It's not often Jason gets to carry just a rifle. He's an accomplished self-filmer so he's usually got his hands full. Today, he heads out with Fieldsports Channel TV and Viking Arms for an early morning outing armed with a Ruger rifle and Leupold optics.
This morning they're after a fallow buck on farmland on the North Yorks Moors and, as this is the first time Fieldsports Channel's David has filmed Jason in the field, it's a chance to tap him up for some tops tips.
Tip #1: how not to confuse a pheasant with a deer.
Jason’s first piece of advice is to make sure you don’t confuse a pheasant with a deer. To do this you should be aware of the distance to the target. He recommends ranging the woodland so that you can understand the size of the animal in respect to its distance.
Tip #2: how to get ‘scope-ready’.
The second piece of advice, given as the group move to intercept some deer they’ve seen, is to make sure you are scope ready. He explains the importance of getting range ready based on where you expect to shoot and he shares an old saying you will always have time to wind your scope up, you will never have time to wind down.
Watch now:
David and Jason draw a blank on the fallow buck, but there's a plan B – a lovely bit of undulating ground near Byland Abbey. That’s where a fallow buck catches them by surprise.
They come across a fallow buck straight on, and Jason takes his shot, aiming and hitting the deer just below the chin. Jason explains that he aims here because the fatal shot zone is the same size as the chest, however if you miss on the chest, you could cause the animal serious injury without killing it. He further explains that the best time to shoot is when the deer just spots you, as it will pause for a few seconds and stay perfectly still as it tries to figure out what you are.
Find out more about the kit used in this film in these short videos:
👉Ruger American Hunter rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor: Jason Doyle review
👉Leupold VX-5HD 3-15×56 scope: Jason Doyle review
👉Leupold RX-1600i laser rangefinder + BX-5 Santiam HD binoculars: Jason Doyle review
