recurveman

Well that is cool. Probably a young male. I would expect a female to have kittens with her. Get a tag and try to make it happen. They typically don't travel long distances all at once but can have a bigger range. When I target lions I like to know that a lion is in the area before I start calling. You have a prime candidate there.

I run a 22 degree Katabatic quilt and a thermorest pad. It will get me down to an honest 22 degrees too. I've slept in the 20's a few times and been fine. I like a quilt over a mummy bag because of the restriction. Frequently I'll put my puffy jacket on and might have an arm hanging out of the quilt. Not a big deal but I can't take a mummy bag. Typically the quilts are a bit lighter too. As you know everything with down comes with the associated price tag. I custom ordered mine in a wide so it had a few more inches or material.......maybe because I have a few more inches around my middle section.....

So I get why you would want a zero lock and locking turret as "must haves". Why is illumination a "must have"? I am also more of a hunter than shooter and I've never had an illuminated scope and just wondering the advantage that it plays. Thanks,

I'm not against any brand scope. Just looking for a really awesome top end scope. I've shot NF before and I think it could be argued that NF is considered the top scope by many of the competitors on the shooting line. Very reliable and great glass. I do have to say that I shot the bench rest model and didn't think the glass quality was as good as others I've looked through since.

WOW!!! Well thanks for giving me about 10 hours of research to do this weekend. Lots of glass there that I didn't know existed. Very interesting. Do you think the bigger 36MM tube gets you brighter images? Does it work better in low light? Can you get the custom turrets for any of these if you just want to dial up the yardage and go bang in a known setting? Do you feel that 15 power is enough for 1000 yards? I know the quality of the glass can make a huge difference so I'm just curious. I'm a fan of magnification but at some point (about 25 power) it becomes really hard to keep steady in field conditions.

I've had both FFP and SFP scopes. Probably would want a FFP scope. I'm an MOA guy. Probably wouldn't shoot more than 1000 yards unless I'm going to screw around and get crazy but that would be rare and probably only for fun. Most of my shooting is in the 300-800 yard range when I develop loads and practice. Got a BAT machine 6.5 X 284 with a 22" brux barrel pushing a 143 grain ELD - X at 2910 and I would call it an honest .25 gun with days better than that. In the last year the gun has killed CWT deer at 450, 625, 813 and 964 yards. I'm not really looking to spend 5K but I do want the best available scope that fits my needs. I expect to pay in the $2500-4000 range for a great scope. I think another important part is I want a very low starting magnification. Right now I'm at 6X24 and there are times where I wish I had a 3X scope for up close or low light conditions.

I'm thinking BEAST, Atacr, swaro Z8 type of scopes but I really don't know where to even start. Really looking for the best. I'm more of a one rifle guy and want it to be awesome.

under 5,000.00

Adjustable turrets come with pluses and minuses. If you just plan on having a 600 yard hunting gun then really look at a scope that has a BDC yardage markers in the scope. Much quicker and easier to use in the field. Trying to adjust your scope for the yardage as a critter is moving can be a PITA. A BDC will get most hunters out to 500-600 yards pretty easy and a ton faster and easier. If you are going to shoot past 600 yards then you will want to have a turret and really need to reload (and have a chronograph) to get your speeds down pat.

Not really a "wildcat" round anymore. Once you can buy factory ammo for a cartridge it looses the wildcat classification in my book. Lots of brass for it too. I shoot the Nosler brass and it does really good. This cartridge is basically has the capacity of a 30-06 but shoots a higher BC bullet than the 30 calibers for the same weight. Think of it as a much faster 6.5 creedmore. My 6.5 X 284 drives tacks with a 143 grain Hornady ELD-X bullet going 2910 FPS.

Looking to buy a new Honda pioneer 1000-5 in the next week. Where is the best place to buy it. I think the place in Rye is good for Polaris but I do t think they carry Honda. If I could save sales tax that would be $1500-2000 in savings. thanks.

I put my Honda through some paces last weekend and it did awesome!!!!!!! Went through some really challenging country and it handled it like a pro. Super happy so far.

I don't think temperature affects the POI very much in most hunting applications. I normally use 45 degrees as my middle of the road temperature and that will do just fine until you start hitting 800+ yards. If you are going to shoot past 800 yards then you really need to start learning your dope and most hunters aren't going to shoot that much to actually learn how the environment affects the POI. Now I think choosing a powder can have an impact on your velocity with temp changes which will change the POI by enough to matter. I would make sure to use a powder that isn't temp sensitive. I literally only use the Hodgdon extreme powders for that reason. Though I've heard good things about the RL powders too.

