Not ready for season this year.

[jtoews80]

Well, season opens Nov. 1 and I am not ready. Being self employed is alot of things, but predictable it is not and I just finished a long stretch without days off and have not loaded since March. My wife and I finally moved into our own house again after selling in Oct./08 and renting until April of this year. So, things have been hectic and crazy.

I have managed to buy a couple nice guns over the past year, but also sold a couple good solid field proven rifles too.
For the past 4 months I have been very occupied with work and have not made it out to the range to speak of. This is very abnormal for me, as I usually go out shooting two or three times a month.

For this year I did not manage to go out to Grande Prarie for Elk and will only hunt WT deer locally. Gearwise, I ended up selling a 7mm STW a couple years ago to a guy that was getting his permit. It took him until december of last year to come get the rifle. In the meanwhile I figured out why it wouldn't shoot and ended up giving away a 1/2 MOA rifle.

This leaves me with a few options.

Norinco M14 in 308
700 SPS in 300 Ultra
Wby Vanguard 257
???

Tomorrow's range trip will tell. Hopefully, my lack of practice won't be too evident.


JT.

 

[FOTIS]

Good luck to you buddy. I use to have one rifle that I would not get rid of. That was (and is) my Rem 700 FS in 7mm rem mag. 1/2" all day long with various loads.
No matter what I bought and sold that one stayed in the safe. Now I have a second. The Rem 300 RUM AWR.
Point being always but always keep an Ol' reliable around! :mrgreen:

 

[DrMike]

Jason,

Best of luck in your hunting this year. Life (work and family) certainly take a toll on our recreation. However, the house will be for a long time and family is worth every investment we make. Trust you will tag some fine deer this season just to make up for the distractions.

 

[Elkman]

I think we have all had seasons like that. Remember it doesn't have to shoot little tiny groups to be effective. Once you get in the woods, smell the trees and foliage, feel the chill and taste the snow, your body and "mind" :grin: will relax and take the days as they are. Good luck and relax, you will do great :grin:

 

[DrMike]

Once you get in the woods, smell the trees and foliage, feel the chill and taste the snow, your body and "mind" will relax and take the days as they are.

Bill,

You are a philosopher! Great advice that all of us need to heed.

 

[JD338]

Take it as it comes.
Family is #1, Job #2 and hunt when you can.

Hang in there buddy. Most all of us are in the same boat to some degree.

JD338

 

[FOTIS]

Update us when you get a free moment on what the range trip revealed.

 

[JDMAG]

I understand the time constraints of being self employed! I barely had time to practice and take my son to practice as well. but we made. make the most of every free second. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[jtoews80]

Well, better now. 300 RUM is an sps, but still shoots 3/4 inch with Fed premium 200 grn Partitions. M 14 shoots 1.5 inch with UMC fmj and should be hitting same zero with fed 150 grn, not bad for a Norinco. The 257 was not great, but I got a bit shy after the 300, it hits pretty hard. My wife got scoped by her 243 youth model, oops. And the one gun I bought to look at shot 3/4 as well, a 1961 Mark V deluxe in 270 Wby with a 2-7 redfield.
However, my reloading stuff is in a pile and not mounted, and I only have 3 rounds left for it.

 

[FOTIS]

Make them count...pick your shots and good hunting!

 

[SJB358]

I am kind of in the same boat. I got home about a week ago from a deployment so I have been spending a little time doing loading, but I haven't had the chance to hit the range up just yet. I did make sure I had my 35 Whelen and 270WSM (My two rifles that are always ready) zeroed before I left on deployment, just so I know I would have something I could hunt with and not be run through the ringer trying to load/develop and shoot in a short timeline. Good luck buddy, sounds like your 300RUM would handle about anything up your way and do it with a ton left over! Scotty

 

[jtoews80]

Good luck to you too, Scotty. I hope you have a great season.

My 257 vanguard has been pretty reliable, but one evening about 5 weeks ago I went to go out and try to find some yotes and my son let our Boxer out of the house..... In the process, the dog knocked my rifle over and it landed squarely on the scope bell, I think it bent the tube because the power adjustment is really stiff.

It was shooting 2.5" yesterday at 100m, but I had also just finished setting up the 300 RUM and my shoulder was getting sore. Normally, that rifle is 1/2" and the ammo was the same lot I loaded last winter. I've still got about 40 rounds of that 100 lot left.

That 300 RUM really is too big for WT, but I just love hunting with guns that perform like that. The STW was the same, the last 2000 ft/lbs were never needed, but that trajectory made ranges out to 4-500 yds a moderate concern instead of a serious factor. I am going to try to keep my shooting to 250-300yds or less this year, due to my lack of range time. unless I can get out tomorrow and really print some nice groups on the 300m line.

JT.

 

[JDMAG]

If the deer didnt complain about the STW killing them, I doubt they will about the RUM. I shot an antelope last week with the 300 RUM and and it said nothing.. Dead is dead. :grin: