My new levergun
Forum rules
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.
Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.
Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
- 7.62 Precision
- Senior Levergunner
- Posts: 1836
- Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2012 12:34 am
- Location: Alaska
- Contact:
My new levergun
Anyone who has spent much time with me has heard about a rifle I was going to have some day. It's a rifle I've had in mind for many years, but it is not available commercially, and the base rifle to build it from is on the expensive side.
I have always loved Winchester lever actions. When I was a small child, my father's Winchester Model 71 kept us in fresh meat (there were no stores or any way to ship perishables into our village). Friends' fathers had Winchester 1895s, and no one I knew who had one was ever in a hurry to get rid of it. My dad almost bought an 1895 in .303 for me when I was nine, but it was in rough shape and I chose a beautiful little Model 70 featherweight carbine in .243 instead.
Later, when I did get an 1895 Winchester, I learned why no one ever wanted to part withone. While I would gladly own any '95 Winchester in any of the factory calibers, my heart was set on a union between John Browning's sleek rifle and Col. Townsend Whelen's creation.
The .35 Whelen is one of those cartridges that just seems right. It seems sepecially right for the '95 Winchester, which has never been factory-chambered in that caliber. This means that a .35 Whelen 1895 Winchester is a re-barrel or rebore proposition.
So my plan was to get a .30-06 1895 rifle and rebarrel it to .35 Whelen. To do this I had three options for the base rifle; and original 1895 (pre-1940s) in .30-06 or .30-03, a 1980s Browning re-run in .30-06, or a current Winchester re-run in .30-06 or .270 Win. I quickly ruled out the idea of using an original rifle. The steels used in the early 1900s were not as strong as the steels used today, and many of those old .30-06 rifles have fired a lot of rounds, possibly heavy loads, for many, many years. Above all else, though, I do not like the idea of messing with a piece of history. My preference was to try to avoid the current Winchester production as well. I have a current Winchester 1895 saddle ring carbine in .30-40 Krag; a beautifully built rifle that shoots like a dream, but the tang safety and rebounding hammer are an annoyance to me. That left me looking for one of the 6,000 standard-grade .30-06 rifles built under the Browning name in the 1980s.
Occasionally I would check the auction sites and local gun stores for an affordable rifle, and sometimes I would see one for a really good price - just when I couldn't afford it. Over the years I have watched the price of those Browning 1895s steadily increase. I kept checking, planning to snag one eventually, shoot it in .30-06 until I could afford a barrel, then shoot it in .30-06 until I could afford to have the barrel installed.
So a couple weeks ago, I was sort of skimming over the auction sights again, without really any money to spend, and suddenly, there it was. On Gunbroker was a nice looking Browning 1895 – already chambered in .35 Whelen!
Of course, I could not afford it.
There it was sitting at $675 for days on end and I could not afford it.
My wife, however, was insistent, so when the auction ended at just over $800, she was on the phone with the seller, debit card in hand.
The rifle arrived last Friday and I was surprised by it's condition. My initial assumption was that the the description was slightly inflated, but the photos were deceptive and the rifle was basically like new; better than described. The original barrel has been rebored and re-crowned and the original caliber marking has been neatly removed and replaced with a very clean, professional ".35 Whelen" marking. The bore is a mirror. There is no sign that the rifle has been fired since the re-bore, so at the most it has only had a few shots through it and a thorough cleaning of the action and bore. The first five or six times I cycled the action put more wear on the lever and mag body where the lever rides than was on the rifle when I took it out of the box. Finish on the stock is beautiful.
From looking at the rifling, my guess is that it will shoot great. If not, I still paid less than I am seeing .30-06 rifles go for, so I am no further behind if I have to rebarrel it. I expect this one will shoot fine.
