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As some of you might know I bought my first centerfire rifle yesterday, it's a CZ 550 American .308. I have topped it off with a Leupold VX-II 3x9 40mm

Anyway, I know most of you reload and work up your own rounds for a particular rifle, but could you give some advice as what factory ammo to buy in order to find what shoots best from my rifle. There are so many brands and types and weights that I don't really know where to start. Should I buy 4 boxes of the same brand and weight with different types or should I vary the bullet weight  or the brand or what? I'm hopeing someone can at least give me a few pointers and suggestions to cut down on the time and money of finding the best factory ammo for my rifle.

Thanks,
Chris

Has anyone ever sent off a bolt to get jeweled? I really like the look of a jeweled bolt (one of the reasons I like the Remington 700). But for the price difference that I bought my CZ for I can have the bolt jeweled and still come out well ahead. I found this website on the net but have real reservations about sending my brand new CZ bolt to someone I don't know anything about. Thier web site is http://www.customjewelshop.com

Thoughts? Comments?

Thanks,
Chris

OK.. I went to five gun shops yesterday in order to narrow down the choices of rifle. I have settled on the 7mm-08 cartridge but can't decide between the Remington 700 CDL or the Model Seven CDL. I asked one gun shop salesman and he said the difference between the two was the difference btwn buying a Porsche and a Pinto. He happened not to have the model seven (read Pinto) but did have his overpriced M700 (read Porsche). He couldn't actually tell me the difference just that the 700 was superior in quality to the Model Seven. I got the impression that he was full of......well lets say his own knowledge.......and decided that whatever rifle I choose, I would not be purchasing it from his shop. All the other shops I visited didn't treat me like I was as dumb as a fence post b/c I was asking questions. To me a purchase upwards of $700 is a lot of money and a year from now I don't want to feel like I made a bad choice in rifle or cartridge.
   
  Wal-Mart can order anything I want for about $30 cheaper than any gun store I have seen. Is there a reason why I shouldn't order from Wal-Mart, like if they get it in and the stock has imperfections I can't send it back or something?

Sorry this is so long. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME OPIONIONS! Am I out in left field by your estimation on ANYTHING I have stated? Let me know what you think.

Thanks a lot in advance,
Chris

I'd like some opinions from you experts out there. Is there a good time of year to snag a deal on a rifle? After hunting season? Or just when the wife/girlfriend is out of town or not looking ?

I have been watching the CZ's for a couple of years and they have gone up from $500 to $550 new for a 550 American in .308 at my local shop. I have yet to find a used one locally.

I guess it depends on if your looking for a new or used gun, but my question is regarding both. Do rifle companies ever have some sort of sale periods?

[Deputies: Stalker shoots pair, self]

I am warning everyone here that this post is disturbing, so read at your own emotional risk. I was very upset to hear the 911 tape played on the O'Reilley Factor show tonight, so I tried to find out more about this horrific story. I am so very upset by this. From what I understand the police knew full well that this guy might come after the family. The father of the victim is a retired law enforcement official and was asked last week by his son to be lent a weapon in case this guy did make good on his threats, but the father told his son that his best option was contacting the local authorities, and didn't give his son a weapon. The regret was very plain to see on his face when he was recounting this to O'reilley. I was going to sell my 9mm b/c I didn't really see the point in having a gun that I rarely fire and wanted some extra cash. It is no longer for sale and just got a thorough cleaning! What are your thoughts on this? I am beside myself with so many emotions I can hardly express myself.
 
 
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Deputies: Stalker shoots pair, self

By MARK I. JOHNSON
Staff Writer

"NEW SMYRNA BEACH — "I think they're dead."

With those words, 5-year-old Tia Hernlen described finding the bleeding bodies of her mother and father to a Sheriff's Office dispatcher early Monday morning.

Thirty-one year old Julie Hernlen was dead in the bedroom of the family's Ellison Avenue home. Her 29-year-old husband, Aeneas, was critically wounded. Both had been shot multiple times.

Volusia County sheriff's investigators believe the couple were the victims of David Edward Johnson, 33, whom they had accused of stalking them because he believed they had turned him in for drug activity.

Deputies believe he broke into the Hernlen home, which is just outside city limits, shortly before 3 a.m. and shot the couple as their daughter slept in the next room. Johnson then returned to his Swan Avenue residence and killed himself, deputies said.

The couple had filed complaints against Johnson, accusing him of stalking them because he believed they had turned him in to law enforcement for drug activity, public records show. Investigators said Monday the Hernlens had given them no information on Johnson.

