New gun (soon) - what to do next
 

Well, I've thought about it a lot, probably more than I should, but I decided to put the Pro Hunter that I looked at last weekend on hold and go pick it up this weekend. Long story short, I've wanted one for a long time and it wasn't until this last week or so that I started going back and forth whether it was really the gun I wanted.
So my next question is what is best to do next. I'm thinking I might try to get some Montana Xtreme bore solvent and conditioner for it's initial cleaning. Is it worth some JB's in there also? I'm also going to try to get some gold dots/deep curls for use in it. What size is everyone having the most luck with? And last, I would really like a set of quick release scope rings as I plan to scope it for paper and coyotes, but can't keep it scoped for muzzleloader season. What's a decent setup that is still affordable?

SuperKirby, i don't know what your budget is but if your looking for quick-detach. scope rings you should check out the Warne Maxima quick-detach. steel scope rings and the Warne Maxima 1-piece Weaver-style steel base for your T/C. Warne products usually cost a few dollars more than your standard rings but in my opinion they are worth it. I have Warne rings/base on my Triumph. Check out Opticsplanet.com for a competitive price with free shipping and no sales tax(unless you live in Illinois). I have never used Gold Dots/Deep Curls but alot of people on here use them and get excellent results with them. I have never used JB products but again alot of people on here do and swear by them. I did use Flitz metal polish and Kroil penetrating oil on the bore of my triumph when it was new because it was under-sized and tighter than all get-out. If the bore would have been standard size and easier to load i doubt i would have used the flitz polish on it. Some people use JB or Flitz on every gun they buy; others just use it only when they feel they need to. Just a matter of personal preference imo. -Q :happy0001:

I'll agree with quake on the Warne quick release rings. Just got them for my Renegade. Only paid 60 for them. WAY cheaper than TC's rings and they are steal too. As for the sabots. I used the mmp black, they seemed to do the trick. If you don't have a scope I would get the Nikon Omega. Have that scope on two rifles, Triumph and Marlin .450. As for cleaning, i don't think JB would be needed. I think you using the MT Xtreme products will work just fine

Thanks guys. I wasn't sure about the JB's. I'll wait until the first range session and go from there. For now I'll just stick with the MX stuff and call it good. And I'll definately look into the Warne's. I have a scope to use for now. It's a Bushnell Banner. Not tops, but so far it's worked for me. I think my next scope I really want to try one of the Redfields. I've heard great things about them for the cost. My understanding is they're owned and operated by Leupold using Leupold's parts and products from a year or two ago.

SuperKirby
Ihad one of the newer Redfield scopes it is in the drawer now for the recoil of a 50 caliber Omega tore its inards to pieces in a few months shooting 100gr load of powder with 250 gr bullets. Now I buy either Bushnell or Nikon. I am not saying they are all bad but this was one of there more expensive scopes and I would hate to get taken like that again.

On the gold dots i would buy the .452 250 gr, harvester crushed rib and mmp-24 sabots also.30-50 strokes of JB after you have cleaned it is also a good idea.it polishes the bore and removes the imperfections and also makes loading the tight T/C bored guns a lot easier.Ray

the new redfields are made by leupold. They seem to be a good quality scope.

First, i usually wait until after my first range session until i use JBs or any bore polish. UNLESS the bore is really tight or rough and i don't have any sabots that fit well. I might also use it sparingly as just a cleaner on a new bore. Maybe 20 passes and then finish off with Hoppes, MX or a good non Teflon CLP.

After my first session or two and sabot inspections i usually give it about 50 passes if i feel it needed it. Out of all of mine only 2 have not had any polish because they were fine out of the box and i like the way they load/shoot.

I do use MX conditioner on all of them. Im still on the fence if its the best but it ranks VERY high imo. After about the 3rd shooting and cleaning sessions the difference has been very good to excellent. I mainly like it because i sometimes i forget to dry swab before popping a couple primers and ive not seen any really bad effects.

Rings and mounts
IIRC the Leos, T/Cs and Maxima are nearly identical. They might even be the same just re-branded. I use the older Durasight Steel QR rings and bases because the are very affordable. The bases seem to be just as well made as more expensive options. Ive got several sets on my Knights and they have been great. I got them for $10 directly from Durasight and they are Made in USA if that matters to you.

The new RedFields.
Ive got two of the 2x7x33s and im very happy with them. The glass is about as good as scopes in the $200-250 price range or better. They have a good amount of eye relief and are not too heavy. One of mine has survived a terrific beating from my GMB54 and many max loads that will rattle your teeth.

$30 for a complete QR set in STEEL is a STEAL IMO. :D
http://www.durasight.com/durasight/special-offers.html

The GoldDot 250gr IMO is a great all around bullet and fairly affordable. They have also been very accurate with a variety of powder charges. Everything from "youth" loads to 110gr have shot great for me. If you plan on shooting mostly 100gr+ loads i prefer the 300gr. After seeing Ron's 200yard "catch", i really feel its a great choice for some serious knock down power.

