Free ammo of Kaibab use...

AZBuckSnort · Aug 19, 2005

LAST EDITED ON Aug-19-05 AT 09:04PM (MST)[p]I just received two brand spanking new boxes of Federal cartridges, loaded with the Barnes Triple-Shock 180 grain bullets for my .300 Win Mag, from Cabela's for FREE! When I received my Kaibab deer tag in the mail, included was a coupon redeemable for two boxes of cartridges in a number of popular calibers from either Cabela's or Sportsmens Warehouse. I filled out the card and sent it in last week and the cartridges arrived today via UPS. That is some impressive service IMO.

The AZG&FD is asking hunters to use ammo with solid copper bullets to aid in their condor restoration activities north of the Colorado River. Seems the fears are that the condors are eating the gutpiles of harvested deer and ingesting the lead from the bullets and becoming lead poisoned. I'll give the new ammo a whirl and get a warm fuzzy for helping the condors to boot!

Gator · Aug 19, 2005

Wish you had ordered 30-378 I would brought you 4 boxes of that 300 stuff. LMAO

AZBuckSnort · Aug 19, 2005

Gator...30-.378 wasn't one of the calibers on the list!

conch · Aug 20, 2005

300 Win Mag? What happened to the .270?
I had a hard time making up my mind. Normally I would be using my 300, but decided this would be a great opportunity to break out my grandpa's Rem 721 in the 30'06'. I had it glass bedded, some minor trigger adjustments and a good scrubbing. I'll be topping it with a Leopold of some sort. 2x7 or 3x9.
I wanted to use a 150 or 165 grain bullets but will make due with the 180's. That's the only bullet offered in the Barnes/Cabalas' Condor program. I ordered mine a couple of weeks ago and have not received them yet. UPS must be a little slower in this part of the woods.

AZBuckSnort · Aug 20, 2005

Hey conch,

I penciled in the .270 Winchester for my Dad so we'll end up with two boxes of .270 & two boxes of .300 Win Mag we can pick and choose to hunt with. It's likely we'll both use the .270 ammo on the hunt and the .300 will end up as a back up gun.

I had an older Interarms MKX bolt action that was spending it's days as a safe queen so I decided to build it into a "Kaibab Rifle" for those ocassions I might choose to hunt some lonely, wind-swept canyon where a 180 grain .30 cal bullet might be a better choice than the bullets I typically fire from my .270 Winchester. I put the action into a Boyd laminated JRS stock and bedded the action and floated the barrel and had all the metal parkerized. I mounted a new Leupold 6X42 scope and put a Sims recoil pad on it with a neoprene sling, it's heavy but it fits and feels so good!

On of the oldtimers I get out to hunt with a bit has an old Remington 721 in .270 and he really likes it. I've got a pre-war model 70 in .30 Gov't that I ought to take to the woods but they've become so valuable I hate to beat it up. My duaghter will likely be using a 1950's vintage .300 Savage model 99 for her antlerless elk hunt in December so some of the vintage rigs will make it out to the woods this year.

Looking forward to hunting the Kaibab in November with my Dad. It will be a special time and, with as hard as it is to draw out in that country, who knows if we'll ever have the opportunity again? I've noticed a number of MM frequenters have drawn the same hunt for '05, should be a good time.

wetmule · Aug 20, 2005

I commend you guys for getting the ammo and participating in this program even though it may not be your bullet of choice. As you know it's a volunteer program not mandatory. If hunters can work with the Department now on this issue and it will save some condors from lead poisoning; our position in the conservation world gets a big boost and shows that we can work with the different agencies, even the Sierra Club types and not take such a hard line stance on certain issues. The participation and success of this program will hopefully help insure that we always get to hunt big bucks on the Kaibab, and prevent the Kaibab Plateau from being turned into one big National Park or some giant Condor Preserve.
Sounds like you guys have some sweet nice old rifles, I have a 721 .270 myself that was handed down to me from my dad and grand
dad. Good luck on your hunts up there - pm me if you need any info., been hunting up there for 35 yrs.