bowana

Try Guns America.com. Having an FFL I have purchase and sold many a guns and have had no problems what so ever. Don't be shy and ask for references before purchasing. Always try and use a credit card to protect your purchase. Request pictures and speak with the dealer directly. Buy from a dealer and not an individual. I use to transfer to customers for $15 and $25 for people who were not existing customers. I bought some guns CHEAPER on GunsAmerica than through my own distributors....let alone retail. Remember, almost all firearms are warranted for life by the manufacturer. Warranty should not be an issue.

I have one in 375 Ultra Mag. I bought it for that future Alaskan Bear trip. They are decent rifles. I think they are a little over priced, but what isn't. I did change the trigger and plan to install a muzzle brake. The rifle has great balance and its a joy to carry, but the the 375 Ultra mag needs a little taming.

A guy by the name of Mr Capstick would also agree.

I'll have to agree with Strut10 on this one. I have shot hundreds of whitetails, mulies, elk, pronghorn and bears combined. I've used several rifles. My most prized are 300 Win Mag, 300 WSM, 30-06 Ackley Improved, and a 338-378 Weatherby. This is just to name a few. I once had the "Flip" phenomena shooting a bedded 200 lb non-typical buck in Northwest Indiana Shooting a Savage Super Stryker 308 pistol with a hand loaded 165 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip. Buck did a very poor complete somersault (I gave him a 1). Shot him at around 115 yards. The same year in Montana I shot a 250 LB Mule Deer (my second biggest ever) with a Browning Short Trac in 300 WSM. The shot was only about 65 yards and I shot him with a factory Winchester Supreme 180 Grain Failsafe bullet. When I squeezed the trigger, I knew in my mind that I had made a picture perfect behind the shoulder shot.....guess what, the deer didn't show any indication of a hit. Even though the Browning is an autoloader, I was shell shocked. The buck was running full bore. It was getting dark and the buck had traveled several hundred yards through some thick timber (Lots of bears in there). I hiked back down the mountain and my guide and I returned the next day to search for him. 1 1/2 hours later we found him. Even though my shot was a tad bit low, it had ripped a hole in the bottom of the buck, took half the heart and ripped one lung apart due to bone shrapnel. The word "dead" was not in his vocabulary. The only deduction that I conclude is 1. Learn to shoot accurately. 2. Use the biggest caliber you can shoot accurately. 3. In case one and two don't work....learn to track wounded game. At some point it will happen to the best of us....even on the perfect shot!

It would be nice to know what caliber your shooting, but I'll guess 308 Win based on your powder charge. Also depends on barrel length. If you have a standard length (22") barrel expect about 2900 feet per second and around 2500 ft pounds of energy from the muzzle. But, with limited information I'll admit to a wild guess.

WOW.....pics please!!

Take a look at Alpine Optics. They don't do alot of advertising, but I believe the owner is an ol' Bauch and Lomb Guy (think I spelled it right). I personally own Leupold, Swarovski EL's and Leica Rangefinding 10x42's. I think Alpine's line will give some of the top guys a run for the money. My advice...and only my opinion.....look at anything other than Bushnell. I would compare the Alpine line with the Nikon line...probably the best bang for the buck. I tend to like Leupold a little better, but they generally cost a little more. Stop at a Cabelas or Sportsman and try them all before you buy.

You may want to weigh your cases to make sure they are uniform. Also double check your powder charges to ensure uniformity (the 4350 IMR and Hodgdon can be tricky to meter sometimes). With bullets weighing 100 grains, the 243 can be finicky. The 85 grain bullets seem more forgiving. But, there is no reason you should not be able to achieve 1/2 groups with the 243, especially with the bullet you chose.

Either rifle will make you a great plinker. The 7.62x39 is probably one of the cheapest center fire rifle rounds you could shoot. Its power factor is a mute point. Its sole purpose is a medium range defense round that was designed to cycle through actions at a high cyclic rate. Even by todays standard I considerate it the best military round going for small arms weapons. I had a few shot at me during my "vacation" in Honduras in the 80's. The crack of that rifle round is distinct. I also had some dumb 101 airborne yaahoos who didn't understand the term "shift fire" sooo...I know the distinct sound of a crack issued by an M-16. I think you will have loads of fun shooting that "commie" rifle. I'd go with one of the AK47 variants, but its you money to spend. I personally own a Ruger Mini-30 with a Choate folding stock and an Bushnell red dot. In the fall after Halloween, we raid the pumpkin patch and take them to our hunting lease. We then engage in some wonderful "pumpkin slaughtering" with the AK's. Once all the pumpkins are open we wait a few days and come back with our bows. Deer love em.