The Browning rifle is built the same way as the originals (but not to exact dimensions), so the action and trigger are noticeably nicer than the current Winchester rifles with their rebounding hammers and extra parts. It has the current style forend, which I do not like, so I will probably do some reshaping eventually to mimic the originals. I considered replacement wood of a fancier grade, but this is a rifle that will be used extensively, so it might be a waste. The buttplate is a thin, flat, slick-faced, sharp-cornered little beast that seems to be eyeing my shoulder maliciously. Bony guy that I am, I should install a recoil pad. I have a checkered shotgun-style buttplate that I ordered as a Model 71 buttplate, but it turned out to be too narrow. It is the right size for the 1895. The purist in me leans toward the steel buttplate, but my practical side is pushing for a buttpad. Tough decisions.
The rear sight dovetail has a filler blank in it, and there is a Williams receiver sight mounted. It looks way too modern. The sight is in new condition and has no marks on it, so I will pull it off and sell it to partially fund a Lyman type 21 style sight. The originals are quite expensive it is not an original rifle, so I will go with the Providence Tool Company reproduction. I have one on an 1886 Winchester (Japanchester) and it is a great sight.
One of the local shops had one box of Remington .35 Whelen ammo on their otherwise empty shelves, so I will be taking it out to see how it shoots while I wait for some better ammo to get here.
I'll let you know how it shoots.
Larger photos here:
http://762precision.wordpress.com/2013/ ... re-it-was/
I have always loved Winchester lever actions. When I was a small child, my father's Winchester Model 71 kept us in fresh meat (there were no stores or any way to ship perishables into our village). Friends' fathers had Winchester 1895s, and no one I knew who had one was ever in a hurry to get rid of it. My dad almost bought an 1895 in .303 for me when I was nine, but it was in rough shape and I chose a beautiful little Model 70 featherweight carbine in .243 instead.
Later, when I did get an 1895 Winchester, I learned why no one ever wanted to part withone. While I would gladly own any '95 Winchester in any of the factory calibers, my heart was set on a union between John Browning's sleek rifle and Col. Townsend Whelen's creation.
The .35 Whelen is one of those cartridges that just seems right. It seems sepecially right for the '95 Winchester, which has never been factory-chambered in that caliber. This means that a .35 Whelen 1895 Winchester is a re-barrel or rebore proposition.
So my plan was to get a .30-06 1895 rifle and rebarrel it to .35 Whelen. To do this I had three options for the base rifle; and original 1895 (pre-1940s) in .30-06 or .30-03, a 1980s Browning re-run in .30-06, or a current Winchester re-run in .30-06 or .270 Win. I quickly ruled out the idea of using an original rifle. The steels used in the early 1900s were not as strong as the steels used today, and many of those old .30-06 rifles have fired a lot of rounds, possibly heavy loads, for many, many years. Above all else, though, I do not like the idea of messing with a piece of history. My preference was to try to avoid the current Winchester production as well. I have a current Winchester 1895 saddle ring carbine in .30-40 Krag; a beautifully built rifle that shoots like a dream, but the tang safety and rebounding hammer are an annoyance to me. That left me looking for one of the 6,000 standard-grade .30-06 rifles built under the Browning name in the 1980s.
Occasionally I would check the auction sites and local gun stores for an affordable rifle, and sometimes I would see one for a really good price - just when I couldn't afford it. Over the years I have watched the price of those Browning 1895s steadily increase. I kept checking, planning to snag one eventually, shoot it in .30-06 until I could afford a barrel, then shoot it in .30-06 until I could afford to have the barrel installed.
So a couple weeks ago, I was sort of skimming over the auction sights again, without really any money to spend, and suddenly, there it was. On Gunbroker was a nice looking Browning 1895 – already chambered in .35 Whelen!
Of course, I could not afford it.
There it was sitting at $675 for days on end and I could not afford it.
My wife, however, was insistent, so when the auction ended at just over $800, she was on the phone with the seller, debit card in hand.
