Frankly, I pretty much put up with the rest of the year, waiting for the fall hunting seasons. Who's working on a new rifle? Working up loads? Trying a new scope? Whatcha hunting for this fall??? If we can't hunt yet, might as well chat about it!
My plans are to try for black bear, mule deer and elk here in Washington. Yeah, I put in for a bighorn sheep tag too - but the odds mighty slim for that draw. Still, it's nice to dream... Also put in for a Wyoming mule deer tag. I like to hunt Wyoming every now and again.
Have dusted off the hunting rifles, started loading some ammo for 'em and have taken them all to the range at least once in the past few weeks. Of course one good rifle would do it all, and has for me in the past, but I'm a rifle nut, and I like to play.
My mainstay for years has been a 7mm Rem mag. This one is an old 1968 Rem 700 that I just gussied up by slipping it into a new 700 CDL stock. She's never looked so purty. Just a simple fixed power 6x Leupold. Loading 175 gr Sierra Gamekings, with Reloader 22. Nothing real hot, right around 2850 fps with good solid sub MOA accuracy. She's dialed in at 300 yards. The combo has been very effective in the past.
The big .300 Ultra Mag I've been playing with is slated for a new laminated stock from Joel Russo. Right now it's all in pieces, and I'm not sure if it's going to come together before the season opens. Looking to set that one up as a long-range hunter... Trying to combine the power of the Ultra Mag with the precision of a match-grade rifle...
A favorite for the past few years has been my multi-purpose .25-06 Rem 700. In the off-season it scorches a few rockchucks and coyotes. During the season, it's proven very effective on mule deer. Loading a 100 gr Barnes TSX to 3340 fps, and keep the 4.5-14 Leupold zeroed at 300 yards... A nice light-recoiling rig that is sub MOA accurate and very lethal.
Don't know how much use it will see this year, but I also hunt with my real-world SWAT rifle from time to time. Have had the rifle for about 11 years and several .308 barrels. A tad on the heavy side, it's a keeper, and always does a fine job when I bother to lug it afield. A simple Rem 700 in a McMillan stock with a Krieger 1:12 twist barrel, topped by a 4.5-14x Leupold. Proven half MOA capable to 600 yards. Nice. Built by Jim Cloward, new stock bedded by Rick Freudenberg. Tough rifle, and an all-weather hunter. I've bounced back and forth between various 150 - 168 gr bullets for this rifle, depending.
What about your plans and rifles?
My plans are to try for black bear, mule deer and elk here in Washington. Yeah, I put in for a bighorn sheep tag too - but the odds mighty slim for that draw. Still, it's nice to dream... Also put in for a Wyoming mule deer tag. I like to hunt Wyoming every now and again.
Have dusted off the hunting rifles, started loading some ammo for 'em and have taken them all to the range at least once in the past few weeks. Of course one good rifle would do it all, and has for me in the past, but I'm a rifle nut, and I like to play.
My mainstay for years has been a 7mm Rem mag. This one is an old 1968 Rem 700 that I just gussied up by slipping it into a new 700 CDL stock. She's never looked so purty. Just a simple fixed power 6x Leupold. Loading 175 gr Sierra Gamekings, with Reloader 22. Nothing real hot, right around 2850 fps with good solid sub MOA accuracy. She's dialed in at 300 yards. The combo has been very effective in the past.
The big .300 Ultra Mag I've been playing with is slated for a new laminated stock from Joel Russo. Right now it's all in pieces, and I'm not sure if it's going to come together before the season opens. Looking to set that one up as a long-range hunter... Trying to combine the power of the Ultra Mag with the precision of a match-grade rifle...
A favorite for the past few years has been my multi-purpose .25-06 Rem 700. In the off-season it scorches a few rockchucks and coyotes. During the season, it's proven very effective on mule deer. Loading a 100 gr Barnes TSX to 3340 fps, and keep the 4.5-14 Leupold zeroed at 300 yards... A nice light-recoiling rig that is sub MOA accurate and very lethal.
Don't know how much use it will see this year, but I also hunt with my real-world SWAT rifle from time to time. Have had the rifle for about 11 years and several .308 barrels. A tad on the heavy side, it's a keeper, and always does a fine job when I bother to lug it afield. A simple Rem 700 in a McMillan stock with a Krieger 1:12 twist barrel, topped by a 4.5-14x Leupold. Proven half MOA capable to 600 yards. Nice. Built by Jim Cloward, new stock bedded by Rick Freudenberg. Tough rifle, and an all-weather hunter. I've bounced back and forth between various 150 - 168 gr bullets for this rifle, depending.
What about your plans and rifles?
Glad the 7mm Rem mag and the .308 are shooting so well. Now I need to start getting in better shape for hunting at higher elevations. Home is only about 1000' ASL, and last time I hunted Wyoming we were camped at 9,000', and hunted to 11,000' ASL. 
