A Few Quick Questions

[emp1953]

For a quick and deadly option for putting away a threatening bear, Black or Griz, you can't beat a 12ga pump action, maybe a Mossberg 500, which is reasonably priced, reliable, and will hold up just fine in a saddle scabbard or an ATV. If you are in that situation with a bear it's probably going to be close up and personal anyway. A couple of quick shots of 00 Buckshot in the face will keep a bear from doing you any harm. It will hold 5 really quick shots. The key will be keeping your wits about you in such an emotional, adrenalin-packed scenario. I suspect that if you find yourself in such a predicament, you will not notice any recoil as you protect yourself and your mount.

 

[shphtr]

Just a quick caution not to be too dismissive regarding black bears as more people in Alaska are killed by black bears than griz

 

[JustMe2]

Mt pockets,Heres the thing a big 800 # bull isn't the same size as a spike or cow or calf.And when you start putting elk in small circles as I have at 7-900 yards this system is imprecise and lacking.Also im usually on a very vertical hillside and if I had the right circle it could cause a miss for extreme angle, this I knowView attachment 501790

Agreed, all elk are not created equal. Laser rangefinders and dialing is much more accurate than the Shepherd system, but the Shepherd is much, much faster. I wouldn't want to use the Shepherd to range past about 500yds with laser rangefinders now available. The error induced by the Shepherd at ranges closer than 500 yds is really insignificant for those fast, fleeting shots. Usually game observed further away than 500yds gives you time to pull out the laser rangefinder, get a distance, open the ballistic app to determine how many clicks to dial, dial the scope, and then finally aim and fire. With the Shepherd, you just fit the appropriate circle over the game and fire, no range calculation is required. Which ranging and adjustment technique is best (holdover or dialing) depends on the hunting scenario.

 

[MtPockets]

Mt pockets,Heres the thing a big 800 # bull isn't the same size as a spike or cow or calf.And when you start putting elk in small circles as I have at 7-900 yards this system is imprecise and lacking.Also im usually on a very vertical hillside and if I had the right circle it could cause a miss for extreme angle, this I knowView attachment 501790

Thank you!

 

[sp6x6]

To be clear.. many elk ,out to 800 yrds died in the testing of my Sheppard scope

 

[Small Lady]

In my post #114, I discussed the Browning BAR or Remington 7400 semiautos or Rem 7600 pump that are produced in many cartridge sizes. Gunbroker has some listed.

Triijicon ACOG makes fiber optic scopes and here is a link to some alternatives.

Real Fiber Optics Rifle Scopes

The ACOG rifle scopes are unparalleled without a doubt. But these great optics are very expensive and not all of us can afford them. Therefore, the cheap and hight quality ACOG Alternatives scopes make the budget issue much easier. ohhunt acog style rifle scope provide almost the same...

www.ohhunt.com

My only concern is about your size. And ability to put shots on target. In a hurry. Even a highly experienced hunter is very challenged to keep sights on target when faced with charging dangerous game. Thats why I suggested a semi auto over a lever, bolt, or pump. They are great guns, but a compromise when your not experienced at making quick followup shots. The last time I shot a bear with a 243, it took 3 shots. First quartering side shot, second in the neck, third in the chest. When it was 45 feet infront of me, it finally fell. I was extremely lucky to have put it down and not been killed. I will not do that again. A 243 for bear protection is to light. Especially using a 85gr bullet. It doesn carry enough energy. No chance I would put my life on that. Consider a bigger caliber. I might use the 243, IF I carried a 357 or 44 mag hand gun. But I doubt you'd want that recoil. In my 68 years, I've never actually met anyone that purposely used a 243 for bear. But I guess something is better than nothing. In any case, I highly recommend a semi auto for the kind of protection/shooting you describe. All the best! And good luck.

Thanks.
A lever is what I am used to, and fast at.
A 243 is a good size bigger than my 30-30 which is what I use now.
If I need something large, my 7mm prc will suffice.
If that is not enough I am welcome to borrow a 338 any time I want.
But the 243 lever action sure is a sweet gun, and yes I have shot them in both Browning and Henry.