The rifle arrived last Friday and I was surprised by it's condition. My initial assumption was that the the description was slightly inflated, but the photos were deceptive and the rifle was basically like new; better than described. The original barrel has been rebored and re-crowned and the original caliber marking has been neatly removed and replaced with a very clean, professional ".35 Whelen" marking. The bore is a mirror. There is no sign that the rifle has been fired since the re-bore, so at the most it has only had a few shots through it and a thorough cleaning of the action and bore. The first five or six times I cycled the action put more wear on the lever and mag body where the lever rides than was on the rifle when I took it out of the box. Finish on the stock is beautiful.
From looking at the rifling, my guess is that it will shoot great. If not, I still paid less than I am seeing .30-06 rifles go for, so I am no further behind if I have to rebarrel it. I expect this one will shoot fine.
The Browning rifle is built the same way as the originals (but not to exact dimensions), so the action and trigger are noticeably nicer than the current Winchester rifles with their rebounding hammers and extra parts. It has the current style forend, which I do not like, so I will probably do some reshaping eventually to mimic the originals. I considered replacement wood of a fancier grade, but this is a rifle that will be used extensively, so it might be a waste. The buttplate is a thin, flat, slick-faced, sharp-cornered little beast that seems to be eyeing my shoulder maliciously. Bony guy that I am, I should install a recoil pad. I have a checkered shotgun-style buttplate that I ordered as a Model 71 buttplate, but it turned out to be too narrow. It is the right size for the 1895. The purist in me leans toward the steel buttplate, but my practical side is pushing for a buttpad. Tough decisions.
The rear sight dovetail has a filler blank in it, and there is a Williams receiver sight mounted. It looks way too modern. The sight is in new condition and has no marks on it, so I will pull it off and sell it to partially fund a Lyman type 21 style sight. The originals are quite expensive it is not an original rifle, so I will go with the Providence Tool Company reproduction. I have one on an 1886 Winchester (Japanchester) and it is a great sight.
One of the local shops had one box of Remington .35 Whelen ammo on their otherwise empty shelves, so I will be taking it out to see how it shoots while I wait for some better ammo to get here.
I'll let you know how it shoots.
Larger photos here:
http://762precision.wordpress.com/2013/ ... re-it-was/
http://www.SHWAT.com
Front Line Holsters • http://www.7-62precision.com • Custom Finishes • http://www.762precision.wordpress.com
Front Line Holsters • http://www.7-62precision.com • Custom Finishes • http://www.762precision.wordpress.com
Re: My new levergun
Nicely done. Love those '95's. Good enuff for TR, good enuff fer me.
Some people just need a sympathetic pat on the head.....with a hammer. Repeatedly.
Re: My new levergun
Great story and sweet rifle. So glad you got it. It's a Beaut.
Re: My new levergun
Wow, nice rifle.......and what a cool wife!
- gamekeeper
- Spambot Zapper
- Posts: 17682
- Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:32 pm
- Location: Over the pond unfortunately.
Re: My new levergun
+ 1...Grizz wrote:Great story and sweet rifle. So glad you got it. It's a Beaut.
Whatever you do always give 100%........... unless you are donating blood.
- AJMD429
- Posting leader...
- Posts: 32800
- Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2007 10:03 am
- Location: Hoosierland
- Contact:
Re: My new levergun
I am happy for you. A genuine dream-gun like that is rare to come across.Grizz wrote:Great story and sweet rifle. So glad you got it. It's a Beaut.
Doctors for Sensible Gun Laws
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
- Ysabel Kid
- Moderator
- Posts: 28220
- Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:10 pm
- Location: South Carolina, USA
- Contact:
- Griff
- Posting leader...
- Posts: 21016
- Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 4:56 pm
- Location: OH MY GAWD they installed a STOP light!!!
Re: My new levergun
VERY NICE! Gosh, and to think that there TWO people that think like that... I believe the wife's a keeper... the rifle's still a maybe, see how it shoots!!!!
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession!
AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession!
AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
- ollogger
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 2826
- Joined: Mon Jul 05, 2010 2:47 pm
- Location: Wheatland Wyoming
- Contact:
Re: My new levergun
That's a great story & a fine wife
the gun is WOW!!!!
ollogger
the gun is WOW!!!!
ollogger
Re: My new levergun
Very nice!
-
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4559
- Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2007 1:52 pm
Re: My new levergun
Great writeup and photos. What a beautiful rifle.
And it appears that you are blessed with at least two truly wonderful "ladies" in your life, now. Congratulations!
And it appears that you are blessed with at least two truly wonderful "ladies" in your life, now. Congratulations!
Re: My new levergun
That is really nice and thanks for sharing. Congrats!
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
Re: My new levergun
Congratulations!
That is a sharp looker for sure and with a great round too.
Personally I really like the forend, but then I'm a sucker for a schnable.
The only thing I can see that I might do is add a little checkering fore and aft.
If you're gonna be stupid ya gotta be tough-
Isiah 55:8&9
It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been fooled.
Isiah 55:8&9
It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been fooled.
Re: My new levergun
Those are cool rifles......
The Rotten Fruit Always Hits The Ground First
Proud Life Member Of:
NRA
Second Amendment Foundation
Citizens Committee For The Right To Keep And Bear Arms
DAV
Proud Life Member Of:
NRA
Second Amendment Foundation
Citizens Committee For The Right To Keep And Bear Arms
DAV
- 7.62 Precision
- Senior Levergunner
- Posts: 1836
- Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2012 12:34 am
- Location: Alaska
- Contact:
Re: My new levergun
I actually have several rifles that I had wanted for a long time that she found a way to scrape the money together to buy at times that I did not think we could afford to buy them.jkbrea wrote:Wow, nice rifle.......and what a cool wife!
People keep telling me she needs to start a support group that they can send their wives to . . .
http://www.SHWAT.com
Front Line Holsters • http://www.7-62precision.com • Custom Finishes • http://www.762precision.wordpress.com
Front Line Holsters • http://www.7-62precision.com • Custom Finishes • http://www.762precision.wordpress.com
- 7.62 Precision
- Senior Levergunner
- Posts: 1836
- Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2012 12:34 am
- Location: Alaska
- Contact:
Re: My new levergun
Me too, especially on the 1895, as it just seems to fit the lines of the rifle (or could be it's just what we are used to seeing). I just prefer the original schnabel forends over the modern Browning and current-production Winchester ones. The current ones look to me like someone made a bad attempt at doing it with a bandsaw. They are too heavy and have a square front, instead of rounded.Rusty wrote:
Personally I really like the forend, but then I'm a sucker for a schnable.
The only thing I can see that I might do is add a little checkering fore and aft.
http://www.SHWAT.com
Front Line Holsters • http://www.7-62precision.com • Custom Finishes • http://www.762precision.wordpress.com
Front Line Holsters • http://www.7-62precision.com • Custom Finishes • http://www.762precision.wordpress.com
- 7.62 Precision
- Senior Levergunner
- Posts: 1836
- Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2012 12:34 am
- Location: Alaska
- Contact:
Re: My new levergun
I stumbled across some photos of Col. Whelen's own 1895 Winchester. Check out the buttplate:
http://www.SHWAT.com
Front Line Holsters • http://www.7-62precision.com • Custom Finishes • http://www.762precision.wordpress.com
Front Line Holsters • http://www.7-62precision.com • Custom Finishes • http://www.762precision.wordpress.com
Re: My new levergun
Nice! I bought a Browning 1895 about 10 years ago in 30-06 to convert to 35 Whelen. But it shot so good ,I left it as is. It is one of my most accurate leverguns.
Re: My new levergun
I love those....the USRAC I have in .405 is (for me) a little uncomfortable to shoot.....I wish it were a '06, and I'd prolly shoot it.
The Rotten Fruit Always Hits The Ground First
Proud Life Member Of:
NRA
Second Amendment Foundation
Citizens Committee For The Right To Keep And Bear Arms
DAV
Proud Life Member Of:
NRA
Second Amendment Foundation
Citizens Committee For The Right To Keep And Bear Arms
DAV
- O.S.O.K.
