azsugarbear

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

Every gun is different. But each of my rifles go several hundred rounds before I need to clean them. I do, however, pull a dry boresnake through them every fifty rounds or so.

Brass id SPF. Dies are still available.

Good glass is always a major consideration. But as some have suggested, repeatability should also be right up there. If you dial up and then dial back down because you did not take or make the shot, future shot placement may be in the toilet if your scope did not return you to your initial point of impact. There have been several great write-ups about the various scopes and the functions. Look at a couple of episodes in the Sniper101 series on youtube.com. Another great source of how scopes stack up against each other can be found on snipershide.com. Good luck in your search.

+1

In order to understand the effects that a clean barrel has on changes in velocity and point of impact, the Sniper 101 series on youtube.com is a great place to start. In a nutshell, a clean barrel has no place in any accuracy test. As you shoot a clean barrel, it will begin to build up copper and carbon. As this occurs, the velocity of the same load will steadily increase until the barrel reaches 'stabilization. The velocity hits a plateau - usually anywhere from 25 to 40 rounds into a cleaned barrel. This stabilization could continue from 250 to 400+ rounds before you will begin to see a spike in pressure. Then it is time to strip it all out and start over. Each barrel is different. Some foul quickly (think custom barrels) while others take longer. Most can go several hundred round before cleaning is required. Your mileage will vary, so go slow and record your shots. You will see your velocity curve develop as you go. Going up 0.3 grains for your incremental increases works well with the smaller calibers, but once you get up to the larger magnums using 70 to 100 grains of powder, I tend to use 0.7 to 1.0 grains of increase with each load when looking for nodes. If you are shooting long, heavy-for-caliber bullets, they may not even begin to stabilize until 300 yards down range. I have some first hand experience where my 338 shot smaller groups at 300 than it did at 200 yards. A longer distance can also open the group up more so it is easier to see the 'nodes'.