lancetkenyon

Rocks. And I was not hiking out to take photos.

Love the little kicker off the left of the forkie!

No way he noticeably grew in 6 days AND rubbed velvet off. It is just the head position, ear position, body position, etc. But a great buck, and a shooter in almost any unit.

That is Awesome! Congrats. One question...Got it last night and the hide is still on?

The .280AI is coming along very nicely. Started testing the 175 Elite Hunter today. But also working on the 168 HVLD. Both with H1000 & RL23. I had 5 different charge weights that were all under 1/2" (3 using H1000, and 2 using RL23 well over 3000fps), but this 3 shot group @ 2940fps over H1000 had a way of standing out....

Spoiler alert.....and a tease. I shot my bull last night in 7E. Story and pics to come when I get home. Tearful and joyful hunt. I used my father-in-law's 7RM he asked me to build and kill a bull with when he passed away last year. Sorry. Stay tuned.

I got my bull in Sept. I have 3 more bull tags to try and get filled for family members in December.

Nope. I figure if a barrel shoots under .3", the "break in" was a success.

Postimage.org...

Postimage.org it is.

As of yesterday, the members that had previously paid a small fee for an add-free and larger storage account (like myself) who were supposed to be grandfathered in until Dec. 31, 2018, just got screwed.

Great buck! Congrats.

Just like the SMK and Hybrids. Put them where they need to go and stuff dies quickly. Good thread on www.snipershide.com in the hunting section "post your SMK (or match) kills". https://forum.snipershide.com/forum/sniper%C2%92s-hide%C2%AE-forward-operating-base/sniper-s-hide-hunting-fishing/98817-post-your-smk-match-bullet-kills

Yes. Sorry. Was up on a hunt.

You must have not been in 8....maybe 7E?

WTF? It is in the freaking NAME! BOY Scouts. So can I join the Girl Scouts and eat all the thin mints for free now?

If I get some time tomorrow, I will do a complete writeup of my hunt. Even though it was over opening evening, that was a long time coming.

Man I am glad this is not a medium. I don't need a 4th Guide DCS jacket. These jackets are awesome.

22 roasts between 3-5# 20 back strap steaks 65# burger 70/30 w. Beef ribeye roast 25# red chorizo 70/30 w. Pork 12# green chorizo 70/30 w. Pork 9# green chili breakfast sausage 60/30/10 w. Pork & jalapeño bacon 9# breakfast sausage 60/30/10 w. Pork @ applewood bacon 9# breakfast hot sausage 60/30/10 w. Pork & black pepper bacon w. Red chili's 16# Italian sausage 70/30 w. Pork 40 brats 20 jalapeño/cheddar sausages

I have talked to several gunsmiths, and my barrel break-in process differs for factory rifles to custom barrels. Custom barrels from any reputable maker (Bartlein, Rock, Shilen, Brux, Kreiger, Proof, etc.) is as follows....religiously. Clean barrel prior to first round in New barrel. 1. Shoot one 2. Shoot one 3. Shoot one 4. Repeat steps 1-3. I usually clean after my first range trip. Then not again until groups start to open up. Form a factory new barrel, I usually do the normal break-in process. 1. Shoot one, clean ×5. 2. Shoot 3, clean x3 3. Shoot 10, clean x1 4. Shoot until groups start to open up.

I have been thinking about this subject and the OP's 1st post. Here are a couple questions for you. 1. If the deer only went 5 yards, how can you even question the bullet performance? 2. Unless you recovered the bullet and all pieces, how can you tell what the bullet did internally? A small exit hole could be just a small portion of the bullet or a fragment. I have only recovered 2 bullets from game, ever. a 175 SMK on an elk @ 160 yards, and a 215 Hybrid on an elk at 432 yards. Both were just under the offside hide. Both elk never took a single step. .308" 175 SMK 215 Hybrid I do not think that would have left much of an exit hole.

I can add a 662 yard elk kill with a 7mm 180 Hybrid. Exit was about $.25 size, but bull only went 50 yards.

Almost every rifle I shoot is now loaded with Bergers with the exception of various Barnes loads for when I hunt the Kaibab. Always been great killers. In 7-08, I would look for something in the 140-168 weight range for elk. Might as well shoot the same thing for deer if they shoot well. I now try to shoot the same load for everything, makes sense to shoot the same thing as you can practice in varying conditions and not worry about grabbing the wrong ammo. We usually shoot in the crease behind the front shoulder for a double lung shot. I have only shot for high front shoulder on 2 animals, but they both dropped on the spot. A 6.5mm 127 LRX on a Muley @ 637 yards, and a .308 215 Hybrid on a bull elk @ 437 yards. It is a very viable shooting solution that usually anchors them where they stand/fall. Broken shoulders/spines, and still hit lungs. Over many years, my family members have shot deer & elk with: .224" 69 SMK (12AW youth doe) .257" 100 SMK, 115 HVLD (several deer and javalina) 6.5mm 130 HVLD, 140 HVLD, 140 Hybrids, 142 SMK (several deer) .277" 140 HVLD, 150 HVLD (several deer and elk) 7mm 140 HVLD, 168 HVLD, 180 Hybrid (a few deer and elk) .308" 168 HVLD, 168 SMK, 175 SMK, 190 HVLD, 210 HVLD, 210 SMK, 215 Hybrids (a few deer and a lot of elk) Shots have ranged from 18 to 662 yards on big game. All performed fantastic. I think the 7-08 is plenty for closer range elk out to 400-500 and medium range deer out to 700. The .243 would not be my choice for elk, only as a last resort with a good, broadside shot opportunity. I know many elk have been taken with a .243, just not my preference. Should be enough for deer out to 500 with proper bullet choice. A 95 HVLD would be a good candidate for an all-around load.

If 600 is your max range, 10x is plenty. Also, there is nothing you won't be able to see with clearer glass @ 10x than slightly less clear @ 15x. Features, reliability, reticle, weight and appearance would be my determining factors. And you know I am an optics snob. For the price range, there are not many others I would consider other than the 2 you picked. I think Leupold will look the best on the rifle if you want to keep it kind of classic looking. But the NF is a great scope too.

217, 212, 429 roads for the 12AW side.