lancetkenyon

A "normal 20-25# pig"? Normal is 35-40#, with a big pig being 50#+, up to 65# or so. But that is going to be way more tender than an old boar! Like a spike buck. Better eating. Congrats on a successful hunt. And think of it this way (glass is half full). You hit a small target at 360 yards. Great shooting! Looks like the ballistic lessons are paying off. And I bet the pack out was pretty easy. Just put it in your cargo pocket!

A quick example of their customer service: About a year ago, I had been looking for H414, and over the period of a year, stopped in to look numerous times, usually not buying anything. On occasion, I would pick up bullets for various cartridges. Well, one day out of the blue, I get a phone call from Bruno's letting me know they just got some H414 in a shipment. I had never asked to be put on a wait or contact list, they just remembered me looking for it, and remembered my first name. Looked me up in the customer data base (thank goodness my first name wasn't Mike or John) and called me to let me know. I was there 30 minutes later and picked up 4# with a huge thank you.

Amazing build so far. Looking forward to future updates.

Bullet prices have always been $1-5/box LOWER than Cabelas and Sportsman's. Powder went up during the shortage, as they were buying wherever they could to keep on the shelf. Still cheaper than HazMat fees and shipping if you are semi-close. Supply and demand. But, if you don't want to shop there, fine by me. Leaves more for me to pick up when I need it.

LRX has a different shape to the ogive and the boat tail. Longer, more streamlined, going towards a VLD type shape rather than the conventional short BT. BC is higher than the TTSX as well. I shot the 175s out of my .300RUM for a while. They shot really well, at under 1/2MOA. But I never connected with any game with them. It was too long between tags for me for elk.

With a shorter than 700 SA box length, I would build something short between a .22 to 6.5mm. Like a .22-250, .22 Dasher, .223 WSSM, .22 PPC, 6x47L, 6 BR, 6 PPC, 6 Creed, 6 Dasher, .243 WSSM, .250 Ackley, .25 WSSM, 6.5 PPC, 6.5x47L, 6.5 Creed. Any of the 6.5s would need to limit the bullets to the 120-130 grain class, as the 140s would take up a lot of case capacity in the shorter action length. I really like the 6mm Dasher and 6 Creed myself. I have been considering it for a future build with a fast twist long barrel shooting the 95 to 105 Bergers.

dang mountain lions...

Starting a thread on my daughter's upcoming November elk hunt to chronicle her first elk hunt. We found out last week that she has drawn her first AZ rifle elk tag for unit 7W. She drew this tag with only two bonus points. This will be her third big game hunt, but first real "big game" hunt. She took a javelina in February of this year, and she has a turkey tag for the end of April through end of May. First off is some upgrades to the rifle she will be using on this hunt. It has been a proven game getter, but some upgrades are long overdue to bring the rifle up to standards. It has been my "loaner rifle" for friends and family for 15 years, for those learning to hunt or old timers who' vision has gone downhill and need a scope (my Dad). It has been used by three generations in my family: My father who taught me to hunt had actually never taken any big game until 10 years ago when he used this rifle on a mule deer hunt and took his first buck ever. I have used it on hunts, but have actually never taken any large game with it. My cousin has used it to take a deer and an elk, a good friend has done the same. My older daughter took her first elk at age 11 (she is now 22), a great cow at 200 yds. that went a total of two steps. The rifle: Interarms Mark X (Mauser 98) LA in .270 Win 24" 1-10" twist stock barrel with KDF muzzle brake Bell & Carlson Carbelite stock Leupold 1 pc. base Leupold rings Cabela's Alaskan Guide 4.5-14x50 scope The original loads: Barnes 150gr. XFB @ 2950fps (has taken a few elk) Sierra 130gr. Game King @ 3120fps (has taken a few deer) Berger 140gr. VLD @ 3090fps (latest load worked up as an all around and shot about .800 MOA) The new load I will be working up: Nosler 150gr. Accubond LR (.625 BC) COAL of 2.8855 Jammed .005 leaves me a lot of case space Going to try RL22 and H4831SC Winchester brass CCI BR-2 primers Hoping for 2950fps± Rifle upgrades: New Bell & Carlson Medalist stock w. full aluminum bedding block in tan web (ordered from Red Hawk Rifles on Wednesday) Used SWFA SS HD 5-20x50 scope in TPS rings (picked up from Mike @ Southwest Ammunition yesterday, thanks Mike!) If you don't know SWFA scopes, you should! Amazing glass. New Brownell's steel Picatinny rail base (ordered today) Back-up/long range rifle will be my Rem700 in .300RUM w. brake. She has shot this a couple times and can handle it for a few shots at a time. My daughter has been shooting a lot in the last year. She can go 10 for 10 on a 12" steel at 600 yds. with my AR15. She has first round hits on the 12" steel with my .25-06 Ackley at 865 yds. We will be doing a LOT of shooting in the upcoming months to get her ready, along with a lot of hiking to get in better shape. Scouting will start in a couple months once the bulls start growing horns again. I have a good buddy with a cabin about 2 miles outside of our hunting area, and he has graciously offered its use to me, along with trailer parking and hookups for my 31' 5th wheel. So weekend scouting trips will be a lot easier and more comfortable. On to some photos for the first of many posts. Hope you all enjoy the 8 month journey as much as we are going to. Hopes are high, and any mature 6x6 bull is the hope, but any decent bull will be on the hit list. A good time with family and friends, and meat in the freezer, will be the top goal. But if a giant is spotted throughout the year and makes it through the archery season...who knows. She might hold out for a few days. The .270 that has served many people well Muzzle brake makes the .270 kick like a .243 The action has been moving a bit over the years in the cheap stock Cheap scope and base removed (going to my brother for a "throw in the truck gun") Mounted the SWFA on my AR to temporarily try out tomorrow 150gr. Accubond LR vs. 140gr. Berger VLD

