lancetkenyon

Reassembled I know you all like my wallpaper... I also started some loads for a ladder test. Going to be shooting Nosler Accubond LR Winchester Brass CCI BR-2 primers H4831SC Nosler book has max load at 55.0gr. Hodgdon book shows max load at 55.7gr. Other sources of reloading data show up to 58.0gr. I started middle of the road and will work up watching for signs of pressure. My 140gr. Berger loads are 58.3gr. of H4831, and these NAB LR are loaded longer than the 140s with more case space for now. I can't wait to get the scope mounted (base is on order and should arrive this week) and start load development.

Brown Santa arrived yesterday with the new stock. Being a "drop-in stock", but knowing all the variables a Mauser 98 can have, I had about 3 hours of inletting to get everything to fit and work properly. Not a big deal, and just makes it a little more rewarding. Biggest thing was the safety assembly on my Mauser is nothing like an original. Took some Dremel work. Also has to clearance a few areas, push-button release for the floor plate, bridge in front of the trigger area for the safety bar to clear, a little bit in front of the lug area for the round receiver, etc. Clearance for the thumb safety and safety bar (in the bridge) Clearance for the push button floor plate release Paint touchup at the clearance areas Reassembled with proper clearances

First "big game hunt" as in an elk is big. Javelina was her first big game hunt but they are a relatively small species compared to deer, pronghorn, elk, etc. I will update this with some more photos later today if I get a chance. Got the gun ready to shoot, and some rounds loaded for a ladder test.

A friend and I had one for a few years. 55 gallon drum cut in half with a float, and an additional 55 gallon drum with a larger steel "funnel" for rain water above to gravity feed it from a hose. We would pack in supplemental water every so often too. It worked quite well for a while, then one weekend it was totally gone. No tire tracks into the spot, nothing. Maybe alien abduction? We had visits by deer, javelina, coyotes, fox, bobcat, and a coati that we saw. This was before trail cameras, so I am sure more visitors were using it. We floated a 1x6 in it for small birds and insects so they did not drown and foul the water source. We also had a mesh steel paint roller screen as an escape exit in case any other small animals fell in.

I think my wife might kick me in the nads just thinking about it, but I will ask. My labs passing late last year has left a hole. And my two GSPs are both crazy energetic.

Nothing for me again this year. But my 11 year old daughter drew a 7W late general bull tag! Let the fun begin! Going to spend some money on my .270Win this year to bring it up to par for her. Looking at a new stock and good glass and see how much that helps the 1-1.25 MOA rifle. My .300RUM with a brake will serve back-up and long range duty for her.

Only other thing I can add is buy the absolute best glass you can. Even a $500 pair of glass is significantly better than a $300 pair of glass. Going up from there improves so much quality it is amazing. I would buy a super cheap LRF and the best glass before buying a $250 pair of each. If you have a $500 budget, spend it all on glass and borrow a LRF from a friend. Rather than buying two mediocre pieces of glass (8 & 15 or 10 & 15), I would put it all on a good pair of 10X. Plenty of glass for most hunting, but not too much for close in stuff. Besides, even in mild weather, mirage will render a 15X bino no better than a 10X. You can see through it, but not clearly enough to pick out minute details that the extra 5X should give you. Even last week with 55° temps above Roosevelt Lake, the mirage killed viewing over 800 yds., even with good 10X binos.

I hope it is correct. My 11 year old daughter drew a late rifle bull tag in 7W!

They are up again.

I got skunked again this year. Frustrating for sure. But my 11 year old daughter drew a 7W late rifle bull tag! So I am very excited about that.

I like 10s too. I have put thousands of hours behind mine over the years. Probably already hundreds this year (2014). I have glassed game up from a single spot as close as 20 yds. to as far as almost two miles with the 10s. I could see antlers of a large mulie buck with the 10s at a mile and a half, and still see a quail at 20'. Love them. My suggestion, I am not sure the quality of your glass, but if they are only so-so, buy GOOD glass in the 10x range. You will see a ton more stuff with them over just average glass.

