It sure is nice to have some rifles and loads that you have used in the past with success. Always gives a person confidence that things will go OK, whether that is the way it happens or not.

And it is also nice to have something "new" to try out and see if you like it better than what you have been using. Maybe a new rifle, new scope on the rifle, or even a new bullet that will be Hunted with for the first time.
-----

I've got some of all the above, old and faithful, and new and untested. One of many on the old side is "Semper Fi", a 7mmRemMag that ALWAYS Kills something whenever it goes afield. On the new side is a 444Mar XLR that is difficult to reach past in the Safe. It "should" provide plenty of "hoves-in-the-air" when given the opportunity.

A few new scopes are being Tested and will be subjected to all the stress I can give them. If they make it, they will get my Seal-of-Approval.
-----

So, how about you all? Going with the Old Faithful this year, New and Promising or a mix of both?

I'm hunting with a handgun this year. My trusty old 30-06 is too damn long to fit in my tiny deerstand.

It is funny that you post this thread. I have several new guns this year that I am thinking about using. IF I draw a Bull tag I am thinking about using my new 7mm mag with the old pre 64 270 just in case. If I draw for a buck tag it will be back to the trusty 243, I think. If I draw a antelope it will be for my good old muzzleloader. If I draw a cow elk tag, I don't know what I will use yet, too many options. Ron

It does give you a warm, easy feeling to be hunting with an old "tried and true" rifle. I can't for the life of me though figure out exactly why we pay big money for new rifles and accesories when we all have the ol' tried and true at our service.

Could it be our continous quest for the "ultimate ------ rifle"? Maybe, juts testing purposes so we can weight in with our experiences, or could we be looking for another rife that will give us that warm, fuzzy feeling?

Maybe, all of the above and more.

Gidday Guys,

I am trying to try something new in the 260 at the moment but I'm so confident with the 120 gr corelocts and hotcores that whenever I take the 140gr partitions on a hunt I can't leave the 120s behind. When a shot presents itself guess what gets used, tried and true of course.

I just don't seem to make the leap of faith to the partitions which shoot exactly 2" lower than the 120s.

One day I will make the leap. Each time I go out I decide that this will be the day but!!!!

Happy Hunting

Hamish

Well nearly every year I "flirt" with something new and threaten to make it "the one" but it nearly makes me sick to leave my trusted and true 30/06 at home, I just can't do it.
This year I'm "flirting" with a 20" barreled 9.3x62 and it shows some very promising groups right out of the chute. It will make an elk just lay down I'm sure but at the last minute I may forgo the new for the old. I may shoot my Antelope with my 6.5 Swede this year if I can get the 100 grain Noslers Partitions to shoot accurately or maybe the 120 Ballistic Tips I'm not sure yet.
Good luck to you all whether it is your tried and true or a new "fling" this season.

Cow elk season (1st of 2 tags) starts August 1.

Going with the tried and true 338RUM with 225 TSX and H1000.

Why switch?

If we (ever) get drawn for antelope I will be sticking with my .270 and 130 TSX. Again-- works well with the open country whitetail up her on the Palouse....antelope I suppose?

When late deer (big buck) season comes around, I use my 300WSM with 168 TSX in both Idaho and Washington.

Once in a whlie we head into to some pretty dense stuff so I'll carry my iron sight '06 loaded with 200 Accubonds.... but hunting in that crap is usually more helping someone who has wounded something (I get calls all the time... and yes, they get a thorough talking to.)

For lions I carry my .357 with 158 XTP and 15.8 grs. H110. Works.

Well, back to the grind.....

IV

quote:

Originally posted by Tex21:
I'm hunting with a handgun this year. ...

Hey Jason, Do you have the "Caliber" selected yet?

I normally have a very old 6" 357Mag Ruger Target Model Security Six in Stainless with Hogue grips around my waist when I'm afield. Stoke the first two cylinders with Speer Shot Capsules in case I do any "Snake Dancing", and the rest filled with 158gr JSP (Bambi Blasters).

People occasionally ask me if I'm walking with a limp and it is generally because I don't have the old Ruger on - balancing me out.
-----

Idaho Ron, What Bullets will you be trying in the 7mmRemMag and 243Win?

