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I hunt with Martini's. These day just for Whitetail from Blinds, a hog when one shows up. I did not take a deer last year with a rifle. Rifle season was dedicated to my Grand daughter getting her first deer-she did. It was the highlight of my year. This year it will be all about me. Deer season in Oklahoma is all archery from October 1 to January15th, inclusive. You can hunt with muzzleloader from October 26 to November 3. You can use a gun during archery season from November 23 to December 8. This year during Archery Season I will be carrying a 450 Musket No. 2 Sporting Martini into the blind incase a hog shows up. I can shoot hogs with a rifle during archery deer season. During muzzle loading season, I will be using one of my EIC muskets. I have a Sapper and Miner Carbine I am going try to make shoot. For Rifle season I am going with.303. I have a Naughton and Holloway Sporting Martini in .303 British. The barrel was so rotted out, that I had it relined. It is a nice old gun and is a classic Martini sporter. Based on markings I do not think this is a retail gun, rather I think it is gun built by up Naughton and Holloway. I haven't shot it since it got back from lining The second .303 is not a .303 British, but is marked "for .303 Ammunition". It is a retail gun made for Rawbone of Capetown, I believe by Greener. Firing .303 British in this chamber blew the heads right of the cases. When I slugged the bore it was .303 groove. I believe this gun may be chambered for Westley Richards .303 Special. How ever on that cartridge I need to do more research. The rifle does shoot quite well with Hawk 180 gr. .304 bullets. This gun is my first choice for deer this year. In 2002 I took two Kudu with a ZAR Westley Richards 577/450 rifle. I also took one Springbok and one Guinea foul with a small Hollis sporting Martini in 218 Mashburn Bee on that same trip. This same Hollis .218 Mashburn Bee and and a sporterized cadet in 22 K-hornet were used in Montana to shot gophers, rock chucks and badgers from 2001 to 2002. From 2008 until 2018 I hunted gophers in Montana with BSA Francotte 1215's Martini's converted to 17HM2 and 17 HMR. Also taken were a rock chucks and badgers. These larger animals were always taken with eye, nostril or ear hole shots only. The precision of these cartridges in these Martini mad these type shots simple. I do have a BSA Francotte Martini and a Westley Richards Sherwood in 17 Hornady Hornet that was used one season only hunting varmints-devastating on gophers and good killers on Rock chucks. |