Life is to short to hunt with ugly rifles, take them out and hunt hard with them each dent and scratch will have a story associated with it that cant't be replaced. Besides if it bothers someone they make plenty of sandpaper and finish to fix any little imperfection if one wants to always keep things factory fresh
My old First Sergeant gave me some great advice that I tend to live by because he was much smarter than I:
Rule #1. Don’t sweat the Small shit
Rule #2. It is all small shit!
Like fine whiskey, women and wine, they were made to be enjoyed, so is a beautifully figured stick that has been whittled to become a gun stock. But I’m also the kind of guy that will kick the door of a new King Ranch pickup just to get it over with.
All my guns have several battle scars and I can remember the story of how they occurred. Some have pretty nice wood, some are quite plain. They are tools to be used and enjoyed. I use them to hunt and don't want to spend that time worrying about a ding or scratch. Reasonable care is exercised but they are not coddled. Even if you sit in a tree or blind, your gun will collect some "imperfections." Correlate that bump to the animal harvested and relive the hunt. Many happy memories.
The only time a "ding" bothered me was on a 7x57 I built with very nice wood and I made a skeleton butt plate for it and when I lent it to a friend he used it for a walking stick as there was big gouges inside the butt plate cut out, so I re-set the plate a little deeper to get rid of them. All another scratches and dings I have caused myself and they attest to some of the hard country they have hunted in.
A rifle is a tool, like any good tool use it, but do not abuse it. I have nice wood on my 100yr old George Gibbs .470 & on my 100 yr old .416 Rigby, both get used, but not abused and both look pretty good to me. A plastic stock on either I do not think so!
I also have a 550 CZ with a McMillan stock as a client rifle. Clients use it and some abuse it.
I hunt and/or shoot all my rifles and shotguns. A number have very nice wood indeed. I do have a couple of composite stocked rifles and shotguns that I use for really bad weather or environment conditions. I shoot sea ducks and salt marsh with an ugly plastic Remington thing, and when on the Kamchatka next April, ill use a 9.3 or .375 with my R8 Professional stock. Otherwise, it's walnut and blued steel.
Have you seen a fine vintage gun with old wood? Dinged up. Steamed to pull dents? Oiled and refinished? Steamed and serviced of dents again? 70 layers of oil finish built up over a century of use, care, and good service?
More beautiful than any new gun you’ll ever find. They were made to be used, serviced, and used some more.
I hunt and/or shoot all my rifles and shotguns. A number have very nice wood indeed. I do have a couple of composite stocked rifles and shotguns that I use for really bad weather or environment conditions. I shoot sea ducks and salt marsh with an ugly plastic Remington thing, and when on the Kamchatka next April, ill use a 9.3 or .375 with my R8 Professional stock. Otherwise, it's walnut and blued steel.
Thank you! Will do. We’re going next April. Considering my previous life, I am anticipating an interrogation in Moscow. The part that really has me nervous though is the helicopter flight in a Soviet era Mi - 6.
Thank you! Will do. We’re going next April. Considering my previous life, I am anticipating an interrogation in Moscow. The part that really has me nervous though is the helicopter flight in a Soviet era Mi - 6.
While I don't have your background, I have been to Russia twice. Expect your interrogation upon leaving. Mine generally went about how much money I spent in Russia and what I was leaving with.
the truth is: its not the wood that gets beat up that bothers me, its the blued steel! i cringe when i clean up the rust off a blued gun, then worry about what is rusting in places i can't see without taking the gun out of the stock. which possibly changes the sight in, etc.
the wood can take the beating and is still wood, the steel, not so much.
From one of the co-authors of the book “Hemingway’s Guns”:
“For all of his passion as a hunter and shooter, not to say his considerable income, Hemingway spent his money on function, not extra engraving or fancy wood. He also valued the familiarity he’d built up with certain guns over time. Favorites, though well cared for, became battered and bruised and bare of finish from decades of use.”
Did you ever notice the guitars used by some of the now rock 'n roll and country old timers use on stage? I'm sure they started out as beautiful examples of craftmanship and wood work. Now, after years of use, to say they've been beaten, battered and bruised is an understatement.
Did you ever notice the guitars used by some of the now rock 'n roll and country old timers use on stage? I'm sure they started out as beautiful examples of craftmanship and wood work. Now, after years of use, to say they've been beaten, battered and bruised is an understatement.
Hey mate,
How are you?
Have really enjoyed reading your thread on the 416WSM... really good stuff!
Hey, I noticed that you were at the SSAA Eagle Park range... where about in Australia are you?
Just asking because l'm based in Geelong and l frequent Eagle Park a bit too.
Next time your down, let me know if you want to catch up and say hi
Take care bud
Russ
may I suggest Intaba Safaris in the East Cape by Port Elizabeth, Eugene is a great guy, 2 of us will be there April 6th to April 14th. he does cull hunts(that's what I am doing) and if you go to his web site he is and offering daily fees of 200.00 and good cull prices. Thanks Jim
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The part that really has me nervous though is the helicopter flight in a Soviet era Mi - 6.
