nw07heavy

northAZarcher, Since you definitely need the function of reduced recoil for your young shooter an effective muzzle brake will be needed. Not only will you enable confidence in the shooter but you will also reduce or eliminate impact of the scope eyepiece into the face. The most effective tested brakes will have rearward venting ports. Any brake necessitates excellent hearing protection, as do non-braked high power weapons if you don't want to lose hearing acuity. Check out the Terminator (NZ), Allen Painkiller, APS fat or little B*, Alamo, or Precision Armament M4-72. These are the brakes which will reduce recoil most since they apply reverse thrust, which is recoil braking (and are the most noisy) after the bullet leaves the barrel. Side venting brakes are a bit less effective in recoil reduction but will still greatly reduce recoil (and are a little bit quieter.) There are a lot of brake tests on the web, where you can get objective rather than subjective test data. I recently added a brake to my break action large caliber Encore handgun and find it far more enjoyable and easier to shoot accurately. Good luck with your kid's brake, and I hope it allows effective shooting of the .300 WSM.

Just this week a friend and I both had our cards charged for coues tags.

The only one who got seasick was a buddy (said he was seasick proof being from the Great Lakes) from Minnesota. Everyone else had a relaxing time. 12 foot swells at long intervals was no issue. No really big waves to splash us.

Here are a couple of photos of our partial rockfish (Sebastes) and lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) catch, just being cleaned while returning to the pier. The weather was perfect off Avila/Pismo Beach that day and the entire boat limited out. A side trip through Paso Robles wine country, Hearst Castle, and the Coast Highway 1 drive rounded out the great trip.

We were near 300 feet deep. Boat was the Patriot out of Avila pier (Patriot Sportfishing), 55 feet long. 12 foor seas easily handled with no drama, and we were chowing down great burritos. Great crew, and Cap't kept moving us into fish all day long. We're doing this again next year. We'd go again this year but we and our friends have too much fish, elk, and antelope at home.

On a Tuesday we had 9 out of a max of 39.

Dang, just got them posted. Sorry.

Congratulations on the super bull.

Great bucks, congratulations!

Nice spikes, and nothing wrong with that outcome! Congratulations.

Nice javelina, congratulations.

Congratulations on the nice trophy buck. That was a very dedicated hunt and well executed. Very well done!

A friend and I were also just hit that $25 tag balance.

Beautiful photos, and they very effectively convey the wonder of the 'Rockies'. Thank you.

I've had excellent results with Applied Ballistics. Trying to keep it short (sorry),here are just a few features of the app. It will give you either a 'heads-up' elevation and windage click adjustment, or a trajectory/windage chart to the target distance. With this display you can instantly click the range up or down based upon the target's movement. You can use either MOA or Mils equipment with this app. If you have a SFP (never needed with FFP scopes) scope that can be used accurately for reticle scaling at only one specific magnification level (Example of 10 power), the app can give you corrections at your other scope powers (normally unusable). You can save both weapons, sight, and different load characteristics to pick from for fast current conditions data entry. It also has a large built in bullet data library with basic info, and has actual measured B/Cs of over 200 bullets, to reduce time and work when inputting data for different loads. Depending on whether you use a traditional flat base bullet (G1 model) or modern boat-tail bullet (G7 model), you can select either of the two drag models for more accuracy. You have the choice of using or not using spin drift and coriolis effect corrections, if needed. AB also takes aerodynamic jump into account. You have the ability to enter your zero(ing) atmospheric conditions (conditions you zero'd in) and the app will make corrections if you're shooting in different atmospheric conditions, which is very helpful for those zero'd at ranges far greater than 100 yards. AB will also adjust muzzle velocity based upon field powder temperatures, so you are always basing firing solutions on actual bullet speed data (you must chrono your loads at different temps to get specific FPS/degree variances). This avoids using a one speed fits all scenario which is incorrect at any temperature except that which you chrono'd and zero'd in. You can also blue-tooth Kestrel data. Never forget field confirmation. I found AB really helps in long range shooting, is easy to use, and have it loaded in my cell phones. I carry a 'Whiz Wheel' for back up in case of power or equipment damage. Fortunately there are many good ballistics apps out there now.

