lancetkenyon

Energy and pointing of a GSP and retrieves like a lab? Good dog right there.

Post of the day!!!! Awesome. So happy for you guys. I bet she was happy to see you too!

The .280AI weighs 8lbs 15oz all in. Recoil, even with pushing a 175 @ 2974fps is light. The Hawkins brake works very well. Once I take it and stretch it out, I would believe I will be able to spot my own distant hits. It is significantly lighter recoiling than my 10# .260Rem pushing a 140 HVLD @ 2850fps. I would think similar to a hot .22-250 round or a lazy .243Win. The 6.5 SS has quite the bark to it, a very sharp crack, not the deep boom of a big bore. But the bite is like a well trained retriever with a soft mouth holding a Gambel's Quail for your inspection and praise. Easily see my own hits on target immediately following the shot, even pushing a 150 @ 3150+. More than my .223, but not by a ton.

Was looking for a very specific part, only made by one company, looked up the manufacturer online and their price was $130+tax, coating, & shipping. Remembering TruArms was a dealer, called him up, saved significant cash, had the manufacturer Cerakote it, and had the part in hand in 5 days.

Thanks to TruArms again. Got me a good deal on an Athlon Ares BTR 4.5-27x50 for "Project Long Range Loaner".

This thread has sat in limbo for too long. I pretty much finished load development just in time for late elk season in a couple weeks. It will probably tag along, but might not get carried in the field. A back up to my back up to my back up to everyone else's elk rifles. Also taking my .300RUM, 7RM, and .280AI. I have 2 "good enough" loads. I might have time to squeak in seating depth testing still, but not positive. As is sits, I did swap an Athlon Ares BTR 4.5-27x50 onto it. For the price, these are decent scopes. I have not tried a tracking test on it yet, but sighting it in at 200 showed the tracking fit the bill. Glass is pretty good, ergonomics are fine. Reticle is a good one, but just a touch thick for my tastes. It will be great for a hunting rifle, but it covers up some of those 1/4" dots at 200 yards. I have 2 loads that are both pretty good, just need to see how many bullets I have left out of each box to see what I load up. I think I have 64 pieces of brass, so might have enough left with either bullet. 178 ELD-X @ 2961 into .7" @ 100, 1.3" @ 200 190 Berger HVLD @ 2938 into .8" @ 100, 1.4" @ 200. I am glad I don't have to shoot it. That thing kicks like a mule. I think the rifle weighs about 8-8.5#, and no brake. But I am not dumping more money into it.

I forgot to take photos of the targets. But the 6.5 SS is shooting the 150 SMKs pretty well. I tried 6 different charge weights. All were under .6" 3 shot @ 100 yards. 3 were under .3". And two of those were the top charge weights that didn't show any signs of pressure. Average velocities were: 3070, 3080, 3091, 3131, 3154, 3157fps. And the two hot groups were really consistent in speeds with a very small sampling, but variations of only 4 fps in those two groups. At 200 yards, I shot a total of 12 rounds out of my .280AI to verify speeds for my ballistics before late elk season. Just need to go verify drops. Average speed for the 175 Berger Elite Hunter is 2974.4fps, with an ES of 13 & SD of 4.3. 4 different 3 shot groups. Groups sizes were .701", .498", .404", .425". 6 hours at the range, 66 rounds fired between 4 rifles.

You can go lighter but you get to compromise. I've got a 700 that is 7 lb 8 oz field ready. I use an NSX compact 2.5-10x42 that is probably about 8 oz lighter. I also have a 20 in number 1 Barrel. Lightweight was my priority when I built it. At 8 lb 11 oz and shooting groups like pictured above that rifle is one sweet package. And I just got done telling myself I wasn't going to build another rifle...... My .280AI was built to MY "lightweight" specs. 8lbs 15oz all in. Plenty light to carry, but still has enough mass to shoot well fairly easily. I could have gone lighter, but I was not really interested in a featherweight. I put some heavy bullets downrange at a high rate of speed, and recoil isn't bad with the Hawkins muzzle brake. I personally think 8-9# is a perfect carry weight hunting rifle.

http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/76267-new-semi-lightweight-build/?hl=ridgeline

I think I have some. How many do you want?

That sucks! I hope you get him back. Beautiful dog.

