Hunting Forum

Weeg, did you buy stainless?

Here's an example of why a line like this is important... I'm watching a hunting show right now, the host is carrying a sako a7 with a leupold vx-3L on it in 270 wsm. He made a 300 yd shot... Now, that's a $900 rifle,(stainless) with a $700 scope plus sako rings typically run around $100... $1700 rig, pus a ranch guided hunt....

Are thos shots ones you can't make with a marlin 270 with a red field scope? No. Saved yourself $1200 too.... Anything wrong with an expensive rigq? NO! I'd love to own one, just unrealistic for budget hunters. Thanks to marlin, savage and mossberg there are accurate reliable new rifles for budget hunting... Now if we can just get a hunting show to test and advertise budget gear...

Well, I do have to throw a bone to "deer and deer hunting", their host, Charlie ? Commented that while a booner is everyones favorite, the public land basket 8 is actually a tougher hunt than a ranch, Texas, Canadian booner.... Glad someone's starting to take note

I did not buy stainless.

I wound up buying it from a local shop. The owner is top notch and I know if I have any problems I can walk in, lay the gun on the counter, and he will take care of it. He has a full time gunsmith with a full shop on site.

Could I have bought that same gun cheaper somewhere? No doubt. Would I have the same peace of mind and great customer service? Not even close!!

I'll be honest, I spent the day yesterday hunting in a cold downpour. Couldn't see through the scope half the time b/c of fog and water on the outside. Given the parameters, I'll be getting more bushnell 3200's with rain guard. They are right at the upper limit of our budget price limit and it's only necessary once every two years, but on those days it's the difference between getting a shot and not.

Scope in question... Leupold M8 4x

Well, got the savage edge back from the smith. Triggers better but just okay now. However, even with the improved trigger had a wild time sighting in that rifle. The vortex diamondback scope on it seems to be wildly inconsistent. 2 clicks of the '1/4 moa' adjustment can change poi by 2-4 inches. A blind man twisting randomly would have as much luck sighting in the scope. For that fact, and the fact that eye relief changes quickly with power changes Down to an uncomfortable less than 3", I have had better luck sighting in a $40 tasco pronghorn than thus $189 vortex. Don't think I'll buy another and certainly would not recommend it.

Btw, if you need a cheap scope but want a range adjusting recticle I noticed that bushnell puts it's DOA 600 on the trophy xlt scope... Which I found on line for as little as $100

Another point of note... I've used various descenting clothing wash with descenting body wash as I only have 1 set of scent look and they're not cold weather gear. Everything I tried worked reasonably well, two years ago five deer passed me at 20 yards and barely paused as they caused my scent trail. I tried that stuff that's supposed to cut UV in your clothes part of last year and this year. This year I had a doe cross my scent at 80 yards and respond like she'd been lit on fire. I already had my doubts about this stuff, but this was so clear, I'll never use it again. May as well have been using repellent.

The ti 4 and primos silver are my favorites although it's probably just the shiny bottle and the wildlife research stuff works just as well.

My m-I-l is buying me a Caldwell gun rest for Christmas... Thanks mom... So I'll be trying again to sight in the rifle with the Vortex scope on it. It's sighted in for 100, so I carried it today. It's low light transmission was in vx3 level. I was hunting until last legal light, which is 30 minutes after sunset, and at 100 yds I could still make out detail in the tree bark. It was clear as day. All the way to the edges, clear and bright.

Had the bushnell elite 3200 out last night. Not quite as good light transmission, but no problem through last legal light. Better adjustments, not nearly the field of view as the vortex. Interesting, they are about the same price level scope but the emphasis is different. Overall I'd say the bushnell is more balanced. There's more to a scope than just glass. Tracking, usability, reliability, all come to play

Friend suggested the other day that I move this to a regular blog with tweet and Facebook connections so others could see it.

As is mentioned under the optics heading here, rain guard is also available on binoculars. If you can find them on sale you are able to use them all the time. My nikons, and jason's before them, fog up on the outside due to the heat from my eyes when it's cold and I try to use them. Bring them up to my eyes, take them down to defogger. Use again, rain guard would sure be nice. The gentleman over in optics mentions finding his for only 120 or so.

So I'm on the trice gunshot website tonight and notice they have 6 different package gun bolt actions for under 350. Two savages, a Stevens (essentially the same thing), a marlin, the Remington 770 and a mossberg maverick. I'd like to be able to compare accuracy of them, especially with your basic scope on it for price. See how the triggers, fit, stock and all are. Anyone know how to set up a comparison? I can't actually afford them all at once.

