Another New Dummy

[gamehauler]

I know from the other hunting forums that I go to way to often that some of you senior members watch the online user list and have seen my name quite a bit.
I know how to use the search but just have not really found all the answers I am looking for so here we go

I have a Rem # 700 BDL in 7MM Rem mag.
It has a break and a new triger, adjustable and I think set at 2#

This gun has served me well and want to set it up to be very comfortable at say 600yrds on Elk, Deer and Antelope.
Another Sheep tag would be nice

I do not have alot of money so what I am looking at doing at this point is a new stock (light weight) and try my first shot at bedding.
New scope with turrets, I do not want to hold over.
The rifle now sports a Nikon Buckmaster 4.5X14X40.
which I will put on my girls Rem#7-7MM-08

As stated in another post,
As we age we start loosing things like eyesite
so I might want to jump up to a 50MM scope but thats???
It I did is there a stock with a higher cheek rest for that reason.

I am also in the works of getting set up to reload
so there is another $$$$ that I am trying to work with at the same time.

I live in a smaller town so putting my hands on things before I buy is a little tough.

I would like to thank all of you in advance for your input
and friendly welcome that I know I will receive from how I have seen you welcome other new members.
Merry Christmas and may the New Year be better than the last.

Mike

 

[gamehauler]

I dont think it posted

 

[Ian M]

Besides looking for a stock with minumum drop at the comb you can attach an Eagle stock pack to most stocks to increase the height. Eagles are great accessories.

As for a higher comb, there are lots of options there, depends mostly on $ and which maker and design you prefer.

 

[royinidaho]

Mike,

Another Dummy, eh If you really are, I must be the other one. The forum only allows two.

The small town thing I understand. There are only a few places smaller than Blackfoot, Id. In size yes. In available services, no way!!

I understand your "eye" thing. 50mm would be minimum and the height isn't that much different or uncomfortable, heck its only 5mm higher but I have no idea of what a mm is. I build my own stocks so that's a non issue. Another thing you could consider for the higher comb, other than the stock pack, is building it up with Accura Glass gel. But then you're stuck with painting the stock. But if you like black, a spray can of pick-up bed liner will work wonders.

I've been agonizing over a scope lately myself. I'd recommend making a trip to the big city at dusk and try some side by side personal comparisons. The store will usually allow you to take several out back and take a look.

Your eyes will be different than anyone else's thus what I select would most probably be different than what you would select.

Sound like its going to be a fun project.

 

[gamehauler]

Thanks Guys
I understand quality optics and own Swarovski binos and spotting scope
but just really do not have $1000.00 + to spend on a rifle scope right now.
I have been reading some pretty good reviews on the SWFA Super Sniper.
Is it worth a crap or should I just wait till I can afford something else?
I do not know what design of stock I would like since I have never used anything except factory stocks but think I whould like the feel of a thumb hole.
Are the Boyds laminated stocks any good?
looks like I could pick one up on Ebay for around $150.00-$200.00
Thanks again,
Mike

 

[royinidaho]

I have a SuperSniper 16X with Sun Shade. It tracks perfectly and works well but I want more light at dusk and dawn. Box, papers and all that kind of stuff. $260.00 shipped, conus. PM if interested. PM me if interested.

Nothing wrong with Boyd's stocks.

 

[gamehauler]

The light gathering was my main concern about the S.S.
since so many shots are at first and last light.
For under $500.00 though I could have a scope, stock and bedded.
Am I spinning my wheels and wasting my money going this route
Or is this a good way to get into shooting at longer ranges and upgrade latter?
Thanks,
Mike

 

[jay1957]

Hi Mike, in my limited experince with LR shooting (I hunt mostly power line breaks) usually not more than 500 yds for whitetail and feral hogs.

Anyway, I read where you were going to try bedding your rifle..IMHO this is a mistake.
Instead, order you a set of adjustable aluminum pillar bedding blocks(really tubes) from Brownells.

Bottom your action on these tubes and epoxy them in place when you get them set perfectly.
Some people will call this silly, but a free floated barrel has always shot better for me.

Good shooting, Jay

 

[gamehauler]

Oh Crap
More new stuff
Thanks for the reply and I looked at alot of the bedding threads and I have not seen this yet.
Guys
I am a hunter not a Shooooooter, Hell, I can't even spell ir right
I got a grand to spend and am trying to do something with what I got...