Cutting a stock down isn't difficult at all.
Tape around where you want to cut, the tape helps stop splinters.
Get a fine tooth blade, and mount it backwards on the table saw, then cut slow and easy. Need it curved, bandsaw works great. Need some touch up grab a fine file. Spare time is plentiful in my life now, and I like using the wood shop to build stuff.
Made myself a night stand recently.
End table, refurbished a couple of chairs, and just last month finished a Bookcase to give a coworker for his birthday. Love love love love love the slip on recoil pad, makes the back of the stock grippier.
Drilling 1/4" holes, starting near the bottom for a lower C of G, put in lead, as much as is needed. Drilling 9 inches deep, taking off the weight of the wood drilled out, adds about 2.3 ounces per 9 inch piece.
Want less, don't drill 9 inches deep.
Want more, drill more holes.
A ranch hand here was a gunsmith, and as he says, it isn't rocket science or brain surgery. Most gunsmiths aren't professional wood workers either.
A coworker bought a rifle from a gunsmith, the way he bedded it wanted to make me cry. Looks like he used a dremel while drunk when seen taken apart.
If I was swapping out a barrel, trigger, or something on my own rifles, I would trust myself to do it before a gunsmith. Its their income source, so they want to be done quickly, and onto the next money making job.
Me, if I putter around for 4 hours, I had fun doing so, costs me nothing, and I can go slowly and carefully.
Questions, youtube videos are an excellent resource.
Same reason I refuse to let the ford dealer service my company pickup, or the can am dealer my ATV. I do it myself, and then know that its done right.
Dealerships want the techs to go quickly, and some techs are paid flat rate per job, so they won't waste a second on a job.
Me, i have all the time I need.
My ATV is awkward to grease, but if it takes me 30 minutes no big deal, at least I get all the fittings greased well. Cleaning the clutches is a big job. Even changing the oil in it is a task, because it needs partial disassembly to reach the oil filter cartridge cover.
When I began here my boss bought me a brand new ATV identical to his own. But then his developed a squeak at certain times, so he had me load it into my F150 and drop it off at the dealer, with a list of work he wanted done on it.
A few days later I was sent to retrieve it, which I did.
Well it still had the same squeak going over bumps sometimes, so i traded him quads for a while oneday, ran his down to the shop we have, and I greased it myself.
No more squeaky noise.
Mine hasn't been worked on by anyone else but me.
That way I know what was done for sure, and it was done slowly and carefully.

For me my guns are the same way, if they need cutting down, balancing, scope mounted, rebedded in the future, barrel swapped, I'll be the one doing it. Maybe a gunsmith could do the same work in a quarter of the time, I really don't care.
And if I need to watch YouTube tutorials for 2 hours before beginning, can do.
Also it feels great doing things myself.
When I can do something myself, why would I want to hire someone to do it for me. My boss had me take 3 vehicles to the tire shop today, to get new winters installed.
Its a long drive to town, then sit there and wait and wait for them to finish, only to do a substandard job.
When my boss returned home I said to him, may I order a tire changer and balancer, so i can do them here, and do it correctly, not like those clowns. He said sure, so I had already been researching them while waiting for hours at the tire store, so clickety click I hit order on them, and a good supply of wheel weighs, cones for different wheel hole sizes, and they are on the way. I guarantee that I will do a vastly superior job to those tire shop clowns.
They balance only to ehhh close enough.
Tire pressures are in the ballpark, so close enough.
Impact guns doing up lug nuts, lower it, and then run around with a torque wrench set to whatever it was at from the last job, and if it clicks good enough...of course it clicks, its on too tight from the air gun skippy.
I took the boss's wifes brand new Porsche in today, the same one I drove home from Vancouver earlier this week.
Well i was ready for them this time.
I walked out to the shop with my own pressure gauge, and torque wrench set to the CORRECT TORQUE.
When skippy was done half way balancing them, and ready to put the wheel back on, I took them from him, lifted it up screwed the lug nuts on as tight as i could with it on a hoist, and adjusted the air pressure exactly right.
Once skippy was done balancing the last tire, i put it on, lowered it, and then in a 3 step criss cross pattern tightened the lug nuts properly.
My God why can't people take a little pride in what they do, and do it correctly.
When the new balancer comes, I will remove the wheels from her beautiful new Cayenne, and truly balance them, and reinstall.
My F150 needs new winters on it, I grabbed them today at the store and tossed them into my boss's pickup, and will install myself later, so it is done properly.
No stretched wheel studs, can get them off on the side of the road if i get a flat, and drive smoothly with perfect balance and psi.
Want it done right, do it yourself.