Whattt! May the fleas of a thousand Camels infest your arm pits!!! But....Ah......well....I might have to *@#$&$@*@...agree.....with the 180 grain bullet theory....especially at close range! Forgot how fun the Lil' 357 can be, I'm always shoot'in the big stuff these days. Do you use H110 powder with those heavier bullets?

John, I'm just using your post as reference, I'm not challenging your personal experiences or opinions. hangunnr

Sounds like a "Dog day Afternoon". Sure would have liked to see if the 416 with some 400 grain A-Frame slugs possessed adequate stopping power.

First of all I want to say this is a great thread. I have been searching for the answer for some 25 years. I hunt Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Montana and Wyoming. I have killed some 180 Whitetails, Mulies, Bears and Pronghorns combined. Here are 3 things I have learned thus far: 1. If you can't see them you can't shoot them: I know...this is suppose to be about energy and velocity etc., but if you do not posses the best optics, you don't get to plan B. keep this in mind. Buy the best optics you can afford before you buy that rifle. 2. Bullet placement far exceeds any other factor: Know the anatomy of the game that you are hunting. Bears seldom leave a blood trail. Therefore I always use a big gun. In Canada where shots are close its a 450 Marlin. In Montana where shots can be 300+ I use a 300 Win Mag. Anything in the 7mm or 30 cal class will suffice for most Whitetails SHOULD BULLET PLACEMENT BE PERFECT. More on this. (JohnF you said it first) 3. Energy, Velocity and Accuracy do KILL!: If you look at the 270 Mags (270 WSM, 270 Weatherby mag etc) you will see that the energy factors for 140 grain bullets are more than adequate for whitetails out to 400 yards. But, look at ballistic coefficient. When you do, you will notice that the 180 grain bullet..30 cal (Nosler Accubond, Hordandy Interbond, etc) hover around .460. The 338 Magnums....the 250 grain bullets from Nosler and Swift are around .475. If you were to place all on a bell shaped curve, I would rate the magnum 338 calibers as the best of the best whitetail killers. This would include the 338 mag, 340 Weatherby mag, 338 Remington Ultra Mag and the mighty 338-378 Weatherby Mag. My mighty 338-378 drives a 250 grain Nosler Partition around 3040 feet per second......about 5000 foot pounds at the muzzle. 4. Overkill: I have never heard of a whitetail complain. 5. Shoot what you shoot best: If you shoot a 280 Remington better than you shoot a Weatherby Vanguard in 300 win Mag......well forget about the mag label. Back to point number 2. If you can't put it in the boiler room....its not worth hunting with. Enough said. 6. We can talk, but deer do not listen: I have shot a 200lb buck in Indiana with a 308 Savage Super Stryker (150 gr Nosler ballistic tip) and the 140 class buck traveled 25 yards. I shot a 330 lb mule deer at 70 yards with a Browning short trac 300 WSM 3 times center mass and the deer traveled 150+ yards.....I shot a doe with a 338 win mag that went 300 + yards....high in the shoulder. I shot a pronghorn at over 450 yards with a custom 30-06. 0 yards to recovery. I shot a doe in Michigan with a 475 Wildey Super Mag and I had to follow a looooong way to recover her. The point is this..............regardless of Cal, shot placement or situation......be prepared for anything. Its why we live for the hunt for whitetails, the unknown is always present. 7. Keep writing, asking questions and starting threads: Keeps us all intrigued and interested........GREAT JOB! Its like the center of a tootsie pop.......the world may never know!!

Hold on to that one!!

A Hot deer hunting load in the 44 would be a 240 grain bullet traveling at about 1350 feet per second. The 454 can push 260 grain bullets (I load Nosler) at about 1900 feet per second. The 454 is in a class with the 460 Smith and Wesson and the 445 Dan Wesson Super Mag. Recoil is a bit hefty, but manageable. If your going to use it for deer hunting, I would also get some information on the 460. I own all of these pistols. I have a 460 Revolver from the custom shop and it will shoot a true 200 yards at whitetail size targets. The muzzle velocity on the factory 200 grain bullet is around 2150 feet per second! That's as fast as a 444 marlin deer rifle! As stated above, if you can find a freedom arms Mod 83 in 454...buy it. This is a fine piece of hand crafted art work. One of the best revolvers that I have ever handled.

Cuddeback still has the fastest trigger speed on the market. Their menu system could be a little bit simpler. I have no problem with it, but a lot of my friends ask me to program their camera's every year. I have 5 of them and had to send one back. I have not had any issues with the company. I do think they are a bit over priced, but they are pretty rugged.