It took a long time but I finally reworked my Ruger Hawkeye in 7mm Rem Mag to be a viable coues rifle. First I had to have Ruger replace a safety that allowed some trigger movement in the center position. After that Ruger needed to replace the original bolt assembly which had excessive play in it, and had an incorrectly timed ejector blade slot which often held down the ejector leading to non-ejection of cases. The second task was a trigger smoothing and lightening, Then a complete stock stripping because the factory finish (top photo) was masking the wood's nice grain and pattern covering it in a dull tan color, and refinishing with real tung oil and varnish for waterproofing. The stock hard red butt pad was removed and a Limbsaver recoil pad fitted, and weight added into the stock for a preferred balance (second and third photos). I also did a basic front and rear glass bedding job, and free floated the barrel because the rifle needed to have it's accuracy improved. The Factory stock Hawkeye 7mm Rem Mag with a very light Berger 140 VLD load at 2,978 fps was shooting poor 3 shot groups of 1-3/4" to 2-1/2" at 100 yards. This would have limited this particular rifle for hunting to just over 200 yards or so. Recoil energy for this light load is only 15.8 ft lbs (.270 Win power level) and would be great for javelina. With basic front and rear glass bedding, and full barrel floating (except the first 1-1/2" parallel barrel which was part of the glass bedding), the same 140 Berger VLD load is now shooting 3 shot groups between 11/16" to 3/4" consistently at 100 yards, a considerably improved level of accuracy. At this point I can begin to search for ammo accuracy nodes with different bullets. An aside, the new Hornady 7mm 162 grain ELD-Match bullet, at actual corrected MV of 3,029 FPS @ 75 deg F, 24" barrel, not shot in the factory stock unmodified rifle, shoots 3 shot groups of 7/16" (accuracy modes not pursued yet) in this glass bedded and free floated rifle. I have not tested and observed data of this bullet's performance in the factory stock, unmodified, rifle so no comparison can be made with this bullet.

I'm using either a scoped 15" T/C Encore in 7mm-08 or scoped 10.5" Remington XP-100 in .221 Rem. Thinking of modding the XP to 6mm AI or .280 AI, with a much longer barrel.

I'll pick up as many empty cases as possible (within reason) when I run across them in the field, especially Winchester AA low base, because I reload and it is always good to keep spares to replace those that wear. Those that are not 'keepers' are sorted through and chucked at home. Free brass wherever you find it is good to pick up since there are often shortages in the stores.

I've seen the blue grouse introduction in areas 4A and 4B and know that these will closed for a few years to allow population growth. I hear that area 31, the area around Mt Escudilla and the San Francisco Mountains have some blue populations. Have any of you had luck hunting them, or come across any in your other species hunts? I used to enjoy hunting them around the Okanogan area in Washington State and was wondering if they would be worth seeking here in AZ.

I often hang out around Hannagan Meadow but have not seen or heard blues at all the last few years. It may be a very good sign that some were spotted there. I was recently scouting the back roads to the west and saw the tremendous burn destruction all around Hannagan to Greer. I'll keep searching in the hopes of finding a population in 27, however at this point I would likely not harvest any of them due to a possible low population density after the fire. Maybe I need to look at the rim country. Thanks for all your observations and comments.

Titanium 700, Thanks. I've been hunting since high school in 1967 starting with a .338 Win Mag which I still have and use, got drafted in 1970 and fired M-16s through .50 BMGs, and have continued to hunt to this day. I just enjoy the very interesting and unique spectrum of firearms crafted by so many talented gunsmiths and artists. Why not enjoy the arms you own? I enjoy everything from muzzle loaders to .50 BMGs. Good luck to you in your hunt also.

Correct on the monoliths. The MTH CEB is a monolith, hence the little loss of meat. 308 Nut, you're right any flavor is OK. I respect all of your choices and would not insist on any specific cartridge. Best wishes to all of you on your upcoming coues hunts!

Very nicely said.

Yes, but just about no meat loss on deer. I once lost about 1/4 to 1/3 of the best meat on a deer after using my friend's 7mm Mag. I don't ever want to do that again, a shame. The .338 Lapua and .416 RUM have not ruined any meat on animals I've shot.

If I receive a left over deer tag I'll use the TRG-42 in .338 Lapua, 3.5-18X (300gr Berger @ 2,722 fps or 285gr A-max @ 2,885 fps) if hunting an area of high ridge tops but if we decide to hunt the deep brush filled valleys I'll use the Montana AVR in .416 Rem Ultra Mag, 1-5X (340gr MTH CEB @ 3,010 fps or 400gr Partition @ 2,606 fps). Still awaiting my .338 Win Mag Savage barrel and the new Hawkeye 7mm Rem Mag is not dialed in yet because of several long trips.