tontotom

Where did you get the upper?

I've never loaded any really long cartridges like the 300 win mag. In fact it's been a long time since I've had to reload anything. My gun is a Winchester model 70 with the claw extractor 10-15 years old I think. I bought some accubond 150 grain to try and work up a load. Imagine my surprise when I tried to find the lands and couldn't seat the bullet out far enough to get it just off the lands and still have it secured in the neck. So I think I'll just have to work with it like this and built some test loads to take to the range. When I tried to cycle them though the action to test they were way to long. What the heck? I have to seat them even deeper so they will fit the magazine. Anyone else have long freebore and short magazine? I think this might screw with accuracy. This gun has been very accurate with 150 grain factory ammo so I compared my reloads with the factory and I am quite a bit longer than factory. How deep must a 180 to 200 grain bullet sit in the case? I would think almost deeper than the neck length.

Most people have started by getting a mouth call for a birthday present or christmas and going out and blowing it. My dad gave me a circe call for christmas way too many years ago. I kicked around and had many failures before I started to gain some confidence. In the years since I've called a lot of coyotes and quite a few foxes and bobcats. Here are a few things to consider- 1- Predators primary sence is scent followed by sight and hearing. Important!! Most critters will approach from downwind using some form of cover. From my expirence 70% of all responding coyotes will approach from downwind. Hence, when you call try to watch in that direction. Foxes are somewhat different, if heavily called they can be as stealthy as a coyote but most of the time they just bounce in. Bobcats will come from wherever they happen to be and are primarily sight hunters. 2- If calling bobcats movement will tip them off quicker than anything else. I think camo is essential for cats. Coyotes and foxes, not so much. Fancy camo is way down on my priority list. 3- Sounds and making sounds can be a delima for some. I called for years with closed and open reed calls and had huge success with both. If I was just starting out I'd still go buy a couple of calls, 1 good closed reed and a couple of open reed. I like the circe (green body) calls because they are comfortable and easy to blow. I love the Tweety and Psyco Tweety open reed calls for the same reason. I also use a Critter Call Pee Wee or standard to howl. These three calls will imitate all rabbit, some coyote and some bird sounds. 4-Pick a calling location where there's a lot of sign. Coyotes and foxes crap on the roads to mark their territory. Find a lot of little crap piles around and you've found critters. I hate wide open flat country so I don't call it. Some people do with a lot of success. I really like spotty cover to thick cover with good visibility where I can see downwind. Sneak into areas to call without a lot of noise and get comfortable. I hope this helps. I've taken a lot of people out and I'm sure if you ask around there are people willing to take you out as well. One of the better websites for calling is predatormasters.com. All of the guns you list will take predators all be it with some fur damage. Your choice if you can live with big holes and flying fur.

Thanks for the reply. Maybe I'm not doing it right? I shot it today at 200 yards mostly to test the new loads and see if I was too hot. Turns out that the max load in my nosler book is fine in the gun with no signs of pressure. The group was 3" with 5 workup loads. I'll keep working on this.

Thanks guys, I did buy the gun used. It really shoots well .8" at 100 yards with factory 150 grain federals. I'm trying to find a better long range bullet than will shoot as good as possible. I measured my magazine length and it is 3.41". The overall cartridge length is 3.39". I'm working up the loads right now. I have a big supply of 4350 powder so I'm hoping this will work with the combo but only the range will tell this weekend depending on the wind and rain. I have a lot of time before next season. My expectation is to have a 600 yard MOA gun. I shot a 300 yard group just over 4" a couple of weeks ago so hopefully I can improve on that. Lark, what kind of load did you work up with you new barrel?

Try Sportsmans

What is the critter in the last few pics that looks like a wolverene?

I've had a lot of ring combos for my AR but the best and lightest one I've found for calling is Leupold shoot through 2 pc. I picked them up at walmart for less than $20. They are just the right height and give good head position.

Just wondering if anyone had been or is going hunting Aoudad? I'm thinking of trying for one in Texas or New Mexico next year (2011). A buddy of mine is headed to hunt Unit 34 this weekend. They look like a pretty neat trophy.

Another option would be a mildot. I just picked up a Nikon Monarch and am ringing out my 300 mag with it. I know the glass isn't in the nightforce league but the mildot reticle has been proven all over the world. If I could afford a 1st focal plane mildot that would be my choice. It will work on any rifle and any load, it will estimate range and is compatible with turrets if you like. Leupold, Nightforce and others make them for the military. The military Leupold is even cheaper than the Huskemaw. They do take a little work to learn but no more so that any turret or ballistic reticle. And about the work, any wet work over 400 yards should require a lot of range time to perfect. Maybe this isn't what you are looking for but there are a lot in service. I'm sure liking mine.

