forepaw

Curious as to experience/feedback with Big O Tire "Bigfoot AT". They advertise buy 3 get one free. That doesn't mean the tires are good for all-purpose or off road, but possibly ok for light duty. forepaw

Those horns are so smooth you almost can't see the growth rings. That would indicate the ruts the ram has lived through may not have been particularly stressful, at least that is my understanding of the very distinctive growth rings found on mature NV and AZ deserts. forepaw

Very nice job. That is not only a neat family heirloom, it is a proven design, and one with a lot of character. One thing you might want to consider is, those early M 721's were put together with stocks intended to be used with iron sights, so they had quite a bit of drop at the comb. A removable (strap on) or peel and stick cheek pad will allow for a more comfortable position and consistent cheek weld. I have one in .222 and it is a tack driver, very reliable and fun to shoot. I have been tempted to buy others, but . . . well you know, only so much room. forepaw

PM sent. forepaw

There are a number of pretty decent binos in that price range. I had a pair stolen out of my vehicle (with $600 Rx sunglasses), and even though they were only $300 - $400 optics, I hated to lose them, as they were pretty decent. If you wear glasses all the time, then eye relief is going to be a concern. For that reason, I like Pentax in that price range, as (to my knowledge) they have the most generous eye relief (up to 20mm) of any of the major and mid-range brands. If you wear contacts or don't wear glasses, then your choice is basically unlimited. forepaw

Very nice. I guess that would be considered an "alert" pose - not quite a sneak pose? Looks lifelike to me. forepaw

What worked well on my stock was to take off the OEM pad, fill the cavity with gunsmith-quality foam (to deaden the hollow sound), and pull a Limbsaver small/medium pad directly over the open end of the buttstock. It fits perfectly, handles recoil well, and results in a stock that is a good 1/2" shorter, without any permanent change to the existing stock (for when you want to add some length or sell it). Plus, the Limbsaver really takes the sting out of recoil in that light rifle. forepaw

Howdy Sam, I haven't seen any MR ammo for a long time, but I can recommend a reduced load that might fill your need, assuming you handload, or have a friend who can cobble some together. This would be 24 gr. of SR 4759 with your choice of 130 gr. bullet. This is a very accurate and consistent reduced load. Velocity is 2170 fps. I have used both R-P and Nosler brass, with W-W primers. Mostly, I have used Sierra bullets, both flat-base and boattail. Possibly a Sierra GK or Nosler BT would expand reliably at this velocity. I have practiced with this load to 335 yds. and it is quiet, mild, and accurate. Hope that helps. forepaw

They are known to be there, but they don't seem to stay, they move through. It is strange but occasionally elk are seen up in the NW AZ desert, in very un-elk like country. In fact, I have seen a photo (with reliable eyewitness report) of a young spike bull off the Temple Bar Road. Jeeessshhh. Talk about a lost elk. I am also aware of the 400 class bull killed in an OTC unit, and have been to that spot, but it was not the Alamo hunt. If you want to help your partner hunt the Alamo Lake hunt, it seems the best bet would be to make trips to the shoreline to look for tracks, and also check out the riparian areas along the Bill Williams River. I have no experience hunting that unit (except quail and javelina) but I have seen photos of bulls killed there (none big). Like most AZ hunting, good optics and glassing will save on tires and boots. forepaw

I wouldn't build anything. I would buy a lightweight box rifle (most likely a Tikka) and then tune it, develop a load for it, and practice with it from field positions, at the range to 600 or 700 yds., and try to gain some skill at reading the wind. Caliber would be just what LTK describes - 6.5 or 7mm in a moderate round, or something in a mag. caliber that could be loaded down to an acceptable recoil level. This varies from shooter to shooter. Standard calibers are easier to work with, and allow you to spend more time shooting, and less time screwing around doing case prep stuff. My experience is limited to '06 sized cartridges (.25-06 and .270 are favorites) but I just ordered a 6.5x55 and am looking forward to seeing what I can do with that. There are other cartridges just as good, and quite a few that are no doubt better. This is a great topic, and always generates a lot of discussion and good info. One shooter, at a 1000 yd. match, had turned in a pretty good score. He told me ". . .oh, I am just using my hunting rifle . . " I looked at his rifle, a tricked-out .280, and thought hmmm. The kind of hunting you do, and the kind that I do must be different. How far do you hike from your vehicle? Anyway, he was a good shooter, and interesting to talk to - but I doubt if he had ever hunted coues deer. forepaw

I had a 17b Nov. tag back in the mid - '90s and didn't see another hunter. Last year, the late rifle hunt (15 tags) was 100% success. That unit must get pounded. forepaw

I bought one last summer (2013 model) directly from the factory at considerable savings - Athens Archery. At the time they had 3 discontinued lefty bows. Not sure what they might have available now, but their bows and customer service are excellent. Small shop, but quality stuff. forepaw

