Faster Daddy!

Nice. What are you shooting?

Went out yesterday morning at daybreak. Had a Fox come in at the one minute mark. He busted me at about 80 yds and I never did get a shot off. Kept calling and 5 minutes later this guy comes in and turns broadside (mistake) bang, flop! Second stand, nothing. Third stand I called in a white four door Chevy Duramax. It was my good buddy Pete. Had a good morning with the 204 Ruger and 39 gr Blitz Kings.

I am so ready to get out of town and do some camping. Having an elk tag is just a bonus. Headed somewhere in the northern part of the unit. Won't even be able to sleep tonight.

Which road is considered the main road?

Yeah I hear ya on the skinny barrel but I like carrying it better. The Boyd's stock is not bad to work with however it does require some work to get the fit. Definitely not a "drop in". As you know though, all the work comes in making additional room for the pillars and bedding. Put a few wraps of electrical tape around the barrel to free float and then removed no wood at the tang but a lot in between. Takes a little patience to do it right but the results are worth it. I have never been a fan of synthetic and I know a lot of people that are not fans of the laminated wood. My experience with the laminated wood is they hold their zero in all types of weather. I also have one on a 270 WSM that shoots great after the bedding. I don't have huge hands (I wear XL work gloves) so the hole is plenty large. Scott

Winchester Model 70 chambered in 300 WSM. I have custom pillar bedded the stock action and barrel in a Boyd's thumbhole stock, topped it with a Luepold VX3 6.5-20 X 50mm. Before the scope left the factory I added the M1 long range target turrets. Preliminary testing with 200 gr Nosler Accubonds is delivering 3 inch groups at 300 yards.

Looks like the wind was blowing really hard right to left. Congrats on a nice buck!!!

+1 Ace

Took me years to kill a buck like that, congratulations! My first was a 1 by 2 and weighed 60 lbs at a game and fish check station. I will never forget it tho!!!! It was a prize to remember.

Those are some great questions Coach. I have been thinking the same thing since becoming a member of this site last year. I'm sure a lot has to do with genetics and rainfall etc., etc. However, the harvest part has a lot to do with improved optics and glassing methods as well as the long range shooting craze. I can remember when long range was 200 yards and I still haven't taken anything past 250 myself. That's not to say that I'm not working on it and as an avid shooter and reloader I definitely like the concept. Love to hear what others might have to say cuz I gotta tell ya, I'm right there with ya. Where the heck are these monsters coming from?

Very impressive!!

Very nice indeed!!

That thing is huge. What a nice buck. Congratulations!

Very nice buck! You have to see it from all angles to see all the character. Congrats to both of you!

Congratulations AZBOWHNTR! The old "there's the deer", "where's your gun" story. I hate it when that happens. Anyways, it worked out for ya. Check with some of the others but I don't think sierra recommends the "match king" for hunting and thus explains your bullet exploading. I think that is why they make the "game king". The match kings are just for paper. I believe the exploading bullet would be just a devastating wound on one side of an elk or larger game. Again, congratulations on your buck!

My December 09 harvest is finally hangin'.

Those are both nice deer. I think I see some taxidermy fees in your future.

That was a unit 34B Buck. That unit is a tough unit to hunt. Access on the north is all locked up. I hunted the west side of the unit.

You can get a permit from the Pima County Parks and Rec to access the Empirita Ranch road. It is a free permit that you can aquire over the phone for the combination to the lock. I glassed up a really nice buck in there last year. It is a tough unit to hunt but don't give up. I killed a really nice buck in there last december that I just posted the mount in the "coues hunting with rifle" section. Go look at the post by Faster Daddy on my 2009 Mount. I harvested that deer on the last day of the December hunt after passing on several spikes and forks in the Empire Cienga Ranch. Scott

Ryan, The field pics were posted after the hunt in the section "Hunting Coues in Arizona". They were posted in one of the pinned topics. I can't remember if it was the "personal best" or the collection of "100 inchers". I will go back and take a look. Thanks, Scott

Thanks for all the kind words guys. I was trying to watch the NASCAR race on Sunday and all I could do was stare at that deer! Can someone please tell me who won the race? Mattewp45 - The taxidermy cudos go out to Dean Lippert, of Lippert/Doyles Taxidermy, in Tucson. I finally joined the ranks of the 100" club at 106 and change. Thanks again, Scott

That's a sweet pair of deer! Congratulations!!

Just purchased one of the Big Country Bandits. Can't wait to get our and try it!!!!!!!!! Batteries are charging for the first time now.

I just purchased the Minaska Outdoors Big Country Bandit. Scheduled to arrive on Friday the 22nd. Any tips on favorite sounds and techniques to get started for Yotes, foxes and bobcats. I live in Tucson but also spend a lot of time in the central arizona area. Thx Scott

Awesome job! That was my first view but won't be my last. Thanks for posting for the new members.