{"id":110697,"date":"2019-06-02T21:54:56","date_gmt":"2019-06-03T01:54:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=110697"},"modified":"2024-08-03T19:57:24","modified_gmt":"2024-08-04T00:57:24","slug":"hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\/","title":{"rendered":"Going Long For Axis Deer: Hunting a Free-Ranging Texas Exotic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Texas sun was just beginning to drop below the trees when I heard the strange bellow and grunt of an Axis buck from the top of a far hill. Glassing, I caught sight of the buck\u2019s spotted coat moving between the live oak and mesquite, well over 600 yards away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a big old Axis buck that hangs around this hill,\u201d my guide Bobby had told me earlier when he dropped me off at my hunting site. \u201cWe hear him and some of my hunters get a glimpse. But he never gets close enough for a shot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Close enough? Actually, I\u2019d come to the Hill Country of Texas to make a longer shot, 300- to 400-yards was the plan, using my rig: a Sabatti Urban Sniper rifle<\/a> chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, a Trijicon AccuPower 4.5-30X56mm scope<\/a>, and Barnes VOT-TX ammunition firing a 120-grain all-copper TTSX bullet<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Going
The author\u2019s hunting rig for his Axis hunt: a Sabatti Urban Sniper in 6.5 Creedmoor topped with a Trijicon AccuPower 4.5-30x56MM scope. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve done a fair\namount of longer-range shooting the last half dozen years, both on my own and\nunder the instruction of shooting pros. I\u2019ve taken several deer at 300+-yards. The\nrig I brought to Texas, I was sure, would do the job, and I\u2019d done enough shooting\nwith it to be confident in the rifle and myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I sat atop a rocky cliff. Before me sat a deer feeder near a watering trough, and beyond that a gravel ranch road. The hill rose up on the other side of the road, large and steep, covered in stands of live oak and mesquite and interspersed with open spaces. Early June, and it had hit 90 degrees by mid-afternoon. Not a thing was moving when I got into position several hours previously, but as the sun dropped lower and the cooler breezes started, whitetail and Axis does began moving through the trees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then that Axis buck\nstarted calling, looking for a female. Unlike whitetails, Axis breed year \u2018round,\nand this guy was definitely in the mood, his loud bellows echoing down the\nhill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Going
The Texas Hill Country is home to thousands of free-ranging Axis deer. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Time to build my shooting\nposition.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I got out of my camp\nchair and set the seat cushion between two large rocks. I placed my Primos\nTrigger sticks in front of me, sat down, and wedged my backpack under my\nshooting elbow for support. I put the Sabatti up on the sticks, and shifted around\nuntil I was comfortable, then set the Trijicon AccuPower at 15x, adjusted the\nocular so that the trees and scrub about the middle of the far hill were clear\nand sharp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Axis had come in\nfrom the top left of the hill, and now was walking downhill using a line of trees\nfor cover. I caught glimpses of his brown coat and tall antlers as he weaved his\nway around the trees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That line of trees\nended mid-hill; off to the right sprawled a block of light-green mesquite. The\nbuck was angling to the right, it seemed to me, and logically he should move\nfrom the trees and into the mesquite cover. There was a large gap in the\nmesquite he\u2019d likely pass through. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I ranged the gap at 370\nyards, adjusted my position slightly, got the backpack solid under my elbow, and\nsettled in for the shot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That morning, I\u2019d rechecked my bullet profile in my shooting app, Ballistic<\/a>, recalibrating it for the day\u2019s weather conditions. With the Barnes load, 370 yards required a holdover of 4.7 MOA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Going
McCombie used the Ballistic app to calculate his longer-range shots. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I was ready. But the\ndark was coming on fast.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No movement on the\nhill. Not a sound. I imagined the Axis was in the mesquite now, sniffing\naround, making sure it was safe before he moved into the gap.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Come on, I said to myself.\nGet moving, Bud!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Going
