forepaw

One of the outdoor legends from my generation, I believe Jack O'Connor, once wrote something to the effect that when you get ready to squeeze the trigger on a game animal, you should not hope you can hit it in a vital spot, you should not guess that you can hit it, you should KNOW you can hit it. This takes serious, intelligent, practice. Shooting accurately from field positions, is not easy. I understand times have changed, and now we are bombarded by, and in many cases influenced by, non-stop promotions, marketing glitz, and advertising - and worst of all, Hollywood. When these people get involved, all the goodness seems to evaporate, no matter what the activity is. And we are suckers for it, along with all the new Chi-com camo clothing, accessories, optics, and electronic gizmos. One of these days, the Chinese will hand us our lunch. Good luck finding a place to hunt then, or even having anything to hunt with. forepaw

What class of cartridges match the hash marks? I see you can dial elevation also, just curious. forepaw

It's a long trip, will require an overnight stay but Boulder Rifle and Pistol Club has xc (200, 300, 600), F-class, 1k NRA, Palma (800, 900 and 1k) and silhouette out to 1,100 yds. Also 2 - 200 yd. benchrest and 1 - 200 m. benchrest ranges. Multiple courtesy bays 25 - 100 yd. www.brpc1.org/ forepaw

Those are great tires. Have them on 2 vehicles. The load range E version can be a little stiff, but I think they are as tough off road as the BFG Tri-gard radials. If you keep them rotated and balanced they should be 55k tires. forepaw

Just curious, what was the custom shop contribution? The throw lever, or the grey body? Is that a zero-lock on the windage knob? Looks like a nice scope. forepaw

That's interesting. Care to enlighten us? I have contracted with ZGF for one hunt, may do so again, but definitely want to find out what I need to beware of. Thanks. forepaw

That country looks like 19A, but your avatar says UT. Is it an AZ or UT buck? Or a NM buck? VERY nice critter, by the way, no matter where it's from. forepaw

To me the main benefit is they keep you from having to constantly clean the lenses. This is what speeds up deterioration of the delicate coating. I brush mine with a lens pen about every other use, but only clean them maybe once a year. forepaw

I have sets on 2 scopes. They are pricey but offer positive lens protection. They are machined to pretty close tolerances, the neoprene (?) O-rings seal, and they seem durable. forepaw

What aftermarket stock is that? Looks like a nice outfit. forepaw

53 grains of IMR 4320 and any good flat - base 150 gr. bullet (I don't think Barnes makes anything but boattails, but they are good). Try to stay within 0.025" of the lands. Sort brass, clean up primer pockets and flash holes. Don't over trim. Remington 9 1/2 primers have a good reputation for accuracy. forepaw

What range would that be. Doesn't look like the Gallatin or the Bridgers. Maybe the Crazy Mtns. which are quite a ways E. of Bozeman? forepaw

You graduated in 1970? Me too. What school? forepaw

The OP reports quite a bit of jump with Bergers loaded to mag. length. Possibly, he could try single loading the first round, seated out far enough to get better accuracy, then have the mag. (and a couple spares!) loaded with 168s set to mag. length, or 140 gr. seated out for minimal jump. Has anyone ever tried that? It does complicate things somewhat. With a light rifle like the T3, 450 yds. is still a respectable distance from a field position. First round hits are always best, as that light skinny barrel is going to heat up fast. Beyond that distance, it would be most helpful to have an eagle-eyed spotter, calm nerves, and a rock-solid rest. Oh, and swap out the trigger spring for one of the after market kits. The 1 1/2 - 2 lb. reduction in weight is helpful. forepaw

That is a beautiful ram - museum quality mount. 8 y.o.? forepaw

Well, depends. What do you plan to do with it? How is the bore? If you want to get it shooting as well as possible for an all around hunting rifle (one option), you could get the action smoothed up, trigger job, crown the muzzle, put on some Warne or Talley rings and bases, get a better scope, and drop it into a McMillan lightweight stock. Those are pricey however, and you may want to look at something else. If you shorten the barrel, it would become lighter and handier, but you would have more noise, more muzzle blast, maybe a little more recoil, and a slight drop in velocity. What would happen to accuracy is unknown. You could shave some wood off the existing stock, glass bed and free float, put a metal rod in the forend to make it more rigid, put on a Limbsaver pad, and a bipod, but otherwise use as is. You could buy a laminated wood or semi-inletted stock, maybe of very nice wood, and put in some time fitting and filing and sanding, and have a nice DIY custom stock. Or, you could sell and use the money for the set up you are trying to get to. Hope that helps. forepaw

Friend, that is a righteous post-'64 M 70 - push feed. Nice gun, nothing wrong with keeping it as a shooter - looks like it is set up right, w Leupold and either Leupold or Redfield rings, but may have the wrong base. There are better choices to obtain an action for a custom build, in my opinion, but others may advise differently. If the bore is in good shape, I would just enjoy shooting it, and hunting with it. If you want to tinker, consider swapping the base for a two-piece, and possibly extension front ring, which will allow you to get a bite on both rear mounting holes. forepaw

