Hoss50

Get her fixed. I love my mini. It isn't as accurate as an AR but is more reliable like an AK.

Fire form some possibly. I make all my 257 weatherby brass from 7mm Rem mag brass. I know Randalls in phx typically has Remington 300 weatherby brass in stock for sale by the piece. Harley

My 7x57 mauser has iron sight adjustments to 2000 meters so I should be able to get out that far no problem on 8" steel gongs right...

I work in Tolleson, I see you live in Litchfield. If you want to meet for lunch or something and talk truck and take a look at what I am running and let me show you some pointers I would be more than happy to. I love to talk Cummins if you have not figured that out already.

Do you have gauges? If not you need that BEFORE anything else. Then get an air filter setup. I would do a BHAF with outerwears personally on your truck, cheap and effective. You need to know what your EGT's are if you are towing with any mods especially a chip or injectors. More fuel means higher EGT's. Towing above 1350* for a consistent stretch is dangerous for your motor and if you tow at too high of an EGT you could LITERALLY melt your pistons. You also need to know your lift pump fuel pressure. A VP44 which is the injector pump for your motor won't live long if the lift pump pressures are to low or if the lift pump dies. If that happens the injector pump itself is over $1000 just for the part to replace. Does your chip have a boost fooler? What is your boost pressure? Without gauges you won't know. If you are running on the high side of 40psi of boost you are risking blowing a head gasket. Another very labor intensive fix that is easier to prevent than cause. If your towing with more power and extra power you should look into at least valvebody mods and billet torque converter to help keep the transmission alive along with a trans temp gauge to monitor the temperature. If your lift pump is dead or dying you should look into a better upgraded lift pump like a FASS. Your fuel pressure gauge will help you monitor the lift pump. If the lift pump dies the VP44 is soon to follow. If you upgrade your fuel pump make sure to upgrade to a 2 micron filter setup to get good clean fuel to the motor. I have the Edge CTS monitor in my 2005 ram along with an analog gauge for fuel pressure and really like it. I have a stick shift otherwise I would have added a trans temp gauge too, either digital in the CTS or analog. Either works. I had 2 analog gauges in my 98.5, fuel pressure and EGT. I didn't need boost because my SMARTY box wouldn't push enough power to drive boost past about 33psi even with the wastegate bypassed. Once you have gauges and an air filter setup go tow whatever you tow. If your EGT's are not too high then think about a different chip or injectors. Too much fuel IS a BAD thing. I did 60hp injectors in my 2005 cummins and I towed with it last weekend. Even with the programmer turned to stock I still had to back out of the throttle because I could drive my EGT's over 1400* which is bad news. I need to modify my exhaust and see if I can lower EGT's enough that way. If I just went balls to the wall without gauges I probably would have really hurt my truck pulling up the Camp Verde grade at 1400-1500* EGT. Harley

What do you have so far along with supporting mods, and how much power do you want? Do you tow?

Do you have a programmer yet? If not start with a Smarty and if you feel froggy stack it with a tst. If you tow and have not upgraded the exhaust and transmission/clutch start there. If you don't have mods yet start here. If you have not done everything before I listed injectors you probably don't need injectors yet unless there is something wrong with them. Gauges (egt and lift pump pressure minimum, boost, trans temp if you have an auto) Exhaust Bhaf air filter Lift pump and 2 micron fuel filter Programmer Trans/clutch upgrades Stack programmers and or turbo Injectors and or turbo Harley

6.5-06 ackley is what I plan to build someday. Maybe 264 win mag if I use an existing rifle that is chambered for a mag bolt face. If I get real froggy I might do a 6.5 weatherby when I shoot my 257 weatherbys barrel out which should probably happen in the next couple years. All of these would be throated for 140gr bergers.

I loved my 98.5 24v and wish I would have kept it as well as getting my 2005. I should have used it for my beater truck. It was a great truck. Hindsight 20/20.

