, my dad was 78 and I was dragging him along with me, he was not a hunter I get that from Mom. But he enjoyed the time outdoors but mom would be shooting bucks.Mom still likes the idea of hunting she wants to go as camp cook next year at 82 just for a vacation      

[JerryKo]

A great story...hard to beat.  Those are some big bucks up there.  Takes 2 or more of our tiny does to equal one of them.  Thanks for sharing and also glad to hear the goop is holding.

Jerry

[mechanic]

Good shootin' young fella'.  Fill the rest of your tags with just as much excitement. 

[mauser98us]

Dang if your 80, I'd better start drinkin La Fin du Monde or Molson's at the least. I was told it had preservation properties! 

[carbineman]

Way to go Fred (Turning 80) and Nice Buck to Boot.

[marlin mike]

Fred you said that your handi is a custom 257. Is it a rechambered barrel or a total rebore? If so what was the original caliber? Who did the work? I would love to have a handi in 257 Roberts.

[Fred M]

marlin mike.
The rifle is a total rebore starting with a 24" 223 bull barrel Ultra Handi with the laminated stock.
I did the octagon barrel first myself, Ron Smith of Wimborne Alberta did the rebore and chamber. I did all the wood work,
bed the action and installed side shims and fore arm work.
The rifle shoots 3shots in less than a 1/2"
See my web site on the 257 Roberts and the accurising procedure.

I am sure Wayne York in Origon can do the job. Make sure the octagon milling is done first before the re-bore job, twist is 1-10.
Because the Handi barrels are not stress relieved. Ypu can also have the barrel turned down to lighten this too has to be done first. That bull barrel is way to heavy for a light hunting rifle.

[One Eye]

80?  My 88 year old grandfather would say that you are just a "kid" 

Congrats on a great deer and cool story.  Really like the gun.  Been thinking about these Handis for a few years, but have been locked up with "analysis paralysis".
Dan