When I was living in Tucson, I looked forward to reading Bill's outdoor column with eager anticipation. He had the knack (no doubt developed through a lot of hard work and self-discipline) of writing like he knew you personally, and writing like it was an everyday conversation. He also knew, and wrote about, the Arizona that used to be - the same one Jack O'Connor was writing about when he referred to Tucson as " . . .a beautiful, interesting small city of 50,000 people. . ." This is a sad day for Arizona and the outdoor community, and I know one of personal sadness for those of us on the CWT.com Forum. Another legend of the outdoor writing world, Pat McManus passed in April. He was also a gifted and talented writer who contributed enormously not only to hunting, fishing and other outdoor pursuits, but who knew how to make people laugh, and enjoyed doing it. I never met either man, but am grateful for having been able to read their work, and benefit from their positive influence, and the knowledge and values they shared. forepaw

This post is exactly right. I only own 1 Athens, a 2013 Accomplice 34" and it is a smooth, quiet, accurate, forgiving bow. It is so smooth and easy to shoot I call it my girl bow. I sent it back to the factory when I let a guy work on it who didn't know what he was doing, and they set it up and retuned to factory specs. no charge. The company is a small Midwestern company, very easy to deal with, and customer-service oriented. They don't spend a fortune on advertising and promo hype like the big 3 or 4 (not that the big companies don't make good bows) so they are not as well known. But they also are able to offer new bows at very competitive prices, since they don't have all the marketing costs. There is supposedly a factory rep. in Wickenburg, Desert Ghost or something, but I have never visited their shop. forepaw

10-4, Stapley and Baseline. Thanks for the correction. I will check it out on my next trip. forepaw

I guess the Chandler Blvd. shop is gone permanently? I sure enjoyed it, spent many hours on the 30 yd. range over the years. I remember some helpful and talented bow tuners and shooters worked there. forepaw

Bump and lowered price. Willing to meet in Kingman if you would like to take it for a test drive. By the way, this was NOT the model year that had problems with the instrument cluster. forepaw

Bump and lowered price. Willing to meet in Kingman or Lake Havasu City if you would like to take it for a test drive. By the way, this was NOT the model year that had problems with the instrument cluster. forepaw I'm selling my 2000 Chevy Silverado 1500 LS 4x4 – 170k miles. $7,500. This is a 1-Owner truck that was special ordered from Dave Smith Motors, Kellogg, ID. It is in good condition. Off-road and towing use has been limited. 2000 Silverado LS 1500 4WD Extended Cab, 143.5” WB (78” bed interior length – army cot just fits). Vortec 5.3L 310HP SFI V8 (no oil use or leakage from engine, transmission or differentials). Average ~16 mpg; have gotten 21 mpg highway numerous times. Z71 Off road package; replaced shocks, leaf springs, and front shims (idler and pitman arms replaced at 123,640 mi.). Towing package (OEM); GVW rating 6700 lbs; Yakima crossbars and landing pads for camper shell. Axle ratio 3.42. Automatic transmission (rebuilt August, 2014); Tekonsha Prodigy trailer brake controller. Manual 4x4 floor shifter; 4x4 has been engaged every month or two to lube seals and bearings. No after-market modifications have been made to the engine. Four doors with split bench seat in the front. Dark charcoal cloth that is in good condition (no seat tears). PS, PB, AM FM CD, anti-lock brakes, power locks and windows; OEM engine block heater; new hood release cable, park. brake cable, air filter. Remote keyless entry with alarm system; seats 6. Dual-climate control system. The AC blows cold. Tinted windows; windshield replaced October, 2016. New LT245/75R16 Cooper Discoverer AT3 (E-load rated), w/warranty. 2 - full size spare tires; 1 -set of new rear chains, and new front cable chains. Includes 2 - pr. tire chains w/ crossbars for 15” wheel size (from my ’85 F-150). Pendaliner removable bedliner. New headlights, tail lights, and parking lights. 2012 Leer shell w/ factory upgrades (LED light, headliner, fold-away clothing racks, sliding rear window) Leer https://www.toyotaof...s/leer-toppers/ hand made in the USA. Full Disclosure: The tow/haul, and pass. side map light switches do not work. It needs a windshield washer reservoir. The latch for the center console (lid) sticks. This truck has exterior blemishes that come with its age. It is not pristine but it is in very good condition and has never been in an accident. I have all receipts and records for maintenance, which show this vehicle has been properly cared for. It has a clear title, and will make someone a good hunting/camping/working rig; or maybe a first-truck for a young person. I am happy to answer any questions about it. Please call or text: 702-378-9907.

My only experience was watching a friend hammer a nice bull at long range with a rifle chambered to that caliber. It is a long-range hammer, and a very neat cartridge to use or own. Some beautiful blued steel and walnut rifles can be found in that caliber. But performance-wise, it is also in the pretty generic category of .30 caliber magnums. Read "The Hunting Rifle" by Jack O'Connor - not the whole book, just the chapter on .30 cal. magnums. That will pretty much tell you the story. Then decide if you still want one. forepaw

I was wondering, what am I missing? Why would anyone want to trade a 19 for a 17. Thinking of building something for competition, or maybe installing a ported barrel and optical sight? The 19 is pretty hard to beat for all-around use, carry, and practical pistol (informal). I don't shoot 3-gun, but it should be ok for that. forepaw