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 5533
- Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2008 4:15 pm
- Location: Deep in the Piney Woods of Mississippi
Re: My new levergun
Congrats on your New 95! I think you got a great price considering the extra work in it to rechamber! Looking forward to the range report The 35 Whelen is a great cartridge and will serve you well.
Blaine, I've got the same rifle - Miroku 405 Win. It's not too bad to shoot - especially if you shoot off-hand instead of hunkering down behind it on the bench...
Why don't you get some good cast boolits for it and load them to around 1800 fps for a lower recoil load? I've got a Saeco mold for mine - 360 grain .416" that I'm going to try in the future - yes, will have to size them down some to .412" but that's OK.
Here's Laser-Cast's True Shot line - they have a 265 .411" gas check boolit that would be good for a reduced load... http://www.laser-cast.com/trueshot.html
Blaine, I've got the same rifle - Miroku 405 Win. It's not too bad to shoot - especially if you shoot off-hand instead of hunkering down behind it on the bench...
Why don't you get some good cast boolits for it and load them to around 1800 fps for a lower recoil load? I've got a Saeco mold for mine - 360 grain .416" that I'm going to try in the future - yes, will have to size them down some to .412" but that's OK.
Here's Laser-Cast's True Shot line - they have a 265 .411" gas check boolit that would be good for a reduced load... http://www.laser-cast.com/trueshot.html
NRA Endowment Life
Phi Kappa Sigma, Alpha Phi 83 "Skulls"
OCS, 120th MP Battalion, MSSG
MOLON LABE!
Phi Kappa Sigma, Alpha Phi 83 "Skulls"
OCS, 120th MP Battalion, MSSG
MOLON LABE!
- 7.62 Precision
- Senior Levergunner
- Posts: 1836
- Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2012 12:34 am
- Location: Alaska
- Contact:
Re: My new levergun
There is more to accuracy than the mechanical accuracy potential of the rifle itself. I think that apart from the fact that the '95s tend to be accurate rifles, something about the design of the rifle makes it easy to shoot well. The combination of the two traits makes the '95 one of my favorite models.BenT wrote:Nice! I bought a Browning 1895 about 10 years ago in 30-06 to convert to 35 Whelen. But it shot so good ,I left it as is. It is one of my most accurate leverguns.
For most uses, the .30-06 as as useful as the .35 Whelen, anyway. With the right loads, I would not be uncomfortable hunting a brown bear with an '06, especially in the '95 Winchester, since it handles so fast. The .30-06 has a lot of advantages.
For me, the .35 Whelen has that kind of magical combination being not too big and not too small, can do with 300 gr. bullet what the .348 does with a .200 grainer, and can act like a .30-06 on the light end and a .405 on the heavy end, giving more confidence in case of a close-up encounter with a big bear, yet shooting a bit flatter than the blunt-nosed bullets from tubular magazine guns.
http://www.SHWAT.com
Front Line Holsters • http://www.7-62precision.com • Custom Finishes • http://www.762precision.wordpress.com
Front Line Holsters • http://www.7-62precision.com • Custom Finishes • http://www.762precision.wordpress.com
Re: My new levergun
Very nice story and thankyou.
Can't wait for a range report!
Nath.
Can't wait for a range report!
Nath.
Psalm ch8.
Because I wish I could!
Because I wish I could!
- lever- believer
- Levergunner
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Mon Jun 03, 2013 10:55 pm
- Location: Shenandoah Valley Virginia
Re: My new levergun
I seen that one on Gunbroker and almost bid on it, but alas I had just bought too much recently. I am glad I didn't buy it and its in a nice home now. I have one of the repo 1895's in .270.
Also glad a lever addict got it!
Enjoy there is nothing like them.
Also glad a lever addict got it!
Enjoy there is nothing like them.
