lancetkenyon

As I have said before, I love seeing the new generation get into the sport. Congrats to both, and good luck to those still in the field or with hunts coming up. Goes to show how tough these animals really are. A 3 legged deer, with one of the three remaining broken, yet still alive and moving, is pretty freaking tenacious.

Love seeing the younger generation getting into the sport.

Infuriating. They would not pull that nonsense here in AZ. Too many gun-toting, law abiding citizens of all races here would not put up with that crap.

The "Crowned" or "Crested" saguaro. I have heard it is from either a hormonal imbalance, bacteria or virus infection, or just a genetic mutation. Whether or not that is true, they are very rare, and amazing to see. I know I have seen three as well. I need to go back to the best one I know of and photograph it with my good camera, with a great sunrise. Thanks for posting this.

That is an amazing pair of bucks. I like the fact that they are quite different in character and shape. I would not have passed either of these bucks. Beautiful mount. Your room looks too empty, you need to add more of these trophies! Congrats.

I am dying here at work. That is all.

Nothing for me or my daughter, but no big deal. We have had a great year so far in 2014, and hoping to add an elk this month. We (I) also have high hopes for antelope and elk next year, with maybe a deer tag thrown in.

Pretty much everything is spoken for, but if someone backs out, who knows.

I have not compared the 12x50s, but have compared the high end 10x42s (Meopta HD vs. Razor HD), and the 15x56s (Meopta HD vs. Kaibab HD). To MY eyes, there is no comparison. The Meoptas are far superior in both magnifications for clarity, color, and contrast. I wound up buying a pair of 10x42 AND 15x56 Meoptas this year. The Meoptas are heavier than the Vortex in the 10X by 6oz., but not the 15X (10X= Meopta-31oz. vs. Razor-24.8oz, 15X= Meopta-40.6oz vs. Kaibab-43.5oz). The 12X are a 9oz. difference, Meopta-37oz. vs. Razor-28.7oz. I think the ergonomics are great on both. Clicks are tactile on the Meopta, but I don't remember on the Razor/Kaibabs. I actually like the Vortex mounting location for use on a tripod better, as the connection point is closer to the center, rather than towards the front like the Meoptas. The other thing I like about the Razors over the Meopta is the front objective lens sits just a bit further back in the housing, possibly offering just a bit more protection in the event you drop them. 12X MSRP pricing, you save $100 on the Meoptas ($1399 Meopta vs. $1499 Razor). You can usually hit a sale for additional savings on both, so take that for what it is worth. Warranty. Both are phenomenal (Vortex & Cabela's/Meopta). I would not worry about either. I have just heard of people using the Vortex warranty a lot more than Meopta, BUT, there are a LOT more people using Vortex too. So, of course, you would hear of more usage due to sheer volume. Just run the numbers. Customer support. Here is the deal. I love the fact that Vortex supports the shooting sports so much. They are, by far, the biggest sponsors at events you will ever see. My hats off to them for the support they give the military, vets, and general population as well.

Is this "pre-math" then?

Comparing the Vipers to the Swaros is like comparing a 2WD Ford Ranger to the King Ranch Edition F250 diesel crew cab 4x4. There is no comparison between a $500 pair of Vortex and a $1700 pair of Swaros. Comparing the Razors to the Swaros is more along the lines of your comparison. $1200 to $1700. I agree the Vortex (Vipers or Razors) are a workhorse, and would serve a lot of people very well who cannot afford a higher end glass. But for those that want exceptional glass, save your pennies for another 6 months to a year and pop for the Swaros. You will be very glad you did. I have never heard of guys selling their Swaros to fund a pair of Vortex. Unless it is the older model non-HD Swaros for sale, but...the guys selling those, 90% of the time are just upgrading to the new HD Swaros.

CNN

These are back in the pack as a spare pair for elk season in two days. Bump to the top.

Bump. Great spare pair or a pair for the kids.

HuntHarder, I'll shoot or hunt with you anytime. It would be a blast. There is nothing wrong with a difference of opinions. It shows pros and cons on most subjects, and give a better all around view for a question being researched. I would rather hear both the positive and negative on a subject and decide for myself.

7W. My 12 year old daughter has a bull hunt.

December 4th I will be up hunting for elk with my daughter. Unless we kill early. If we are not back, I could possibly mail them to you when I do get back.

Great buck! Congrats to your boy. Great use of a leftover tag.

I would not say this was a battle discussion. I think it was very civil. Just differing opinions on the subject. Good luck on our hunt.

I am going to try a video log of the hunt as well, with a lot of commentary. Anyone know how to edit this stuff? I can take good photos, but I have never edited video.

Came home and spent about 4 hours finishing our packing. All camo/clothes are bagged, all optics cleaned, all batteries changed, all packs loaded with essentials, all knives sharpened or fresh blades installed, sleeping bags rolled, cooking and eating stuff boxed, and toiletries packed, truck is all checked. This is going to be a long two days until we leave!!! It is amazing how fast the stuff piles up when you pack for just about any and all weather conditions imaginable.

One last trip to the range this morning to get as much LR practice as possible. My brother made a big mistake and challenged my daughter to a shooting match. She whipped him handily. He wanted to "warm up" at close range, but we went straight to 820 yards with the .223s. He went 0 for 10 with his cold bore missing by about 10', Taylor went 7 for 10, with her cold bore missing by about 2" on an 8" gong. I think she shot around 60 shots with the .223 today. She also shot my .25-06 Ackley, and made first round hits at 820 and 1008 yards. Went 2 for 3 @ 1008, with her miss being about 2" left due to swirling winds. I think she is ready in the shooting part of the upcoming hunt. Now I just have to put her on a bull. Going over turret manipulation again. She has it down, all I do is call the drops now. Just chilling. Multiple spotters while shooting at 1008 yards My brother called this his "Top Shot" photo My brother has a pretty good sense of humor. He can also take being beaten by a 12 year old girl like a man.

.300RUM shooting 175SMK @ 3361fps. 88.2gr. RL22 over Rem. 9 1/2 Mag primer. I also have a 210SMK @ 3140fps. 87gr. RL22 over Rem 9 1/2 Mag primer. I have been working up a load for both the 210 Berger VLD and 215 Berger Hybrid, but they are not quite where I want them yet. Should have them done by the time I draw an elk tag.....with my luck, that gives me another 3 years or so. I guess 17 B.P isn't enough yet.

The loads we are taking this week for my daughter's elk hunt vary a bit. Depending on shot distance, and that the primary gun will have nothing happen to it, she will be shooting a .300RUM w. 175 SMK at 3361fps. I KNOW it is extremely accurate out to 1370 yards, as we were shooting today. We will limit out shots to absolutely no further than 850 though. Still travelling at 1835fps and retains 1300+ft/lbs at the approximate elevation and weather conditions we should be shooting in. And she can hit at that distance all day long. The backup rifle will be my .25-06 Ackley with a 115 Berger VLD hunting. I will have no problem letting her shoot to 800 with that also. Should still be going about 2015fps & retain around 1035ft/lbs. I have no fear that combo would do the trick on an elk.

I have no problem with people who disagree with me. I am just going upon my own observations and experience. Here are a couple great threads on the subject of hunting with match bullets. Beware, gory photos in these threads. http://snipershide.scout.com/forums/5538-hunt-fish/13277896-new-post-your-match-bullet-kill-thread?s=541 http://forum.snipershide.info/showthread.php?t=106997