{"id":5898,"date":"2022-11-01T12:23:46","date_gmt":"2022-11-01T12:23:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/?p=5898"},"modified":"2022-10-25T13:50:25","modified_gmt":"2022-10-25T13:50:25","slug":"how-to-score-a-buck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/how-to-score-a-buck\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Score A Buck"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThat\u2019s a nice buck! What\u2019s the score on that rack?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hunters of all experience levels have been asked this question, but many don\u2019t have an answer. They don\u2019t know how to score a buck.<\/p>\n

Scoring a rack may not be the most important part of deer hunting, but it can be a useful skill that makes your hunting experience more interesting.<\/p>\n

Important Terms When Scoring a Buck<\/h2>\n

To properly score a buck, you first need to understand the language. This means understanding the various terms for main components of a deer antler. This list does not cover all the antler terms, only the most important for scoring a rack.<\/p>\n

Beam or Main Beam:<\/strong> The central stem of the antler from which all other stems or points grow. If the deer is upright, the beam is the bottom foundation of the antler.<\/p>\n

Tines:<\/strong> This term refer to a growing branch of a deer antler that is at least one inch in length. It will not include the last point, which is part of the beam.<\/p>\n

Brow Tines:<\/strong> The tines closest to the skull. They are called \u201cbrow tines\u201d because they are closest to the eye brows off the face.<\/p>\n

Point:<\/strong> This term refers to any tine, as well the final point at the end of the beam. Technically, all tines are points but not all points are tines, as the final point at the end of the beam is not a tine.<\/p>\n

Drop Line:<\/strong> A point or tine that grows downward. This is considered an abnormal feature.<\/p>\n

Burr:<\/strong> Elevated rigid ring found at the base of the antler, directly next to the skull.<\/p>\n

Inside Spread:<\/strong> The furthest distance between the insides of the main beams.<\/p>\n

How to Measure a Deer Antler<\/h3>\n

Measure the \u201cInside Spread\u201d to Get Your Spread Credit<\/h4>\n

No, \u201cinside spread\u201d is not a betting term, it\u2019s the widest point inside the main beams of the antlers. This measurement is taken perpendicular to the center line of the skull. If it is shorter than the longest main beam, this measurement will be known as the \u201cspread credit\u201d in the Boone & Crockett scoring chart.<\/p>\n

Record this spread credit on your scoring sheet.<\/p>\n

Measure the Main Beam<\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll need to measure the main beam from the base of the antler to the furthest point at the end of the beam. This can be difficult, as a deer antler is obviously not a perfectly-straight part that can be measured with a plain ruler or tape measure.<\/p>\n

There are a variety of methods, but experienced deer hunters often use a wire or string. They tape the end of the string to the bottom of the antler, along the outside edge. Then they run the string along the antler, taping it to certain points to keep it in place. Once they reach the edge, they mark the string at the point of the antler. Then they simply remove the string or wire, hold it lengthwise, and measure.<\/p>\n

Do this for both antlers and record the length.<\/p>\n

Measure the Tine to Get Your \u201cG\u201d Measurements<\/h3>\n
\"Measuring

Approximate location of the G1, G2, and G3 measurements. (Image Courtesy: Bowhunting.com<\/a>)<\/p><\/div>\n

The \u201cG\u201d measurements refer to the tines of each antler. The measurement of each tine is assigned a G along with a number, starting with the tine nearest the skull. The first tine (closest to the skull) is G1, the second is G2, and so on.<\/p>\n

To get the G measurements, you\u2019ll need to place a piece of tape across the base of the tine, aligning the tape with the top edge of the main beam. Once you have the tape in place, simply measure from the top of the tape to the point of the tine.<\/p>\n

Do this for all the tines on the rack and record your scores.<\/p>\n

Note: At this point, only measure tines growing upward from the beam. Leave downward-growing tines alone for now, as they will be measured as \u201cabnormal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Measure the Circumference for Your \u201cH\u201d Score<\/h3>\n

To complete the \u201cH\u201d measurements, you\u2019ll likely need more than a typical carpenter\u2019s tape measure. In this case, you\u2019ll want a flexible tape measure used by tailors, as you\u2019ll need to wrap it around the antlers to get the circumference. Or you can wrap a string around the antler, mark the circumference, then measure the string.<\/p>\n

No matter how many tines an antler has, there will be eight total H measurements; four on each side.<\/p>\n

You will make the measurements at these points:<\/p>\n