You Butt heads and this web site are going to cost me a bunch of money in the futher but for now lets set my old *** up to Harvest an Elk at 600yds.

I HATE this place allready
Mike

 

[royinidaho]

I'd hang out on here a bit longer before falling into the long range hunting quick sand. This thing is pretty addictive. Experience is the best teacher, as long as its some one else's experience. And less expensive too.

The super sniper is touted as being a good starter scope for long range hunting. It good, sturdy, tracks well and is super for everything that I did with it up to and until hunting in the mountains. I had it on my 270 AM and had worked up drops to 1200 yds. When I got to the mountains the rifle was relatively useless at dusk, at dawn, when the mountain side was shaded and when a cloud went in front of the sun.

That's more or less 350 bucks down the tube.

The advise has been to purchase the very best glass one can afford, it took me few of these kinds of experiences to learn that. Its also said kind of like this; a 1000 dollar piece of glass on a 300 dollar rifle is better than the other way around.

Also I have jumped to the conclusion that you have a daughter with a pretty decent rifle to accompany you on the hunts. That's whatcha call priceless!!! Thus, I'm thinking to keep the cost of you rifle down but still do the job without reducing the amount you can hunt cause you have a pretty rifle and no gas in the tank. As is said in Idaho, 'Do ya see what I'm saying?'

Break Break one nine - I just read jay1957's post and your reply

I also am/was a hunter vs a shooter until I did the hunt this year with Buffalobob, who is a shooter, in spades!

If I were in your shoes, which I really am, regarding spending chunks of money to purposely thump an animal at distance on purpose, rather than just extend my range should the opportunity arise and there's a big difference, which I learn'd this year (take a breath here) here's what I'd do.

I did the pillar bed thing using whatever it was I got from brownells and did a nearly perfect job, if I say so my self & comparing it to Kirby's following the written instructions and Kirby's process, modified by my own periodic panic attacks then skim bedded. I'm sure you'll do that well. So there's some bucks saved.

One recommendation would be to let the skim bedding flow up the stock to the end of the chamber (where the bbl begins to taper). Why, you ask? I just like it and have had good luck with the idea.

If your good load then shoots better then good. If not adjust the powder up and down a little. If it still hasn't improved "that much" $40 should get you a recrown job which is never a bad idea.

Also, get the trigger pull down to 2 pounds or as low as you are comfortable with for your style of hunting.

Next I'd make sure your shooting rest is as it should be. I would seriously consider dumping any bench shooting for prone from a bipod as that's how LR shooting will be accomplished in the field, for the most part.

I'm working on a trade for a versa pod, which I know nothing about which I would chip in to the cause just for the good will. That is if you don't already have a Harris, which I despise for reasons that are inherited from some distant ancestor, I guess.

Now we get to the scope. You said you will shift this scope to the daughter's rifle which indicates that you're gonna give her the cheap short shots. Way to go Dad! I'm betting she can out shoot you. You better keep her up to speed with you. Get her involved, if she will, in this project. That's priceless too.

Can you get Turrets for your scope. It has enough power for long range even if its a bit weak in the light passing department. I've put knobs on some of my older Leupolds back in the day. Its a stop gap measure at best, though.

I've been told that the newer scopes of some brands, Nikon, Bushnell, Burris have come a long way in the last year or so. Something about some kind of nifty coating on prizms or something?? I don't know the slightest thing about this stuff. But they are worth checking out. Again I'd do a side by side comparison.

By the time you get all of this under your belt, you will have resisted spending dollars unnecessarily, learned a bunch, had some fun and will have a much better idea of what you 'really' need for your style of long range hunting.

The short answer should have been, "yep, this is a good way to get into long range shooting and up grade later."

In the mean time put the 1000 bucks in ING.com and letter grow a bit. Yeah, right???

 

[gamehauler]

Thanks'
First, I am not trying to build a gun so I can (try) to harvest a critter at say 600yds. I am doing this so that I (could) if I had too.
The Az Game and Fish Dept is on this kick to provide hunting oppertunity
instead of quality hunts which really means they are moving the hunts out of the Rut and into other times of the year so they can put more hunters into the field with having the same harvest numbers. So to be a succesful hunter with the increase in hunter #'s I have to us what ever tools I can to beat the other guys.
so if I CAN make a clean shot at 600 versus taking an hour to get within 300 and have it shot out from under me I want to be able.

