Recent content by Willys1948

To get a great factory rifle, you don’t have to spend $2000. I bought a Savage off the shelf at Cabelas in 6.5 CM to shoot smaller game in Africa. My son killed a really big Kudo (didn’t mean for him to take this gun on his stalk) at 270 yards,120 Gr bullet. Later in the hunt, I shot a Baboon...

Bullet brand etc to bullet brand etc, I’ve never noticed a difference in firsts or seconds. To me it’s no difference in the blemishes from the factory (never seen a deformed bullet in the lots I’ve bought) to the blemishes that get left from the acid on your fingers when bullets are stored for a...

My first rifle at 8 yrs old was Remington 600 in .243 (Dad bought it for me in 1964 and it’s been rebarreled). There are some of them out there on internet from time to time. Put a decent scope on it and it is a great rifle without a lot of rework etc. Mine is still in my safe and several young...

I grew up in Sanderson and very familiar with the Longfellow Ranch and most of the other ranches there. The elk must have been brought in after I left because they were known for having huge mule deer back then but no elk (or at least they never hunted them). Very nice trophy your daughter took...

I would never ever try this! I would take a little of my drinking water or water from a stream and fill the barrel up to the top (it will likely hold pretty well since the bullet is stuck in the lands). Whittle a stick to a point where it will fit into the barrel and enough to let it enter the...

I agree with F210 primers. I use F210M in any load that I want to shoot a good group with as they seem to be really consistent. If it’s the 4th shot every time, maybe barrel sensitive to heat? Try a 6-7 shot group and see if group stays bad or gets worse. Try another bullet. Some of my guns...

Jud96’s .284 suggestion good too. I have a regular ole .284 with long throat that I had built for shooting 800-1000 yds. Can’t go to the mountains with it because all in it weighs 22#. Fun to hear 800 yard targets consistently “ding” though. .284 Win is a great cartridge with bad timing to...

Agree completely with Jud96 on Peterson brass. If I can use Peterson brass, I just don’t even consider any other. Great brass reasonably priced, consistent and more reload reps.

I love my 7mm-08. Not quite the punch of my big .30 cal but packs plenty of punch for anything in NA with Barns 140’s and recoil is oh so sweet. I don’t have a headache after 20 rounds at the range. I have a Lilja barrel on a Tikka T3 LH but I wouldn’t be afraid to have Lilja build me a barrel...

Never pass up the opportunity to get another caliber. Nothing wrong with having a .270 or 2 is better. I own 6.5 Crd (2 actually), a 30-06, 7mm-08, 3 .243’s but no .270. I don’t know why though. My brother has one in Ruger 77 and I load ammo for him some. They are all great deer rifles and good...

H4350 130-140 grain bullets using Fed 210M primers works really good for me.

Wildcat westerner’s idea is very good too. My son shot a 700# Kudu in Africa with an off the shelf Savage in 6.5 Creedmore 120 Gr Hornaday at 260 yards. Shoulder shot dropped him after 10 steps.

I love my Tikka 7mm-08. It doesn’t have much kick at all and will crush deer in West Texas out to 400 yards with a 140 Hornaday ELD. I’m 62 and don’t like sharp kicks either.

I have had 3 rifles built (20 Practical, 7mm-08 and long range .284) and a barrel replaced on my 55 year old .243 (completely shot out after all these years) by Kevin Weaver at Weaver Rifles. He is replacing a barrel now on my 40 year old .300 Win Mag that never shot well to begin with. All of...