 

[M77Fan]

You are making me miss my old 30-30.

 

[Small Lady]

You are making me miss my old 30-30.

Amen!
My 22 has a scope on it, as soon as I am done shooting, I turn the magnification down to minimum.

Like yourself, I didn't find cutting a stock down even remotely challenging, have done 2 now.
I wonder if some gunsmiths tell people that they better use them for every little task, so they continue having lots of customers paying huge dollars out.
Its like shops telling people they better get their cars, motorcycles, etc serviced by a mechanic in a shop.
Why?
Most maintenance is brain dead simple to do, but yet so many people are scared to try.
A friend drives a Toyota Rav4, the dealer wanted $190 to change the 2 air filters in it.
I said don't do that, what a rip off.
Go to an independent parts store, buy the engine air, and cabin air filters, watch a couple of youtube videos, and do it yourself. She called me back an hour later and said done. Cost her $43 for the filters, and took her 6 minutes to change both, after spending 10 minutes on youtube.

 

[Small Lady]

Here's a good article comparing the 243 vs 308 for your pleasure. The 308 drop at 300 yds is only about 2" lower than a 243, but it kicks twice as hard as a 243.

.243 Win vs .308 Win - Cartridge Comparison - Sniper Country

It’s always a fun and informative exercise to put two cartridges up against one another. In this case, it’s the .243 vs the .308.

www.snipercountry.com

That's a great read.
Makes me like The 243 even more.
Thank you.

 

[Noobie]

Thanks.
A lever is what I am used to, and fast at.
A 243 is a good size bigger than my 30-30 which is what I use now.
If I need something large, my 7mm prc will suffice.
If that is not enough I am welcome to borrow a 338 any time I want.
But the 243 lever action sure is a sweet gun, and yes I have shot them in both Browning and Henry.

Cutting a stock down isn't difficult at all.
Tape around where you want to cut, the tape helps stop splinters.
Get a fine tooth blade, and mount it backwards on the table saw, then cut slow and easy. Need it curved, bandsaw works great. Need some touch up grab a fine file. Spare time is plentiful in my life now, and I like using the wood shop to build stuff.
Made myself a night stand recently.
End table, refurbished a couple of chairs, and just last month finished a Bookcase to give a coworker for his birthday. Love love love love love the slip on recoil pad, makes the back of the stock grippier.
Drilling 1/4" holes, starting near the bottom for a lower C of G, put in lead, as much as is needed. Drilling 9 inches deep, taking off the weight of the wood drilled out, adds about 2.3 ounces per 9 inch piece.
Want less, don't drill 9 inches deep.
Want more, drill more holes.
A ranch hand here was a gunsmith, and as he says, it isn't rocket science or brain surgery. Most gunsmiths aren't professional wood workers either.
A coworker bought a rifle from a gunsmith, the way he bedded it wanted to make me cry. Looks like he used a dremel while drunk when seen taken apart.
If I was swapping out a barrel, trigger, or something on my own rifles, I would trust myself to do it before a gunsmith. Its their income source, so they want to be done quickly, and onto the next money making job.
Me, if I putter around for 4 hours, I had fun doing so, costs me nothing, and I can go slowly and carefully.
Questions, youtube videos are an excellent resource.
Same reason I refuse to let the ford dealer service my company pickup, or the can am dealer my ATV. I do it myself, and then know that its done right.
Dealerships want the techs to go quickly, and some techs are paid flat rate per job, so they won't waste a second on a job.
Me, i have all the time I need.
My ATV is awkward to grease, but if it takes me 30 minutes no big deal, at least I get all the fittings greased well. Cleaning the clutches is a big job. Even changing the oil in it is a task, because it needs partial disassembly to reach the oil filter cartridge cover.
When I began here my boss bought me a brand new ATV identical to his own. But then his developed a squeak at certain times, so he had me load it into my F150 and drop it off at the dealer, with a list of work he wanted done on it.
A few days later I was sent to retrieve it, which I did.
Well it still had the same squeak going over bumps sometimes, so i traded him quads for a while oneday, ran his down to the shop we have, and I greased it myself.
No more squeaky noise.
Mine hasn't been worked on by anyone else but me.
That way I know what was done for sure, and it was done slowly and carefully.