I have 2 daughters that love to hunt and been very successful and yes they can out shoot me. Their model 7 now tots a 30MM Burris and just does not have the light gathering of my Nikon, so my thougt of putting it on the 7.
they have both taken Cow Elk (and several other critters) with the 7MM-08 but the last 2 years my youngest has used my 7Mag to take 2 Bulls so 1 long range, BIG game gun will work for all of us.
As a little side note.
We passed up a 380" Bull that we were after opening morning because he was pushing the 400yard mark and she/I had never shot that far before.
I do not want that to happen again.

Can I put turrets on my Buckmaster and what would that cost?
Would it track well or would this just be more money out the window?
That would be fine with me till I can step up to the big pump.

The trigger is set at 2#, that was a typeo when I said 4#.

I do have a Versa Pod with a mount on both guns.

Thanks again for the input,
Mike

 

[Buffalobob]

Here are your two low cost options.
Option 1

Leave the Burris on the 7 mag and get a set of Stoney Point knobs for $26.00. Get you four boxes of Nosler accubond 160s or partitions put some RL22 and some Fed 215s behind them (This works in a 7 Wby so it should in a 7 Rem) and get as much speed as you can while holding group size to 1 MOA. As you have noticed an elk is nearly as big as an elephant so it has a large target area and you don't need benchrest accuracy at 600 yards.

Shoot the selected load at 100 and set the Stoney Point to Zero. Shot the load to zero at 200 and record the setting of the stoney point on a peice of paper. Shoot to zeros at 300 yards and record the setting and keep doing this and recording the setting until you get to 600 yards. (If you are having fun You can keep going but a 7 Rem Mag is going to run out of killing power at 700 -800 yards on a 380 bull. (Now if he is past 1K just give me a ring on the cell phone and I will be happy to come with a gun and kill him for you. You can even tote him out and have all of the meat).
You now have what is known as a drop chart or in other words your rifle is dialed in. At this time call one of your daughters into the computer room being as you don't have enough sense to know how to do this, and have her type up the drop chart in "bold" and in #6 font. with close spacing. When she prints it out for you, see if you can read it. If you can, then have her save it to hard drive and get some clear packaging tape and tape the drop chart to your stock so it is water proofed.

Then take yourself off to church and thank God for your intelligent daughters and ask him if by the way he could give you good shooting light next year on the elk because the Burris is just not so clear.


If you think God is not in a good mood with you and will not give you good shooting light then pursue option #2

Option 2

Swap the scope and put the Burris with Stoney Point on your daughters' gun and be prepared to be embarrassed at the end of next year when they do better than you.

Take the Nikon and put it on the 7 Rem mag. Load some 160 accubonds or partitions and go and zero the rifle at 300 yards. Now then, the hard to explain part occurs but I promise you it works, but I may not explain it properly. With the rifle zeroed at 300 yards, take off the dust cover and record the setting as best you can. The way I do it is I say "7 clicks counterclockwise from zero". This is important to get right and record properly. Now then shoot and zero the rifle at 400 yards and record how many clicks up you went from 300 yards. Do the same for 500 yards and 600 yards. Go and get both daughters (not just one) and tell them what you have done and ask them to type you up a drop chart. The two daughters will look at each other and understand that you are a man and not too bright and will decide on how to type up where your zero is so you will understand it and be able to find it again. Tape it to your stock. It is critically important that this be in clicks from your zero and that when you unscrew the dust cover that you look at the knob and know if you are at your 300 yard zero and then it is just counting clicks up to the range of the big bull. I don't own a Nikon, so I do not know what it looks like under the cover but you will need to remove the cover and twist the dial with your fingers or something. Make sure you have the something with you. Unless it is raining, you should hunt with the dust cover removed.


I personally have done this with a rilfe I shoot in competition and I don't mind looking a little stupid in front of people in a competition so you shouldn't worry about it when the big bull is out there at 400 yards. You will kill him deader than a hammer.

It cost you nothing much to try what I have said so give it a try and if you have questions let me know. It is not fancy and many people will give you a bad time until you post up the picture of the big bull and prove that it works. Do not worry about altitude and temperature changes and all of the stupidity that many people spend hours and hours on. it is not very critical at 600 yards. Try to remember you just want to extend your rifle's ability to 600 yards, not win the Olympic Gold Medal so you don't need to spend a ton of money.

 

[royinidaho]

BB's advice is good!

 

[gamehauler]

Your right Roy BB's advise is good.
A little Brutal but good
Mike