AZAV8ER

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.

Saw the gate? Ok you saw it locked or unlocked? Yea we went three for three also. Just more fun to get further back in to Red Rock Canyon.

In 45 years of hunting S AZ at 5000 ft +/- OCT or NOV we have come across 1 rattler.

Yep thats my method. Rarely get a chance to scout so it always go remote and rugged

there was to be a meeting about that on the 7th. I have yet to call Matt to see how it went.

I have been in concat with the manager for access issues for the region. Its an ongoing topic.

Full stock rifles look GREAT. That said pretty is as pretty does. For my tastes full stock not worth potential accuracy issues. But boy are they cool if you get one that shoots.

From my experience hunting Coues deer in 35's and 36's numbers went way down when the oaks quit producing an acorn crop. This happened around early mid 90's. Around the same time we did start seeing lions, my dad hunted here from 1940 all his life and never saw a lion, my uncle hunted hard when younger and never saw a lion and when I started hunting in 72 we saw nothing to indicate lions. Then boom mid 90's we see lions and even bag a few on deer hunts.

use Ballistic APP and a Density Altitude APP

Cabelas Silent Stalk Sneaker Hunting Boots. Just got done doing up and down rocky hillsides for 5 days. The soles on these boots are the grippiest I worn in a long time. good luck.

Nice bucks way to get after it. Made the shift from 30-06 to 270 to hunt Coues decades ago, nice choice for deer.

This brings up a key part of long range shots. Dead deer walking, deer is going to die but not until it moves far enough, or into thick enough cover leaving no blood trail. If the bullet, cartridge and range combination lets you punch through both lungs but not exit far side hide, good luck.

Went out to verify two rifles for my hunt next week, shot cold bore at 500. One rifle hit Rt 1/2 MOA made adjustments and the other was dead on a 1.5 inch bullseye. Next verified at 200 yards. Now rifles are fowled in and I am confident how were they are shooting.

Delw makes great points. Kinda depends on where Mom is on the whole camping shooting thing. I can recall being very young and helping my Dad load shotgun shells. Back then I got to run paper shells over a hot iron to straighten out the wax paper cases, red Federals and I can picture the look, feel and smell clearly. We also helped stack wads and scoop and pour shot that and prime cases. Very high quality memories.

After divorce, a move another move then my last move hand loading has gone to the side. I have time for PRS shoots and do small bore silhouette. The PRS gets me on longer targets once a month and small bore silhouette gets me on off hand & trigger work once a month. In the PRS I have found Hornady American Gunner 6.5C 140 gr to be just about as accurate as the Match Ammo from Hornady (sub 1/2 MOA in a good rifle), (American Gunner 140 6.5C $150 for 200 rounds bulk). Phoenix Rod & Gun Club has 500 yd practice WED @ noon and FRI in early AM Ben Avery has 600 or 1000 yard practice I think on THURS. PRGC you need to be a member or a guest of member Ben Avery you go to 1000 yrd range and pay them a nominal fee. that or shoot steel you hang or rocks in the desert. Let me know if you have questions about any of this, hope it helps.

Using cap and ball real BP rifle I would remove cap at night and drop hammer over the nipple covered with a piece of bicycle inner tube. in the morning put a new cap on nipple. Would work for several days hunting never had an issue.

great job all the way around, scouting stalking, nice buck hands down.