A Gunbroker deal has me with a Fibermark topped with Leupold quick release rings. I have zero experience with such rings. I also have no need for them. (Has anyone had to get a scope off quickly to use on a different rifle?)
Can the mounts and rings be counted on to remain secure?

The past two years in SW Kansas have been a mess regarding good numbers of mature deer. More rainfall this year has helped turn the tide somewhat with the availability of food and water. It is still a long way from what we had from 2007-10. That would be about two or three generations of White tail and Mule deer.
Knowing what I do about the possibility of a short range encounter (as in under 100 yards) and a 400ish yard shot, I’m most likely going taking a 308 Win as my primary and a 270 Win as my backup. Neither rifle was made my Weatherby but I still like them.
What is going afield this season from other Weatherby Nation members?

I heard that pound containers of smokeless powders are likely to hit $100 before Christmas. The shortage of nitrocellulose due to massive ammo orders by the military are behind the big raise. Apparently, the production of nitrocellulose for smokeless powder is not being increased to meet civilian markets, so less is available and the prices goes up up up.
Today at Cabela’s in Wichita I saw IMR-4350 at $74.99. Varget and H-4350 were $64.99. Yikes.

I saw an interesting post about rifle scope costs and choices on another firearms forum and it got me thinking. What are the driving forces on making a scope purchase for a new rifle or an upgrade?
For me the major factors are intended use, reticle choices, cost and warranty/experience.

I don’t like making changes to the scope setting based on distance to target or wind. I like holdover points and MOA tick marks because I know the muzzle velocity of the load I use for paper target or hunting. A simple ballistic program matched to the points on the reticle makes things easier. That means the ordinary Duplex reticle is mostly out, but not entirely.

A friend said he usually spends as much on a scope as he does the rifle. I can’t do that.

Last thing———why did the major scope makers stop selling glossy scopes? Is everything tacticool now? Ha ha. In all seriousness I think glossy scopes are rarer now due to fewer rifles offered with a glossy finish.

Transtech Firearms is a fraudulent entity. It has a website advertising too good to be true prices on reloading components. That’s because they are not truly in business. I fell for their good prices, I didn’t check out this “company” and I’m likely out the money I transferred to it.
I reported this place to the Better Business Bureau although I doubt that will do much to stop the deception.

The newest cartridges share some or all of these traits:
Minimal case taper
30 degree shoulder angle
Longer or shorter parent case of a much older cartridge
Faster twist rate compared to older cartridges of the same bore diameter
Designed to use heavy for caliber bullets
Closer tolerances on cartridge dimensions and leade angles than older cartridges of the same caliber
Rifles with the new cartridge in retail stores ahead of ammunition choices from more than one manufacturer and brass for handloaders
Designed in a standard line and an ultra light version
Marginal external ballistic improvement over older cartridges

These are dry and boring observations. They lack the perspective of looking for a better cartridge than (fill in the blank). They also do not include the “want” factor. I have several different .30 caliber chamberings, in bolt action, semi auto and single shot configurations. Some are quite old, such as a 30-40 Krag and a 303 British. There is no need to get rid of them. In “their day” they did the job. The loose nut behind the rifle matters more than the cartridge.
This is the Land of the Free. If you want a new rifle in 6 ARC or a 6 Creedmoor to replace a worn out or inaccurate rifle chambered in 243 Winchester, go for it. Nothing is stopping you——-maybe slow at first but still possible and rewarding. I have read plenty on the 7 PRC. I have numerous other rifles chambered in .284 cal and can’t see that certain cartridge making a difference. Gimme time and I might do it.

The topic of continuing to use wood stocks is back. The durability of a composite stock, such as a Bell & Carlson Medalist, needs no explanation. I have Medalists on two Vangaurds. Accuracy and fit of those stocks is worth every penny. I think cost is the biggest consideration when going for an after market stock and I know Medalists are far from the expensive side of things. Frankly, color choices of stocks has little to do with it since a few can of paint and a pattern template can take care of things.

I like the Eurostock that was available on Mark Vs several years ago. Pilar bed the receiver screws and the action of a Eurostock, plus a couple of inches beyond the front recoil lug and you’ve got the best of both worlds for the feel and looks of wood and the resistance to warping and shifting you get with a Medalist (or similar models). A walnut stock just like I described stocked with a 7mm Weatherby withstood hunting in an ice storm with no changes in accuracy the next day——the big White tail buck that fell like a cheap tent is my proof. I put at least three coats of oil into the stock, including the barrel channel so the wood had a great barrier.