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solamente73

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  1. One doesn’t usually think of mountain lions in North Texas, but this one was shot by a deer hunter just a couple of miles from my place near Celeste back in Dec 2020. I wash my truck at the wash where the photo was taken: Supposedly he was spotted near the Metroplex (Rowlett) the month before. According to this write-up here, he had been covering some serious ground, so he could have come through my place. /csb
  2. It’s been a while, but finally got a little work done last night: Spotted this one on thermal scanner across a field and set-up on sticks. DRT. 8 year old ATN XSight still getting it done. Hogs around here have wised up over the last year. They’ve been running only in the small hours, and they are skittish as hell. Numbers have been down as neighbors have been putting the hurt on them with hunting and trapping, but what’s still around has been more destructive as of late. I’ve been chasing a particular spotted hog for about 4 months, and he only comes around every so often. With me happy about last night, he showed up this morning to mock me: Time to get back to work…
  3. I know almost nothing about watches, so I need some help. I'm looking for a replacement for this watch, which has been my go-to for out door activities / farm work the last several years. Of late it's been very unreliable despite a battery replacement, and I'm heading to Africa in a few months and I need something damned dependable. I don't want to spend a fortune since the watch will be for outdoor use, travel, and it's Africa. What I'm looking for: -Analog as I find that beneficial for tracking time and general sense of time -Colors in earth tones, drab, etc - I like that look -Need a divers bezel; I use it all the time -I greatly prefer something that can be backlit so that my sucky old-ass eyes can see the time in the dark (e.g. Indiglo or Illuminator) -Prefer to avoid shiny metal bezel, case, strap -Water resistance a must for rain and slight immersion - I'm not diving with it. I've perused Timex and Casio websites. There's a lot of love for G-Shock in this space, but those don't seem to employ divers bezels. I feel like I'm missing other brands, and perhaps y'all can point me in the right direction. TIA.
  4. @pops Ha, I completely forgot to post. As a refresher, my BIL got a Kamado Joe last Dec and his wife was wanting Texas beef to rival Snake River Farms for a smack talking fest with a CA colleague of hers. We had a good family visit, I taught my BIL how to grill and smoke on his kamado, and we cooked up SRF on the maiden voyage because they never followed through on the HeartBrand beef. SRF Wagyu black and gold label ribeyes plus a cowboy ribeye. Slammed and went hard. I used to wonder at those who post “couldn’t get any pics because everyone ate it before I could take ‘em.” but after this experience, I get it - the natives were brutal and they devoured faster than we could slice. Decent product for the first time on a new pit. L to R, Black, Cowboy, Gold. Just salt and pepper. Cooked over oak and mesquite: The (very, very spoiled) kids were devouring everything in sight, and we adults had to fend them off. All was excellent, but the gold label was like heavenly meat butter. No fancy plating, no sit down dinner, just a bunch of people having a good time. I guess it’s up to me to order some HeartBrand, now. Got to compare.
  5. Here she is. Bergara B-14 Wilderness Sierra chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum. On top is a Swaro Z5 3.5-18x44 BT Plex with Warne Mountain Tech 1 inch low matte rings on a Zero MOA Remington LA Mountain Tech tactical rail. It’s absolutely the set-up I was looking for to take to South Africa. 300WM should take care of everything I’m after. The redesigned stock with adjustable comb just fits me, and when combined with the silky smooth action and a little heft (9.05lbs unloaded) to tame the recoil, it checks a lot of boxes. It’s not perfect, but it didn’t break the bank, either. Still need to outfit it with a Swaro screw-in objective lens cap and a Tenebraex ocular cap along with a Slogan magnum sling. I’ve got four cartridges to try and see what the gun likes to shoot: 180gr. Norma Oryx, Barnes TTSX, and Nosler Partions plus 200gr. Federal Terminal Ascent. Then, there is suppression… Soon… Sincere thanks to @Handcruser for setting me up with Matt at Arnzen Arms to get this rifle to me 2 months before it’s to be made widely available. I can’t express how great these guys were in helping me out. Looking forward to getting it out to the range in the next week or so to see what happens. Will update with range results, ammo performance, and how it suppresses.
  6. I'm in DFW. Departure is being planned for late May or early June; there is some variance based on where we go and when and for what animal. I greatly appreciate the help. If it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be. Worst come to worst, I'll carry on my dad's Mark V 300 Weatherby and post videos here of the TSA's reaction.
