Recent content by matt85

One of the two times I've completely missed an animal was when I borrowed someone else's rifle. I will not use a rifle that I have not spent extensive time practicing with.

I'm a firm believer in having a backup rifle. If I'm hunting DG then I bring two DG rifles. If I'm hunting PG I bring two PG rifles. If I'm hunting both DG and PG the I bring two DG rifles, with one or both of them being suitable for PG (medium bore guns).

I was very impressed with the VC rifles I've handled and it saddens me to hear they are going under.

I live up in WA, but do have family down in AZ. Perhaps I'll bring the 8-bore with me next time I go visit them.

+1 to this. I personally used a-frames for my buffalo and they worked wonders. I give the slight edge to the a-frames because a tsx would likely have struggled with my first shot. My first shot hit a small unseen tree before hitting a buffalo, which could have damaged the hollow point.

Was a hard choice, but I picked left.

Agreed! Be it going 130mph down a back country road on my bike or looking at a cape buffalo through a red dot site. Either way, I am seeking a dangerous thrill that can very easily put me underground somewhat prematurely.

Or at least have good taste in music. :)

Your bigger issue will be regulation. It is unlikely a load that light will regulate properly.

A quality semi-custom bolt gun in 458 Lott. Or if the stars lined up, a vintage double in 577 NE. Those two cartridges would round out my large bore gun collection nicely.

While unlikely, if the economy improves I may be able to do a hippo on land with my 8-bore.

Having a 470 NE and a 500 NE makes just as much sense as having a 458 WM and a 470 NE. They all perform the same roll. The 500 NE will have a slight edge over the others in performance. Then again, nothing wrong with owning one of each! :) The 500 Jeffery would be easier to hand load to "normal...

The three main 50-caliber cartridges are very nice, but each has a bit of a "downside". 500 NE This is probably the "best" of the 50-caliber cartridges in that its only "downside" is the cost of the firearm. 505 Gibbs It is difficult to get magazines to hold the large cartridge reliably. The...

Not much difference between a 458 WM and a 470 NE, it would really be a question of bolt gun or double gun. Next would be a 50-caliber rifle of some flavor, again the question of bolt gun or double gun. Things get very expensive after 50-caliber, but the 577 NE is a wonderful cartridge!

My old Leupold RX-1000i TBR has finally faded to the point where it can't be used anymore. I called Leupold to see if it could be refurbished, but sadly it could not. They did offer me 30% off the purchase of a new one. Looking at modern range finders, it seems most of them have plenty of range...