"The Anger of Man worketh not the Justice of God" - Book of James
"If you cant kill something with 6 or less shots then you shouldn't have P*ssed it off to begin with"
"If you cant kill something with 6 or less shots then you shouldn't have P*ssed it off to begin with"
- 7.62 Precision
- Senior Levergunner
- Posts: 1836
- Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2012 12:34 am
- Location: Alaska
- Contact:
Re: My new levergun
I'm glad you didn't buy it, too!lever- believer wrote: . . . I am glad I didn't buy it and its in a nice home now. I have one of the repo 1895's in .270.
I was originally looking at the .270s for a .35 Whelen project years ago, since they were going for nothing compared to other calibers, but then they kind of dried up and prices went up.
I can understand why they were not as popular from the historical standpoint, but the .270 is a fine cartridge and I think the agument so many writers brought against it that the cartridge was too flat-shooting for an iron sighted levergun was ridiculous. A flat-shooting cartridge is a greater advantage with Iron sights than with a scope that can be easily adjusted for range.
http://www.SHWAT.com
Front Line Holsters • http://www.7-62precision.com • Custom Finishes • http://www.762precision.wordpress.com
Front Line Holsters • http://www.7-62precision.com • Custom Finishes • http://www.762precision.wordpress.com
-
- Levergunner 2.0
- Posts: 256
- Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 12:49 pm
- Location: Right over here, just takin' my time...
Re: My new levergun
I agree 100%7.62 Precision wrote:Me too, especially on the 1895, as it just seems to fit the lines of the rifle (or could be it's just what we are used to seeing). I just prefer the original schnabel forends over the modern Browning and current-production Winchester ones. The current ones look to me like someone made a bad attempt at doing it with a bandsaw. They are too heavy and have a square front, instead of rounded.Rusty wrote:
Personally I really like the forend, but then I'm a sucker for a schnable.
The only thing I can see that I might do is add a little checkering fore and aft.
I've had an original in .35WCF and liked the rounded schnabel with its inset wedge of contrasting wood a whole lot better than the blocky, squared one that's on the Browning-or-Winchester/Miroku ones. I've looked at the one on my current Browning/Miroku .30-06 and considered getting out the coping saw and files on any number of occasions.
I'm also with you about the Providence Machine & Tool sight. Sure, everyone'd like a Lyman 21 instead, but at the prices...
Seriously, your wife sounds like a keeper. Just an observation: if she treats you that well, it's probably because she feels you treat her well enough to deserve it, so keep up the good work!
Molasses
SASS #925 Life
NRA Life
GOA Life
SASS #925 Life
NRA Life
GOA Life
- 7.62 Precision
- Senior Levergunner
- Posts: 1836
- Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2012 12:34 am
- Location: Alaska
- Contact:
Re: My new levergun
Well, I thought it might be a while on the range report, as I was supposed to fly to Unalakleet today, but the barge hit 40 knot head winds (for a tug and barge making 6 knots, that means moving backwards). The tow parted and the barge ended up on the beach. Since the wind was onshore, it stacked the water up and put the barge high. They will have to bring in another tug to get it off the beach. Since the drill and explosives are both on the barge, I won't be leaving for a few more days, so maybe I can squeeze some shooting in. On the other hand, maybe I'll just take the rifle with me.
http://www.SHWAT.com
Front Line Holsters • http://www.7-62precision.com • Custom Finishes • http://www.762precision.wordpress.com
Front Line Holsters • http://www.7-62precision.com • Custom Finishes • http://www.762precision.wordpress.com
-
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4145
- Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 11:34 am
- Location: north of Palacios about 1400 miles
Re: My new levergun
7.62 Precision wrote:I stumbled across some photos of Col. Whelen's own 1895 Winchester. Check out the buttplate:
Its got a 3 legged turtle on the buttplate, where can get one? the Dragonfly is a cool touch too.
Also looks like a Soft-shell Turtle poking its head out of the water by the bottom screw.