SteveM70, It is fun pondering the options during the day. When you nail one down, let us know what you pick, we may want to "argue" the selection.

Hey Hamish, I've been in a similar situation with a 7mm-08, and with the same weight bullets. It did end up costing me a shot at a decent 8-pointer that was 80yds or so out in a Bean Field. I was concerned about the 120gr bullet driving through a row of Beans right next to him. Had the 140gr Partitions been in the rifle, it would have been Drag Stick time.

Hey Snellstrom, I see a whole lot of folks mention the 9.3x62 on Medium Bores Board. I don't know beans about them. What about it interested you enough to get one?

Hey IV, 338RUM? I got to see a few of them at the South Carolina Range and EVERYONE OF THEM was amazingly accurate for such a powerful cartridge.

Have you ever got an Exit with an XTP? I haven't, but can see where that would be a good thing if it is in a pack of dogs with no tree to climb.

Good Hunting and clean 1-shot Kills to all you folks

Something new this year for elk... My trusty '06 will be my backup for sure but the new 338-378 Weatherby with 225 TSXs will be the primary...

Now all I have to do is get past the waiting ....

Ken....

Hot Core it's always a tough decision for me.

I have quite a few varying rifles and I really don't know which I'll hunt what with yet.

I have several new rifles that need alittle blood rubbed on them to "officially" break them in but, I just can't decide which to take.

Somehow, my tried and true Rem700 7RM(Ole' Trusty) always finds it's way to the truck but, I'm considering breaking in several rifles just as I was considering last year and the year before that etc etc.

I'm thinking of taking my New Abolt 7RM to CO this year on my Mulie hunt. There are woods and open pastures in the area we hunt so a possible long shot could be on the menu. The Abolt is shooting 150 NBTs in less than an inch at 200 yards at close to 3000fps. Not the fastest load but, the first I tried in that rifle and it's been so accurate I hate to change a thing. The Nikon Monarch Gold 2.5-10x50 I mounted on it has nice glass and should be a great rig overall to have on that hunt. OTOH Ole' Trusty with 140 NABs at 3200 aint to shabby and may find it's way to the rifle case on that hunt.

As for whitetails, I'm ready to try my new Tikka 338 federal, A sweet shooting 120HPBT load in my 25-06, A sweet shooting 165NBT load in my unbloodied 300SAUM, My new Sendero SFII 7RM w/ 150 NSBs, and hopefully I'll draw Iowa and get to try my new Hastings 1187 slug bbl with Nikon 2-7 attached.

It seems like I'll tote a new rifle for a few hunts and be unsuccessful and when Bullwinkle just happens to show when ole' trusty is in hand. Maybe it's my good luck charm

Good Luck

Reloader

Hot Core
I got the 9.3 bug legitimately.
I have been a Whelen fan since I was a small boy, when I saw the 9.3x62 it was a 30/06 necked up to .36 seemed like a Whelen for sure then one day I had a Mauser action and i stumbled on a 9.3 barrel real cheap at an auction and low and behold i had the 9.3 project started.
See it was easy!
My first group with the .366 Whelen;

I will try out my new Savage 112 FVSS 7mm STW this year. I will always take my Remington 721 270 as a back up, because I could not sleep at night if was not in camp.

I have also been reaching for the 257 Roberts lately, I guess as I get older the recoil is taking its toll and that 257 Roberts sure does shoot sweet.

I am going to try out the new improved Millet scope (6X25X56 Milldot) and see if it holds up on the STW. If not I will move it to the 257 Roberts and try a Nikon.

ol tried and true will probably stay in the safe this year. That 35 year old M700 .270 has earned a rest. The M77 Tang Safety .250-3000 and the M77 MKII in .257 Roberts have both proven themselves capable on the hunts I'll be going on. Might load up some heavier bullets in the M70 Featherweight .243 instead of just using it with coyote loads. This will be the first year in a while that I haven't had a new rifle to be blooded, might have to try some new loads to lend some exitement.

