RichP

Get and practice with both. The only "cons" of either is getting too familiar with one, and letting your comfort level with the other fall away. Obviously, the whole "pointing a loaded flashlight at somebody" still applies

Go with a standard G-Shock that can be had for around $200. No need to spend any more than that. Try to get something with a backlight if you'd like to be able to tell time quickly in low-light. Anyone that has ever tried to read a tritium or luminous analog dial in complete darkness knows what I mean. All other functions are better left to a smartphone, GPS, etc.. Contrary to popular belief, a G-Shock digital that syncs with a GPS will keep time much better than any automatic or quartz watch out there, at any price. Rolex's are nice, but you'd pretty much be wearing a reflector that keeps so-so time on your wrist.

Here you go. http://www.eurooptic.com/leica-crf1000-r-rangemaster-laser-rangefinder-40535.aspx I have the same model and it has worked flawlessly out to 1200 yards, so far. I have tried many of the other rangefinders out there and most of them will not range out to their advertised distance; some even had problems at 1/2 of what they advertised. The Leica goes well beyond.

If you plan on using it for hunting, you will not find a better rangefinder than Leica.

Ahh, math was wrong. About $20-30 per 1k shipped. Sorry about that.

40?

Check on Brianenos Perusing the site, it looks like : 45 is approx. $50 per 1k, shipped 9mm is approx. $40 per 1k, shipped 223 is approx. $55 per 1k, shipped. 308 is approx. $175 per 1k, shipped

Not sure what you would be using it for, but with cut 18.5" barrels and unchoked, it would be useless as a hunting or target gun.

Wow, no love for the 40S&W ? Good selection of ammo, readily available. Not too costly. A little more punch than a 9mm. Easy conversions to 9mm and 357sig. Good accuracy. Can be loaded down to very soft shooting target loads. Snappy, but still controllable for fast follow-ups. I have a couple of 40s and can honestly say that I enjoy shooting them.

But there is no question that if a premium "defense ammo" and ball ammo hit the same target area, the expanding bullet will do more damage and cause faster incapacitation. Other than heavy solids used for some dangerous game, there is a reason that hunters don't use FMJ-type bullets. I would never even consider hunting a big game with an fmj bulle, since the goal is to put down the animal as quickly as possible.

Problem is, within 10-15 years, the F-35 will be no match for an "air superiority" drone that is 3x more capable and 1/10 the price.

Haven't used these rounds myself, but do use Nosler ammo in some of my other guns and their quality is top notch in every respect. http://www.nosler.com/defense-handgun-ammunition/

Can't go wrong with Hardys Whiskers Blake; aka the 2 buck chuck of ports. I prefer the tawny.

Very similar thing happened to me years ago while bowhunting. I pulled the shot and saw the arrow hit high and back of the vital area. I felt a deep sinking feeling in my gut as the buck took a few bounds. About 3 seconds later, it basically crashed to the ground, stone dead. Arrow hit the aortic artery (luckily). You might have done the same - the femoral artery is all the way back. Congrats on your first!

Not a lion. Plain ole housecat. There are literally thousands of trail cams strewn all over the woods of NJ. They take night pics clear enough to allow you to count points on bucks, see spurs/beards on turkey, and catch any trespassers or hunters walking-by. And yet, nobody has EVER gotten a clear pic of a lion? There are no lions in NJ, period.

1. Not really, as long as you feel comfortable with the rules and procedures. 2. 11am, new shooter briefing is at 11:15am - probably a good idea to attend it. 3. sign-up: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/somerset-monthly-idpa-registration-tickets-27795394774?aff=eac2

That's very good advice, those guys pretty much know it all. Depending how comfortable you are with wood/metal working, there are plenty of beginner to advanced kits that you might want to tackle. One of the best reference books out there is called "Recreating the American Longrifle"; however, you would not need it for a basic build.

Generally speaking, cartridges than headspace on the neck are usually considered to have better inherent accuracy than ones that headspace on a belt. Since you are looking at basic hunting calibers, I will say that from a hunting perspective, they are all about equal accuracy wise; especially with factory ammo. .270 ammo is probably the least expensive of the bunch.It will have the least recoil, and will generally be the most enjoyable to shoot, and shoot well. 7mm has its place as a general-purpose caliber, enough for the bigger game animals, and still acceptable for smaller deer and antelope. Recoil is moderate to slightly heavy. .300 Winmag is best used for elk and moose sized game of the three you have mentioned. It does have a fairly short neck, so bullets over 200gr. don't usually do very well. Ideally, you'll be in the 165 or 180 grain range. It is typically considered to have about the upper level of recoil that the average shooter can handle. Some prefer a box magazine, some don't. I have both, and while the box magazine is easier to load and unload a rifle, I do always worry about falling out inadvertently, or forgetting it at camp. The blind mag I just leave loaded, since I almost never chamber a round until I'm ready to shoot. $600 might to tough to swing for a new 700. You might have to look used. Keep in mind that even the most accurate rifle will not do much without an equally good scope and scope-mount.

Sorry to hear, but as long as you had a good time, then nothing lost. Back in NJ, you shouldn't have any problem filling your tag.

Loaded to minor, they do shoot really nice. Bigger holes for scoring. Easier to see hits.

XDM in 5.25" Sig P320 - although I'd probably wait for the target version o be released. The Glock is, however, a great choice. You'd easily be able to shoot it in USPSA/Prod,L10 and IDPA CDP,ESP,SSP divisions. Even better if you reload.

Good Luck! My very first guided hunt was in the Adirondacks, IIRC either Shroon Lake or Loon Lake areas. It was definitely a great experience, although the hunting was not so hot - didn't see a thing in the 4 days that I was there. But that trip did get me started in hunting new areas, and my passion has morphed into hunting the western states. I wish someone had told me this when I first started-out, but if you ever plan on doing more out-of-state hunting, begin applying for lottery points in several of them now. That way, you'll have some points banked for when you want to apply for permits in more desirable hunting areas. At a minimum, Wyoming and Maine. You can purchase preference-points-only for those 2 states for a relatively low price and after a few years you'll have much better odds of drawing a tag.

Gary at Gans Guns did the slide milling and some of the assembly. Total cost of parts was approx. $2K., gunsmith/milling and finish was extra. Very plain look with minimal markings, just the way I wanted it.

Saw some 2011's in this thread, so I figured I'd add one more. Built on CK frame and Caspian slide. Combination of parts from EGW, C&S, SVI, STI. Finished in matte Ionbond and just got it back yesterday. 40 S&W----

Its a Blaser R8. Some of the finest rifles made, and, if I were doing it again, would have purchased one of them and several barrels to hunt anywhere for any game. Much more convenient than several rifle in various calibers. Get the take-down model and you can do away with lugging around a big, heavy double rifle case. Downside is the price - that particular model is around $10 - 14K, without scope. I shot one in the past and the accuracy is undeniable, but the straight back bolt operation takes some getting used to.