Recent content by Coopershawk

I have the VX5's, VX6's,Z3's,Z6 and an SHV. They all seem to have really good glass to my eye. The Swarovskis have that little edge in sharpness but I can't see a big advantage in normal hunting use. Their turret system is really limited but I like the Z3 for a classic 1" look on an older...

I didn't see them mentioned yet- but Caesar Guerini would be another brand worth looking at. They build a nice gun in the range above the Beretta 687 but well below the Perazzi and K Guns. Autoloaders are great- but at 63 I don't relish scrounging for hulls on the ground;^) I would echo what...

I have a 280AI 24" that runs right about at the manual. My 270 WBY 26" hit the book velocity 1+ gr short of max. RL22 in both. Zero pressure signs and the groups were so good I saw no point in pushing it.

Back in some leaner years (me and the family budget), I had managed to accumulate, piece by piece, a fair selection of "designer" hunting wear. $40-$50 a pair socks, a couple sets of Sitka base layers and a few other pieces I wouldn't even admit to friends how much I paid for underwear. As per...

My first chronograph was the early version of the Shooting Chrony with the little black plastic folding "skycreens". Wasn't much 'sky' visible through those. Getting the line of sight for the scope and the bullet path through a pair of 4"x6" port holes was a challenge. Mine were riddled with...

I like some overhang on my bench. The last couple I've built with a layer of 3/4" plywood, then a frame of 2"x 4"s with a 2"x12" across the front where the presses are bolted. Rimmed the face with 1"x4" red oak, then another layer of 3/4" plywood. Then formica on top. This last one I...

I know it's gotten really tough. I was a couple off Max and it took me a few tries to get an area 1 tag- just competing against my own point level. I wanted to DIY so I held out for an accessible unit. It's only getting worse. I was just thinking if you are going guided for sure- there may be...

" I just turned 40 and need to start applying now if I ever hope to get to go." Better check those odds again- at 40 you're way too late! At least under WY point system- you'd be wasting your money. Unless you are "lightning strike" lucky and get a tag on the random draw. Low moose numbers...

My wife sometimes shoots pistols or .22 rifle- but she was never interested in killing/cutting part of hunting. She has been supportive and allowed me to often spend more than we had on my hobby. In later years when I started applying for special tags I drew tags in areas where I had never...

Take a look at the SKB I-Series cases. They are very tough. I like them better than most of the Pelicans because they are slimmer and lighter. They still hold my 26" guns with 50mm scopes easily. I have four and have used them pretty hard. They have survived air travel with no issues. The...

Maybe I'm just "lucky" but I have had my camp checked every time I hunted the Bighorns. They slipped into camp on foot (after riding in on horses). If I remember right- some of them were biologists who were handed ticket books for the peak seasons. Much to the chagrin of the camp next to...

For factory bullet choice I can't imagine anything more available than 300WM. Store shelves around here rarely have more than one choice in the other 300's. I don't know about military snipers, but I believe MOST police snipers DO use factory ammo. Due to liability (and probably lack of...

Any word on what reticles are coming in the VX-5HD? I really liked the 2-10X with Windplex (171388) for lightweight rigs. Leupold discontinued it already!? I got them for $599 and planned to replace a few 3.5-10 VX3's for the much better VX5 turrets. Hoping for a "Windplex lite" -...

No offense taken:) Just a different point of view. My "scientific" reference was regarding sample size. Let's say brand L sells 150,000 of a particular model and 52 people (1 in 2884) complain on the net generating some lengthy posts. Is that in indicator the brand is bad? If company B...

Hey Rich. I appreciate what you are saying. If you had a bad experience with a product I'd love to hear details. Especially if it helps me make a better decision about my next purchase. What makes no sense to me- is posting a message saying many other people said bad things- so I decided...