I'll be takin a rifle that hasn't been blooded yet. That's my fault though. I took it last year but didn't get an elk. Hopefully this year I'll give it a chance to prove it's worth. The backup rifle will be new. My main rifle will be a Remington 700 CDL in 35 Whelen and the backup will be a Remington 700 Classic in 8X57, both are scoped with 2.5-8X36 VXIII's. I'm still in the process of load developement for the 8X57. I'm excited already!

I'm going to try my not yet done 358 win. as an elk woods gun. It is based on a Mauser 24/47 action that Vapo just put a new Dakota bolt handle on and jewelled the bolt. The gun will wear NEGC iron sights and will be for close and quick work deep in the timbers. I'm waiting on the stock and after final inletting the metal will go off to get matte blued. I will shoot 250 grain Northforks over a healthy dose of RL powder. You can see a picture of Vapo's work in the gunsmithing section under 24/47. Vapo is a great guy to deal with and does great work!

i'm using this rifle this year.


i've
already killed 5 deer with it but since then i refinished the stock so it's sort of like having the wife get a boob job...tried and true but still something new to play with
it's a cz 550 in 6.5x55

in the really new catagory, i'm thinking real strongly about one of those fast twist 22 centerfires so i can shoot 80 grn bullets at critters a long way out there.

Doesn't every "tried and true" rifle start life out as something new?

I should be able to hunt an elk, whitetail, and antelope this year...will be able to use both old and new.

MG

I will be using my tried and true longbow for my Wyoming moose tag this Sept.

If that doesn't pan out then I will using something new for the October firearm season.



Cz 416 Rigby reworked by Marc Stokeld, it will wear a Leupold 1.75-6. May be a little more than needed, but Marc keeps trying to jinx my September bowhunt so I can break it in.

For deer/antleope will be a newly reworked Kimber 270 that will wear a nice piece of California English by Bill Soverns.

It is already wearing a new contour barrel, custom bases and a new bolt to replace the functional bolt that came with the rifle. All rust blued.

Plan on using the tried and true muzzleloader this year.

Rifles are kinda like girlfriends...I have had 11 of each in the last 12 years.

Hey Heat, Give us some "details" on the rifles. I'll guess the 338-378Wby is a Weatherby?

Hey Reloader, Got a buddy in Raleigh who is going to be trying out a brand new Titanium A-Bolt this year with an Illuminated Leupold on it. He got all excited about a Kill last year, left his old A-Bolt laying atop the Truck Toolbox and drove home. Apparently someone else found his old A-Bolt laying beside the road. He is still sick about it.

Hey Snellstrom, Custom rifle that you got a "deal" on the barrel - I do LOVE a deal. And it sure made a fine First Group. I do like those Large Holes in Game and paper. Seems to make the Game real easy to locate.

Hey Harold, Millett scope??? One of my "projects" this year is doing some Scope Testing. Just happen to have 2 new Millett scopes in the group that I'll be hammering with both a 7mmRemMag and a 350RemMag. I'd sure appreciate it if you PM me after you have 300 rounds or so beating on it.

I'm using the Burris Signatures to mount both of mine and having a problem getting the proper height 30mm Rings for the 4-16x 50mm Illuminated Mil-DotBar (81001 model). Had Signatures to fit the 3-9x 44mm Buck Lightning model. I've done some Low Light comparison testing and both Milletts appear to be as clear as my Leupold VariX-IIIs, which to me is just amazing for their cost. Now..., if they just take the RECOIL!

Hey ole_270, One of the SC Processors I use really likes the Heavy Weight Bullets in his 243Win. He used 100gr in it for a long time and then one day I happened to notice what appeared to be RNs in his cartridges. He had gone to the 105gr Speer Hot-Cor bullets and told me that he REALLY likes them. My current 243Win load uses the 90gr Hot-Cor and does as well as any of the Partitions(85gr, 95gr, 100gr) I tried in it.

I see a bunch of you mentioning the 257Roberts. I don't remember ever hearing anyone say a single negative comment about them. One of my buddies has one fixed up for his daughter and she sure enjoys shooting it. He has used it on all kinds of Deer and Hogs, so he is very confident it will make a fine rifle for her.