For me my guns are the same way, if they need cutting down, balancing, scope mounted, rebedded in the future, barrel swapped, I'll be the one doing it. Maybe a gunsmith could do the same work in a quarter of the time, I really don't care.
And if I need to watch YouTube tutorials for 2 hours before beginning, can do.
Also it feels great doing things myself.
When I can do something myself, why would I want to hire someone to do it for me. My boss had me take 3 vehicles to the tire shop today, to get new winters installed.
Its a long drive to town, then sit there and wait and wait for them to finish, only to do a substandard job.
When my boss returned home I said to him, may I order a tire changer and balancer, so i can do them here, and do it correctly, not like those clowns. He said sure, so I had already been researching them while waiting for hours at the tire store, so clickety click I hit order on them, and a good supply of wheel weighs, cones for different wheel hole sizes, and they are on the way. I guarantee that I will do a vastly superior job to those tire shop clowns.
They balance only to ehhh close enough.
Tire pressures are in the ballpark, so close enough.
Impact guns doing up lug nuts, lower it, and then run around with a torque wrench set to whatever it was at from the last job, and if it clicks good enough...of course it clicks, its on too tight from the air gun skippy.
I took the boss's wifes brand new Porsche in today, the same one I drove home from Vancouver earlier this week.
Well i was ready for them this time.
I walked out to the shop with my own pressure gauge, and torque wrench set to the CORRECT TORQUE.
When skippy was done half way balancing them, and ready to put the wheel back on, I took them from him, lifted it up screwed the lug nuts on as tight as i could with it on a hoist, and adjusted the air pressure exactly right.
Once skippy was done balancing the last tire, i put it on, lowered it, and then in a 3 step criss cross pattern tightened the lug nuts properly.
My God why can't people take a little pride in what they do, and do it correctly.
When the new balancer comes, I will remove the wheels from her beautiful new Cayenne, and truly balance them, and reinstall.
My F150 needs new winters on it, I grabbed them today at the store and tossed them into my boss's pickup, and will install myself later, so it is done properly.
No stretched wheel studs, can get them off on the side of the road if i get a flat, and drive smoothly with perfect balance and psi.
Want it done right, do it yourself.

Sounds like you have quite the skillset, along with the proper tools, so go for it!

 

[jjmp]

Small Lady, nice write up ,sure puts me at ease,that ain't no city girl talking.

 

[bluedog69]

 

[bluedog69]

 

[Rflshootr]

Thanks.
A lever is what I am used to, and fast at.
A 243 is a good size bigger than my 30-30 which is what I use now.
If I need something large, my 7mm prc will suffice.
If that is not enough I am welcome to borrow a 338 any time I want.
But the 243 lever action sure is a sweet gun, and yes I have shot them in both Browning and Henry.