  7. I'm definitely buying vs. what I have (Delta Airlines won't get their hands on my dad's Mark V), and I've thought about a leather raised cheek pad like one of these: https://www.tourbonstore.com/collections/cheek-rest-buttstock Most likely, but I want to ensure ahead of time that I'm at the front of the line. i want as much time as possible to find the ammo it likes, dial in at 200-400 yards, practice off sticks, etc. That is unbelievably cool! ^This, if just for the wife or neighbor in case SHTF. There is good Tupperware out there. I've chosen several to protect my life and my family's. Hammer v. striker, steel vs plastic, we live in a glorious time of quality firearms. If not a 1911, then you want a SA/DA Sig P226. I'm discounting your mention of carrying because you went back to talking full-size, and I think the P226 platform is unmatched outside a 1911 if you are looking for metal. Go with a MK25 or Legion... or any that you like. You can get one that's optic ready, and threaded barrels exist. My Sig P226 Extreme was unbelievably accurate; I sold it to a close friend who offered me 150% of the purchase price, and I regret that sale to this day. Concealed carry is a whole 'nother discussion, but start by looking at the sig P365X and P365XL with manual safety (per your stated preference).
  8. Thank you, sincerely. I'm good for it and will owe you one. Though I post on Surly, I can pass the background check as I have a CHL (LTC) and I have legit cash that I've refrained from spending on hookers and blow. If I drop the ball, denizens of this thread better neg me to bolivia. Reminder PM inbound tomorrow.
  9. Re: bolt action rifle for my June trip to South Africa... Thanks to all who have chimed in. I piggy-backed on a topic in the hunting thread and had some great feedback there, as well. Special thanks to @Handcruser @fattyflattie @686 and @Gladeite for their insight. After a ton of thought, I've decided to roll with a 300 Win Mag, suppressed. I can handle the recoil of my non-braked 300 Weatherby Mag all day, but my reservation over scope bite and inability to remain down scope after the shot are what really was bothering me, so I plan to work on technique to mitigate this. I assume dropping to ~180 gr 300 Win Mag plus suppressor will also help. I'll run my Sandman S if my Hyperion K isn't out of jail by mid-April. At DSC weekend before last, I happened to walk by the Bergara booth, and I started talking with one of the reps. I mentioned that the comb of their sporter stocks just doesn't fit me; it turned out that I wasn't the only one who felt that way. The rep handed me a "prototype" of the new B-14 Wilderness Sierra and, wow, it was a perfect fit for me and exactly what I was looking for. Adjustable comb, redesigned grip (somewhere between traditional straight grip and modern vertical grip), 22" threaded barrel to host a suppressor, smooth action, ~7.6lb to help mitigate recoil, "sub MOA guarantee," and MSRP at $1099, which leaves a ton of cash for ammo, training, and a future custom build of a 6.5 PRC or similar for a go-to, all-purpose North American hunting rifle. Problem is that this rifle isn't hitting the market until "early Q2" 2024 (rep said early April). I'm willing to run the risk of waiting until April for this rifle; my back-up plan is a Tikka Veil Wideland from Scheels or Fierce Carbon Rogue from Cabela's. Question is, what is the best way to pre-order the rifle and to be at the top of the list for when it drops? @Handcruser I've never ordered a gun that was yet to be released, but I figure that you'd know the best way to make that happen?
  10. @686 Thanks for all the info. And that zebra hide is sweet! Last year, some friends and I started kicking around the idea of going to RSA in 2024. While researching safari outfitters at the Texas Trophy Hunters Extravaganza in FTW last August, I met a guy local to DFW whose friend co-owns Little Africa Hunting Safaris. This guy organizes a group of family, friends, and others to go over each season. He and his dad (a glob-trotting hunter going back at least 40 years) are well connected and have the end-to-end experience down to a science, from travel to taxidermy and customs. So, when my friends decided to push to 2025, I thought, get busy living or get busy dying, and I signed up to go along with the group this June. I figured that going solo my first time, it would be nice to tag along with seasoned veterans. They have been a tremendous resource and very, very supportive. I'll be hunting the Eastern Cape for 10 days, allowing 4 days travel (yes, we are flying via ATL). RE: rifle. Originally I was going to rent a rifle while there - no way I'm trusting my dad's rifle to an airline and international travel. Then I said eff it I'm buying a new gun for this. @fattyflattie is right in that I'm looking for a rifle experience different from my dad's Mark V (and I didn't realize it, but maybe I am looking to start a new legacy, too). Besides, that rifle was great 40 years ago but it's heavy, 1 MOA on a good day, the action is hard to work (even after being 'smithed), and ammo is hard to find. And, honestly, it's an absolute beating to shoot 200gr @ 3000fps with no brake. Talking to guys who hunt there, people going after the same game I'm targeting have success with 308, 260, 270, 6.5CM, and 300. I'm hoping that going down to a 180gr 300WM plus a brake (possibly a suppressor if I can keep OAL down) might make shooting slightly more tolerable. I'm assured that shooting with a brake is OK and common, at least where I'm going and with no dangerous game on the list (for this trip). RE: DSC. I haven't researched Nilgai yet (thanks for references!) but I figured DSC would be a good starting point. Same with Argentina, though I have one lead there. For Elk, I'm looking for private land but more of a "low fence" experience - my understanding is that is doable. Need to look into spring turkey, too, if not too late to book for this year.
