lancetkenyon

I am done with everyone else's loads after today until my hunt is over. This was a rush job for a friend who has a hunt starting the day after mine ends. So I had to finish it yesterday, so I can load them up today. I will be scouting until my own hunt starts now. The Stiller action is really smooth. My one dislike for it is something I never would have thought of, and probably would never matter to anyone else. When you are shooting right handed, on all other rifles I have ever shot, you can see in the ejection window, even with a 1 piece base, to see a round ready to feed. The Stiller is a stiffer action, and the ejection port goes up higher on the off side. So you can't see a round being chambered from the magazine or if you drop one in. Very minor, but it bugged me. But that rifle is badass. Build quality is like my two from AxisWorks, nothing short of excellent.

Very long day of shooting yesterday. Up at 3:30, shot 60 dove. Went home, earned the birds, made a sandwich, got a haircut, then loaded up 4 rifles at hit the range in the afternoon. Great weather. I got my .300RUM verified with 6 shots. Ready for elk season. Shot two different sub-half MOA groups. Tried 2 new powders in my .280AI and found a load I am going to use for my elk hunt as a back-up rifle. Not quite as fast as I would like, but with time running short, it will do just fine until after my hunt when I can do a full workup on it. I also got the Premier Heritage Light Tactical 3-15×50 mounted and sighted in too. After the photo, 2 clicks left, 2 clicks down for a 225 yard zero. I also got to fire form about 24 rounds of 6.5 SS. These are my fire form load speeds. 4.5 grains BELOW max charge. This thing is going to be a laser!!! This is a 142 SMK @ 3109fps average for my fire form loads. I also got to shoot another AxisWorks rifle in 28 Nosler I am doing load development on.....holy crap that thing is awesome! I had the range to myself after 6:00pm too. 28 Nosler w. 195 Elite Hunter next to a .300RUM w. 230 Hybrid And I got it shooting decently...

Hopefully over the weekend, I can get some fire form and test loads shot.... .280AI, 168 HVLD, 3 different powders, up to 5 charge weights per powder. H4831SC, H1000, RL23 6.5 SS, 5 different bullets, 2 charge weights per bullet (except 15 for the 142 SMK to sight in, and only 1 charge weight for the Barnes 127 LRX). 142 SMK, 142 NABLR, 140 Hybrid, 127 LRX, 140 HVLD. 6.5 SS w. 140 Hybrid vs. .280AI w. 168 HVLD Looks like a Ford GT40 sitting next to a 1951 Mercury Lead Sled. Short, low, super fast vs. Long, slow, and heavy. But both do it with style and pure sexiness!

In will be in 7E on the weekends. Count me in for help if needed. I have 3 late tags to try and fill in there in December.

Price drop to $60. I won't go lower. I will just save it for my next build.

Still a wildcat. Based off the SAUM case. About .100" shorter than the 6.5 SAUM (GAP 4S), but with a 40° shoulder instead of 30°. Should be shooting it briefly this weekend.

Sold

SOLD again.

Back up for sale.

Unless they are in a populated area, I let them be. Even scooted them off roads and removed them from work sites. If I can safely move it, it lives. If it will not leave an area either on it's own or let me move it from where it poses a threat to people, it dies.

I just finished load development for an R700 Sendero in .264WM w. 1:9" twist. I didn't even attempt a 140+ bullet. But the 130 HVLD I worked up is a laser beam. It wasn't the fastest load I tried, but it is the most accurate. And 3195fps is still nothing to sneeze at.

Threw my Premier on it for a quick photo op. Swapped my S&B back on it tonight, but no photos of it. 10lbs 7oz all in. Can't wait to shoot it.

215 Hybrid over H1000. Elk medicine.

I used to use a cheap tree stand belt. But when you life is literally On the line, get something decent.

I had a guy come to my house last night to pick up some loads, and he asked me what died when he walked by my garbage can. I told him dove carcasses. My wife is such an understanding and patient woman, a real saint.

Heck, I get distracted by ANY game animal, big or small. Part of our nature as outdoorsmen and women. I truly enjoy the outdoors and God's creations. From a cool rock or burned out log, to flowers, cactus, clouds or a sunrise, bugs, squirrels, birds, coyotes (which I try to kill every one I see), elk, deer, etc. About the only thing I could do without is catclaw. I hate that crap.