Cutting a stock down isn't difficult at all.
Tape around where you want to cut, the tape helps stop splinters.
Get a fine tooth blade, and mount it backwards on the table saw, then cut slow and easy. Need it curved, bandsaw works great. Need some touch up grab a fine file. Spare time is plentiful in my life now, and I like using the wood shop to build stuff.
Made myself a night stand recently.
End table, refurbished a couple of chairs, and just last month finished a Bookcase to give a coworker for his birthday. Love love love love love the slip on recoil pad, makes the back of the stock grippier.
Drilling 1/4" holes, starting near the bottom for a lower C of G, put in lead, as much as is needed. Drilling 9 inches deep, taking off the weight of the wood drilled out, adds about 2.3 ounces per 9 inch piece.
Want less, don't drill 9 inches deep.
Want more, drill more holes.
A ranch hand here was a gunsmith, and as he says, it isn't rocket science or brain surgery. Most gunsmiths aren't professional wood workers either.
A coworker bought a rifle from a gunsmith, the way he bedded it wanted to make me cry. Looks like he used a dremel while drunk when seen taken apart.
If I was swapping out a barrel, trigger, or something on my own rifles, I would trust myself to do it before a gunsmith. Its their income source, so they want to be done quickly, and onto the next money making job.
Me, if I putter around for 4 hours, I had fun doing so, costs me nothing, and I can go slowly and carefully.
Questions, youtube videos are an excellent resource.
Same reason I refuse to let the ford dealer service my company pickup, or the can am dealer my ATV. I do it myself, and then know that its done right.
Dealerships want the techs to go quickly, and some techs are paid flat rate per job, so they won't waste a second on a job.
Me, i have all the time I need.
My ATV is awkward to grease, but if it takes me 30 minutes no big deal, at least I get all the fittings greased well. Cleaning the clutches is a big job. Even changing the oil in it is a task, because it needs partial disassembly to reach the oil filter cartridge cover.
When I began here my boss bought me a brand new ATV identical to his own. But then his developed a squeak at certain times, so he had me load it into my F150 and drop it off at the dealer, with a list of work he wanted done on it.
A few days later I was sent to retrieve it, which I did.
Well it still had the same squeak going over bumps sometimes, so i traded him quads for a while oneday, ran his down to the shop we have, and I greased it myself.
No more squeaky noise.
Mine hasn't been worked on by anyone else but me.
That way I know what was done for sure, and it was done slowly and carefully.

For me my guns are the same way, if they need cutting down, balancing, scope mounted, rebedded in the future, barrel swapped, I'll be the one doing it. Maybe a gunsmith could do the same work in a quarter of the time, I really don't care.
And if I need to watch YouTube tutorials for 2 hours before beginning, can do.
Also it feels great doing things myself.
When I can do something myself, why would I want to hire someone to do it for me. My boss had me take 3 vehicles to the tire shop today, to get new winters installed.
Its a long drive to town, then sit there and wait and wait for them to finish, only to do a substandard job.
When my boss returned home I said to him, may I order a tire changer and balancer, so i can do them here, and do it correctly, not like those clowns. He said sure, so I had already been researching them while waiting for hours at the tire store, so clickety click I hit order on them, and a good supply of wheel weighs, cones for different wheel hole sizes, and they are on the way. I guarantee that I will do a vastly superior job to those tire shop clowns.
They balance only to ehhh close enough.
Tire pressures are in the ballpark, so close enough.
Impact guns doing up lug nuts, lower it, and then run around with a torque wrench set to whatever it was at from the last job, and if it clicks good enough...of course it clicks, its on too tight from the air gun skippy.
I took the boss's wifes brand new Porsche in today, the same one I drove home from Vancouver earlier this week.
Well i was ready for them this time.
I walked out to the shop with my own pressure gauge, and torque wrench set to the CORRECT TORQUE.
When skippy was done half way balancing them, and ready to put the wheel back on, I took them from him, lifted it up screwed the lug nuts on as tight as i could with it on a hoist, and adjusted the air pressure exactly right.
Once skippy was done balancing the last tire, i put it on, lowered it, and then in a 3 step criss cross pattern tightened the lug nuts properly.
My God why can't people take a little pride in what they do, and do it correctly.
When the new balancer comes, I will remove the wheels from her beautiful new Cayenne, and truly balance them, and reinstall.
My F150 needs new winters on it, I grabbed them today at the store and tossed them into my boss's pickup, and will install myself later, so it is done properly.
No stretched wheel studs, can get them off on the side of the road if i get a flat, and drive smoothly with perfect balance and psi.
Want it done right, do it yourself.

My gut tells me there is much more to you than first meets the eye.