As you go through your gear for the up coming hunting seasons, what do you find you have to replace, repair or add to your gear

[DakotaMan]

Tree :-), I don't have any plans to test a .338 Lapua but I am always up for testing Home Brew! I'm thinking of blowing the neck out on that great Lapua case to hold these wonderful new .375 VLD bullets though. With a 1:10 twist it will be one of the better long range performers out there using 350g bullets.

Happy, you always get me dreaming. You are right that preparation is half the fun. I also think preparation gives one the confidence to be more successful on the hunt. However, I'm still a little concerned that I might have the big one if I see a monster bull in my crosshairs for the first time. What a way to go though, eh!

[Happy Myles]

Dakota,
I have been so lucky to have hunted most of our World's great animals. Rocky Mountain Elk still sits near the top of my list. Sadly, age and poor health are making elk hunting more than just difficult. Three years ago took a fabulous bull in Nevada,hard on the Utah border. My twelve year old grandson helped my up hill and over logs. As I recall, the shot across a canyon was 320 give or take a few. I know it took the better part of an hour to scramble down the canyon and crawl up the other side. The bull had slide twenty yards or so down hill and bumped into a fallen log. When my Grandson, a city boy, saw the antlers over the top of the log, he exclaimed he had no idea the animal could be that large. The bull when around 360. A dandy trophy.

[Happy Myles]

Might give an explanation why I used a 375. H&H on elk. I had just returned from Africa where the only rifle that showed up was a 375, with which I proceeded to take 18 animals. My elk hunt occurred shortly after my return home, so I just took it along. It worked just fine. My Son likes to use it on elk because he likes to see the look on folks faces when he drags in out of the scabbard.

[WA Mtnhunter]

Happy Myles,
Did you get rid of your .300 Weatherby? How did the felt recoil compare to the .300 RUM? I went ahead with the .300 Roy a couple of years ago after firing a .300 RUM at the range with 180 gr handloads. I know my Roy is a handfull with Wby factory 180 gr loads. I prefer my 168 gr TTSX @ 3,348 fps. Not for the faint of heart but not unbearable either. I really needed that .300 Roy like another hole in the head, but it is a good shooter. One of these days a real trophy will wander out in front of me if I live long enough!

Cheers

[Happy Myles]

WAM,
Yes, I sold my 300 Weatherby. The one I had just was not as accurate as any of my three 300 Win Mags. In fairness to the caliber it was an off the shelve rifle of many decades ago, competing against three pretty swanky custom 300 win mags. The Weatherby recoil is not as vicious as the 300 RUM, and not as tempermental to handload. Have many friends who hunt all over the world who swear by the 300Weatherby. One was a top shooter for the Army rifle team and really knows his rifles. As an aside, I used to own a 340 Weatherby, it was super accurate but the trade off versus recoil was not worth it. I went back to a 338 Win Mag, which kills just as well. Kindest Regards

[WA Mtnhunter]

Happy,
Mine is an Accumark with the aluminum bedding block and 26" barrel with the high end stock. There are a few of the Mark V's out there that were not top shelf for accuracy. I cleaned mine when I got it and went out and shot some Weatherby factory loads and sure enough, it shot better than 1" groups; exceeding the 1.5 inch Weatherby guarantee. The most accurate rifle I have ever seen was a Sako 75 in .300 Weatherby. A friend in Montana shot sub 1" groups with it at 200 yards one day at the range. That is a shooter! Kahles scope I believe. 'Course Shane was a designated marksman" in the Army and he knows his rifles. He had another Sako 75 in .300 Win Mag that he said shot "almost" as good.

[31Alpha]

Definitely need to beef up my Rem 700 in .300 RUM. Looking at getting a new barrel, new stock and having it glass bedded and free floated. Probably top it off with a Mossy Oak or Real Tree hydrographic print job on it.