Yes. Deer in Mesa. Not hanging out at Fiesta Mall or anything, but deer within Mesa City limits for sure.

Been checking about 4-6 times a day for the last month....

I have seen them in Fountain Hills, Scottsdale, Cave Creek/Carefree, Sun City Grand, Peoria, Phoenix, Apache Junction, Gold Canyon, Mesa, Laveen, Buckeye, and a few other outlying towns in the Valley. They are everywhere. Once accustomed to civilization, they do not pay humanity much mind.....until archery season.

My daughter and her fiancé have the brother of Quigley. Apart, they are both fantastic dogs. Together...buttheads. I swear, they do it to piss me off. They chewed a pair of 15' tall palo verde trees to 12" stubs in about 4 hours.

Unit 7.

Been hunting in AZ for 38 years (since I was 5 shooting lizards). Only really got semi-serious about 20 years ago though. Bull elk x2 (1 rifle, 1 archery- only drawn two tags so far in AZ) Mule deer x11 (5 rifle, 6 archery) Coues x1 (rifle) Javelina x5 (3 archery, 2 rifle) Turkey x4 (all archery) Coyotes x??? A few...(all firearms, no archery...yet) I have yet to be drawn for AZ antelope. No bear yet. No lion yet. The only real chance I had was the ONE year I did not buy a tag....of course. 30 yards away for 30 minutes. Updated the tally with my 2014 year so far.

My two boys, Winchester and Quigley. GSPs. Waiting for a chew toy (hind legs) Scouting for deer Scouting for javelina Quail hunting Snoozing in the trailer on a cold deer hunt with two buddies (my black lab is no longer with us-sniff sniff) The whole family at the Grand Canyon

Thanks. Keeping my fingers crossed. But....I really would not be too disappointed if I do not get a goat tag this year. After applying, while doing some scouting for archery deer in January, I found a goat in another unit in a very strange place that I have NEVER seen another soul near. So, if I don't pull a unit 7 tag, the other unit goes to my first choice next year, and I will be keeping tabs on the big goat I found all year long. If I do draw a unit 7 tag, I will watch the boards and help anyone with a good story or youth hunt in the unit I found my goat in. I don't know how long goats live, but I would think a year or two might be all the time I have left at a chance for this goat. He is one of the coolest goats I have ever laid eyes on. Not the biggest though.

I'm @ 22 BP for this year's draw.

My oldest girl shot her elk at 11 years of age with a .270 Win with a muzzle brake. Elk went 4 yds. She shot her deer the same year with a .250 Ackley. Deer went 30 yds. My younger daughter is 11 now, and has shot the .270 Win numerous times, loves shooting the .250 Ackley, and has shot my .25-06 Ackley with no brake and no recoil issues. She also has taken one shot with my .300RUM with a brake and was surprised that it did not hurt. I made sure she was concentrating on the 865 yd target and not thinking about the recoil though. She hit my 12" steel at 865 yds with the .300RUM, the .25-06 Ackley, and the .250 Ackley with all 1st round hits. I would have no issues with her shooting that distance at a stationary animal. I guess my vote would be the round a hunter can hit the target every time at a given distance is what I would recommend. I have seen elk drop like a sack of hammers from a 100gr. .243 round at 500 yds. And others shot with a .338 that were never recovered. Placement, placement, placement. Practice, practice, practice.

Antelope=22 BP total-Unit 7 general Elk=14 BP total-Unit 9 Early Rifle I know it is too late to help the results, but want to know what my realistic chances are for a tag this year.

I do not think it was the same buck, but I glassed up a TOAD of a buck from 1.5 miles away on 1-25-14 pushing 15 does in unit 21. Not sure where Blue Rock Dam is, but if I knew, I would let you know if the buck I saw was even close.

I was under the impression that if there is evidence of an animal killed during hunting season it is not legal to pick it up. If no evidence is found, fair game. I sure hope so, because I just picked up a nice Coues skull in December that was buried under a tree and had the nose section crushed off. I would assume lion kill.

Amazing memories and amazing buck. I can't wait for my 11 year old to draw a deer tag.