Hard to imagine you not getting along with the neighbors? Maybe they thought Sasquach was invading the subdivision. We still get you up here Lark.

Total Muley, tail with white and black tip.

I am trying to move my personal range from 400 to 600 yards this year. This post has been extremly helpful for me. Thanks to all that have been through the process on different horses and come up with a workable system. I didn't realize bullets had spin drift or how much things changed with elevation and temperature. Thanks for the insight. So a couple of questions if you don't mind? 1- 308nut are you shooting a 308 win? If not what caliber are you shooting? 2- How does the Huskamaw scope or others like it claim 1000 yard accuracy when they can't cover the changes encountered one even one hunt much less all the hunts one rifle would encounter? 3- What type of rangefinder do you use? Thanks for your time-

I'm not sure if this is the right place for the whole post but here goes- The boys and I have been thinking of putting in for some new units to hunt for 2010. I've only been in eastern arizona so we looked at tag numbers, border issues and draw success and came up with a plan to scout 36B, 35B and 36A if time allowed. We were going to look over the country and see what real Coues country looked like. We booked a motel in Nogales and headed out between Christmas and New Years. All I can say is wow. What great country. Miles of rolling hills, oaks and some rough stuff as well. A lot of roadless areas as well. The Border Patrol was well represented and most were really friendly. To be honest we saw a lot of illegal activity including a truck (18 wheeler) that looked like it had a load of drugs parked next to the fence. Overall I felt very safe and had a great time. We saw a few deer but didn't hike extended distances from the roads. We saw the type of country that we like to hunt and we called in 3 bobcats in 2 days as well as 1 coyote. The coyote and 2 of the cats were killed. 1st cat, medium male 2nd cat, large male I think we found what we were looking for and look forward the heading back down. Cats seemed to come best to a jackrabbit sound. We would start off with bird sounds and switch to rabbit 4-5 minutes in. 1st cat in we didn't shoot, came in to my right from behind me and saw me before I could get the gun around. Very next stand another one came in at the 9 minute mark with jays announcing it's arrival. Called a coyote in late in the day but it got shot 3 times and wasn't very photogenic. The next morning on our 1st stand here comes bobcat #2 in at the 10 minute mark.

I'm not sure what the market is but I hardly think it will be worth your time. If you find a market let me know. I've got a bunch.

I'll take it. Where are you located?

If he doesn't like the recoil on the 30/06 he will be really surprised when the 270 is just the same. How much does he want for it? Pictures?

Thanks to all, even Bill who correctly pointed out the numerous sub-species of the whitetail deer. So it looks like there are some around Cloudcroft and the Reservation (wow what a buck!!). Bill, I live in St Johns and would love to come to Greer and visit sometime. I'm always interested to learn more of things hunting. If you get tired of all the stuffy people at Molly Butlers drop me a note and we'll spend the day. Incendently it was O'Corner who's articles in Outdoor Life 1st opened my eyes to the Coues. He still lived here back then and I loved to get dad's copy and read his stuff many years ago. I didn't get my 1st glimpse of one until I was in my 20's and came across some down on the Blue.

I was in 29 the 1st November season and we really saw a lot of BP agents all over the unit. A few UA's but over all the trash and sign is less than in years past. One of our party was pulled over by the BP doing checks. Overall a great time with a lot fewer deer seen.

Interested, PM sent with more questions

Most of Arizona is extremly dry right now. In early November I hiked into a spring that always holds water. Freaking dry, just a little wet spot where the water used to be bubbling out 20 gpm in the past. We did find some deer but the 100's we used to see were down to just a handful. So how do the bucks stay high and survive? Is there surface water we don't know about or do they get enough water from the plants? How about the young deer and does? They seem to need more water. I'm sure we have some thoughts out there-

+1 for going to a bobcat seminar.

I'll start the bidding at $300 and pay Amanda the 10% to boot-

If you are serious I'd go to lower 27. We chased them with dogs all the way to the new year. Try pipe stem mountain all the way to Juan Miller. That is some serious country to turn a dog loose in, talk about committed. They were still hitting acorns and juniper berries. Of course most are asleep but there are a few goofy ones out. Is the season still open?

Cool pics and neat sighting. It really doesn't look like the wolves I've seen in 1 & 27 but it does look lean like it's living on it's own. I'm guessing feral but holding out for the expert to report back.