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As the title says, it's up to you to provide content for this post, either in the comments or on your own blog if you feel so inclined (in which case, please ping this entry with a big fat trackback to let me know. Or drop me an email if you believe trackbacks to be worse of a Devil's scheme than President Shrub's Evil Damninistration)Here's the pitch: my birthday is coming up, and since I'm hitting a new landmark in the History of Me — a two numbers figure with a zero at the end — I'm working out various ways to mark the event.
In the "it's now or never: live the instant" Department, I'm considering either taking a jump out of a perfectly working airplane, or a ride in a Lamborghini Murcielago — behind the wheel, and on a race track of course.
While that should fulfill my need for adrenalin, I'm also looking for something that will last longer, and I feel like offering me a boomstick to mark the occasion for the years to come — assuming the chute will open properly.
So here's where I put you to work: I'd like suggestions.
Guidelines as follow:
- I'm more of a rifleman than a pistolero, so let's leave handguns aside.
- It doesn't have to be a luxurious, expensive boomstick with gold and engravings all over the place. I'm a simple guy with simple needs(1), not one of Saddam Hussein's degenerate sons. Good rifle, at a good price for good value is what I'm looking for.
- Closely related to the previous point: I'm looking for a rifle that I will actually use, not just place on display in the living room. By "use", I mean (mostly) hunting big game by all sorts of weather (in a forest, and frequently thick and thorny underbrush environment). Usually at close range.
- Big game means adapted caliber. It doesn't have to be magnum all the way (as 1. Most European big game is not too big and 2. Size is not everything, I believe in bullet placement) but .22 is definitely a bit small and a bit slow.
- Rifles, not shotguns. Have enough shotguns, thank you.
- I like wood as much as composite. I like bolt as much as lever action. And semi-auto. Okay, I have just a slight preference for bolts.
Oh and if you don't know jack about guns, I'm thinking of having a few words engraved on my Rifle of the New Decade. Any idea?
Comments
Comments thread (90)
2642 - tinga-tinga
tinga-tinga
hehehehe. floridasuzie. Of course there USED to be bears in W. Europe, and the Wisant and all sorts of massive critters ... but the Europeans ate them all. When the Euro elites start actin' all superior, our DUTY is to remind them of their lack-luster conservationism while American backyards crawl with big game. (:-D).
2643 - Flintloque
Flintloque
As a certified gun nut, I offer my NEXT project for what it's worth. I am getting a nice Mosin-Nagant rebuild with the octagonal receiver and the laminated wood stock. These are factory rebuilds with new barrels. I am adding a scope mount that hangs from the left side and takes all of the modern PSOP Russian scopes. I am pretty sure I will get the 6X 42MM sniper scope. I have a longer, bent bolt body to clear the scope as the stock bolt will not.
This will make up a nice, modernized Sniper Rifle. The 7.62 X 54 will do fine for anything you want to hunt. If the thing would be a bit too long in the brush, you could use the carbine M44 version instead and get a shorter rifle out of it.
Personally, I have regressed to hunting with 42" barrelled .54 and .50 flintlocks! Can you get black powder? That would be even better, if you could get it.
2644 - 2hotel9
2hotel9 Western Pennsylvania
DAMN!!!!! My bloglines feed has been buggy lately, didn't see this till this evening. We done talked guns a bit, Froggy, and I will reiterate, I am a .30 man. My main hunting rifle is a Short Magazine Lee-Enfield, chambered in the venerable .303 British cartridge. Hell, I have 4 of them, and I likes my furniture. Full military stock is the way to go. The cut down stocks never shoot well unless you are having the bed glassed&leveled professionally, and for brush you can not beat it. Use the damn thing as a club, buff the scratchs out of the wood and give it a linseed oil rub down and you are ready for inspection. Getting a bit hard to find a wide variety of loads, though you being near the source you can special order from Sellier&Bellot, one of my favorite hard rice dealers, and there is a company in Serbia named PRVI Partizan that carries 125gr through 184gr Softpoint jacketed that shoot very well. Threw about 20 125s into the wetsand barrel and dug them out, very nice expansion. Spread to 3/4 inch and didn't frag much. Also, PMP out of South Afrika still moves .303. I just picked up a box of 174gr SP to try out.
