rocksolid
Member
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2014
- Messages
- 18
I've been watching the fine folks and their posts of of this site for years. I was always going to post something but didn't feel I had much to add (I still don't), but here goes.
I grew up in rural SD and have been hunting and fishing for as long as I can remember. When I can get out in the fall chances are good there will be a bow in my hand although I do get at least one or two rifle tags every year.
A couple of years ago I was heading out to Montana on an Elk hunt. I was told that shots out out to 600 yds were not uncommon. This was outside the range of my trusty model 70 30-06 dressed with a 3x9 leupold. One of our hunting party was unable to attend the hunt and offered to let me take his rifle. I took his 6.5 284 out to the range and shot it 4 times from 100 yds to 600. The 4th shot hit a a clay pigeon at 600 yards and lets just say I was intrigued, thrilled, amazed...Unfortunately we couldn't find and elk within a mile of us on that trip, but it was hands down the best unsuccessful hunting trip I had ever been on.
This will be funny to you guys but I started a quest for the holy grail, a 600 yd rifle. Picked up a savage 116 is 6.5/284 and dressed it with a Mark 4 6.5 x 20. Out of box accuracy for that rifle was poor by the standards of this site but better than my 06. I started to doubt I had the skills and/or equipment needed to get to 600 and kept my range inside of 400.
I then purchased a use tikka 25-06 for the boy. The thing shoots like no gun I have ever owned with factory ammo. That was two years ago, and now I find myself doing more guiding for the youngster than shooting for myself. This year I found a great deal on a Mark 4 4.5 x 14 and slapped it on the boys 25-06 with the understanding his package is now going to be much more capable than mine.
I decided to pull the trigger on a new Tikka 7mm and have the rifle in hand. I considered putting the 6.5 x 20 leupy on it and although I love the scope I am not crazy about the low end magnificaiton and lack of zero stop. That said I have been taking a hard look at the vx 5hd and vx 6 hd.
Questions for the forum: (If you have made it this far you are a true champ and probably have some good insight for me.)
Is it worth re-barreling my 116 to a 6.5 creed?
Is it fair to assume a decent new barrel would allow me to find factory ammo that shoots well out to 600 (yotes and deer).
Where does a guy get a prefit barrel and what do you need to spend?
Am I crazy to spend the money on a new leupold for the 7mm with high magnification (4-24 or or 4-20 as opposed to the cheaper 3-18 or 3-15 options. This is going to be my elk rifle for the rest of my life and might find a whitetail or two depending upon what happens with the Savage.
Last but not least what does a guy have to do to take advantage of the classifieds on this site.
I grew up in rural SD and have been hunting and fishing for as long as I can remember. When I can get out in the fall chances are good there will be a bow in my hand although I do get at least one or two rifle tags every year.
A couple of years ago I was heading out to Montana on an Elk hunt. I was told that shots out out to 600 yds were not uncommon. This was outside the range of my trusty model 70 30-06 dressed with a 3x9 leupold. One of our hunting party was unable to attend the hunt and offered to let me take his rifle. I took his 6.5 284 out to the range and shot it 4 times from 100 yds to 600. The 4th shot hit a a clay pigeon at 600 yards and lets just say I was intrigued, thrilled, amazed...Unfortunately we couldn't find and elk within a mile of us on that trip, but it was hands down the best unsuccessful hunting trip I had ever been on.
This will be funny to you guys but I started a quest for the holy grail, a 600 yd rifle. Picked up a savage 116 is 6.5/284 and dressed it with a Mark 4 6.5 x 20. Out of box accuracy for that rifle was poor by the standards of this site but better than my 06. I started to doubt I had the skills and/or equipment needed to get to 600 and kept my range inside of 400.
I then purchased a use tikka 25-06 for the boy. The thing shoots like no gun I have ever owned with factory ammo. That was two years ago, and now I find myself doing more guiding for the youngster than shooting for myself. This year I found a great deal on a Mark 4 4.5 x 14 and slapped it on the boys 25-06 with the understanding his package is now going to be much more capable than mine.
I decided to pull the trigger on a new Tikka 7mm and have the rifle in hand. I considered putting the 6.5 x 20 leupy on it and although I love the scope I am not crazy about the low end magnificaiton and lack of zero stop. That said I have been taking a hard look at the vx 5hd and vx 6 hd.
Questions for the forum: (If you have made it this far you are a true champ and probably have some good insight for me.)
Is it worth re-barreling my 116 to a 6.5 creed?
Is it fair to assume a decent new barrel would allow me to find factory ammo that shoots well out to 600 (yotes and deer).
Where does a guy get a prefit barrel and what do you need to spend?
Am I crazy to spend the money on a new leupold for the 7mm with high magnification (4-24 or or 4-20 as opposed to the cheaper 3-18 or 3-15 options. This is going to be my elk rifle for the rest of my life and might find a whitetail or two depending upon what happens with the Savage.
Last but not least what does a guy have to do to take advantage of the classifieds on this site.
