Coach

Those "rubber doughnuts", aka "X-Ring" can do a world of good. It takes some experimenting on where to place them on the barrel. The problem is, they are designed to mellow out the "barrel whip" and stabilize the harmonics of the barrel. So, when you need one, it really means your barrel is having a hard time handling the pressure your load is producing. I've seen this most often with fluted barrels. Seems people like a very light countoured barrel, or even fluted to save some weight. If you look at what long range hunters, snipers, even rimfire shooters do, they opt for a heavier barrel. Even shooting .22 rimfire, a 1" bull barrel is the norm. So why do we see 5/8 inch fluted barrels on large magnum rifles? Because they sell. They don't perform - they appeal to a certain market segment. I had a Weatherby Super Big Game Master in .300 Wby that had a fluted barrel, muzzle break all the tweaks and had a heck of a time making it group. Even used the "doughnut", which I still have if anyone wants it. I bought a savage 114 Classic with a medium countour barrel, and it shoots sub MOA regardless of what I feed it. So a $1400 gun took a ton of work to make it acceptible, and a 500 gun outshot it out of the box. The difference - the medium countour barrel on the Savage out-performed the fluted barrel on the Weatherby.

You're off the hook, Casey.

Bump for a really nice AR.

With all due respect, and you obviously know your stuff - When I reload - it is for one thing and one thing only. That is accuracy. I know every rifle has a sweet spot, when the perfect balance between burn rate, meets the harmonics of the barrel - and everything from primer to brass to powder and bullet weight all come into play. I have to disagree that 4350 is "way too slow". While I agree it's not a super fast burning powder, it is very stable and provides consistency. From what I've seen, consistency and accuracy go hand in hand. Based on 20 years of reloading, I would bet you would be hard pressed to find a single powder that is more consistently accurate from the 25-06/270 Win platform up through the .300 Magnums than IMR 4350. I've never seen 4350 flatten primers at medium loads, or produce barrel whip at higher loads like I have in the other powders I've tried. Again, not trying to be argumentative, I just don't think you can discount IMR 4350 in just about any finicky rifle without trying it out.

Wish I had room or budget for it - that is a sweet rifle.

Be careful about the GTX - I'm on my 3rd pair. Danner was good enough to replace them when the seams broke out - twice, but this pair did exactly what the first two did and split out where the leather hits the nylon at the flex point, and the waterproofing won't take more than a week of hard hunting. Great customer service, but my GTX have become my "around the house" and woodcutting work boot - I don't take them hunting anymore.

Wish I could snatch it up - just too many other "priorities" right now. I have no doubt it won't be for sale very long.

I just hope this doesn't turn into a "hunters vs. AZGFD" situation. We're pretty lucky here in AZ. The current relationship between hunters/fishermen and G&F is pretty good right now compared to a lot of states. As I stated on another, related thread, I applaud Mr. Husted for his honesty in the matter. I also think G&F did the right thing by persuing charges. There are plenty of negative results that could come out of this situation. On the other hand, there are some positive ones as well. For starters, G&F has proven that they won't show favoritism, that their commitment to upholding the laws includes everyone, even those at the top of their ranks. To me, that shows character. Secondly, it gets the department to really look closely at the difference between those who make an honest mistake, and those who intentionally set out to break the law. I'm sure there are lots of folks on here who have been diligent and have never broken any game laws, intentionally or otherwise. On the other hand, I bet there are many more who have accidentally found themselves in violation. or violated a law without ever even knowing it. Rules change every year. Usually it's pretty black-and-white, common sense stuff. But sometimes it's little minor things. In all honesty, who knew there was a 10 week period from April 1 to June 15th that you can't shoot a Gunnison's Prairie dog, before this whole thing unfolded? Point being - we all have a responsibility to know the law, and usually it doesn't take much effort to ensure you are in compliance. But, there are situations where even with best intentions, you can find yourself in violation. My hope is that G&F can recognize this given this situation and excercise some leniency in the future when law-abiding hunters come foreward looking for assistance. And that hunters will realize that what was legal 2, 3, 5, 10 years ago may or may not still be legal - and we need to be sure of exactly what is legal to take, and if there is any doubt, don't pull the trigger. It's not the same world a lot of us grew up in where pretty much anything small game or predatory was legal year round, and the only "poaching" was people intentionally killing big game our of season and hoping they didn't get caught.

+1 on the DIY stories. I have nothing against guides or anyone who hires them. I prefer to hunt DIY, and like reading stories of other hunters going un-guided. I wish there were more publications and shows featuring DIY hunters on public land. Glad to see you guys are putting some focus there.

Nice job! Sweet bear and a great shot. Looks like that gun is a killer.

When I saw "Willys", I was expecting something totally different - that thing is freakin' awesome. Is that tan paint or Durabak? I'm not really in the market but love jeeps. What kind of cash price would you be looking at?

