forepaw

I bought one last summer (2013 model) directly from the factory at considerable savings - Athens Archery. At the time they had 3 discontinued lefty bows. Not sure what they might have available now, but their bows and customer service are excellent. Small shop, but quality stuff. forepaw

Good discussion, thanks to all for feedback. I will start looking into VAPs and Black Eagle arrows, but at least won't feel too bad if I keep shooting Gold Tips for awhile. forepaw

Buy a carton of Nosler brass (50 ct.) from Midway or Natchez or MIdsouth and load 20 rounds with mild loads. Just prime, charge, seat the bullets and shoot. They come trimmed to length, chamfered and deburred. My T3 shoots best with a 0.060" jump, but they all have a sweet spot. If you ever use Barnes bullets, I believe the standard recommendation is to seat duplicate loads at 0.030" and 0.070" and dial it in from there. With new Nosler brass, you will still have 30 cases that need to be fired the first time to achieve best accuracy, and this can help you decide on a load. Nosler brass lasts a long time if you don't get carried away. Tikkas are excellent rifles and worthy of good ammo. forepaw

You always need to be concerned about pressure, but there is no problem loading to mag. length (up to 77 gr.) with the right load. If you go to 80 gr. and above, then you will need to single load only. Also, w/ 77 gr. you need an 8 twist barrel. A 9 might work, but best to check with other shooters. forepaw

I have a portable for sale. Are you looking for one of those, or a shop-type? forepaw

Are those claw marks on the right side of the face of your buck? Those are some great desert bucks. Thanks for posting! forepaw

Sir, You need to contact the state Industrial Commission, and federal OSHA. forepaw

I think that's good advice. Thought it was worth some caution for a new buyer since the big 3 or 4 companies tend to way out-advertise the other brands, which adds to the cost of their products. But you're right, the speed and high-performance bows are really marketed to advanced shooters, and there would be nothing wrong with a used or discontinued model bow - in fact, that might be better. It would leave money for tuning and accessories and arrows. forepaw

Also, you will need some lessons. Much better to spend a few bucks now, than trying to learn on your own, and possibly developing bad habits that you have to try to break later. Sounds like Bull Basin has a good reputation here on CWT and I am sure they would be glad to help. There are some really good forums and videos. On youtube, there is one called "Griv's Thing a Week" (Archery Learning Center). It demonstrates and gives an explanation for all kinds of form and shooting questions. www.archerytalk.com is another good forum. Like CWT it has a lot of expertise, and folks who will help you get started. forepaw

Friend, don't be too quick to buy one of the "Flagship" bows i.e. Hoyt, Matthews, PSE or Bowtech (though I am a fan of Bowtech). There are some ma and pa companies that are building great bows, and hoping to stay competitive through good customer service and excellent warranties, though you might have to accept buying a bow without shooting it first. Some examples are Athens, Obsession, Elite, Parker, Martin. Also, for a first bow, Matthews makes the MIssion product line, and Bowtech the Diamond. I believe they are both good, just fewer bells and whistles than the fully equipped bows. Both BBA or PSE could get you measured up and let you shoot a couple of demo bows. If either acts like they don't appreciate your business, there are other shops to visit! I doubt if that would happen however. Archery shops like new shooters. Mostly at this stage, try to find something that feels comfortable and doesn't try to jump out of your hand. Once you get some miles behind you, you can upgrade to something a little faster or shorter for hunting, and keep your original for a backup. forepaw

Keep in mind that what to us are now cheap scopes, may have been the standard on medium-range rifles when your dad was young. Some of the made in Japan scopes, including Tasco scopes, were actually pretty decent. Some of the small, off-brand Japanese companies turned out some fairly good optics back in the '60s and '70s. Not in the same league as alpha glass, but not bad either - and affordable. But then, few people would think of shooting an elk at 600 yds. Most of us tried to follow Jack O'Connor's advice - mount a good scope, in strong rings as low as possible on your rifle, sight it in, and leave it there. Steel tube Weavers were pretty standard, and Leupolds were the cat's pajamas. If someone had a pre-64 Model 70 with a Latigo Quick-set sling, and a Leupold scope, they were considered to be ready for anything, at least in AZ. forepaw

You might take a quick look at the article on www.24hourcampfire.com/ by John Barsness entitled "Riflescope Brightness". forepaw

PM answered. The Leupold is SPF.

Howdy CWT amigos. The following items are for sale. Made in USA North Face backpacking tent. No rips or stains. Screens and zippers are in good shape. Not ultralight (est. 8#), but works well as spike camp or backyard shelter for kids. $75.00 Cardoza Creations portable bow press. New, only used once on my Hoyt Raptor to check fit and function. Works with split limb and solid limb compound bows, right or left hand. $25.00 Leupold 20x60 non-HD spotting scope. Used primarily on rifle range. Good condition, good choice for entry-level spotter. Clear, reasonably bright, with wide field of view. Includes lens caps, sunshade, and fabric cover. $95.00 FTF in Kingman, or TYD (shipping extra) forepaw

North Face tent is SPF.

I am not sure, it doesn't weigh much, cost would probably be around $10 but that's a guess. Depends on whether UPS or FedEx, or USPS. forepaw

Correct. forepaw

PM sent. forepaw

PM sent. forepaw

PM sent. forepaw

You're welcome. Tikkas are a lot of rifle for the money. forepaw

Probably, but the owner should have spent a little more and got higher rings. Either that or a different scope. forepaw

Sorry about your Mom. Never an easy thing to handle, along with all the other demands of life. CO regs. just came out, you can hunt elk OTC in CO, or start building points if you want to hold out for a more popular unit. Last year I bought a leftover rifle bull tag, pretty easy to do. Not a sure thing but at least you can count on getting out and camping and hunting. You can also buy a cow or either sex archery if you prefer. Unlike AZ, they give you a break on the price of a cow. forepaw

PM sent. forepaw

I guess since I paid full price for my Tikka then it's ok for me to order a McMillan lol! Let us know how the Boyd's laminate works out, they have some nice stuff at decent prices. What lefty Tikkas do you have? Got pics? forepaw