300RUM

You might consider a light compact short action in 7mm-08. It could handle elk out to 300 yards. If you ever draw a Hunt in steep terrain it can be nice to have a light Mountain rifle. On other hunts it could still be a very effective backup rifle. As far as barrel length you probably only gain about 20 FPS per inch.

That is one sharp looking table.

I am sure Mr. Foxworthy would be quite impressed.

It can definitely be nice to find a well built rifle off the rack. However there is just something about building one that I really enjoy. The last 700 I bought came out of the box and completely apart without ever being shot. There was a pile of parts on the floor and action, bolt, trigger guard and action screws on my bench. A big smile was on my face and my wife was looking at me like I was insane. It is now a compact custom lightweight. The Berger VLD seems to be real touchy about how far it is seated off the lands. I load a series of rounds adjusting the COAL by 0.005 to 0.010 each set. As I fire the COAL sets I usually encounter a length that makes the bullet happy.

Welcome to the world of not having the gun 3 benches down register on your chrono. Of not losing data due to varying light conditions. Of not having to put the unit on the 25 yard line to get readings with some cartridge/powder combinations. Of not needing to take a tripod and go through all the setup just to chrono 5 rounds. Use the Gauge bar and keep the strap tight on the barrel and it should not cause you problems. In the middle of August, when the weather is real nasty, you can now go chrono some rounds at 2:00 AM if you want. A slight POI shift with the chrono attached seems a small price to pay for the advantages. You are going to zero the gun to the load without the chrono attached.

The guy next to me at the range today had a LabRadar. It was reading my rifle as well as his. He felt it was probably due to a setup error on his part as he was just getting used to the thing. He did mention it drained batteries pretty quick. The magneto speed can load the data to a micro SD card. It also has an internal memory that will hold the strings. If you do go with a Magneto Speed the one thing to pay attention to is the set-up gauge provided with the unit. Use it. If you get the gap to far off you can get erratic readings. Yes, being attached to the barrel the Magneto Speed does have some potential to cause POI or grouping issues. I have not had a big problem with it. As long as it remains secured in place there seems to be a level of consistency to the effect it has.

I have a Magneto speed and highly recommend them. I also have a CED. It is now only used for bows and pistols.

I have had two impact pullers shatter on me, so I use an RCBS collet puller exclusively. I admit that I almost never have occasion to try and pull a factory load, but when I do, I put a round in the press and run the stem of the seating die down until it contacts the nose of the bullet. Then, I remove the loaded round and run the stem down another turn or turn and a half. I then run all the cartridges to be pulled through the seating die, setting the bullet a few thousandths deeper and breaking the grip of the crimp. It also works with loads that have cold-welded the bullets to the case. The easy way to pull a factory round. I while back someone gave me about 100 rds of .308 Remington Core-lokt. I wanted the brass but had no use for the bullets or powder and was not interested in firing the ammo myself. I gave the ammo to someone who would enjoy shooting it and they gave me back once fired brass. Quick and easy.

12 190 gr bullets in a small shipping envelope mailed from Chandler to Tucson came out to $3.39 if I made all the right choices on the USPS site.

Can't you keep the .270 and say you have an-06 but the bullet went on a diet?

The brass would burst long before enough pressure built to propel the bullet with lots of force. The question is could it turn the chamber on the puller into a small fragmentation grenade? I would expect it could launch the primer with a bit of force. Safety glasses would probably be a good idea. It seems like your lucky day. It is amazing the primer failed to ignite the powder. A lottery ticket might be in order.