But it was a little girl's taped 911 call at 2:58 a.m., after being awakened by the gunshots, that told the personal story of the tragedy. While her name is omitted from the recordings of the 911 tape released Monday afternoon, deputies at the scene confirmed her name.

"I think there is a bullet on the floor," the youngster told sheriff's 911 dispatcher Donna Choufani. "There is blood coming out of my dad's mouth and he fell off the bed."

"Where is your mommy?" Choufani asked in a soothing voice.

"I don't know. I think they're dead," Tia replied. "I said 'mommy and daddy' and they didn't even answer. I didn't see a gun, but I am scared."

The youngster told Choufani she never saw her parents' assailant.

Choufani used her voice to keep the youngster calm and on the line until a deputy arrived about four minutes later.

Sheriff Ben Johnson described the recorded conversation as "chilling" during a news conference at the scene Monday afternoon.

"The little girl did a magnificent job," he said. "And the dispatcher did a wonderful job."

Investigators believe Johnson forced his way into the back of the Hernlens' small, single-story yellow house in the 100 block of Ellison Avenue and walked into the couple's bedroom. There, he shot them with an undisclosed type of gun then fled back to his home.

Several hours after finding the couple, deputies went to Johnson's Swan Avenue home. Investigators have not disclosed what linked the double shooting to Johnson. When they entered his home, they found him dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said.

Aeneas Hernlen was airlifted to Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, where he remained in critical condition Monday night.

David Johnson was no stranger to the Hernlen family, deputies said.

The unemployed New Smyrna Beach resident was accused in court documents of stalking the couple and threatening their family in December and January. Julie Hernlen told deputies Johnson had driven by the house several times and harassed them because he thought she and her husband had informed on him to law enforcement about drug activity at the Swan Avenue residence, Davidson said.

Johnson had been arrested in November on charges of cultivation of marijuana, possession of steroids and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was scheduled for trial May 9, according to court records. The trial on the stalking charge was set for May 2.

Neighbors along both quiet streets, which lie only a few miles apart, were taken aback by the triple shooting.

Agnus McKellar, who was staying with his daughter in the house across from Johnson's, said he didn't know what to think when officers with guns drawn descended on Swan Avenue shortly after 10 a.m.

"I wondered what in the world was going on," he said. "I had no idea until a cop came out and told my daughter that he (Johnson) had died."

Coni McKellar said David Johnson was neighborly, and she never noticed any problems at the house.

"He seemed like a nice guy," she said.

Most of the Hernlens' neighbors, many of whom did not wish to be identified, were also shocked. "This is a very quiet neighborhood," Lake Drive resident Pete Hornby said. "Nothing happens here."

Sheriff Johnson said Tia Hernlen is with family members."

I want to buy a shotgun, so I need the money. I don't have an FFL so I would have to do some kind of transfer with someone local (I'll get the best deal I can with a transfer, but I really don't want to pay for it) I have several boxes of ammo of various type and a nice heavy nylon holster that holds an extra clip. I still have the orininal box and owners maual and papers (it was purchased 9/26/03) I paid $479.36 with tax and transfer.
 
I added a light/laser rail to the frame (weaver style) that is custom. Looks fine and shoots even better. I can include the BSA laser and my custom light also. I have fired < 1000 rounds through it and it has been well taken care of. I am also including my tackle box and various cleaning supplies. I will post some pics later this week.
 
Let me know if you are interested via e-mail. Thanks,
 
Chris
sales@chrisgprice.com

I have a new in box Leupold Scope Smith Magnetic Boresighter that normally retails for $39.95
 
I am selling this for $30.00 +Actual Shipping (no handling charges).
 
If you have any questions or want to buy you can contact me at the following address.
 
christopher@chrisgprice.com

This was an e-mail sent to me today. I did not include the last picture b/c it would be too much for any young viewers on the forum. You can get the idea from the discription though. If you are at all squeemish I suggest you not read any further.
 
This is crazy...
 