I hunt South West Lower Michigan, The UP in Michigan, Northern Indiana, and the Sellway Bitterroot Mountains in Montana year after year. I have found that for still/stand hunting you cant beat wool. Cabela's carries a "guide series" wool pants, parka, vest, hat and bibs that also contain the "Dry Plus" waterproof membrane. I have the whole outfit plus 3 pairs of pants. I have never been cold in it (hunted with a wind chill of -27 in Northern Indiana). When hunting Montana, I wear either Arctic Shield or River's West gear. Both are amazing products. The Ranger ATP (River's West) series have built in snow gators and zippered areas to let body heat out when you get too warm. You don't have to even layer with this stuff. Just put on a pair of Under Armor to keep you warm and dry form body sweat, and put them on. They feel like sweat pants, but are totally waterproof. Its expensive, but worth the money.

It depends on what the use is. The 6.8 is not a 30 Cal. Its basically a 223 necked up to 270. I have a Thompson G2 Contender chambered in the same. It is truly a tack driver. I shot a possum with it about 2 days ago at about 140 yards. No recoil and a thumper. I used the new Hordany rounds. I believe they around 110 grains. This is a small deer/varmint round....it is not a true deer round like the 30 Cal's using 150 grain bullets at around 3000fps.

Rifle Primers I really don't see too much variation when it comes to primers. Especially when it comes to the 243, 260, etc. The only time I have noticed a difference in the primers that I have used are with slow burning powders in heavy magnum loads and with some bench rest loads in 6MM. Even when loading 30-06 type rounds (25-06; 280 Rem etc) I see little variation. Don't get hung up on the small stuff. Be concerned that the case is resized properly and the case length is correct, you fully seat the primer, THE CORRECT TYPE AND WEIGHT OF POWDER IS USED, the bullet is seated to the correct depth. Take your loaded rounds and with the muzzle pointed in a safe direction somewhere outdoors feed the rounds through the action to ensure smooth cycling. Its just like riding a bike....once you get the hang of it. Its smooth sailing. Good luck and enjoy the addiction!

Deal of the Century!!!! Great Rifle..Great caliber. She is a looker and she is a performer. I think Ted Nugent sang a song about that rifle!

Do yourself a favor and have that rifle appraised and insured. Depending on the grade......we are talking 50-100,000 dollars...No B.S. I think it would be great if you kept to your Uncles wishes and passed it along. I would make sure that you have a living will. By the way.....will you adopt me????

If you don't buy it.......I will!!

Rock River or Bushmaster. Actually, I'd try to buy a lower unit and buy a custom Upper from someone like Spirit Arms. I have their 26" upper bull barrel and its a great varmint rifle.

The truth of the matter is that most revolver cartridges are marginal for deer hunting at best. Even the mighty 44 mag starts out with about 1200 ft pounds of energy and only retains 500 foot pounds at 100 yards (the recommended minimum Foot pounds of energy to cleanly dispatch a whitetail is 500 ft pounds....but remember, its just a number). The 357 mag loaded with 158 grain bullets has far less. The 357 mag is at its best with 125 grain bullets, but these do not penetrate well on deer.......but....within their limited range they will certainly work. I know a lot of pistol shooters are like bow hunters, they want that hard earned quality kill. In Southern Michigan we have a Late Firearms Antler less only Deer season. I have killed many does with a Colt Python .357 and a Smith Wesson 629 Classic. Most were taken at 30 yards or less. My best was a 130 yard shot with a 475 Wildey Mag. Charles Bronson.....eat your heart out!!

If I were to choose a carry gun in .45 Auto it would be the 220 Sig (I own each one stated in this response). It is a wonderfully crafted weapon that fits in small hands well. The double action trigger is as smooth as glass. It is very accurate and easy to clean. My second choice would be an H&K USP. My third choice a Glock 21. If you are looking at a Model 1911 and its your first one, Id go with the Springfield Armory Loaded model. Best bang for the buck. When you become familiar with it, you can always purchase custom add on parts or components. As far as your 9mm being a baby to the .45....not so. A 9mm Corbon +P+ in 115 grains is one of the best bad ass defense rounds available. If I were to recommend one of the best true concealed weapon out there...it would be the Glock model 26 stoked full of Corbon Ammo. I have the 357 Sig version, but its recoil is a bit more than most people can handle. You may want to save yourself some money and hang on to the 9mm. Our "meat-wagon" guy has made a valid point with regard to his anatomy lesson.