Why aren't you still up there looking, calling, whistling??? I lost a GSP in 12AE in 2012. Took almost 8 hours, but that smart dog went back to where the truck had been parked, and stayed put while I drove around looking and calling for him. Once I got back within a quarter mile of that parking spot and stopped tonwhistle again.....he came running. I was crying when I heard his tags jingling as he ran up the road. He has never wandered off again in the last 5 years.

When it is MY tag, I don't mind hunting solo for a week. Nice to get back to camp, make dinner, read a book, fall asleep early. Get up at 3:00am and do it again. Hunt as hard as you like. No one their to complain. Want to take a nap midday? Do it. Multiple hunters? Nice for some company if they are like minded. Miserable if they are not But I also really enjoy helping on family hunts when I don't have the tag. I think some of my family doesn't necessarily like it when I am there however. I push them pretty hard at times. Taylor is usually game for just about anything as long as she can sleep in the truck when moving place to place or heading out/back to camp.

I was running 57.0gr RL26 in my fire forming loads in 6.5 SS behind a 142 SMK and getting 3155fps. Same load is getting me 3120fps with a 150 SMK. Deer magic!

I agree with Stomp. RL26 is gaining a lot of momentum being used in the 6.5CM, .260, etc. to push a heavier bullet as fast as possible. I would think about the 140+ if you are planning on trying RL26. Unless your twist rebate is slower than a 1:8", give that .260 all the horsepower it is capable of handling. Www.snipershide.com in the reloading section Www.longrangehunting.com

I just picked up a 2018 w. 18 miles on it for work.....

Shot a total of 1 shot from my .280AI to check my cold bore at distance w. The 175 Berger Elite Hunter.... Yeah...that will do. I also got my 150 SMKs in the mail and threw a couple together. 142 SMK vs 150 SMK Seated to lands Plenty of case space CBTO @ lands COAL @ lands (still fits in my Wyatt's extended box too) Unsure where to start with RL26, I went a grain below my fire forming loads Ladder test loaded up (bottom left 20 pcs are last of the fire forming loads) 150 SMK (top row) meplat seem to be a bit more open than the 142 SMK (below) I got pressure at #7, 59.0gr & 3209fps These things are so flat shooting, hardly any vertical dispersion until I hit #7 Where I got pressure. I think I am going to work around the 2/3/4 (56.5/57.0/57.5) range. A 6.5mm 150 @ 3120 w. a .713 BC will be heck on deer hides.

The Precision line are definitely higher quality. They are made by Seekins and Vortex puts their name on them.

I do: Ladder test @ 400 for an accuracy and flat spot in velocity node Charge weight testing @ 100-200 in that range of preferred node Seating depth testing @ 100-200 Long range verification @ 500 to 900+ that recipe is going to maintain the accuracy I want Go kill something

Congrats on all accounts! Great buck and a great catch.

Yes, VLDs are very often seating depth sensitive. But just like any other bullet, you usually won't just have your first load be your best load. You need to do a full load work up with them. I have had them shoot great from jammed tight to the lands to .120" jump in various rifles. For me, most shoot best at .0500-.0600" jump. Like others have suggested, start with a ladder test to find an accuracy node, then charge weight testing to tighten it up, and finally seating depth testing to bring it in even more. I have rarely (maybe never?) seen a rifle that does not like Berger bullets after load development is complete. I use them in almost every rifle I own. If you have any questions about load development, let us know. Tons and tons of knowledgeable reloaders and shooters on here.

I have one of these w. SKMR reticle. I love it. It is my "go-to" scope for load development. It Has been on probably 20 or more different rifles, always messing with the turrets, and it AlWAYS returns to perfect zero when it goes back home stop my 6.5 SLR. Mine probably has well over 4000 rounds fired under it from .223 to .338 Edge and probably half are with big magnums and heavy bullets pushed hard. Reticle is the best I have ever seen for precision work, and amazing as a hunting reticle. Tracks perfect Illumination is daytime bright Parallax is dead on and easy to use Clicks are audible and tactile Clarity is AWESOME Color is great Some people talk about some chromatic aberration but I don't notice it in mine Great, easy eye box to get behind Eye relief is a little tighter than some, but even a .338 Edge didn't catch me in the eyebrow If you have the cash, you will not be disappointed in this scope. If you want to look through one before buying, let me know.

Post this on www.snipershide.com and I bet it would go quickly.

1st step: Put a known good scope on the .30-06 and try again @ 200. I have shot behind a Midas, Ares and Cronus. Only issue I had was the Midas did not return to zero and was sent back. Replaced with a brand new one, no more issues.