nw07heavy

I'm glad you're safely back at home, in good care, and on your way to recovery. I can imagine the pain and dread you suffered after the fall and break, far from help. I'm just two weeks out after a long lumber spine fusion operation and have been in excruciating pain, getting very little sleep since then, but unlike you in the wild I was always at or near care. Best wishes for a speedy recovery, and a great hunting year in 2020.

Lance is right about the lower power 3-3.5X minimum power scopes. I've been with buddies hunting thickets with a 5-6X min power scope, only to have them not be able to acquire a moving target at close range. A 3-3.5 x minimum will allow you to get on target fast at closer ranges, although many buyers today are going for the 5-6X minimum higher power scopes. Typically 1x per hundred yards max is nominally appropriate for most hunting/sniping applications.

Very nice bucks, congratulations.

Great bear! Congrats.

Just returned home from an antelope buck and doe hunt in Wyoming. Tagged out on both the buck and doe very early in the morning, on a very easy hunt. The strong snow storms with 30-60 mph winds were a real issue going up to Wyoming, and then the day of the hunt and afterwards. After bagging the antelope we had to very quickly dress them, get back to the hotel. and depart without delay. We had another strong snow storm entering NW Wyoming and winds were at 30 mph with 60 mph recorded in some areas. Some highways were closed to tall vehicles after many overturned. We didn't clear the storm until reaching Grand Junction, CO. I didn't take any photos in the field, but here are two of the buck taken at home.

PRDATR and CatfishKev, Seriously, for antelope you can't beat Wyoming. Yes, I too prefer antelope over other game, so I know what you mean. PRDATR, PM sent.

PRDATR, I hope you make WY because I've never seen a state as full of game, from deer to antelope. If you can, try to make the earliest hunt you can due to the late season storms. Best of luck to you in the draw. Next year I hope to draw another cow elk tag here in AZ.

Beautiful buck, and nice job on the hunt. Congratulations.

Nice antelope, and congratulations.

LVREHunter, PM sent

.270 Win 24" bbl, 130gr @ 3,165 fps, .375" 100yd groups. $263.00 XPR w/$100.00 3-9X scope = cheap fun hunter.

Super buck. Congratulations.

Clamp-ons have proven quite effective for me and several shooting friends. It would be great if all rifles came with brake/suppressor threading, but sadly this isn't so. Clamp on brakes are about the only option if you have a rifle with typical inadequate barrel muzzle thickness (this is a very common problem on factory rifles), because threading a typically overly thin factory barrel muzzle may likely induce structural failure, something best avoided. Another feature is that you can remove it easily, if needed. There is a lot of info on the web for suggested barrel muzzle minimum thickness, so you may want to look at this.

Great job and congratulations.

Big Browns, The very best of luck to you on your upcoming hunt. I'll be heading up to Wyoming also, but for an October rifle hunt for an antelope buck and doe.

Some of my cases, in Redding dies, would dent with just a tiny bit too much liquid lube. When I switched to a dry graphite dry lube the problem was eliminated. Just a suggestion.

KEH128, I sent you a PM.

I've got three preference points for WY antelope this year, and am thinking of an antelope buck and doe hunt. Toss up between a trespass permit hunt or fully guided hunt at this time. Had a great 2015 buck and doe hunt and anxious to get back to a great antelope state. Nice work on your antelope!

Absolutely fascinating view for those of us not native to Arizona. Quite a dichotomy for us. Thanks.