  11. I'll definitely look at the 7-08 along with others when it comes to the N. America rifle. I'll want to keep that one short action, me thinks. I have a friend who looked at the Sig Cross before going Ruger Precision due to budget. I'm not a fan of these newfangled chassis precision rifles but will probably end up with one someday anyway lol. Ha ha ha very nice, and in many ways just what I was thinking. However, they are using the T3 rather than the T3x, which in my understanding has some important upgrades over the T3. And out of budget... for now... I dig the idea of the 300WSM but am worried about ammo availability in RSA and Argentina. This is what I'm now thinking... getting the larger caliber (likely 300WM) soon, spend time and money training on the platform. In the future, spend the time and money on a custom "go-to" rifle that I'll use around North America for just about anything south of moose. Thanks to all who have chimed in - this exercise has really forced me to refine my thinking and has opened up new, exciting possibilities.
  12. @686 Damn, you do have a lot going on. Love your "F It let's do this" list. I'm hitting up South Africa this June. I hope to do South Texas nilgai in 2024 or 2025, and Argentina for dove, durado, and red stag in 2025. You reminded me that I also need to plan another elk trip, so I need to start looking at calendars. I have a few years on you, so I whole-heartedly agree... get busy living, or get busy dying. Speaking of RSA, I'm in need of a rifle for that trip. I posted in the gun owners' thread here looking for some advice on a bolt action that could take on springbok, impala, red hartebeest, wildebeest, kudu... and hopefully also handle elk, red stag, and nilgai. Any suggestions? Thinking 300WM since ammo should be available in South Africa and Argentina. I'm open to building if I have the time before I leave, so any insight you have there would be great. I'm particularly intrigued by the WTO Stitchlug you mention. How would that work with the action, switching between shorts and magnums? I suppose with the optic, just get a dedicated turret for each caliber and you're set - multiple calibers on one platform.
  13. Sincere thanks for all of the great responses! The insights and suggestions have helped me further crystalize what I need to do here. I agree with @Handcruser that this really should be a two gun buy. For now, I need to focus one rifle that I need for South Africa this June. In short, a rifle suitable for stalking (as opposed to blind/bench or mountain rifle) that can take springbok, impala, gemsbok, red hartebeest, wildebeest, kudu. This should overlap for nilgai, elk, and red stag I would think. Many of you suggested building, and I'm very open to that, but have never done it and don't know where to begin; the interwebs are straightforward about building MSRs but not so much bolt action hunting rifles. Based on what I've read, I assume something like a barreled Tikka T3x action mated to a custom synthetic stock would be possible, but from where to source the components and who would be able to assemble to guarantee accuracy (I'm in DFW, btw). The thing is, I'm under some time pressure and don't want to spend a lot of time wrestling with a rifle's accuracy. Of off-the-shelf rifles, several mentioned Tikka, and it is definitely in my top 3. A couple mentioned Fierce, which was my all-around favorite, but the interweb horror stories are hard to ignore, plus it seems "boutique" and I'm not sure about taking one overseas. Surprised that no one championed the X-Bolt. 300WM seems the crowd favorite, and I don't disagree - just want the brake as shooting my dad's 300 Weatherby Mag w/o a brake is a beating. 30-06 is sentimental as it was my dad's favorite caliber. For that second rifle down the road, I'm thinking a smaller, modern caliber and integrally suppressed, maybe from SWS Rifles, as more of a "go-to" rifle for most hunting applications in North America.
  14. PSA: Dallas Safari Club’s 2024 Convention is next weekend. If you haven’t been, it’s the most impressive outdoors show I’ve ever been to. If you can hunt it or fish it, you can make it happen there. Absolutely worth a couple of days. Plus, the talent in attendance is outstanding - 10s themselves hunt for alpha males. Of note: according to exhibitors, this will be the last DSC in Dallas for the next 5 years. Due to convention center renovations, DSC will be in Atlanta 2025-2029, so now is the time to go if you are in Texas,
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