 
 
The following (first two) pictures are of a guy who works for the US
Forest Service in Alaska and his trophy bear. He was out deer hunting
last week when a large brown bear charged him from about 50 yards
away. The guy unloaded his 7mm Mag Semi-automatic rifle into the bear
and it dropped a few feet from him. The big bear was still alive so
he reloaded and shot it several times in the head. The bear was just
over one thousand six hundred pounds. It stood 12' 6" high at
the shoulder, 14' to the top of his head. It's the largest brown bear
ever recorded in the world. Of course, the Alaska Fish and Wildlife
Commission did not let him keep it as a trophy, but the bear will be
stuffed and mounted, and placed on display at the Anchorage airport
(to remind tourist's of the risks involved when in the wild). Based on
the contents of the bear's stomach, the Fish and Wildlife Commission
established the bear had killed at least two humans in the past
72 hours. His last meal was the unlucky nature buff in the third
picture below. The US Forest Service, backtracking from where the bear
had originated, found the hiker's 38-caliber pistol emptied. Not far
from the pistol were the remains of the hiker. The other body has not
been found. Although the hiker fired six shots and managed to hit the
brown with four shots (they ultimately found four 38 caliber slugs
along with twelve
7mm slugs inside the bear's dead body) it only wounded the bear - and
probably angered it. The bear killed the hiker an estimated two days
prior to the bear's own death by the gun of the Forest Service worker.
Think about this - If you are an average size man; you would be level
with the bear's belly button when he stood upright, the bear would
look you in the eye when it walked on all fours! To give additional
perspective, consider that this particular bear, standing on its hind
legs, could walk up to an average single story house and look over the
roof, or walk up to a two story house and look in the bedroom windows. Be forewarned, the last picture is pretty gross.

I bought some butler creek flip up scope covers and put 'em on my Leupold before I went across a really muddy field and it sure saved my scope. When I got off the bike ther was a big clod right on the objective cover. I usually hold my rifle with one hand and drive with the other b/c I have spooked up several doe and let a 14year old that was riding to the stand with me kill a 7 point  two weeks ago. Just wondering if anyone else uses them, and what others think.

OK, I have been meaning to post this since two weeks ago when I finally got to shoot the .303 that I posted modifications about on another previous thread.
 
I didn't get a chance to shoot at 100 yrds. b/c the road was too muddy to get down in the truck and I just wanted to sight it in since I changed the scope on it. I mounted a Leupold 3-9X40 VariX-II in case you are wondering. I sighted it in with about 5 shots, it was allready very close, but the first time I shot with it it was all over the place, sometimes missing the paper completely at 100yrds. I thought it was my inexperience and was very discouraged, but not suprised since it was only my second time shooting a centerfire rifle. I mentioned before that when I first bought my 9mm I was not a good shot by any means, but now with boxes and boxes of ammo later, I can hit a within 6" from 50 yrds consistantly, and I am still practicing.
 
Well, a picture is worth 1000 words so they say...
 
This was 180 grn. Winchester power points at 50yrds. and I have a similarly tight group but 1.5" high using PMC 174 grn. soft point boat tails at 50yrds.
 
The other red and yellow dots are stickers I use to cover old shots so I know fresh hits from old ones and I can use the same paper over again if I'm not keeping it. We shot two other rifles that day and I was in the orange with a Remington 30-06 700 for 5 shots consecutively at three different targets. I am building my confidence with every trip to the range. I can't wait to shoot at 100yrds and beyond and try to continue improving.
 

I am looking for a really good flashlight for all around use. What is the brightest and best made light? I like the LED lights I have seen, who makes the best ones?
 
Please give me some thoughts, it is for a Chistmas present and I would like to go ahead and order it.
 
Thanks,
Chris

This is a thread that I thought many of you do it yourself guys might like. First off, I am not an athority on knife making, I just got into it for fun like most other things I do. I have been able to use some of my engineering education however in order to help me make knives that are suited to my tasks. This is a step by step guide, but if anyone has any questions or a better/different way of doing any one of the steps please feel free to add to the info for anyone else who may want to do this themselves.
 
The equipment I use:
Dremel tool for rough cut-out work
Nicholson Mill Bastard files - the more the better
brass rod and plate of whatever thickness you prefer
a nice piece of leftover scrap hardwood
hot plate or electric stove
small bench vise
rasp (for wood shaping)
sand paper (80,100,150,220,1500,2000)
Drill bits
Fiberglass resin
Pencil/paper
3M spray on glue or elmers glue
 
