Recent content by Mark_in_utah

I have a factory .338 RUM LSS. Factory standard 26" light weight barrel. After some heavy teething pains I've got it shooting pretty good. 250 grain Sierra Gamekings are the best so far, but haven't tried MK's. They're up on my list. 250 grain Sierra Gameking, 83.2 grains IMR4831, CCI 250...

You get diminishing returns on progressively longer barrels. Instead of picking up 250 fps, I'd expect something less, like around 100 or 150 fps improvement on a 30-06 with a really long barrel. Big-bottle magnums pick up the largest improvement with extra-long barrels, as they can hold LOTS...

Whlie for many years Weatherby had the corner on high velocity, they no longer hold a monopoly on it. The newer RUM's are pretty dang hot. For what you're looking for, I'd look at either the .300 RUM or the .338 RUM. The .300 RUM is more overbore, and believe it or not has slightly higher...

Belted cases are not the problem, it's the lack of headspace on the shoulder. Many top-notch gunsmiths will adjust the chamber so that the cartridge headspaces on both the shoulder AND the belt at the same time. Tight chambers work good whether it's a belted case or not. The .300 WM is known...

I'll second the Vais. I have a Vais on my .338 RUM, and a Magnaported 7-08. The blast on the adjoining shooter is worse with the 7-08, even tough the powder being burned is less than half. Assuming that blast = noise, the Vais is substantially quieter. ALL brakes are noisey, so don't expect...

I got a .338 RUM in the 700 LSS, and had a similar pattern. VERY poor! Here's what I'd do: 1. Before spending any money with a 'smith, I'd call Remington and complain LOUDLY. They may have you send it back to them to be re-worked. I talked to a guy that had a .300 RUM acting the same way...

Right now I'm looking at the results of testing a guy did on 180 grain .30 caliber bullets shot between 1400 and 3100 fps in deer. He shot up a LOT of road-kill deer on these test, and the results are surprising in many ways, but follow a lot of field experience people have had. He compiled...

Here's a little routine you can do to see if you're flinching. 1. Have your buddy load your gun with a mix of live rounds and dummies. 2. Balance a penny on your barrel each time you shoot. 3. Shoot the gun. If you shoot a dummy, the penny should still be there. If it slides off, you...

I'd reserve fire-lapping to the second to the last thing to do to a barrel, just before you throw it away. 1. Break it in. Allow +200 rounds for the barrel to settle in. 2. Keep the barrel clean when breaking it in. 3. Have a borescope dropped down the barrel if it's still fouling bad...

Pull the bolt, put the gun in a solid rest, point the gun at the top of the stop sign down the street and adjust the scope to match. Stuffing a bore sight down the barrel is risking messing with the crown if you're not careful. Costs less too! Just my $0.02. Mark in Utah

Here's my take on what you're looking for: 1. Hunting rifle. Something you can pack around going after big game. I'd say something under 10 pounds, including the scope, right? 2. Cartridge. Something that can knock down moose or elk at what a lot of people consider long range, which is...

People all too often get too high of a magnification on a scope, ESPECIALLY when going after big game. 4X for a 275 yard shot is in no way "under-powered" on the scope. Been there, done that. I've never made an initial shot under 200 yards for elk here in Utah. Deer are closer, but can also...

A year ago I was looking for a .338, and I ran through the whole WM vs. RUM question... The out of the barrel performance of the WM vs. the RUM is similar. Don't expect much more than 100 fps of improvement, which for game and sub-500 yard shots is a non-issue. The recoil is about 25% greater...

You'd better put a brake on that .300 RUM! I'd get a Vais and have it threaded onto the end of the barrel. I've got a camo-synthetic, which Remington made several years agot for a short time in 7RM. Cool looking gun, catches eyes at the range, and great for hunting. Everything buth the...

Re: Dont\' often see the .270 mentioned The .270 win is not seen as much for long range hunting simply because there isn't a large selection of premium bullets. The 7RM is basically a souped up .270 Win, but the selection of bullets is much better. The .270 Win using 130 grain bullets makes a...