Sorry to hear about you got bit by that SOB. A shot of penicillin might help.

Dead on guess. Average for the load is right at 2910fps, +/- 8 fps (2902 to 2919) across a total of 20 shots, with 5 seating depths. 43.8gr H4350. COAL was 2.831", or 2.178" to ogive. Tolerances with the competition seating die had less than .001 runout on the bullet seating depth across all loaded rounds. I was really happy with the consistency of the bullets. Environmentals were 65° @ 28.11" barometric pressure.

Awesome! Way to start them young! Good job to all. Love the photo of testing the pig with the stick.

I got out to the range on Sunday to almost complete my load development. Still just a touch of tweaking, but I am almost there. I had two seating depths I liked within .0400" of each other. Going to try a few between these and see how it works out. Then load up 300 or so and start my ballistic verification work at distance. I usually sight in and zero at 200 yards, so I hit about an inch high at 100 on all of my rifles. Well, I forgot I zeroed this in at 100, so when I dialed down 3 clicks, it put me about 1/2 to 3/4" low for my first group of 3 shots. After the first shot, I kicked myself, but shot all 3 at that setting for group. Not bad. Aiming dot is .250". Group measures in the mid .2s for 3 shots. This is at .0100" off the lands. Second group, I dialed back up .2MILs, and left .1MIL. I think I will re-zero windage at this and call it good. Again, in the mid .2s. This was at .0500" jump. 2 other groups, at .0800" jump and .1200" jump were not nearly as good, about .75 MOA. Still pretty good, but nowhere near these two. This gives the Berger VLD discussion of a sweet spot of .0400" somewhere some validity.

ADL or BDL? I would think and ADL would go around $300-350 in decent shape, BDL would get you an additional $50. A new Rem 700 BDL LA action is around $450 new. When I built my .25-06 Ackley, I found a terrible shape 700 BDL in .30-06 at a pawn shop. The action was good (no rust), but it had a 20" carbine barrel that looked like somebody dropped it out of a truck on the highway, and the wood stock was hammered. I paid $250, as all I wanted was the action and bottom metal anyway.

Thanks for the clarification on the full year. Must be nice....

Casting your net of requested information pretty broadly. How about a little clarification to help narrow it down. SS or Chromo? ADL or BDL? Right or left hand? Factory barrel or custom aftermarket (and if aftermarket, what quality)? High quality or POS Wally World special? Standard sporter or heavy barrel? New or used? Bolt face or specific cartridge? LA standard or Mag? Just barreled action, or drop in ready with trigger, bottom metal, etc.? You are looking somewhere between $377 like stated above to $3500.