On a side note, I got to help a new hunter out on Monday morning. After my cousin and nephew left, and Chris was cleaning up, a guy named Angel pulled up. Younger kid, early 20s probably. He stopped and talked to Chris while I was finishing up removing pest Eurasians. Chris gave him some tips on where to stand, and where to watch for birds. I watched him miss about 10 shots, and when Chris left, he started talking to me. Cool guy. I had seen him hit 1 out of about 10 shots. He told me he was new to hunting. I asked him how long he had been shooting a shotgun, and he said about 1 year. So I gave him a quick lesson on shooting, leads, follow through, where to hold, etc. Showed him on the ground and drew it in the dirt, and showed him where to point, etc. Went over the basics, how to sight, distances to shoot, what to pass on, make sure to pick up the empty hulls, etc. No one had ever explained any of that to him. So after a quick tutorial, I helped him watch for birds, told him what to pass, and what to shoot. Wouldn't you know it.....next shot...dove down! And the next, and the next. I think he went 7 for 10 those next 10 shots! He was pumped after that. Glad I got to meet him, nice kid, he was truly excited about getting into it too.

Teaser of the .280AI load development I am about to start. I finished up three rifles this weekend I was working on loads for, so I only have one more to try and slap together really quickly prior to a buddies hunt that starts Oct. 5th. But I got to shoot my .280AI on Friday morning after dove hunting. 1st impressions. Besides being a lightweight work of art, the rifle is really, REALLY well balanced with the Premier scope on it. I did swap my "go-to load development scope" Kahles K624i w. SKMR reticle for a bit more precision to try and get a load for the .280AI shooting good enough as a back-up back-up elk rifle. Since I was at the range to finish up two 7 Rem Mags loads I have been working on, I just took mine out to try it out, since my gunsmith has been badgering me about it... After shooting the 7 mags, I set up the .280AI with some loads I built for a very rough sight-in/"let's see what this thing will do" test. I had already bore sighted it at my house, but gave it a couple clicks at the range at the 100 yards I was previously shooting. I pushed the target back to 200 and hoped I would be on paper so I could see the hit. I had taped up a few fresh targets in hopes of seeing a hit for correction. So, first shot, Nosler brass, Fed GM310M, 168 HVLD over 57.0gr. RL23. BOOM! Oh wow, this rifle is a pussy cat. Even with the light weight, that brake takes off a ton of recoil. Big smile. Even better when I saw I hit paper at 200. Low and right of POA, but good enough to start. I shot 2 more of the same load.......uh-oh. Remember, this is only at 200 yards. First 3 shots from a new rifle with a new, unfired, clean barrel......DANG IT!!! Not a good sign.......for the game animals! First 3 shots at 200 yards. No load development, no testing, just point and shoot. I need to get a better photo, but you can see the group through my spotter on 70X. Sorry, phone photo. Look at the bottom of targets #4 & 5 on the top left paper. Right hole @ 3;00 is the first shot. Left two @ 9:00 & 8:00 are shots 2 & 3. About .8" or .4MOA. Charge weights of 57.5 & 58.0 were both just over 1" @ 200. Final charge weight for the day was 58.5gr. RL23 behind the 168 HVLD. Now, I did not bring my chronograph, thinking no way I would need it. I wish I had, because if these are anywhere around 2900+, I might just call it good! Top "hole" is 2 shots, then I dropped the third by about 1/4". 3 shots, at .29" @ 200. WHAT??? I am sure it was somewhat of a fluke, and I might not be able to repeat it, but dang. Talk about a confidence builder. On a much more serious note. A Public Service Announcement: I went back out on Sunday to verify my own 7RM load and zero (which is golden!) and was testing a few more charge weights in the .280AI @ 200 since the 58.5 showed not a single sign of pressure. I was at the 2nd bench from the tower at Ben Avery. The closest bench is where the range masters work on guns, perform sight ins, etc. Red flag #1: (in my opinion) I had been there a couple hours, when two guys showed up to have the BASF range masters "sight in" their rifle. Apparently, they have a hunt coming up......have....had....same difference. A tag in the wallet. Yet they can't sight in their own rifle..... They uncase a Ruger M77 tang safety in 7 Rem Mag. Same rifle/cartridge I have shot a ton. My cousin has one, my son-in-law has one, my brother has one, I used to have one. Nice enough gun. Great in the hands of someone who knows how to use it. They said, "We just bought a new scope and put on it for the hunt." I heard they had mounted it themselves. Red flag #1: Bolt was absolutely filthy. Covered in old, OLD oil that had turned to glue, years of dust accumulation. The ranger masters asked the guy how long it had been since he cleaned it. His response was "I don't know, a few years?" They got it cleaned up so it was functioning and sliding freely. Red flag #2: Good thing they decided to bore sight the rifle. The barrel was dirtier than the bolt. Years of old oil and dust had accumulated in the bore. Step #2, clean out the bore. Red flag #3: The guys asked myself, and another member here who was at the bench next to me (shooting a sweet custom .270 Win.) if we had a bore snake for a 9mm. Yes, a 9mm. Not a 7mm. The range masters had a cleaning rod, so they got some solvent and some patches and cleaned out the bore. Red flag #4: Ammo condition: The guys broke out a box of 7 Rem Mag ammo, it was Winchester I believe, that was really old, and the box looked like it had gotten wet a time or two. They opened the box, and half the ammo was green, and some were tarnished almost black....I think that box went into the trash? I hope. Box #2 looked OK, but the ammo was really old again. Tarnished, corroded lead soft points that get the white oxidation on the lead.... Now the range masters should have called it quits right there. Too many issues to this point. Anyway, they bore sighted the scope, and strapped the rifle down in a Lead Sled. Now I was shooting a 7RM pushing a hot 180 Hybrid load, with a muzzle brake. A lot of you know those obnoxious guys like me that shoot next to you, and you know the noise and muzzle blast we create, right? Another shooter I know (Charlie) was standing behind me, as I was shooting. So I wasn't paying attention to what was about to transpire 5' to my right.... The range master (a young lady who is there all the time), after bore sighting the rifle/scope, was going to perform the sight-in for the guys..... When she squeezed off that first round.....It was a yard sale. It sounded like a .50BMG round, concussion was unbelievable, shoot went flying, scope came off, bolt came out, scared the crap out of me. Luckily, I believe the ONLY injury was very minor. A cut on the range master's nose across the bridge. But holy crap was she pissed! I have seen the range masters lose their cool a couple times, but dang. She was cussing, yelling, throwing stuff, telling them to get their effing shoot out and get the eff out, etc. And the guys acted incredulous. "It is not my fault", etc. No responsibility, no apologies, no concern for the person whose life was literally in danger. I am not sure what all went wrong, but I am thinking the ammo got wet, or went bad somehow, causing massive overpressure and very dangerous conditions, the corrosion of the case/bullets caused either a "weld" or something, the bore was still way too dirty and caused the issue, the gun had something majorly wrong with it to begin with, etc. ​So please be careful people. Inspect your guns, ammo, etc. before each trip. Make sure everything is in working order and in proper condition. We ARE working with a controlled explosion and extreme pressures.