Hey Ray, Best of luck on getting lined up with an Elk this year. Sounds like a couple of excellent choices to me. I do love a 35cal in about any case made.

Hey Pegleg, You "let" Vapodog work on your rifle? Is that the one he "Jewelled" with a brick and sledge hammer? Only kidding. I was following it on the Gun Smith Board. 358Win, one of the very best "balanced" cartridges ever designed. Only real problem with it, is if something goes wrong at the shot, you sure can't blame the cartridge.

Hey budiceale, Perhaps the finest "quotable quotes" I've seen or heard in a very l-o-n-g time, " ...it's sort of like having the wife get a boob job...tried and true but still something new to play with".

I'm really more of a S&S man, But that sure is a FINE looking rifle. If you wife is that good lookin', I can see where it would be difficult to "get out" much.

Hey Madgoat, Give us a few "details". What's new?

Hey SDHunter, Tell us about the "Stock Shape". That much drop at the heel is something I've never hunted with. Is that a Peep sticking up from the Rear Bridge?

Longbow? Do you make your own arrows? I know a good many Bow Hunters and have picked up a good many fine "Tips" from them over the years. The first one that showed me a Face Mask many, MANY years ago, got my attention.

Hey Mike, 11 of each in 12 years? When you "wear them out" about the only thing to do is get new ones.

What new "rifle" are you going to try and make it to Hunting Season with this year?
-----

Sounds like a lot of excited and optomistic folks getting ready for the coming Seasons. Best of luck to all of you.

Yeah Hot Core the 338-378 is a Weatherby Accumark... Shoots very nicely right out of the box... The trusty old '06 is a Ruger 77 Mk II all weather that I've had the trigger and recoil pad worked on... It was a pretty good shooter out of the box but that trigger had to go... My smith just said "let me work on the trigger, if you like you pay, if you don't you don't pay"... I let him work on it and it's just perfect....

Anyway, the 338-378 is way more boomer then the job calls for but here in AZ you know the elk are HUGE and TOUGH... You know, 1800 lbs with 3 inch thick hide for a smaller cow ... LOL... It will be fun no matter what...

Ken....

quote:

Hey Reloader, Got a buddy in Raleigh who is going to be trying out a brand new Titanium A-Bolt this year with an Illuminated Leupold on it. He got all excited about a Kill last year, left his old A-Bolt laying atop the Truck Toolbox and drove home. Apparently someone else found his old A-Bolt laying beside the road. He is still sick about it.

uuuuggg That one would hurt a bit.


Reloader

I have a "new" 7mm Mag myself.

I got it last year about this time, but took my time with load development then decided It deserved a better scope, so when deer season rolled around it stayed home...


AD

Hot Core,
The stock is European hogback or "lux" style.
I really like it because it fits me perfectly.
Marc went through it and slimmed it up a bit.

The peep is like this:

No elevation, but can be drifted for windage. It is basically bombproof. Marc has the elevation regulated with my handloads.

Yes, I make all my wooden arrows for my longbows. Just something not right about shooting aluminum or carbon from a longbow.

I don't mind other people shooting whatever trips their trigger. The most important thing is being able to hit what you are shooting at. If it's with aluminum or carbon so be it. Shot placement trumps arrow material.

Besides, to get a good matched set of high quality wooden arrow it is expensive and time consuming. I am probably a little too picky, but I have to have confidence in what I'm shooting.

Since I started getting real picky about crafting my own arrows. My shooting has improved tremendously and I have killed 8 deer with 8 shots over the last 4 years.

I'm hoping to add to the streak with a moose, a couple more deer and an archery elk tag this fall.

Hey Allan, What Bullet and Scope are you going with?

Hey SDHunter, Nice looking work on that Peep. I put a lot of Trigger Time into shooting rifles with Peep sights and they are fine.

Now about those arrows, do you use Cedar and a Draw Knife? You must have gotten the extra dose of patience I missed out on.

I love shooting peep sights, for me they are so much better than standard open sights.

I shot a bunch competitive rifle in middle school and with the high school shooting sports program. All with peeps, so they are pretty much second nature to me.