Last year my hunting partner signed over a tag to Hunts For Heroes due to a family medical emergency. In the process we met Tom Wagner, the coordinator for Hunts For Heroes, and let him know we would be interested in helping get disabled veterans out hunting in the future. As turkey season approached we agreed to take an Army veteran on the 4A / 4B hunt. I contacted Joe to inquire how we would need to adapt the hunt to accommodate his disability. Joe informed me he had lost his left leg below the knee but walking on a prosthetic leg he would get around fairly well. Thinking of all the stumbling around I have done in the woods over the years I was a bit skeptical. The weekend before the hunt my partner, Chris, scouted the spots we were interested in and I cleaned and loaded the trailer, got groceries, and gathered any gear we felt may be useful. Opening morning I arrived in the area where the camp was intended to be and just didn’t like it. What can I say, I’m picky. I moved about ¾ miles North and found a closed off trail off the main road by an interesting little canyon and set camp. Joe arrived early in the afternoon. We got acquainted then geared up and headed out. Deciding to tackle the canyon tomorrow we went to a tank where Chris had seen fresh tracks but only found deer and elk tracks. As we headed back to an area Chris felt may contain roost trees I was amazed that Joe was able to keep my pace. Along the way Joe spotted a heard of elk. We arrived and found a neat little canyon with a grassy bottom and many pools of water along the drainage. We climbed the ridge and checked for roost trees but were unable to locate any. Along the way back we picked a spot to sit and listen until dark. I occasionally made “turkey noises”, I don’t consider myself good enough to say I am a turkey caller. It was disappointing to not hear even one gobble. We headed back to camp in the dark. Chris was there when we arrived. Now we had a turkey caller. After grilling some burgers and sharing a bunch of laughs we got to bed. It was still dark and Chris and I were up making a plan. The little canyon I liked began to erupt with gobbling. Multiple toms, and close! Joe came out of the trailer and I helped him and Chris get geared up and moving. As I watched them head out toward all of the gobbling I felt like the dog that had to stay on the porch while the others got to go play. There was a caller and a shooter heading out, anyone else was additional motion, noise and therefore a liability. My job would be to stand on the ridge, listen, and try to pinpoint where the roost trees were in case they did not get one this morning. There were 5 toms gobbling from different directions. BOOM! I was pretty sure I was out of a job. Joe and Chris returned with Joe’s first turkey. It was not even 6:00. We had breakfast, took pictures and just sat there and enjoyed the success. I sent a text to Tom, who was over in 5A with 2 veterans and not much help, offering to come assist. With the gobbler down Chris headed back to town since he could still make a ball game his son was playing in. A text came back from Tom that help would be appreciated. I told him I was on my way. Rather than head for home Joe insisted on coming along to help, he is just that kind of guy. Chris and I were talking about what to do for deer this year and decided to call Joe and see if he would like to apply with us. The invitation was accepted. I hope we get drawn because I already know the time in camp will be a blast.

Just curious, do you carry a variety of latex glove colors for different conditions?

Oh that meat looks good. 10 pointer? How about a photo of The rack?

Hunts For Heroes really had to work to get all the tags they already had into the field. I took a veteran up to 4A last weekend and he got his bird Saturday morning. Tom, the H4H coordinator, was in 5A with 2 veterans by himself. I went over to help and my veteran, Joe, insisted on coming along. Hope you find a taker. It is always a shame to see a tag go to waste.

Just curious were they at least halfway decent? I think the pro mark x is a useless piece of junk. A trigger that got built by an accountant, lawyer and marketing guy. Nobody invited the engineer.

Be careful walking on the snow up there. Last time I did that hunt I was crossing a snow field on a ridge. I broke through the hard crust on top and sunk in well past my waist. Lots of bad words.

I was in 5B south on an elk hunt years back. I heard crow, turkey, crow, turkey, crow, turkey and it just kept going. When I tracked them down I found 2 pine trees side by side with 1 bird in each tree. They each sat in their own tree yelling back and forth. My arrival had ho effect. They kept at it as I walked away. I walked till I could no longer hear them and always wondered how long they kept at it and what it was all about.

"Factory adjustable trigger"? Did it happen to be a pro mark x ?

I have never got to try the Calvin Elite. The narrow shoe is one of the features of the jewell that I really like. When I was looking for my last trigger I thought of trying one but there was no left-handed version at the time. Just for Laughs I checked and they do have a left-handed version out now. Timney has always been pretty good about taking care of left-handers. Just what I need another excuse to spend money.

I have 3 Model 700s. One has a timney and 2 have Jewell Triggers. The jewell cost a bit more but I feel it is definitely a nicer trigger.

Years back a friend and I watches a buck get tangled in a fence. We managed to free it but it was a high stress situation for all involved. The risk of becoming hoof pudding or being impaled by antlers seemed more acceptable than the thought of walking away and leaving it. However, if we spotted that deer running free during a hunt we would gladly shoot it. It seems like quite a contradiction at times.

Have you ever seen those shotgun stocks that have a slate call embedded in them? Sounds like he could use one.

You can't fix stupid.

Don't worry, we will save some bad weather for you.