Had a good time with my cousin and nephew, and Predator. I got me a new girlfriend too. She gives big, wet, sloppy kisses if you buy her dinner. Literally, every time I dropped a dove in the pens and went to get it, she came to see me. The only cow that would let me touch her. I fed he some nice fresh Bermuda 1st thing in the morning, and she stuck around the rest of the morning. I named her "Filet". Got 8 legal birds, and 70 Eurasians. 4 boxes. If I could quit trying to drop those high flying pigeons, my percentage would go way up too.

Looks like those "match" bullets performed fantastic on game.

Went out with my cousin and 2 nephews today. I think the 4 of us were about tied with Adam yesterday. Not an exact count, and Adam has the single person high score still, but we had a blast. I had 2 whitewings and 68 Eurasians. I had 2 catches out of the air, a one handed shot, and 1 double bird for a single shell. 82 shots. Saw Hoghunter, Sherman, and one of their buds out there, and they were slaying them too. Saw Mike make a couple one-sided shots too. Here are a few of mine.

No pictures, but I am already home. Limit of legal birds,plus 22 Eurasians by 7:10. Took me about 10 shots to get my leads back on, then I slayed them. 2 boxes + 2 shells. Loading up some rifles as we speak to head to the range now.

Range bag packed. Shotguns ready. License with bird stamp in the wallet. Alarm set. Fingers crossed.

Yes, McMillan Game Scout w Edge fill.