First I work on the steel for the blade. You can make the blade out of whatever steel you prefer but I like an old file to make mine. I have even bought new files to use, at $8.00 it is really not that expensive, but you can't just file it down and sharpen it and put on a handle. If you do not temper the blade (actually annealing the high carbon steel) the blade will snap clean off the first time it is in a bind or hits somehting as hard as the blade itself. Files are made of water quenched tool steel (usually 1095) which is to say it is made of common steel with between 0.90-1.03% carbon content, which is what allows it to be so hard. Files are made to resist wear so at first glance they seem perfect for knives. It is true that they will hold an edge, but as I said before without a different heat treatment, the blade will snap and be of no use, not to mention how hard it is to sharpen a file that has not been annealed or retempered. If you want to test this out look at any new file that does not have a handle but just the tapered end. On a new one and some old ones you can see the discoloration of this tip. The discoloartion is where the file was heated to a certain temp. and cooled at a different rate than the rest of the file. They do this at the factory to allow you to be able to drill through this portion of the file in order to attach a handle that might require a pin to hold it in place. Take a drill and drill though the discolored taper and then try and do the same at the other end of the file. You can also use a vise to hold about .5" of the tapered end in and then bend it over, but if you put the other end of the file in the vise, you will end up breaking the file if you tried to bend it.
(http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=381&stc=1)
 
So, to anneal the file place it directly on a large electric stove or hotplate set on high. I usually let it sit on the eye for 30 mins. or so but you should be able to see the file turn color, a gray. Make sure the entire file had turned color by moving the file around so that it reaches a uniform temp. then allow it to cool to room temp. without blowing on it or dipping in water, this is important! The dark gray color is actually some of the carbon near the surface leaching out of the steel, which is what allows the blade to remain very hard but bocome more ductile and less brittle. Basically we are making a compromise, the harder the steel the better it holds an edge, but it also makes it harder to sharpen and more britle. So we are increasing the steels ductility and decreasing the hardness.
 
Next, draw the outline of the file on a piece of paper. Then pretend your in kindergarden and stay within the lines and draw out the shape of your knife. Once you have the shape you can copy it on a copy machine and cut both knives out. Next spray some glue on the file and glue your patterns on each side(make sure they line up) Now I use my dremel tool and carfully cut out the pattern with abrasive cutt-off wheels.
(http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=382&stc=1)
(http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=383&stc=1)
 
Now is the time to do all the metal work on the knife blank. Use a file set to file down the edges at the angle you like. I have left the cross hatch pattern before in some knives, but I prefer to file them away becasue it looks better and offers less resistance when cutting.
Go slow and don't get in a hurry. Be as consistant on your angles as possible now and it will make sharpening latter on a stone tons easier.
(http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=384&stc=1)
 
Making the handle.
You can make the knife blade so you can see it, or with a little more time and effort you can make it so the knife is completely covered by the handle and glued on with an epoxy.
Get as fancy as you like. I am not going to get into all the details so you can use your imagination. If someone wants more info on how I make the handle, just let me know and I'll come back and edit this to make it more complete.
 
Here is a pic of some scrap walnut a guy gave me a year ago and I'm just now using some of it. (http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=380&stc=1)
 
Here is the carved handle I made for the knife in this thread looking down so you can see the cavity that the hilt of the knife fits into.
(http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=385&stc=1)
 
These are my first two attempts at knives. They are both sharp enough to actually shave with and I will post later about how I actually sharpen my knives.
(http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=386&stc=1)
(http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=387&stc=1)
 
I hope this is a good start for anyone interested in making a cheap knife that can outperform and outlast some really expensive ones on the market. I will continue to add to this thread, but I am tired and will have to continue another time.
 
Chris

OK people, lets here it. In your opinion what is the "best" shotgun for the money. I will give some specifics so please try and stay within them. Pump or autoloader?
 
Required: 12 gauge, pump action(autoloader if the price is right), rugged, reliable, not a hang over the mantle gun
 
This gun will be used for small game (squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, duck) and maybe deer. I have no preference of stock other than I like the cammo synthetics and I'm concerned about a wood stock on a gun I know I will abuse in the woods. What length barrel would be appropriate? I do more small game hunting in the woods than duck blind hunting. Should I go with a 3.5" chamber or stick to 3"?
 
What are your thoughts on these few:
Remington 870 Express Combo - with shot barrel and slug barrel
Benelli Nova camo
Mossberg Model 500 Sporting or 835 Ulti-Mag/Combo
 
Please let me know what you think, any and all info is appreciated and I don't care if you think you might be a little off topic as long as you give me an honest opinion.
 
Thanks a ton guys and gals,
Chris

I am reposting this here for you small game guys to help me out.
 
I am planning to go squirrel hunting this weekend, and usually I would use a 12 gauge, but I want to try out my fathers old 410. I don't even know the make/model except that he has had it since he was a teen. I might have shot it when I was little, but since we didn't hunt, there really was no point.