A nice Texas Axis buck. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I forced myself to breathe in and out slowly, kept checking the gap through my AccuPower. The glass on the Trijicon was first-rate, and though the light was fading, the scope lit up the land just fine. I knew I had another ten-plus-minutes of shooting time with the scope. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I heard him bellow–from\nthe top of the hill. Damn!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Axis had turned\nright around and went back upslope. Through my binos, I saw a blur moving over\nthe top of the hill and then it disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I swore out loud several\ntimes before I unloaded my rifle and gathered up my gear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was hunting near the Rocksprings-Leaky, Texas, with Desert Safaris <\/a>outfitters, owned and operated by Hunter Ross. Desert Safaris provides hunts for free-range exotics and native game in Texas and New Mexico on over 750-square miles of leased private ranches. The Texas properties I hunted were working livestock ranches, with herds of goats and cattle roaming the lands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Going
Desert Safaris leases private properties for their hunts, usually on working, livestock ranches like this goat operation near Leaky, Texas <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My hunt was at the invitation of Trijicon and Chuck Wahr, the company\u2019s Global Vice President of Sales and Marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trijicon, of course,\nmade its name with the ACOG, that stubby little optic used so effectively by\nour military. But the last several years, Trijicon has made an increasing push into\nhunting and long-range shooting optics, including the AccuPower 4.5-30x56mm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Going
The Trijicon AccuPower 4.5-30x56MM scope is rugged and made with high-quality glass that will take a hunter right to dark–and many minutes beyond. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A month earlier, I\u2019d reviewed\nthe Sabatti Urban Sniper with the AccuPower for GunsAmerica Digest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/sabatti-urban-sniper-review\/\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Admittedly, the\nSabatti isn\u2019t my first choice for a hunting rifle\u2014not at ten pounds unloaded. The\nAccuPower added another two pounds. But when I\u2019d tested the rifle and optic with\nthe Barnes ammunition, I printed five-shot groups near \u00bd MOA. With a chance at\na longer-range Axis, I took the Sabatti.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I thought I was going\nto score an Axis on Day One of my hunt. Bobby and I had driven onto a 6,000-acre\nranch, low-fenced for livestock, and parked on a hill. After 20 minutes of\nglassing, Bobby spotted a good Axis buck below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I used a tree to support my back and shooting arm and set up my Primos Jim Shockey sticks<\/a>. We caught glimpses of the Axis meandering through a patch of persimmon trees, heading for an opening that Bobby ranged at 300 yards.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Going
First set up, Day One, of the author\u2019s Axis hunt. A buck was spotted but he disappeared. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I was ready. And waited\nand waited. But 90 minutes later and the Axis still hadn\u2019t appeared. We walked downhill,\nhoping to push him out, but he was already gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How and to where, we\nhad no clue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We saw several herds\nof Axis does and young males that afternoon, but no mature bucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next morning, I set up on a ridge and glassed a group of Axis does four football field lengths away. The way the does kept looking back over their shoulders, I was sure a buck was close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I set up for a long shot.\nAgain, the buck never showed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day Number Three\nstarted bright and sunny as we headed to a different property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis ranch hasn\u2019t been hunted for over a year. White-tails, Axis, nothing,\u201d Bobby said as he drove. \u201cWe\u2019re getting one today!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We pulled into the ranch\ngate, crossed over the cattle guard, and immediately saw an Axis buck lounging\nunder a mesquite tree not 80-yards away. Bobby hit the brakes. The Axis looked about\nfour years old and had a decent rack. He just watched us, not even bothering to\nstand up.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou could get out\nand take him right here,\u201d Bobby suggested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m probably going\nto hate myself later,\u201d I said. \u201cBut he\u2019s too close.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re the boss,\u201d\nBobby said, and put the truck in gear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boss without an Axis,\none part of my brain reminded me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had two spot-and-stalk\nopportunities over the next few hours, but the Axis kept moving ahead of us,\ndrifting through the mesquite faster than we could keep up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Late morning, we headed\nback towards the front gate to get some lunch in town. As we drove around a long\ncurve, Bobby suddenly said, \u201cAxis!