Gehee,
  Man I tell you I am an ASST Mgr for a major retail auto parts store and I fall into the lower middle class.  I have a chance to hunt about 40 acres in Hickman County Tn.  I have never had the chance to hunt like this.  I lived in Florida and all I had for me was a walk in area,  or beg a friend to take me out on the airboat to other public land.  What sucks is that its hard to get on a good lease or even get a chance to go to a good outfitter.  I just got to emails for hunts in Ill. and Iowa and shoot it would take three pay checks to even sign up for one of those.  Let alone try to get new stuff.  Its getting to the point where you cant even get the things you need.  I would love a forum called the budget hunter to get the chance to find out what kind of bargins and ideas someone like myself can do to make it great to go hunting.

Well, if I decide to Twitter and Facebook I'll probably get a real blog.

For the budget hunter in bad climates, savage has added a stainless offering to the axis (the rifle formerly known as edge). Marlin also offers one in their x series... But this does add some coin It adds $80 to the savage.

Use your phone to check ammo prices. I found today a $14 variance amongst local shops on one box of ammo. That's huge,BUT remember with gas prices what they are include the cost difference in fuel when you shop. For example, gas is currently $3 per gallon, one shop will take me seconds to get to, the other half hour each way and 2 gallons of gas. If the price difference is $6 per box my total is equal and I saved an hour of time... However, if I'm buying 5 boxes (I saved up) the $30 difference, plus tax, makes the trip worth my time...

Watch for deals, Right after Thanksgiving Sportsman's warehouse Had Browning X bolts for less than $500. That would have blown a huge hole in my Christmas shopping budget but it was sure tempting.

Another argument for the 'big three' (270, 308, 30-06). I was atwalmart to pick up some shells last night. Rem corlokt 17.97 a box, 7-08 were 24.97 a box and the 7 rem mag 28.97 a box. To a degree I understand the cost of the mag, but the brass, powder and bullet for the 7-08 are significantly smaller than the -06 so basically you're paying for the privilege of owning the caliber.

If you are looking for a compact scope, I noticed the other day that burris timberline scopes are compact (13 oz 3-9) and available with the ballistic plex for as low as 120 right now... 13 oz is much heavier than a leupold ultralight(8.8) but you could buy 3 for the price of one and it is lighter than other brand fullsize scopes. In keeping with leupold brand being light, the red field family of full-size(starting at 129) are about the same weight as other companies compacts.

I spent some time at the range today since I have to find new ammo for all three of my rifles. For two the ammo was discontinued, for the third I was VERY unhappy with bullet performance on game.

Each rifle turned in one sub moa performance today, oddly with the cheapest ammo each time. My Winchester 30-06 ranger turned in right at moa with the 150 Winchester powermax. The savage model 10 turned in an even .5 with fusion 120 grains (7-08).the savage edge 7-08 turned in .85 with the same ammo. Got 1.5 out of federal ballistic tips with both savages and 1.25 out of the Winchester with nosler custom accubond. The accubond I hit a deer with this year went through without opening, so I won't use it again. Too hard of a bullet for small deer 125 lb unless you hit bone. The savages continue to hate on the hornady superformance ammo, 4.5 being the best performance I could muster.

One aside, although I have some complaints about it I continue to be amazed at how much sharper the glass in the vortex is than in the equally priced bushnell elite 3200. It's more like shooting 2 different classes of scope although their in store new price is within $10 of each other.

I think the Winchester would shoot better, even with the same loads, if I put a different scope on it. It only has a 4x so the other scopes allow me to see the target more perfectly. Oddly that has only helped on the range as in thewoids I typically keep the scopes set at lower power than that. Any suggestions we'd like to see? I'm leaning towards another bushnell elite asi really like rain guard, but could be convinced to try the trophy xlt doa or a nikon buckmaster bcd or similar.

Just found your topic.  Keep it up!

I guess I should do a destruction test. In WT I like ammo that opens fast because I hunt public land. This reduces the number of deer lost to other hunters. A bonded bullet can go right through if you don't hit bone. Lost deer means lost meat. Lost meat is lost money. I like drt hits on deer.I typically use milk jugs and want the greatest destruction possible to the first one since deer chests are only 6-9" thick unless you have a big deer.