Good discussion, thanks to all for feedback. I will start looking into VAPs and Black Eagle arrows, but at least won't feel too bad if I keep shooting Gold Tips for awhile. forepaw

Buy a carton of Nosler brass (50 ct.) from Midway or Natchez or MIdsouth and load 20 rounds with mild loads. Just prime, charge, seat the bullets and shoot. They come trimmed to length, chamfered and deburred. My T3 shoots best with a 0.060" jump, but they all have a sweet spot. If you ever use Barnes bullets, I believe the standard recommendation is to seat duplicate loads at 0.030" and 0.070" and dial it in from there. With new Nosler brass, you will still have 30 cases that need to be fired the first time to achieve best accuracy, and this can help you decide on a load. Nosler brass lasts a long time if you don't get carried away. Tikkas are excellent rifles and worthy of good ammo. forepaw

You always need to be concerned about pressure, but there is no problem loading to mag. length (up to 77 gr.) with the right load. If you go to 80 gr. and above, then you will need to single load only. Also, w/ 77 gr. you need an 8 twist barrel. A 9 might work, but best to check with other shooters. forepaw

I have a portable for sale. Are you looking for one of those, or a shop-type? forepaw

Are those claw marks on the right side of the face of your buck? Those are some great desert bucks. Thanks for posting! forepaw

Sir, You need to contact the state Industrial Commission, and federal OSHA. forepaw

I think that's good advice. Thought it was worth some caution for a new buyer since the big 3 or 4 companies tend to way out-advertise the other brands, which adds to the cost of their products. But you're right, the speed and high-performance bows are really marketed to advanced shooters, and there would be nothing wrong with a used or discontinued model bow - in fact, that might be better. It would leave money for tuning and accessories and arrows. forepaw

Also, you will need some lessons. Much better to spend a few bucks now, than trying to learn on your own, and possibly developing bad habits that you have to try to break later. Sounds like Bull Basin has a good reputation here on CWT and I am sure they would be glad to help. There are some really good forums and videos. On youtube, there is one called "Griv's Thing a Week" (Archery Learning Center). It demonstrates and gives an explanation for all kinds of form and shooting questions. www.archerytalk.com is another good forum. Like CWT it has a lot of expertise, and folks who will help you get started. forepaw

Friend, don't be too quick to buy one of the "Flagship" bows i.e. Hoyt, Matthews, PSE or Bowtech (though I am a fan of Bowtech). There are some ma and pa companies that are building great bows, and hoping to stay competitive through good customer service and excellent warranties, though you might have to accept buying a bow without shooting it first. Some examples are Athens, Obsession, Elite, Parker, Martin. Also, for a first bow, Matthews makes the MIssion product line, and Bowtech the Diamond. I believe they are both good, just fewer bells and whistles than the fully equipped bows. Both BBA or PSE could get you measured up and let you shoot a couple of demo bows. If either acts like they don't appreciate your business, there are other shops to visit! I doubt if that would happen however. Archery shops like new shooters. Mostly at this stage, try to find something that feels comfortable and doesn't try to jump out of your hand. Once you get some miles behind you, you can upgrade to something a little faster or shorter for hunting, and keep your original for a backup. forepaw

Keep in mind that what to us are now cheap scopes, may have been the standard on medium-range rifles when your dad was young. Some of the made in Japan scopes, including Tasco scopes, were actually pretty decent. Some of the small, off-brand Japanese companies turned out some fairly good optics back in the '60s and '70s. Not in the same league as alpha glass, but not bad either - and affordable. But then, few people would think of shooting an elk at 600 yds. Most of us tried to follow Jack O'Connor's advice - mount a good scope, in strong rings as low as possible on your rifle, sight it in, and leave it there. Steel tube Weavers were pretty standard, and Leupolds were the cat's pajamas. If someone had a pre-64 Model 70 with a Latigo Quick-set sling, and a Leupold scope, they were considered to be ready for anything, at least in AZ. forepaw

You might take a quick look at the article on www.24hourcampfire.com/ by John Barsness entitled "Riflescope Brightness". forepaw

PM answered. The Leupold is SPF.

Howdy CWT amigos. The following items are for sale. Made in USA North Face backpacking tent. No rips or stains. Screens and zippers are in good shape. Not ultralight (est. 8#), but works well as spike camp or backyard shelter for kids. $75.00 Cardoza Creations portable bow press. New, only used once on my Hoyt Raptor to check fit and function. Works with split limb and solid limb compound bows, right or left hand. $25.00 Leupold 20x60 non-HD spotting scope. Used primarily on rifle range. Good condition, good choice for entry-level spotter. Clear, reasonably bright, with wide field of view. Includes lens caps, sunshade, and fabric cover. $95.00 FTF in Kingman, or TYD (shipping extra) forepaw