As far as the draw knife and arrows, I don't have that much patience. Although I have friends that like to use the old wood flooring from bowling alley lanes. They are also the ones that take a draw knife to a log and carve everything away that isn't a bow.

I usually buy raw shafts in at least 100 if not bigger quantities.

I then sort(spine and weigh), straighten and separate them myself.

Out of 100 shafts I normally get between 12-18 hunting shafts and about 30-40 practice arrows.
The rest are what I call tomatoe stakes.

Pretty high % cull rate, but then I'm picky and there is a lot of junk out there.

I also like to buy direct from the companies/individuals that are making the raw shafts.

If you buy from the arrow makers, you are getting arrows they don't want to use to make arrows. I had an even higher cull rate from these guys.

I have used many different types of wood shafting and prefer the last bunch I bought. Which was douglas fir and of course the guy making those shafts is no longer in business. I'm down to my last dozen arrows and trying to stretch them as long as possible.

Cedar is great shafting material, but it is not as tough/heavy as I prefer. Smells great whenb you break a shaft though.

That 444Mar XLR feels so good in my hand without a Scope on it, that I'm seriously considering not using a Scope on it. I'm trying to decide if I'm going to go with Williams Fire Sights Front & Rear, One on the Front and a Peep on the Rear, or maybe one of the new 2oz Burris 4MOA Red Dot Reflex sights. Might just try some combination of them, since they are not too expensive.

A good Peep sight does shoot right well.
-----

That does sound like a lot of "sorting" to get the Shafts you want, but if that is what it takes... Darn shame about the guy going out of business. You just never know when you might find another source though.

Had a guy make a Bow in Southeast Asia that we "dried" in the exhaust of an F-4 Phantom. Lasted for a couple of shots and broke. So he made another one and it also broke. Alcohol helped him solve the issue by liberal internal applications. During the stupor, he decided to take the good parts of the two broken ones and glue/bolt them together - that worked. Looked a bit strange, but he didn't care since as he said, "It ain't fer a beauty contest."

Swapped some totally worn out jungle boots to some Air Force guys for some Hydraulic Line off one of their dead birds. (Can't imagine what they wanted those boots for.) And we found some feathers for him. He did well enough with it that the Spooks arrived, gave him a promotion and were gone in 12 hours - with him in tow.

So, if you have continued problems finding the wood, maybe you can switch to Hydraulic Line from a dead bird.

Sometimes I find a gun in my safe that I had forgotten was in there and take it hunting. Does that count as trying something new?

The ballistics are nothing new to me as I've been shooting various 6.5s for many years now, but this fall, my primary armament will be a 26", 1:8 Contender barrel from Match Grade Machine that's chambered in 6.5x30-30 IMP (aka 6.5 Bullberry Imp) that I've had for about 8 months now. It drives a 140 grain bullet at 2500 fps and is superbly accurate. The scope: Nikon Monarch 3.3-10x44 AO.

My #2 choice is another Contender, this one with a 20 1/8th" Bullberry barrel in 7mm Bullberry, which drives a 140 grain Nosler SB at 2480 fps. A Nikon Monarch 3-9x40 currently sits atop it. This one has been hunted with heavily and was used to take my best-ever buck several years ago (2002, if memory serves).

Both choices are mild calibers that group exceedingly well. And if I can't cleanly take a deer inside of 300 yards with either of them, there's no magnum in the world that would do the trick, either.

quote:

Originally posted by Muletrain:
Sometimes I find a gun in my safe that I had forgotten was in there and take it hunting. Does that count as trying something new?

Hey Muletrain, It might just do that. What kind of treasure did you find?
---

Hey Bobby, I've never had a Nikon rifle scope, how do they compare to either a VariX-II or III? What is their price range? How well do they handle Recoil? Have you needed any kind of Warranty Service?

Hot Core
I have just one Nikon a 3-9x40 Monarch that is a nice scope with good clear glass that compares to a Leupold VX-II. In my opinion the Nikons glass may even be a bit better than the Leupold but the Leupold has the most forgiving eye box of the 2. No real problem for shooting targets but if you were putting it on a hunting rifle I would opt for the Leupold. The VX-III is a step ahead of the Nikon Monarch in every way.