OK, I will get down off my ammo crate now with an admonishment. If you are looking at SMLEs look at a lot of them. And don't be shy! Drop the mag and pull the bolt. Eyeball the barrel with a good light, put it back together and shake hell out of it. It rattles? Back in the stack. There are many in excellent, never issued condition, though they are quite often heavily coated in cosmolin or laquer. Got to look for that gem in the rough.
2645 - B-52 GUNNER
B-52 GUNNER
I'm a Smelly Shooter as well and would have to say the one I have shoots very well.
.303 British will kick the crap out of your shoulder after a while.
I spent 5 hours in shooting 20 rounds through it last week and was asking myself if I really want to shoot it the last 3 rounds.
It's the only bolt action I have and after seeing Cartridge vs. Bullet I tried to catch the ejected brass but unfortunately it ejects forward not back. :(
Here's a photo the best group of 5 from 50 yards (45.72 meters for those across the pond.)
5 rounds in 2 inches (5.08 centimeters)
img214.imageshack.us/img214/6720/0901071610ns5.jpg
2646 - Hardtack
Hardtack
Well, as you can obivously see, when you ask for suggestions of what rifle to buy, you get a wide selection to choose from.
I can still remember my first deer rifle. It was a 7 mm Mausuer (7 X 57 to be correct). It was a very nice rifle, with an extremely strong action. Regret to this day selling it. I also enjoyed a 44 Magnum lever action. Great brush/deer rifle, but here in the Ozarks you don't get that long distance shot. Of course, if you want that long distance shot, maybe a Barrett would work.
Much depends on what you are planning to hunt. Get one that feels right for you; that you are comfortable in shooting. I would probably look at either a 222 or maybe a 270. Look at Ruger, I love their #1 rifles.
2647 - 2hotel9
2hotel9 Western Pennsylvania
Bravo 52, 5 hours for 20 rds? Were you having to do tool adjusts on the sights? And as Sarge so politely screamed way back when, keep it tight&right and recoil ain't nothing but a thang. Seriously, you have a good point. Without regular sessions at the range a .303 does got a bit-o-kick, as do any of the large bore calibers.
I have one SMLE with a sporterized stock, someone did a real hatchet job on it. Took several weeks and 300 rds to finally settle it down. Ended up using a piece of stainless steel strap and binding the barrel to the forearm. Still kicks like hell, since they had reduced the weight by half. It is a WWI issue Mk III and that forward rear sight also takes a bit of getting used to, most shooters under the age of 40 are used to rear sights being placed at the rear of the frame, so it is fun to watch people shooting Choppy for the first time.
I will try to post a couple of pics of my darlin's.
2648 - HeckBoy
HeckBoy Auburn, AL USA
I don't claim to know much about rifles but I've had the Browning 300 SWM recommended to me for an elk hunt I'm considering. It's not heavy and packs a big punch.
I'd take the Lambo ride! Happy Birthday!
2649 - SisterToldjah
SisterToldjah
Yay! Another vote for the Lambo :)
To those of you who have skydived, what was the feeling like when you did it? Did you feel like you were falling or was it more like floating?
2650 - 2hotel9
2hotel9 Western Pennsylvania
Go out the door. Don't ask what other people felt. Just do it, then we can talk. It will change your life, brother. And be thankful you ain't got to jump with a load on and the Sun just dropping below the horizon. That was always less than entertaining.
And how do I place images into comment threads? Being the low-tech, map&compass, .30 RedLeg grunt that I am I can't figure it out.
2651 - Iwo Gina
Iwo Gina Maryland
Hey DF: Here's another PIG to add to my growing collection:
www.amazon.com/Politically-Incorrect-Guide-Hunting-Guides/dp/1596985216
Now the question is, do YOU have this one yet?