180 day season, anywhere in the state except a reservation I believe. But the deer is usually taken right before the archery hunt opens up.

Did you check www.grizzly.com for the barrel? You might have to get it fluted, but they have a 29" Rem varmint contour 1 in 10" twist .308 Bartlein in stock for $369.

WHICH 23N bull tag did you apply for? Early Rifle? 9-25 to 10-1? My assumption, since you are still iffy on drawing, and an archery tag would be a given with 17bps. Archery? 9-11 to 9-24? Late general? 11-27 to 12-3? This is 23, not just 23N, so probably not this hunt.

^This. I can attest to the OHV community really stepping up every year to do the annual Table Mesa/BLM cleanup. For about 7 years, I went every time. We hauled out burnt cars, usually 4-6 per cleanup, and a minimum of four 40 yards roll-off dumpsters. The efforts consisted of numerous off-road clubs, ATV clubs, the BLM supplying the dumpsters and pizza, and hundreds of volunteers. On the note about a simple effort of picking up your empties/trash....I almost got into a fist fight on Wednesday just outside of Wickenburg. I was out doing some testing for work, and granted, the site is fairly close to an area that is frequently used by recreational shooters. Wouldn't you think common sense dictates that if someone is downrange, you ensure a safe field of fire??? Two separate shooters came to the area while I was performing my work. 180° difference between the two. 1. Guy (maybe 45 years old?) shows up and parks his vehicle off the side of the road. Gets out his needed items and sees me about 100 yards up the hill. Walks up to inform me he is going to do a little bit of shooting to check on his pistol. We talk, and he tells me he will be shooting in the opposite direction from where I am working, and just wanted to let me know so I did not get freaked out when the shooting started. After he was finished, he removed his target, and all of his brass. Yelled goodbye to me and departed. Totally honorable and respectful guy. Much respect to him. 2. Guy (maybe early 20s?) shows up with his girlfriend. Parks in the middle of the road, with my truck and myself very visible down range. Proceeds to get out, with his stereo blasting, and pulls out a shotgun. Loads it up, and commences blasting away within approximately 20° of my location. I yell down to him that I am up the hill (and throw in the fact that I am there on behalf of the MCSO). Girl shoots about 10 rounds, he shoots about 10 rounds. Last few had a few pellets rattling around. I yell again, in not so nice of a tome or verbiage. They very quickly pack up as I start down the hill with a vengeance, leaving all of the empty hulls on the ground. Halfway down, they are tearing out of the desert. I yell a last time they forgot the empties, and get a one-finger salute as they beat cheeks down the road. What an asshole. I finished up my work, and was looking for them in Wickenburg as I drove through. Probably a good thing I did not see the newer model red Jeep JK 2 door with no doors and a young guy in khaki shorts and striped tank top, with his girlfriend in jeans and a black t-shirt. If you know these people, let the guy know he is a douchebag, and taught his girlfriend the absolute wrong etiquette and ethics in recreational shooting.

Just had a talk with God on this (mostly one way talk, but I know He hears me). Prayers for a healing hand laid upon this young man. Prayers for comfort for family and friends too. And prayers for the Drs. to make good calls and to give them the information they need to make Jared better.

I cannot believe this is still here. Smoking price. Which model Savage?

Ahh. Another one of the joys of the online draw. Call me old fashioned, I like hand delivered paper. At least I know it is down there. Now I just have to hope someone inputs all the info correctly on my behalf....

PM Sent.

http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/54649-winchester-model-70-30-06-post-64/

Check the Berger twist calculator for gyroscopic stability. It states (just guessing at a 3000fps MV), you are at the low end of marginal stability. At 1.14SG, probably not going to work out too well. Berger suggests the 85 VLD,90 Classic Hunter and down in bullet weight. Try it. Only your gun can tell you what it likes. If not, sell what you have left and try a different bullet. It won't hurt the gun, and time behind the rifle is never a bad thing.