How the summer going up there this year? Is it warmer than last year? BTW nice looking rifle. What loads you plan on shooting in it?
30/30 Winchester: Not accurate enough fer varmints, barely adequate for small deer; BUT In a 10" to 14" barrelled pistol; is good for moose/elk to 200 yards; ground squirrels to 300 metres
250 Savage... its what the 223 wishes it could be...!
250 Savage... its what the 223 wishes it could be...!
- 7.62 Precision
- Senior Levergunner
- Posts: 1836
- Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2012 12:34 am
- Location: Alaska
- Contact:
Re: My new levergun
I had a three-legged turtle (actually a box tortoise) when I was a kid. This lady in Sitka had an exotic fish shop in her living room, and she got box tortoises from time to time. From what I could tell, it looked like this one had somehow gotten one back leg inside its shell and it grew that way. She couldn't get anyone to buy it and I had compassion for it, so she gave it to me.
I am halfway tempted to replicate that buttplate.
I think what I like best about it is it is so different from the typical things you would see in a rifle, like big game, and stuff, but it brings out something in the man's character that I think most of us can recognize in ourselves. It is great to shoot a big bear or moose, but if we think about what really makes us happy, it is being outdoors, the sun reflecting off of a pond, the insects skating across the surface or hovering around the lilies. It is the tall grass and reeds, the turtle on a log. It is the chattering of a squirrel and the dipping flight of dragonflies, the wind in the trees and the singing of the birds.
Shooting a moose is great, but whenever think about any animal I have shot, I always think about other things connected to each hunt - watching foxes play or hunt in the tundra, sitting in the birches on a hill above a mountain lake in the evening, sea otters rolling and bobbing in a sunny bay, mountainsides red with fireweed, walking on a carpet of spruce needles in wide open forest under huge Sitka spruce, the call of a loon in the morning mist.
Summer has been really nice this year - warm and sunny, much like summers used to be here, before Al Gore invented global warming and the summers got cold and rainy.
I welcome input on the best loads to shoot in this rifle. I am looking for good loads for moose, caribou and deer, but also heavier loads for bear. I'm liking the looks of some of the Barnes solids for this caliber, and would like to also try some bullets in the 250 to 300 grain range. I need to check the rate of twist.
I am halfway tempted to replicate that buttplate.
I think what I like best about it is it is so different from the typical things you would see in a rifle, like big game, and stuff, but it brings out something in the man's character that I think most of us can recognize in ourselves. It is great to shoot a big bear or moose, but if we think about what really makes us happy, it is being outdoors, the sun reflecting off of a pond, the insects skating across the surface or hovering around the lilies. It is the tall grass and reeds, the turtle on a log. It is the chattering of a squirrel and the dipping flight of dragonflies, the wind in the trees and the singing of the birds.
Shooting a moose is great, but whenever think about any animal I have shot, I always think about other things connected to each hunt - watching foxes play or hunt in the tundra, sitting in the birches on a hill above a mountain lake in the evening, sea otters rolling and bobbing in a sunny bay, mountainsides red with fireweed, walking on a carpet of spruce needles in wide open forest under huge Sitka spruce, the call of a loon in the morning mist.
Summer has been really nice this year - warm and sunny, much like summers used to be here, before Al Gore invented global warming and the summers got cold and rainy.
I welcome input on the best loads to shoot in this rifle. I am looking for good loads for moose, caribou and deer, but also heavier loads for bear. I'm liking the looks of some of the Barnes solids for this caliber, and would like to also try some bullets in the 250 to 300 grain range. I need to check the rate of twist.
http://www.SHWAT.com
Front Line Holsters • http://www.7-62precision.com • Custom Finishes • http://www.762precision.wordpress.com
Front Line Holsters • http://www.7-62precision.com • Custom Finishes • http://www.762precision.wordpress.com
Re: My new levergun
That is a mighty good looking rifle. Congrats on finally getting your dream gun.