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He kept driving, explaining that a group of Axis was bedded down in the shade under mesquite trees 50-yards off the road. He\u2019d spotted tall antlers, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We drove for a half\nminute, then turned off the ranch road and into the brush. Some quick glassing\nconfirmed it: a big Axis buck bedded under the trees with a half dozen does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We stalked along the roadside brush until we got within 225 yards. The mesquite really opened up past this point, and there was no way the sharp-eyed does would miss us if we stepped out. I wedged my upper body between a couple of trees and Bobby set up the sticks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Going
Wedged between two trees, with shooting sticks and a pad to create a solid rest, McCombie was in the position to take his Axis.\u00a0 <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Through the\nAccuPower, I saw the tall antlers of the Axis. He sat near the edge of the\ngroup of does, the thick scrub in front of his body negating a shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese guys could lay\nup for the next three hours,\u201d Bobby said. \u201cAre you ready to shoot?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReady,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to try\nsomething,\u201d he said. \u201cIf he stands up? Shoot. Don\u2019t wait. Shoot.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bobby pulled a tube call\nout of his hunting vest and blew it several times. Through the scope, I watched\nthe does and the buck raise their heads and look into our direction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bobby blew a couple more Axis bellows and got a response\u2014from an Axis buck somewhere ahead of us. That buck started to fairly scream. The does jumped up. I got the crosshairs on the buck, waiting, waiting, and as the does began to filter away, the buck stood up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I fired. The buck stiffened\nfor a second, extended his front leg to take a step, paused, and fell over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was a fine Axis,\nseven years old, Bobby estimated, and getting gray in the muzzle and along his\nnose, with plenty of dings to his antlers from numerous fights with other\nmales. Back at hunting camp, the scales put him right at 200 pounds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as I squeezed\nthe trigger, the buck had twisted to his left, getting ready to follow his\ndoes. Instead of smacking him broadside in the heart-lung area, the 120-grain\nBarnes bullet hit him about midway down the length of his body. Fortunately, given\nthe way he had turned, the 6.5 Creedmoor bullet came from behind and through the\nlungs, hit the far ribcage and then drove on up into the shoulder, breaking\nbone before it stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I retrieved the bullet and it weighed just shy of 109 grains. Excellent weight retention, especially given the shoulder bone the bullet took out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Going
The Barnes VOR-TX bullet in 6.5 Creedmoor that McCombie retrieved from his Axis only lost 11-grains weight despite taking on a substantial bone. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It was a great hunt and the Axis venison was outstanding. But I want to go back. I want to get into position in front of that steep hill as a bellowing Axis buck is walking towards me, feel the excitement as the buck gets closer, and then try my best to make that 370-yard shot as the Axis steps into the gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Going
McCombie and his guide, Bobby, with McCombie\u2019s seven-year old Axis buck. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica!<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Texas sun was just beginning to drop below the trees, when I heard the strange bellow and grunt of an Axis buck from the top of a far hill. Glassing, I caught sight of the buck\u2019s spotted coat moving between the live oak and mesquite, well over 600 yards away. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":110722,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1128,1218,18,1217,992],"tags":[1837,1352,1209,1269,682,320],"featured":[],"hunt365":[4089],"class_list":{"0":"post-110697","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brian-mccombie","8":"category-features","9":"category-hunting","10":"category-hunt365","11":"category-specialty-publications","12":"tag-axis-deer","13":"tag-deer-hunting","14":"tag-hunt365","15":"tag-hunt365moresponsor1","16":"tag-long-range","17":"tag-texas","18":"hunt365-hunting"},"yoast_head":"\nGoing Long For Axis Deer: Hunting a Free-Ranging Texas Exotic<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Going Long For Axis Deer: Hunting a Free-Ranging Texas Exotic - Brian McCombie\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Going Long For Axis Deer: Hunting a Free-Ranging Texas Exotic\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Texas sun was just beginning to drop below the trees, when I heard the strange bellow and grunt of an Axis buck from the top of a far hill. Glassing, I caught sight of the buck\u2019s spotted coat moving between the live oak and mesquite, well over 600 yards away.