Theives are scum. Hunters stealing from other hunters are the worst kind of scum. Sorry to hear about the loss.

I went out to do some wood cutting this morning and saw a successful bear hunter coming into Springerville around 10 AM. Didn't get the make of the truck, but wanted to say "congrats" to the hunter.

Sorry, wrote VOID across my extra 13B tag and took the scissors to it.

Well, that's an interesting "turn of events"... If he was willing to take away someone else's hunting rights for 5 years, he should be subject to the same penalties and not complain too loudly about it.

I've got a couple big hunts coming up where hauling a big camp trailer just isn't an option. I've always wanted either a quality cotton wall tent or Cabela's Alaknak, and just wanted to see if there are any bargains to be had. I might get through the season borrowing from friends, but I'd rather not ask to borrow expensive gear. If the price is right, I'd rather just get one now. If any of you guys are in the valley and see a good deal in the Cabela's Bargain Barn, I'd appreciate a head's up. For the Alaknak, I'd only be interested in the 12x12. Same basic dimensions for a wall tent, would like a floor. With either, a good quailty stove is a huge plus.

One more thing you are going to have to look at closely, and this is hard because trying on a boot in a store with dry socks, even really good ones, is when your sock compresses with sweat and use, does your foot slide forward in the boot? You have to realistically measure what width of boot you should be wearing. When you are going downhill, over hard terrain, your socks are wet and compressed, do your toes slide foreward into the front of the boot? One of the first things I look for in a boot is whether it is "lace-to-toe". Can you adjust the boot based on the width of the ball of your foot compared to the width at the "gap".' If you're 6' or taller, I can guarantee most boots will be too loose in the heel and too fat in the toes. I've bought a lot of boots over the years. The old style Cabela's Mounain boots were awesome. They don't offer those anymore and the new versions suck for a vareity of reasons. The Perfekt hunter is a solid boot that I'd recommend to anyone. What it lacks is the rock-absorbing ring of rubber you see in the Denali.

Thanks 123456, I just called them and it sold today. But I do appreciate the heads-up.

Hey, nice looking bear! Probably no better place to hunt big bears than the SC. Thanks for posting the pix.

Yup, that's what I'm looikng for. And from the sounds of it, the 20x12 would even be better. Thanks everyone for the replies so far. I'm just getting caught up.

Hey Bill, Thanks for posting this. If anyone knows these hunters, please congratulate them for their restraint. Lots of people aren't either for-or-against hunting, when it's done right. But we've all seen how homeowners get really upset and a bad taste for hunting when it ends up in their back yard. I'm sure everyone on the mountain remembers the debacle a couple years back when a big bull was shot basically in a neighborhood and it ended up in the newspapers, etc., some charges filed and a lot of people upset with how the hunt was conducted. Kudos to the hunters on this one for doing the right thing. This is a perfect example of what defines ethics. There were probably times where it would have been legal to take the bear, but they opted not to until it was further away from residents.

I don't have a 7MM/08... BUT... I have been handloading for a lot of different guns over the years. 25-06, 270 Win, .270 WSM, .300 WSM and .300 Wby, for me - my friend adds a 7mm Rem to the mix. There has been one powder that has stood out over anything else we've tried and that is IMR 4350. I've gotten rid of everything else and have this powder in my quarter bore to the big magnums. IMR4350 combined with Nosler Ballistic Tips & Accubond, and CT Silvertips (all very similar bullets) with Winchester brass and WLRM primers (don't ask me why, they just work) seem to produce the best accuracy. Some guns like them touching the lands so your COAL is as long as you can get and still have them fit in the magazine. I can't even begin to list all the tweaking of powder, primer and bullets I've tried in various guns over the years. For some reason they all perform best with the exact same formula - That tells me that it's a very good all-around recipe. I know it's expensive to go buy a pound of new powder and box of bullets, but without fail this combo of powder, priimer brass and bullet has been the best I've seen so far in the widest ranges of guns and calibers.

Nice - bump for a fair price on a beautiful gun.

Nice, I didn't even know we had blues here. My cousins are sometimes on "Hillbilly Handfishin" catching blues out of Cache Creek back in Oklahoma on the Discovery Channel. Who would have ever thoght some un-educated noodlers would find "Hollywood" noteriety? My late uncle "Rob" Robert, was maybe the best-of-the-best noodlers down in that country, but he passed away long before his passion was embraced by popular media. To him, it was just a way of life. You knew you had entered his section of dirt when you saw every fence-post for 12 feet over 2 miles with a huge catfish head/skull on top. I've watched him dive into a cattle pond and carry out a 35 pound flathead like he was tending his own sheep, and tenderly lay her back down on her bed. Man, I hope that generation isn't lost.

Not sure what you are asking for - I'm sure you can get some good advice here, but your initial question isn't very clear.