The question: What is the correct load/type/brand of shells to buy for squirrel hunting with a 410?

Thanks,
Chris

I am planning to go squirrel hunting this weekend, and usually I would use a 12 gauge, but I want to try out my fathers old 410. I don't even know the make/model except that he has had it since he was a teen. I might have shot it when I was little, but since we didn't hunt, there really was no point.
 
The question: What is the correct load/type/brand of shells to buy for squirrel hunting with a 410?
 
Thanks,
Chris

I liked this article and thought maybe some of you would also.
I really like Mac's shooting glasses. lol
 
http://www.newarkadvocate.com/news/stories/20041011/localnews/1395349.html
 
Chris

[CAJUN SQUIRREL STEW]

CAJUN SQUIRREL STEW

4-5 squirrels, cleaned and de-headed

1/4 lb (1 stick) margarine

1 cup chopped onions

1/2 c chopped bell pepper

4 cloves garlic (chopped)

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. finely chopped shallots

1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley

1/2 cup Burgundy wine

1 tbsp. flour (heaping)

Tony Zachary's Creole Seasoning

(or salt, red and black pepper)

4-ounce can mushroom (bits&pieces)

Cut each squirrel into pieces. Season well with Tony's or salt and pepper. Melt margarine in a large cast iron pot and fry squirrels until browned all over and they start to stick. Add onions, bell peppers and garlic.

When vegetables are soft, add 1 cup of cold water, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover the pot tightly and let simmer on very low heat 1 hour. Stir well and add burgundy wine. Recover and cook until tender. Remove cooked squirrel from pot, leaving as much juice in the pot as possible.

Add 1 tbsp. flour to the liquid from the mushrooms and mix well. Add this mixture, chopped onion tops, parsley and mushrooms to the gravy. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened. Pour over cooked squirrel.

Serve over steaming rice

**Recipe is quoted from another post by Vacant

[Squacks a la Squacks-]

Squacks a la Squacks- Quoted from a friend at RFC:

"take a mess of squirrel pieces and place them in a large enough pot to boil them in. cut into it one whole white onion. add fresh ground pepper, salt and a tsp of white vinegar or 2. cover squirrel with beer....ok....you can use water too.

bring to a rolling boil and then cut the heat to a slow boil. boil until you can stick a fork easily into the meat. remove each piece as this becomes possible. old tough ones will take a mite longer.

when all pieces have been removed, pour off the liquid. replace the squirels into the pot and pour SWEET BABY RAY'S BBQ sauce over them. this can be thinned with a little beer...or water. you can also do this part in a slow cooker if you have one. you can also substitute your favorite bbq sauce but the brand mentioned is powerful good!

cover and slow cook the squacks until they are completely tender.

you will need some fresh cornbread to go with this. better get to makin it!"
 
This is another recipe cut and paste originally posted by Vacant.

[Squirrel Pie]

Squirrel Pie

One squirrel
One small can of mixed vegetables
One can of cream of potato soup
two pieshells (I use store-bought)

Boil the squirrel pieces in a covered pot for at least an hour. Remove and de-bone them
Mix the potato soup, vegetables and boned meat in a bowl, and add enough milk to thin it.

Pour in a 9" pieshell until full, cover the pie with the other shell, pinching the edges together. poke holes in the top shell and brush it with beaten egg to brown
Bake at 350 for 50 minuites.
This works well with dove and pheasant also.

I just cut and pasted this over here, it was posted by Vacant.

So, all you experts please chime in.
 
What does it take to build a custom rifle?
Here is my idea. Lets say I want a nice wooden stock on the rifle that I can finish myself but is already fited to the barrel and action. I can glass bed it myself, and am confident I can make the stock as nice or better than someone else.
 
Is it cheaper to just buy a rifle I like off hte shelf or would it be better to have one custom made?
 
Another option: What about buying a rifle and then taking it to a gunsmith to have it accurized? What things would the smith want to do? What makes one rifle more accurate than another given that they are the same caliber?
 
I'm just curious as to why some rifles shoot better than others and can any rifle be customized into a tack driver?
 
What are your thoughts on the matter. I would really like to have a new rifle someday, but the british .303 I have modified seems more mine than a new rifle off the shelf. Is it better to spend my time working for the money to buy a rifle and then modify it, or would it be more accurate a rifle to build it from the ground up? And what is the cost difference in ballpark numbers?
 
I know this is kind of a dumb post but I'm curious as to what you fellows think,
Chris