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\/Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-06-03T01:54:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-04T00:57:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/10AxisMine-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"798\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Brian McCombie\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Brian McCombie\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Brian McCombie\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/81514622e79dc69b306fd115e015d338\"},\"headline\":\"Going Long For Axis Deer: Hunting a Free-Ranging Texas Exotic\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-06-03T01:54:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-04T00:57:24+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1989,\"commentCount\":2,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/06\\\/10AxisMine-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Axis Deer\",\"Deer Hunting\",\"Hunt365\",\"hunt365moresponsor1\",\"long range\",\"Texas\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Brian McCombie\",\"Features\",\"Get Hunting\",\"HUNT365\",\"Specialty Publications\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\\\/\",\"name\":\"Going Long For Axis Deer: Hunting a Free-Ranging Texas Exotic\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/06\\\/10AxisMine-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-06-03T01:54:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-04T00:57:24+00:00\",\"description\":\"Going Long For Axis Deer: Hunting a Free-Ranging Texas Exotic - Brian McCombie\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/06\\\/10AxisMine-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/06\\\/10AxisMine-1.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":798,\"caption\":\"Going Long For Axis Deer: Hunting a Free-Ranging Texas Exotic\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Going Long For Axis Deer: Hunting a Free-Ranging Texas Exotic\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/\",\"name\":\"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\\\/Digest\",\"description\":\"Gun Reviews, Industry News, and Product Reviews for Rifles, Pistols, Revolvers, Shotguns, Optics, and Ammunition. Looking to purchase a firearm online? Look no further than GunsAmerica.com, America's premier destination for buying and selling firearms.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"GunsAmerica\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/image-3.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/image-3.png\",\"width\":286,\"height\":156,\"caption\":\"GunsAmerica\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/gunsamerica\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/gunsamerica\",\"https:\\\/\\\/instagram.com\\\/gunsamerica_official\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/GunsAmerica\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/81514622e79dc69b306fd115e015d338\",\"name\":\"Brian McCombie\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0a3013e473d956a192224bd06bf9e673c2765923baf320756b7f20e119a36e54?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0a3013e473d956a192224bd06bf9e673c2765923baf320756b7f20e119a36e54?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0a3013e473d956a192224bd06bf9e673c2765923baf320756b7f20e119a36e54?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Brian McCombie\"},\"description\":\"Brian McCombie (Writer) A full-time writer, Brian\u2019s work focuses on hunting and firearms, day and thermal optics, and other shooting gear. He\u2019s been fortunate enough to hunt much of the USA and Canada. His favorite hunt is chasing Texas hogs at night using a suppressed rifle outfitted with a thermal scope. Dream hunt: Alaskan brown bear. He\u2019s taken handgun self-defense courses and long-range rifle classes for hunters. Brian continues to dive deeply into the new technologies so much a part of today\u2019s hunting and shooting experiences. His top firearms include AR-15\u2019s and AR-10\u2019s, double-stack 1911\u2019s, and lever actions. Experience: Full-time writer since 1994 Has used thermal optics for over a decade Written hundreds of firearm reviews and hunting stories Loves the tech: night vision, thermals, suppressors, apps, etc. Favorite handgun caliber, 10MM AUTO!