Rummaging through this year’s photos and came across this year's Europe photos. We spent bit of time in Europe this year, so here are just a few photos of the sights and towns we took in for those interested. First stop was in L’Isle-sur-la-sorgue, Fr which was a fortified town in the 12th century. It is known for it’s labyrinth of river canals, which provided mill power for industry. Gordes, Fr is a fortressed town in the Luberon Mountains, near the Rhone River in southern France. Abbey Notre-Dame de Senanque, Fr, a monastery built in the 11th century, also in the Luberon Hills near Gordes. Rousillion, Fr, once capitol of the ochre dye industry, in Provence, now a quiet hillside town. Oppede le Vieux, Fr, home to a medieval castle and the papacy in the 13th century. Once abandoned, but now making a comeback as buildings are being restored. Cochem, De, situated on the Moselle River, was first settled during the Celtic and Roman epochs. It became a town in 1332 and put up its fortifications then. Cochem is now in the Moselle River’s wine growing area, known for its white wines. It is home to Cochem Castle. This area is a famous wine growing area in Germany. It is also a much more quaint and less busy area than the Rhine. Beilstein, De, just a short distance up the Moselle River by ferry, was first settled in 800 AD. It’s castle history turned with the French forces overrunning it, and in 1794 the French Revolutionary Forces took over the region. The ruins of the castle stand on the hill top. It was destroyed during the Nine Years War by the French Army in 1689. Burg Eltz, De, near Cochem, a family dwelling begun in the 9th century as a small manor, became a formidable castle. It occupied an important place along the trade route between the Moselle Valley and the Eifle region. The castle withstood a multiyear siege, and has never fallen to invaders. Due to careful negotiations, the family was able to hold onto it throughout WW2. Rothenburg, De, in what was once separate Franconia, now Bavaria, is known for the medieval town and architecture. Foundations began around 950 AD. It is located along the Tauber River Valley. Dinklesbuhl, De, not far from Rothenburg, is another medieval fortified town founded about 1351 AD. It surrendered to the Swedish Army in 1632 but was spared. Appenzell, Switzerland (Ch), is the most conservative Swiss canton, mountainous, and is located in eastern Switzerland. Gimmelwald, Ch, is a remote Swiss village located high above the Lauterbrunnen Valley. It is a pedestrian town accessible by cable car. Oberammergau, De, is known for its woodcarving and rustic environment. It is located near King Ludwig's Neuschanstein and Linderhoff Castles. Marienplatz, Munich’s central square, contained the city’s town hall. Today it is a central visiting place for tourists. Nearby the Hofbrauhause am Platzl, built in 1589 by Bavarian Duke Maximillian and has become the most famous brew house in the world. This is not far from the Oktoberfest event grounds. Also nearby is Odeon Platz. Greenland, and a view of its ice sheet, just south of Uvtorsiutit. Appearance is similar to the ice age coverage on northern continental land masses. The only exposed land is near the oceans. The balance is covered under a solid sheet of ice, but is currently thinning. Newfoundland, near Torngat Mountains National Park, whose land mass is scoured by the tracks of glaciers now long since retreated.

Many times, when taking photos of unique places, I remembered your CWT posts and thought of what you could do with the wonderful ongoing tapestries around the world. The feeling contained in your images of nature and the 'States embody both art and natural beauty.

Very nice bull. Congratulations.

Something that may help you, if you're using a ballistics calculator of some type, is this LRAB B/C chart, which takes into consideration the rifle barrel twist rate. The chart showing tested B/Cs is from Applied Ballistics Litz, and the twist rate recommendation is from Nosler. There are a few significant B/C differences. Nosler LR AB BCs.docx Nosler LR AB Twist Recommendations.docx

Very nice work, and congratulations on a great bull.

Just got back with a nice cow elk. I had a short 150 yard head on shot. The 400 grain partition at about 2,700 fps entered in the center chest and exited the back, after penetrating about 60 inches. Internals affected with no meat loss. The elk went down so fast my partner thought I missed. It must have been dead when it hit the ground, so no tracking was needed in the dark. Sorry, no chance for photos because it was nearly dark when it was shot, and we had to hustle the dressing. We found it to be a very different dynamic for the elk due to the extreme drought this spring, followed by needing to truck water to the accessible tanks. This November elk hunt was mostly uneventful, with lots of long hikes, an absence of elk we normally would see. Just dumb luck on this one.