AZAV8ER

Well I did not figure where but thanks for sharing how. Looks like helping with the water tanks, troughs and miles of pipe is a big area that help would be appreciated.

Nice brag. Where and how?

15 years ago we had a local ranching family, who were great about letting hunters cross their place, sell to someone from back east. First thing a lock went on the property. No problem found new places to hunt from in the vicinity. Never tried to talk to them because we had workarounds. Since had reports not such a nice individual. Last year found another gate locked just before you accessed FS land. Individual ended up in a spat with FED's and State and out of frustration anger closed access. It was a big surprise, walked up to ranch house and talked to his wife and found she and I had a lot in common professionally and mutual friends. He was not in the mood to grant access. Again had familiarity with the area from pond jumping for ducks and found a new camp to base out of. Called them again this year and maybe could have gotten access but our comings and goings back into the CNF was to complicated. Went to scout the new spot in October and bam smack into a new locked gate. The road that was cut off ran about 1/4 mile along the west edge of a smaller isolated block of private ground then back on FS ground. The ranch manager told state that gate was left open and had to do extra work to regather the cattle. State and USFS offered to put in a free cattle guard, offer was turned down. This last absentee owner is beyond rich from out of state and cut off public use of a dirt road that ran along the edge off isolated empty 100acre pasture for only a short distance before back on FS land.

Just upgraded binocs for this years hunt. Got the Meopta 12X binocs almost as nice as Swaros at near 1/3 the price. Was very happy with them, picked out a beaded doe at 300+ just because i saw what looked like "rabbit ears", took a little extra time then she twitched her ears. Just enough better than my older 10X Zeiss to make it worthwhile. Still not sure what I am missing by not buying Swaros, but still have the $1,700.00 that that upgrade would have cost .I am ok to be called out on the Swaro difference but would always rather use binocs than scope and I don't feel the need to carry both.

GlockMiester Bell/2500Eish $25 if I recall rightly

Assuming MOD70? Did it still have steel butplate?

In the case I first heard it "the uniform don't make the man" hence the "paraphrasing" qualifier.

Retired Navy Pilot and Army Sniper son, we good with 6.5C. I will paraphrase my Marine DI, GYSGT Brown USMC. "the cartridge don't make the man the man makes the cartridge".

jdown with such refined spot and stalk skills why the 300WMag? Is that so you don't have to gut they?

Nov 13th in S AZ, mid 20's that morning. Yep bore was not overly warm at 10:00 AM when my son spotted a small buck at 450yds. He got set up with trigger sticks and I called his dial up for next shot opportunity at a 350yd opening in the trees. I told him "take the shot if you get one". I am on my new Meopta 12X (nice glass, great glass for the $) and the buck is just about through the opening and BOOM in my right ear(good ear). I was on it and watched as the doe came out of trees a little lower down and the buck trailing her was not doing well from what I could tell watching glimpses of him through the trees. For maybe a minute or so no sign of the buck then I see him pile up just above where I last saw his doe friend. My son had not shot that rifle before and had done limited shooting in last two years since Army discharge. We did get him to a PRS match in SEPT. Shot was dead on, took the buck mid ribs angled through lungs liver and out paunch on off side. 270 WIN 145 gr through and though at 350. Not that far of a shot but far enough that having me spot the shot and watch what the buck did next was a big help. Cover was thick enough that without eyes on through the whole event it would have presented challenges for a solo shooter to keep track of the buck in that terrain.

I am looking for a pre 64 MOD 70 for a donor action. If you have a MOD with messed up stock/barrel but nice action would like to buy.

bump

How old are these binocs?

I have a very light rifle, its a Rem 700 in a kevlar stock with a skinny 270win barrel and tally rings mounting a very compact/light Swarovski Z3 3-9X36. its been a good rifle and I think its bagged more coues for me than any other rig I have used. Several thoughts from my experience, this rifle is a hair to light, the scope is great because this rig is not workable for more than 400yds (see to light), its so light that shots get away from you if you don't get down on the gun just right. You don't need or could benefit from to big an optic so balance light rifle to optics that optimize its capabilities. So I am saying don't discount the Bergara out of hand because its not the lightest. I am open to what others who hunt with light rifles think and what they have experienced?

Consider Bergara Premier Mountain Rifle. It comes in 280 AI has a flawless smooth action and a TriggerTech trigger. Plus other features. I have been shooting a Bergara Premier HMR Pro and its is a tack driver, shoots factory ammo .3, nice bolt feel and great trigger. I don't need another hunting rifle but tempted just to get the Premier Mountain just for the pleasure of shooting one.

The 100 yard zero is less variable at different density altitudes than say a 200 or 300 zero. Thus a 100 yrd zero introduces less initial error if your are shooting at a density altitude way different than zero DA. Easy short answer, 100 yard zero is a better - more reliable baseline even in different conditions.

The difference between 1400 ft DA and 7000 ft DA for a 270 WIN HORNADY Precision Hunter 145 gr at 600 yds is .75 MOA which equals 4.5 inches. Less critical on Elk more critical on Coues or Pronghorn.

You are correct, under varying conditions the air density your bullet has to plow through can be thicker or thinner. In aviation we call it Density Altitude. I use DensityAltitude+ on my I phone then plug the DA into my StreloPro or whatever ballistic app you use. So my solution was what my son and I did for our hunt, get DA from DA app then put that DA into app plot out 250,300,350,400 MOA corrections and put on quick reference card. When time to shoot I ranged with my Leupold TBR and told my son his dial up. Worked great. Zeroing at 100 yards at the location of shoot or hunt helps. Having a 100 yrd zero at the Phoenix range then going up in altitude is better than a 200 yard zero at low alt then going someplace higher to hunt, that 200 yard zero compounds the error.

I just got of the phone with Matt Walton at AZFGD, he handles access issues. It sounds like it will be almost 2 years before USFS can put in road to get around this land owner. Anyone interested in this access get ahold of me and we can add our names to others to keep this at the top of the list for the Forest to fix. i understand Quail Forever folks are also strong on this access back.

Ok thanks

Yes there are a couple trails/paths you could use. Kind of gave up backpack hunting for my 54th Bday.

We got Californicated. A really rich guy from Cali bought the Vaca Ranch and had his manager lock the gate.

it got locked this summer and when we scouted mid OCT was when we found out about it

To close to civilization was liking to get further back in. Camping off Harshaw Rd ok for 5th wheel & side by side hunters. Was wanting to get into rough rugged country north of the valley, like we have for last 40 years.