Think of it like this for most practical hunting applications. You are just putting a piece of lead down range. The only difference is the weight of the piece of lead and speed. The cartridge the piece of lead comes from doesn't really matter. The difference in the energy one piece of lead creates over a difference piece of lead is very minimal between all the cartridges you are talking about. Now if you want to shoot 1000 yard competitions then there can be a difference. For shooting critters 700 yards and under you are just trying to drive yourself crazy........trust me I'm already crazy from debating this with myself. If you would like to join us we have a 12 step program that you can join. We have plenty of coffee and will discuss our issues.....

typically the bolt guns are more accurate. Does it matter under 300 yards. NO. It might matter at 500 yards depending on the size of the target. I grew up in Michigan where I always shot a semi auto because you needed to be fast with any follow up shots if needed. In the past 30 years out west I can't think of a time where I wished I had a repeater over a bolt gun. About the only time I can think of a repeater being a better option than a bold gun is if you don't really need a rest and you need to make quick shots. If the shot is a bit further then the time to operate the bolt isn't very long compared to the time it takes to set up a second shot and get a good rest again. Also most of the time the first shot is the one that counts (or doesn't). Make the first shot count!!!!!!! If you only shoot one shot then it doesn't matter if the gun was a bolt or repeater. If you are looking for a really great gun I would look at the tikka T3's in stainless. Get a 30-06 and practice a bit. You will be able to shoot anything in the lower 48 with that gun. I have this gun in a .308 and it shoots great.

6.5 PRC or the 6.5 x 300 weatherby. I think the PRC will be more accurate (both will be plenty accurate for hunting purposes) but the weatherby will be a bit faster.....do you really need more speed...sure why not. If you love the 257 just stick another barrel on that gun and go kill more stuff.

Bought one at Western Honda. If you think the used one for sale on CWT is a good deal then the one I just bought from Western Honda is a GREAT deal. I ended up with a new 2018 Honda Pioneer 1000-5 limited edition. Since I was at Ride Now I had them shoot me a price on the same unit. The were almost 3K higher than Western Honda for the same exact unit. I think WH is getting a great deal directly from Honda and just crushing Ride Now. Picking it up Tuesday and then time to make some mods to the machine!!!!!!!

At ride now right now. Not super impressed but I could show my wife all the different types

So there is some money to be saved. I wonder what the difference is in quality and weight. I guess depending on how or where you hunt the weight might not be a big deal. Assuming quality should be there regardless. I have heard good things about Kowa spotters but have never compared them directly with anything else.

What is the cost of the double spotters? Weight? I think I paid $4200 for my BTX 65's and they are pretty light. I would think a pair of spotters and bracket (ect) would cost a good chunk of change.

The little vortex razor isn't worth it. Had one and honestly it was good out to about 800-1000 yards on a cloudy day. When you got up to 33X it was very, very grainy. Sold it and wouldn't recommend that glass to anyone.

Have you looked through the BTX line? They are pretty good. Not sure if they are better or worse because I have never compared them side by side but the BTX are really nice to have.

I don't think there is a wrong answer. If you are really trying to cut weight you will need to use a steel barrel. They are going to be lighter. If you are looking for a bigger contour that is stiffer then carbon is your answer. Carbon also probably looks cooler too. I guess you have to draw the line somewhere unless money is no object. If there is a budget involved I think there is money that can be spent that will bring more accuracy to the table than a carbon barrel.

I haven't shot or owned a proof barrel. I'm sure that they are great. With that said......for practical hunting applications I don't see how a proof barrel is going to do any better than a steel barrel. For one or two shots I don't see why a steel barrel won't do just fine. I shoot a #3 contour steel barrel and it will shoot such tight groups it is stupid. Even if I shoot a 10 shot string out at 1000 yards it will hold a very tight group and doesn't wonder. I'm sure the proof will shoot just as good. The weight difference can go either way depending on contour and length. The carbon barrels aren't always the lightest barrels. If you are comparing the same diameter barrels then the carbon barrel will be lighter. I'm also a fan of a shorter barrel. My barrel is 22" and I get really good velocity and a shorter barrel will be stiffer too and easier to handle in the woods. If you think a carbon barrel looks super cool then have at it. I don't think carbon barrels are a "must have" if you want a very accurate hunting rifle.

changes in velocity can be caused by a TON of variables. New barrels get faster for 50-75 shots. If the load is compressed it opens up even more variables and they get extreme really fast. cleaning the barrel during the session. It has been my experience that if the only thing I do to my load is make it longer then I will be a bit slower. Not a ton but a few feet per second. The more I put the bullet into the case the more velocity I get. Normally I don't care about the cause an effect that much. I just want to make sure that the load is super accurate and that I'm not showing a bunch of pressure. Honestly I follow velocity more for accuracy that anything else. Once I find a certain speed for a bullet out of my barrel I want to make sure that I stay right at that same speed to get great results.