Clean it like normal, getting all the packing material out. Then go shoot it. This will give you an idea of the bore tightness and any other things that you might notice you would like you change. You can always JB Bore Paste it. Although that Montana X-treme Bore Conditioner is some good stuff. Whether it made my rifles foul less or clean easier I will not swear to. But the rifles I have treated sure shoot nice, swab easy, and clean easy.

Gm i tried the 300 gr GD/DC 100 gr 777,long black harvester sabot last weekend and was extremely pleased with the performance.i am going to see how 105 then 110 grains performs also.i picked up some Black gold lol. can't wait to try it instead of 777.:woot: Ray

I love my Pro Hunter. I just cleaned it really good before I shot it and then went to the range. So far it has shot moa or close to it with just about everything I have put through it except for 1 or 2 different combo's. I settled on the 250gr Barnes TMZ with a yellow cr sabot on top of 105 gr of BH.

Can't beat a barnes bullet! Ray

Thanks for all the resplies guys. I picked up the Pro Hunter this evening. :) I think I'm really going to like it. I checked out a few others and for the price I got it for I'm quite happy. It's probably going to be a week or two before I get to shoot it unfortunately. I'm going to get some bases and rings picked up for it. Those Durasight ones might be my top choice for the price. Thanks for the link. I still have a $100 gift card to Cabelas so that's going to buy some Gold dots and maybe some more sabots. I may even go nuts and get some BH209 for it. I figure it's still going to be a few weeks before my range is cleared out enough to get out and shoot. I'm excited though.

SuperKirby, if you dont mind me asking what did you end up paying for your Prohunter tax and all? If i remember correctly in your previous thread you said it was stainless, had the black synthetic stock but did not have the XT breech plug/barrel(Endeavor)? -Q

I don't think cabelas carries the gold dot/deep curls.. midsouthshooters has the GD/DC and the sabots also. have fun and let us know how it shoots..

Some people like lapping a barrel, and some don't. Put me in the yes category for lapping. Do a search on how to properly lap the barrel and go for it if you want to. I lap all my new rifles. I personally think it makes cleaning the barrel easier after you lap the barrel, and take away any rough edges in a new rifle. Tom.

I ended up paying $675 out the door. It is stainless. I know it's not the best deal in the world, but the best around here. I've been watching gunbroker for awhile as well as stores around me and the closest stainless I could fine was about $100 more. I think it will be fun. I just wish some of this snow would melt.

I think you did pretty good on your purchase price, i was at the local Gander Mountain yesterday and they had the same gun priced at 799 BEFORE tax. Gander's prices never usually impress me much. There will always be somebody out there that gets a better deal than you but i promise you there are a lot of people that paid a helluva lot more for the same gun than you did. Good luck and good shooting. -Q

HEAD0001

You were talking lapping... just remember JB's is not a true lapping compound.

How does Flitz compare to JB's? So far I haven't been able to find any JB's locally and I'm not sure I want to pay for shipping on something like that. I still haven't decided if I want to polish the bore, wait until after the first range session and then polish the bore, or just leave it alone.

I can't answer your question to how it compares as i have never used the JB's bore polish. I would imagine it's very similar to the Flitz metal polish that i used on the bore of my Triumph. The reason i bought Flitz is because i found it in my local Mom and Pop gunshop. It doesn't seem like the rifle is easier to clean after applying the Flitz. Accuracy is basically unchanged. The Flitz DID help with my loading problem- before it was just down right unpleasant to load, now it's very tolerable. Superkirby, as i stated before i think using a metal polish on your bore comes down to a personal preference. Some like to use it on every gun they buy before they shoot. Some only use it when they believe they need to(ex. undersize/tight bore, bore imperfections, bore rust). Some people have never used a polish. Nobody is wrong here. -Q

I think some folks are mixing apples and oranges with this JB and Flitz question. In my mind Flitz is a metal finish polish and JB is a bore cleaning compound and polish.

Now as to the Encore barrel bores, I have had the experience with a number of them and they were all cut very tight. Mine was so tight in the center of the bore, that I sent it back for a tight spot. My understanding is that TC Encore barrels are all made this way. This is why they are so hard to load and some people do a lapping process to open them up some. I can only tell you that I had a hell of a time loading a sabot down my Encore barrel. Once I lapped the bore it got better though. Not that a tight bore is all bad. It does make them a lot more accurate I remember that the other TC inlines having tight bores also.

I would suggest just cleaning it up good and then go to the range and see how she loads and shoots. Then go from there pal. Good luck and don't forget to have a blast shooting it!