Coach

Will the binocs you have accept a tripod mount (threaded hole in the front/center)? If they do, I would suggest the Jim White adapter like these: http://www.coueswhitetail.com/bookstore/adaptors.htm The adapter screws into the binocs and stays there without digging into your chest. The "female" portion is attached directly to your tripod head. You can then easily insert your binocs into the female adapter on your tripod without the bulk of your current setup. These are the lightest and most compact binocular/tripod adapters I have seen anywhere and they work extremely well. Simple but effective. As for heavy tripod, IMO, not needed. The Slik Sprint Pro is under 2 pounds, extends to over 64 inches and is more than strong enough to hold any binocs. I use mine with Swaro 10x42s and 15x56. In heavy wind, big binocs will shake even with 6 lb+ tripods. I've got a Bogen 3205GN legs and 3130GN pan head - what many considered "creamed corn" when I bought it. Weighs in at around 6 pounds and probably cost me over $350. These days, it gets used for the spotting scope at the gun range (gotta-have for a full-sized spotter), still shots with the big SLR, or a quick set of legs when driving and glassing. No way I'll carry that thing around with me to hold up a pair of binoculars. The Slick Sprint will more than handle a pair of binocs @ around the same wieight as a water bottle, and fully folded, 12-16" ???? really small, light and strong, compared to even cheap wally-world tripods with plastic head compontents. Just my opinion. Bottom line recommendation: Slik Sprint Pro tripod, Jim White Adapter (assuming your binocs can take an adapter). If your binocs don't take an adapter, look at the Vortex Diamondback or Fury lines (Viper if in your price range). This is IMO, the fastest way to have a very good glassing setup for minimal $$.

I think you have definately chosen a great all-around cartridge, but maybe not for a light pack-in gun. And since you specifically called out 2 rifles I don't have experience with, I didn't reply earlier. However, you might look really closely at the Remington 700. This is the action many custom rifles are built upon, and for a good reason. Best action available today. I also wouldn't overlook the Savage Model 14 classic. Great wood, decent action, great barrell, and probably the best trigger available on a non-custom gun - and sells for a lot less $$ leaving more money for a good scope. Whatever gun you choose, put a good scope on it, and a good recoil pad. Anything .300 is gonna have some bite, and any .300 magnum is going to try to punish you. I wouldn't recommend a light gun with that caliber. Not to sidetrack your post, but if I were going to go for a light "pack gun", it would be in .270 WSM at max, but probably something in the 6mm or 25's. Maybe a .257 Wby or WSM. Light guns generally don't do as well with big, .30 cal magnums as they do with 6mm, .270 or .257 - just my opinion.

Maybe too many cheetos then...lol. I based my assumption on head size compared to body. I'll glady defer to you guys who know more about lions than I do.

I'm a big believer in blinds - moreso than treestands. Maybe I'm too ADHD to sit a treestand all day without moving around, but a good blind conceals your movements, and holds in scent remarkably well. They're especially good for kids, because they can fidget around as long as they are quiet and not get picked up by animals. As for brushing them in, it's just a matter of breaking up the outline, keeping it from looking unnatural. Stick to the shadaows, pile some branches around the front and top of the blind. Just enough to break up the shape. As for leaving them, well, my Double Bull Matrix blind is probably the best piece of hunting equipment I've bought in a long time, so I won't leave it somewhere that it could be stolen. I think the best approach, if you are hunting an area where someone might find it, is to buy an "el cheapo" blind, brush it in at least a week before season, then a day or two before the season when you can monitor the traffic in and out, take down the cheap one and put up the one you want to hunt out of.

Nice cat - is that a momma? Looks like she's nursing, or just has a jelly roll - lol.

"I gotta wonder what rabbit he's gonna try to pull out in the next couple months and years." Amnesty.

Enough!!!

Wow, what a great buck. No surprise EBJ picked it up. Congratulations on a heck of a buck! Sure would like to hear the story behind him if you get the chance.

My prayers go out to Garret and your family - with all my heart. Jason

The last week of the bow hunt is almost always better than the first, IMO. If I couldn't take off the whole hunt, I'd rather be out there the few days of the season than the first.

Assuming we get the normal spot, there will be a cluster of campers on the South side of Pole Knoll. We do some great "Mexican BBQ", hanging by the fire, driving rangers and quads around, shooting archery targets, shooting the breeze, throwing horseshoes and playing "cornhole" (yeah, laugh, but you gotta try it out). Some "low stakes" (read chips only) Texas Hold'em in the late afternoons. In the evenings, when the grownups are telling hunting stories around the fire, we usually set up a big projector playing movies for the kiddies on a big sheet on the back of one of the trailers - popcorn and sodas, they love it. If you happen by our camp, stop in and say hi. It's a nice group of families enjoying the white mountains, always happy to welcome in some new friends. Look for a big blue Ford Excursion, some big trucks, big tan Dodge Quad, a blue f-250, no tellin' what Casey will drive up in but it will be big, lots of campers and lots of kids running around.

