Red Rabbit

I believe Don's Sport Shop on East McDowell has a replica mount of the King buck. Worth the look. Yes, they were very interesting threads on MM. http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID19/461.html http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID19/437.html RR

Dang, with those thirties you could spot a mouse nibbling on the cheesy slopes of the moon. I saw this on bowsite about an upcoming controlled burn in 27. Will it affect you? In Unit 27, the Clifton Ranger District will conduct a prescribed burn in the Chitty Creek area, below the Mogollon Rim. The burn, planned for 14,000 acres, is scheduled for ignition during the last week of September and will continue for more than three weeks, weather and conditions permitting. The burn area is located west of State Highway 191, extending west along the Rim face south of FR 54 to the Bear Canyon Trail #26 access point. It will extend south along Highway 191 to Strayhorse Campground, then west along Highline Trail #47 to the junction with Crabtree Canyon, and extend south to East Eagle Creek, and again west to McBride Mesa. Trails into the area will be closed prior to, during the burn and for a short time following the burn to ensure that any hazard trees are removed and that there is no chance of reburn. Hunters are encouraged to check with the Alpine and Clifton Ranger District offices and check local trail kiosks for signage and fire notices. According to ASNF personnel, restoration of fire-adapted forest vegetation types is the number one priority for the U.S. Forest Service in the Southwest Region, and requires a landscape approach to be effective. Unfortunately, the window to conduct critical prescribed burning for meeting specific resource objectives often coincides with many fall hunts. While posing some inconvenience to some hunters during the burn period, the long-term benefits can be tremendous to wildlife. First and foremost is the expected reduction in natural fuel build up that has occurred in the upper portions of East Eagle, Salt House and Chitty Creeks over the last century. This area is currently very susceptible to damaging effects from uncontrollable wildfire similar to the Rodeo-Chediski Fire of 2002.

Thanks so far to those who have entered. We have 40 members from MM.com and CWT.com entered as of today. If you sent me a PM or e-mail to enter, and did not receive a return response (form letter), please let me know. Doug~RR

I have not seen that info posted. I have heard that some of the powders used are not available to the public. The high energy loads use these unavailable powders and a loading technique that the reloader cannot duplicate, so I've read. I suspect that most ammo manufacturers would consider their load info propietary and would not want to divulge their secret recipes. Doug~RR

With the Burris Signature rings, you can order offset inserts to correct the problem. You might put on a different set of rings and bases to see if the problem remains, if the problem might be with them. Or perhaps the barrel is not aligned with the action, as on my Winchester. Then the Burris Signatures would be the way to go. Doug~RR

David, Are your trail cams the film type? Maybe the elk smell the film like bears do. RR

The name and home in BHD's profile does not match CHD's. RR

Your bear has a color pattern very similar to the one I got from the San Carlos several years ago. Your bear would make a great looking rug with the reddish-brown back ringed by black. Doug~RR

Mighty fine weekend you had. RR

Congrats on a good start to the fall season. Looks like nice terrain to hunt in the background. Doug~RR

EUREKA!!!

A couple different pics from around the Vermilion Cliffs this past weekend. The setting sun against the sandstone walls sure does elicit a glow. Doug~RR

On the drive to the North Kaibab this weekend to scout for archery deer around the Warm Fire Burn, I was treated to a nice sunset Friday evening. Stopped Sunday morning on the drive back to Flagstaff for some more pics of the cliffs. Rica, my GWP, was on lizard patrol. Doug~RR

Christian, by looking at the top chum, appears you went to the Amazon, not AK, for some of those peacock bassalmon. Nice catches. Did you volunteer for another tour of duty next summer? RR

Amanda, the camera is a Panasonic FZ-20. It's 12x optical zoom (38-432 equivalent w/ 35mm), Zeiss lense, 5 megapixel and image stabilizer. I forget the tripod, so used the t-posts from the fenceline for a support for most of the shots. It's nice to be blessed with great scenery to capture. I came back down to the cliffs Sat evening, for a repeat, but it twurnt to be. Scott, that mesa with the powerlines could be a good spot to meet some weekend during mearns season. I'll hafta get sick some weekend with forecasted good weather. RR

Both of those coues should give some motivation to stay on the stand. At what time of day were those coues posing for the camera? RR

I just came back from a quick, one day trip to see the Warm Fire burn area on the North Kaibab. A lot was like a controlled burn, with the lower needles or the smaller trees browned. Grass and lupine were growing back. Saw a few does and a forky in the lightly burned areas. Some other areas, like the denser fir stands near the highway, were pretty well scorched. RR

To choose a powder, I look for the slowest powder that gives close to max velocity with a load density of about 95%. I like the shell filled with room to seat the bullet, but don't want a compressed load. H4350, H4831sc, RL 19&22 would be good choices. Use a magnum primer, like the Fed 215M. Ramshot Magnum is a powder I would definitely try. It meters well and is temperature insensitive. My shortmags do well with the Ramshot Hunter. Sportsmans Warehouse has Ramshot powders. The Nosler 180 Ballistic tip should be accurate and work well on coues. It has a little thicker jacket than the other smaller calibered Ballistic Tips. I have had real good success with the Nosler Accubonds for accuracy. The Hornady Interbonds have been disappointing to my rifles. My 300 Win Mag likes 180 Accubonds and 69.0 gr of H4350 with Fed 215M primers Doug~RR

I have had three easy and smooth purchases with Doug@CameraLand. He will be able to give you some good advice. RR

Is the Bushnell rangefinder the ARC model? Doug~RR

#1 Prone over the daypack seems steadiest to me. #2 Stoney Point tripod with rear support arm for the rifle butt (the rear supprt really makes a diff) #3 Steady Stix (Add-on tripod leg is better than w/ 2 legs) #4 Harris Bipod, 27" swivel model (heavy and digs in the shoulder) RR

I generally shoot 3-shot groups in developing a load. I choose the bullet I want to use and try a few different powders. Starting below max, I work up in 0.5 grain increments. Let the barrel cool between each set of groups. Rubbing the outside of the barrel with an ice cube is faster than air cooling. Once I find a load that looks promising, then I load three sets of five rounds, +/- 0.3 gr apart. I try to seat 0.020" off the lands, if it fits in the magazine. Keep your ammo out of the sun; a small ice chest in the shade works well to keep the cartridges insulated from the heat. Go back and check all your action and scope screws, and check for foreend contact. If you clean between groups, you should fire a couple foulers as the first shot or two from a clean bore may not be with the others. I usually clean every 25 rounds. Some people like the ladder method to develop loads. I have not tried it. You might use your full lenght sizing die to partially resize. Doug~RR

Welcome back from AK. I trust the experience was awesome. Waiting for the pics and tales. Doug~RR

The 4.5-14 range is nice for the southern AZ mountains. The Zeiss Conquest are sharper and brighter than the Leupolds to my eyes. The Leupolds VX-III's are no slouches though. Compare their eye reliefs. Another very useful range is the 3.5-10. I would prefer using target turrets to the B&C/ Ballistic Plex reticles though. RR

Allen, I am just a guy who likes to take photos, and sometimes takes the time to squeeze the shutter. Have never been a professional photographer. Back in the 80's, I would go to Glacier and Jellystone, mainly to flyfish, and took lots of slides on hikes. Read a few how-to books. Just try to keep an open eye. Tony Mandile has posted some photos that make mine pale. Amanda had asked me to write something up about how to take trophy photos for the contest. Doug~RR