\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/author\\\/brian-mccombie\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Going Long For Axis Deer: Hunting a Free-Ranging Texas Exotic","description":"Going Long For Axis Deer: Hunting a Free-Ranging Texas Exotic - Brian McCombie","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Going Long For Axis Deer: Hunting a Free-Ranging Texas Exotic","og_description":"The Texas sun was just beginning to drop below the trees, when I heard the strange bellow and grunt of an Axis buck from the top of a far hill. Glassing, I caught sight of the buck\u2019s spotted coat moving between the live oak and mesquite, well over 600 yards away.","og_url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\/","og_site_name":"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\/Digest","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica","article_published_time":"2019-06-03T01:54:56+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-08-04T00:57:24+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":798,"url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/10AxisMine-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Brian McCombie","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@gunsamerica","twitter_site":"@gunsamerica","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Brian McCombie","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\/"},"author":{"name":"Brian McCombie","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#\/schema\/person\/81514622e79dc69b306fd115e015d338"},"headline":"Going Long For Axis Deer: Hunting a Free-Ranging Texas Exotic","datePublished":"2019-06-03T01:54:56+00:00","dateModified":"2024-08-04T00:57:24+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\/"},"wordCount":1989,"commentCount":2,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/10AxisMine-1.jpg","keywords":["Axis Deer","Deer Hunting","Hunt365","hunt365moresponsor1","long range","Texas"],"articleSection":["Brian McCombie","Features","Get Hunting","HUNT365","Specialty Publications"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\/","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\/","name":"Going Long For Axis Deer: Hunting a Free-Ranging Texas Exotic","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/10AxisMine-1.jpg","datePublished":"2019-06-03T01:54:56+00:00","dateModified":"2024-08-04T00:57:24+00:00","description":"Going Long For Axis Deer: Hunting a Free-Ranging Texas Exotic - Brian McCombie","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/10AxisMine-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/10AxisMine-1.jpg","width":1200,"height":798,"caption":"Going Long For Axis Deer: Hunting a Free-Ranging Texas Exotic"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-going-long-for-axis-deer-hunting-a-free-ranging-texas-exotic\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Going Long For Axis Deer: Hunting a Free-Ranging Texas Exotic"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#website","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/","name":"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\/Digest","description":"Gun Reviews, Industry News, and Product Reviews for Rifles, Pistols, Revolvers, Shotguns, Optics, and Ammunition. Looking to purchase a firearm online? Look no further than GunsAmerica.com, America's premier destination for buying and selling firearms.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#organization","name":"GunsAmerica","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-3.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-3.png","width":286,"height":156,"caption":"GunsAmerica"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica","https:\/\/x.com\/gunsamerica","https:\/\/instagram.com\/gunsamerica_official\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/GunsAmerica"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#\/schema\/person\/81514622e79dc69b306fd115e015d338","name":"Brian McCombie","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0a3013e473d956a192224bd06bf9e673c2765923baf320756b7f20e119a36e54?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0a3013e473d956a192224bd06bf9e673c2765923baf320756b7f20e119a36e54?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0a3013e473d956a192224bd06bf9e673c2765923baf320756b7f20e119a36e54?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Brian McCombie"},"description":"Brian McCombie (Writer) A full-time writer, Brian\u2019s work focuses on hunting and firearms, day and thermal optics, and other shooting gear. He\u2019s been fortunate enough to hunt much of the USA and Canada. His favorite hunt is chasing Texas hogs at night using a suppressed rifle outfitted with a thermal scope. Dream hunt: Alaskan brown bear. He\u2019s taken handgun self-defense courses and long-range rifle classes for hunters. Brian continues to dive deeply into the new technologies so much a part of today\u2019s hunting and shooting experiences. His top firearms include AR-15\u2019s and AR-10\u2019s, double-stack 1911\u2019s, and lever actions. Experience: Full-time writer since 1994 Has used thermal optics for over a decade Written hundreds of firearm reviews and hunting stories Loves the tech: night vision, thermals, suppressors, apps, etc. Favorite handgun caliber, 10MM AUTO!","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/author\/brian-mccombie\/"}]}},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/10AxisMine-1-150x100.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110697"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110697\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":185337,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110697\/revisions\/185337"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110697"},{"taxonomy":"featured","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured?post=110697"},{"taxonomy":"hunt365","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hunt365?post=110697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}