azsugarbear

Why not just go with the 170 grain VLD bullet from Berger?

I have always used play-doh to fill gaps and holes in the action and car wax for a release agent. Never had any problems and it gives me a good, tight fit..

What are the outside dimension for this safe? Model number?

Please don't misunderstand where I am coming from. I do believe in both speed and penetration. The problem is finding the balance between the two. The performance of bow & arrow varies with each animal, location of hit, direction of travel, etc. Would I always like a complete pass through? You bet! Do I also want speed for flatter trajectory and less reaction time? Sure. I can easily get both by moving up to a crossbow. I could stay with stick and bow, but I can't pull 80 pounds and I don't have a 30" draw. So I am stuck with what I got: 70 pounds and a 28.5" draw - and trying to find the best balance between speed and weight. Like any other sport, I have seen trends come and go over the years. First the pendulum swings one way, then the other. For years, speed was king. Now heavy weight is king. It is simply my opinion that both matter and that you usually end up in a trade-off. The key, for me, is to find the right balance between the two. I tend to err on the side of speed just because my personal experience has led me there. If I had lost animals due to poor penetration, I would certainly err on the side of weight (momentum). We are the sum of our own experiences.

As archers, we all love the complete pass through shots. Certainly makes the animal easier to track. I think taco is on the right track in wanting to find a good balance between weight and speed. I look at the penetration of arrows kind of the same way I do bullets. Anything that exits the animal on the offside is just wasted energy. I guess the ideal set up would be just enough penetration to get the broadhead out the offside???

Just met up with AzDiamondHeat. As it turns out, my 100 grain G5 Montecs are counterfeits! Thanks to AzDiamondHeat for being so understanding. I paid for them through PayPal, so I may have a backup if the Seller does not step up. As it turns out, there are a couple of ways to spot them. First of all, the collars on the real Montec threads is clear, the counterfeit broadheads have a "cloudy" or translucent/opaque collar on the threads (see pic in first post). Secondly, the "100" stamped into an original Montec is smaller than the counterfeit. There are a couple of other giveaways - but you can simply go on line to learn more.

Proven performance. Nothing to go wrong or break with these broadheads. I bought more than I need, so I'm putting some up for sale. All broadheads are new in package and I have three packages for sale. Each package contains three razor-sharp broadheads. Price is $25 per package. I live near Bell & Tatum and work near Thomas & Central. For those in east valley, I can meet you half way at Bass Pro Shop. If interested, text or call 602-361-7191. Items listed on other forums as well.

My personal preference would be the "lighter arrow" - which is still plenty heavy for elk. Everyone has their own opinions based on their personal experiences. Two lessons have stuck with me over the years: 1) Faster arrows get their quicker. In the event an animal jumps the string, there is less chance of a non-vital hit with a faster arrow. 2) There isn't always time to range an animal in the field. Things can happen quickly and you have to judge the distance. Faster arrows have less drop in the 10 - 50 yard range, so there is more margin for error if your estimated distance was off. Lighter arrows seem to drop more at longer distances, but I usually find I have time to range in those instances. Lots of other arguments could be made for the heavier arrow, but the two examples above is where I have been schooled.

SPF to AzDiamondHeat

Any trades you are looking for?

My load is the Berger 230 gr. OTM over 94.0 grains of RL-33. Velocity is right at 3,000 fps out of a 28" barrel. Slight pressure signs on primers but not on case head. But the load is right near the top of the pressure curve. Got a sticky bolt and flatted primer at 95 grains.

To my mind, the Nosler offerings didn't add anything new or different in terms of ballistics to the already saturated 28, 30 & 33 calibers. What they did bring is credible support. Remington introduced the RUM series (hugely popular) and then failed to support them with different types of ammo and reloading brass. Even today, Remington RUM brass costs way more than it should - and it is still scarce. I have no experience with Nosler brass, but I do know you can easily find it on the shelves. Is it worth the higher price? I can't say. It depends on how many firings you get out of each piece. I own a 300 RUM and I can only get 3 firings out of a Rem case before it begins to show signs of case head separation. I just bought some Norma 300 RUM brass - expensive, but I have hopes it will last much longer than three firings. Most of my other rifles are chambered in rounds that are supported by Lapua brass. It's expensive, but it is high quality and lasts forever. I get at least a dozen firings out of my 338 Allen Express (improved 338 Lapua). Knowing what I know now - I would choose the Nosler 30 over the 300 RUM just because of components and quality.

Lilja is a quality barrel maker. I have owned several center fire rifles with Lilja barrels. I do know that fewer lands/grooves can spell trouble for longer bullets with more bearing surface. A rare problem - so I wouldn't worry about it for your 7mm-08 project. In general, they are easier to clean than the higher-count land & groove barrels.

weekend bump - still hoping

Looking for an EDC and want to try one. The UTX-70 seems to fit the bill, but dealers want way too much for their new stuff. If you have one you aren't using anymore, send me a PM and let me know what you have (blade style, color, condition, etc) and how much you want for it.

Great story. Great history. Another Great AZ family.

I currently have a Gen II G7 BR2. It's a great unit and was/is a great leap forward. The Kilo 2400 is the closest competitor that the BR2 has. The 2400 does some things better. The BR2 has some features that the 2400 does not. Pluses and minuses for each. Your choice should come down to personal preference. I like the smaller beam divergence of the 2400, but I have found that the small, vertically held 2400 is harder to hold steady at targets a long ways off. The bigger BR2 unit seems to ride more stable in my hand. The good news is: there is no bad decision here. Some guys are selling to their BR2 units at a price point under the new 2400. maybe a deal to be had there?

In the past, I have ordered two reamers and 'no go' gauges from PTG. The first order went fine. The second order took three times longer than promised. That was before some changes in personnel. Quality Control and Customer Service have been in the toilet ever since. It was a great company - and could be again. But I will not be ordering anything else from them until they get their stuff pulled together. Three years and counting so far........

Aero site still shows they are out of nearly half the stuff they produce. Has been that way for more than two years now.

Dies are now SPF.

Up for sale is a near-new RCBS (#31301) die set in 270 WSM. The set includes a full length resizing die and a bullet seating die. $25 firm. I also have 30 pieces of new, unfired Winchester brass. $20 If interested, post here or call/text me at 602-361-7191.

They are yours. PM sent.

weekend bump

Up for sale are 50 pieces of once-fired Nosler 300 WSM brass. Comes with new MTM Case Guard ammo box. $90 If interested, post here or call/text me at 602-361-7191

weekend bump