I did it for myself because I had my buddies help. I would prob do it again if I had too but I wouldnt chance messing up someone elses truck. If you need a shop to do it I can recommend a couple good ones. Are the injectors bad, and has that been verified?

google this. cumminsforum 24v injector replacement On their website the valve lash adjustment article is in the tech article section under 98.5-02 tech articles.

also adjust your valve lash while you are in there. that will help out a fair amount too. Cumminsforum has come info on replacing injectors and valve lash, but I can't copy and paste them for some reason. They say injectors are a 3/10 job on replacement. Be very careful with the injector tubes and torqueing them and correctly installing the brackets that hold them. Those little brackets are very important. They help keep the injector fuel supply tubes stable. If you don't use them or don't put them back on right you can run the risk of the tubes vibrating and cracking. I believe the #4 tube is also known to crack on its own so search that and possibly replace that tube anyway when you are in there.

search cumminsforum.com They have a great write up on the 3rd gen injectors and I bet they probably have one for the 2nd gen too. I did injectors in my 2005 cummins. It isn't terribly hard if you are mechanically inclined but I was fortunate enough to have my diesel mechanic buddy help me out. The main thing is don't cut corners, keep everything CLEAN, and torque specs are important. I think injectors on the 2nd gen trucks are easier then 3rd gen. I know they are cheaper. Harley

Awesome

I have not changed scopes yet. I couldn't bring myself to pull off the Redfield Revolution I have been shoot for awhile because it was dialed in and I had an elk hunt in December that I was going to use the rifle for. I will still probably change to the Vortex just to try it, but I REALLY like the Redfield I have and the reticle in it so I am torn. Just an FYI, as trphyhntr said though the 257 is a laser. I shot my cow elk at what I thought was about 180 yards. It was actually about 260-280. I have the rifle sighted for +/- 225 yards and both shots hit her basically exactly where I aimed and hoped. The first shot hit her as well as you could possibly hope for behind the shoulder and she ran about 25 yards and looked back at me. I hit her again quartering away and hit her right behind the shoulder again and the bullet lodged in the opposite side front shoulder. Now that the hunt is over though I am probably going to get the Vortex with my upcoming bonus check and give it a shot.

Out of curiosity, what bullet weight, caliber, and range were you shooting at? Harley

I like the SST's. I have shot them pretty well in my 257 weatherby, and I just started working with them in my 6.5x55. They shoot well in both rifles. As long as I can get the SST to provide a good load it will be my go to bullet for that rifle. If not I may play with the Berger VLDs and see if it will shoot those well.

No dice on getting tagged out. Thank you for the help though everyone. They turned into ghosts after the first 2 days of the season. We hunted hard so we have no regrets. We still went 2/4 on getting tags filled so it was still a great trip.

I am in 7e right now on the late cow hunt. Myself and another group member tagged out on Friday evening but we have 1 more guy we need to get tagged out. We are not having much luck getting back on the elk. Any thoughts? We are in the northern part of the unit. Harley

Tikka or Weatherby vanguard. I love my vanguard and even with a bipod it isn't very heavy. My hunting buddy has a Tikka and it shoots really well too. I have been sub .5 MOA with my vanguard and handloads. Harley

I'll be on a hill with my buddy trying to get him tagged out so I will watch for it. Harley

It shows wildcat is in 7W. I am on the other side of the 180. Thanks though. Harley

Please let me know if you have any thoughts. We are running out of days and I really want to try and get my buddy tagged out on his first big game animal. Any help is appreciated.

My cow elk went down last night. 257 weatherby mag shooting 115gr Berger VLDs. About 150 yard shot I am guessing. First round was good double lung. She ran about 40 yards and turned back to look and I stuck another one in quartering away. She went a couple feet and dropped. The 2nd round I imagine was logged in the far. Side front leg. Another guy in my group stuck 1 last night too. 165gr Bergers out of a 300 win mag at 350 yards. 1 shot she went about 60 yards and piled up behind a bush. None of the 3 rounds exited and he said the blood trail on his was non existent. Mine didn't need 1 as I saw he hit the ground. Harley

I already have a 6.5x55 sporterized mauser that I upgraded the scope on it and started load development on a month ago that will probably be his first rifle. I also have a savage 99 in 243 that I can outfit him with. The 99 is one the rifles I have that needs a serious scope upgrade though. It has a sweet 3x9x32 Bushnell sport view on it now from about 1979. I do have a 9 month old though that will need a deer rifle in about 9.25 years so I have a little extra time on the 99. The cool part is the mauser will be his grandfathers rifle he will shoot and the 99 is for the younger son will be his grandmothers rifle. They can't have my 257 weatherby til i'm dead or i upgrade.