Correction: I just looked in the safe and I have 2 Nikons! the second one is a 5.5-16.5 x44 Monarch on my 22/250, also a very nice scope.

Hey Snellstrom, What is a rough idea of the cost on each of those scopes?

I've had a bunch of young'uns ask about getting their "first rifles" and it is generally pretty easy to recommend one after talking with the Father for a few minutes. But, I'm reluctant to tell them to not shoot until they can get a Leupold, "if" they can just get started with something a bit less expensive.

That is why I'm testing the two Milletts that I mentioned earlier.

Hot Core the Nikons were only about $50 cheaper than Leupold VXII's so they aren't a lot cheaper. For instance my last VX II I paid $290 for and the Nikon was $240 ( both 3-9x40 ).
I have been experimenting with some cheaper scopes so I could recommend them in the same situation you were speaking of and the cheapest most durable clear scope I've found is a Sightron, they are also replacement guarunteed. I paid about $105 for a Sightron 3-9x40 and have had it on a couple of 6.5x55 swedes for 500 rounds or so and it is perfect. I've never used the Millets that you refer to and don't know anyone that has one, let me know how they work out.

Hey Snellstrom, That is all excellent information. Thank you.

One scope I mention to the kids is the Tasco "World Class" model. My good hunting buddy John had one on a 30-06 for about 1000 actual Kills over 8 years. And another fellow mentioned having good luck with them on a couple of his rifles.

All the Gun Shops I've talked to have basically said, "When we sell a Bushnell, they NEVER come back, and we can't say that for Leupold or Burris." So, I want to subject a Bushnell to some stiff Recoil as well.

That Sightron sounds like something that would fit the "Inexpensive Cost" requirement. I sure appreciate you mentioning it.

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Core:

quote:

Originally posted by Tex21:
I'm hunting with a handgun this year. ...

Hey Jason, Do you have the "Caliber" selected yet?

I normally have a very old 6" 357Mag Ruger Target Model Security Six in Stainless with Hogue grips around my waist when I'm afield. Stoke the first two cylinders with Speer Shot Capsules in case I do any "Snake Dancing", and the rest filled with 158gr JSP (Bambi Blasters).

People occasionally ask me if I'm walking with a limp and it is generally because I don't have the old Ruger on - balancing me out.

Sorry I haven't gotten back with you sooner. I plan on hunting with my .44 Mag I bought earlier this year. I've got a good load I found for it that's accurate and hits hard. Most of the hunting I do is inside 70 yards so I figure a scoped revolver on a rest will do just fine. Plus, a SRH is lighter and more portable than my 30-06 and that's always a plus.

Hey Jason, I do like a nice 44Mag. Spent a lot of time with them and they are excellent Deer Killers, especially at the 70yds you mentioned.

I can think of a lot of places where I Hunt that a handgun is actually an advantage due to the close quarters. Swinging a rifle barrel around to get into position for a shot takes a good bit of movement that alerts the birds and everything else.

Best of luck with the 44Mag.

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Core:
Hey Heat, Give us some "details" on the rifles.....

I'll probably be using my .375 H&H. Built on an Interarns Mark X action & loaded with Speer 270 BTSP's over 70 gr of 4064. This rifle (El Troubador) is old and has more than a few "charecter" marks. But something about it just feels right. And when he sings his song critters fall over.

I did the 'new' thing last season with the 340wby for whitetails (overkill, yes; fun, also yes!), but this year it's back to the tried and true 270 win M77. It's easier to schlep around the woods, plus we've got some new handloads to try out.

Hey WyoJoe, One of my buddies has a friend that uses a 375H&H on the South Carolina Deer. It is a very old Belgium made Browning(long before the A-Bolt) and he uses " Lead " Bullets. Not sure what his Velocity is, but he kills a lot of Deer with it every year.
---

Hey Clayman, You mentioned "new handlaods" for the 270Win, are you trying a new Bullet?
---

I kind of thought there would be more folks than this Hunting this coming Season. Apparently not.

Good Hunting and clean 1-shot Kills to all of you.