It seems these days that a lot of guys are really into following the “celebrities” of the hunting community. For example, Michael Waddell has blogs on many of the current social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, where people can keep current on what he’s doing. Nothing against Mr. Waddell, personally, but I just don’t get the obsession with these celeb types. Does anyone care what he’s doing from minute to minute, and can anyone relate their own hunting experiences to guys who are paid to hunt the most exclusive private land in America??? I was thumbing through my latest Cabela’s catalog and saw a whole series of knives dedicated to Jim Shockey, with his supposed profile, hat and all, laser etched on the blade. Then I went to buy a bag target, and just about all of them were some kind of Michael Waddell “Bone Collector” series with his lame-butt skull in lime green stuff all over them. I won’t buy one, even though it’s the same Merrell Infinity target I’ve shot for years and worn out. Look at Bass Pro-Shops for a rod and reel, and it’s even worse. Rick Clunn signature this and that, every rod, reel, stick bait has some dude’s name on it taking a chunk of change off MY purchase. It’s getting old, and I just don’t see the logic behind the obsession with “some other dude”. Am I missing something here?

Thanks all - more on this later. Heading up to Sunrise for the shoot, then Utah. RR, I'll take some pix, but don't expect them to look like yours!

Three words..."Fine Focus Knob"....Dunno why Leica and Kowa (even Pentax and Nikon) have figured this out but Swaro still hasn't. That one feature will do more for you than lense coatings or magnesium body.

Gettin' it some - my oldest boy can pull legal weight now... but all I can think about right now is that Unit 1 ML bull hunt Hard to concentrate on deer for some reason.

Nice buck!!! So don't flame, but that looks like Sowatts point country. Just a little fishin' because my next deer tag will be 12AW no matter how long it takes. Congrats on a great looking buck. You can pack my deer out anytime -

I thought this would be an easy Google trip for the answer - not so. I have a similar setup - same head, almost (maybe) the same legs. I think I paid somewhere around $230- $280 for it - seemed like more at the time. B&H is selling a similar setup, but all black, and doesn't appear to have the spiked feet, for $229. (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/503871-REG/Manfrotto_190XB_128RC_190XB_Tripod_Legs_Black.html). So, I guess I'd put the price used at somwhere between $150 and $190. That said, I wouldn't part with mine for that. It's one heck of a tripod. Too heavy to pack around the desert just for binos, but a necessity for a full-sized spotter. Hope this helps. Given that it's discontinued, and a great hunting/birding tripod, I think you should hold out for top dollar. Just my opinion. Jason

Somebody got a heckuva scope!

Yeah, I posted a link to that on another thread, but it really deserves a thread of its own. The gall of this guy is simply staggering - accusing the minutemen of shooting people, the audacity to say that our borders are "quite secure" - his overall condescending attitude toward the people he is supposed to be serving...We have to find a way to get people like that out of office NOW. He isn't qualified to clean the bathrooms in a public library, yet he's somehow a congressman??? Totally mind-boggling.

Here's one... http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/cto/1813270747.html

Ah - that makes sense. Thanks!

I've heard the term that a rifle/action has been "blue printed". Christian's sweet new rifle is a good example. What does this mean?

But with what looks like around 1/2 inch of blade exposed before it expands, does it still fly with field points from a bow (or shooter) that has trouble getting broadheads to hit exactly with fieldpoints? If it does, then you might just be on to a winning combo with thes head. I will definately try them out. The reason I'm asking, is I've spent countless hours trying to fine-tune my bow to make broadheads and field points hit exactly the same. I've worn out numerous targets, but for some reason, good broadheads always group together, but they want to turn left and low at longer shots. Inside 30 yards, like from a ground blind, I'll always shoot a fixed head, but most spot-n-stalk shots are a little longer. I'm considering a mech for these types of hunts because I can group fieldpoints really well at 40 and 50, and routinely practice out to 80 yds. But my broadheads at that range are, well, let's just say, "less predictable". Just a little nitpick'n before I buy yet another set of broadheads.

Any tests through ground-blind mesh to be sure they don't deploy on the mesh? Could be my new head, but I'm a skeptical old curmudgeon until I've seen it in action.

Here's California's response to the situation... This is the way liberal politicians think, and until we boot every last one of them, not a dang thing will change.