Recent content by amschind

I would avoid any belted magnum that doesn't rely upon the belt. For many years the .375 H&H was the parent cartridge for necked down magnums, though these calibers had more than enough shoulder to headspace there. The reason why the WSM series used .404 Jeffrey dimensions was to claw back...

Finally done! It's a 54 with a 3 position safety from time immemorial, now with a new .30-06 barrel, a color case hardened receiver, and a Claro Walnut stock.

I hesitate to post pics because my M70 is hideous, but I bought it with money I earned cutting grass and have been working on it for over 20 years. It's a stainless classic with a Proof carbon 29" barrel in a slightly blown out .300 WSM case. It has a stainless Williams billet extractor, a...

I do not have experience shooting African creatures, so take that into account. However, faced with a similar question, I went with a 9.3x62mm. Most of this assumes someone who is interested AND comfortable with reloading, so if you're sticking with factory ammo then this post has almost zero...

I actually like the heavy barrels on the Cynergy for its intended use in a duck blind. Combined with the short action relative to an auto, the balance is still good AND the barrels are a lot more resistant to "Oh &$#@*" moments in the darkness. Now for an upland gun or a pure clay buster, an...

The Aluminum receiver helps, but the barrels are also much thinner than a Browning. I point this out because there are aluminum receiver Cynergy shotguns that are still much heavier than Instinct shotguns.

I actually grew up hunting with an SBE2. I like the Benelli, and my stepdad still has it, but I prefer the balance and simplicity of the O/U.

The Cynergy fixed most of not all of the issues with double triggers. I love mine and wouldn't trade it for anything. That said, Browning chose to make it hideous in a market full of buyers who value a very traditional aesthetic. That, said, I have spent a LOT of time fighting autos to make...

I bought an Instinct 12 for my stepdad and almost stole it. The thing that the Italians excel at is thin barrels: my Browning Cynergy feels like a poleaxe in comparison. I would also vote 12, having just spent plenty on an old 16 ga A5. For better or worse, the world standardized on 12 and...

I agree, the existence of improvements to existing things doesn't make the older stuff any WORSE. I put together some 170 FP loads for my great grandfather's 1894, and that gun could easily kill an elk or moose at 100 yards. If you're not using heavier bullets then the "Creedmoor" mod does you...

The one knock on the 7mm-08 is that it doesn't incorporate the genius of the 6.5 CM. SHORTENING the case a touch sacrifices a bit of powder capacity for the ability to use modern, long bullets. I believe that a "7mm Creedmoor" could be an absolutely perfect all around caliber by pushing 180...

I actually posted about that on the .35 Whelen thread, but I broadly agree. My first rifle was a push feed Model 70 Ranger in .270. I wound up selling it to a gun collector neighbor (who still regularly kills deer with it) to get an M70 classic stainless in .300 WSM that I've steadily modified...

.300 HAM'R .300 WSM 9.3x62mm The .300 HAM'R, basically a .300 BLK stretched to maximize velocity with a 150 grain bullet at the expense of shooting subsonic, might be my favorite in NA. There is surprisingly little that a 150 SST at 2250 FPS can't do in North America, and recoil is only...

Further, a modification to the foreend would give you an excuse to add an ebony cap. When presented to "the boss" this can be justified as "practical". Win-win.