Rifles for 2016-17 deer fox season

[ejg223]

What rifles are you planning to use for the coming season?

 

I have ready and zeroed....

 

From left to right. T3 223 (just bought second hand and needs new stock),
270Win Mauser Gibbs with open sights for monsoon conditions,
T3 243 stainless with Hausken mod and Multipurpose carbon stock & conquest 6.5-20x50
new T3x CTR in 308 with mil spec E-Tac3 / Ultra short 3-20 PMII & Hausken Jd224,
T3 custom E-Tac3 with Lilja 3 groove 22" 308 barrel / ASH safety & K624i,
Sako L579 custom with Hunter carbon stock / LW barrel 22" 308 zeiss conquest 6.5-20x50,
Mauser 1909 Custom/ Multipurpose carbon stock/LW barrel Roedale mod and 3-12x50 FD7 S&B Zenith of course in 308

 

 

 

 

edi

 

[Shuggy]

Nice collection. Out of curiosity, what's a mil spec E-Tac3 and how does it differ from a standard E-Tac3?

[ejg223]

Shuggy, E-Tac3 weighs around 950 grams all in. For mil applications the mil spec is around 200 grams heavier due to a slightly stronger lay up and stiffer fill materials. Surface is rougher and no stippling. The CTR is an incredibly good factory rifle and we've been comparing it to the T3 custom with lilja F/TR barrel using 168gr factory hornady match ammo out to a bit over 800m. Although my CTR had no gun smithing or fitting work to the stock done I shoot the same groups as with the custom set up. Speed with the mentioned ammo is 2600fps out of the 20" CTR vs 2700 fps from the 22" Lilja barrel.

edi

[Swarovski1]

If my wife read this she would say you are obsessed with guns.heard it so many times.where is your 22lr.thats a proper stalking tool ? .the wife reakons I clean my guns more than I do my own body ?.nice collection edi. I quite fancy a tikka 223.atb swaro

[Shuggy]

Many thanks for the explanation Edi.

[njc110381]

I have a choice of my Sako 75 stainless synthetic in 6.5x55, Ruger Hawkeye in .338 Win Mag or on special days my Sauer drilling, double 16g with an 8x60 mag barrel under them.

 

99% will be done with the Sako. That's the work gun. The odd one may fall to the .338 or 8x60 if I'm out for a stroll and fancy a change.

[Simon J]

Does the ASH safety work well and how tricky was fitting it? I've seen them on their website, but interested in a user's view.

 

Simon

[ejg223]

Sorry Simon, I completely missed your post.

I would say let someone with experience fit these. The principle of the safety is similar to the safeties on Mauser 98. Upon applying safe the firing pin must be pulled back slightly if this is not adjusted in that way it is unsafe.

 

btw.

season is progressing and I am using my new CTR mostly, what a rifle. I have shot deer out to over 400m and practiced on crows out to 800m. The accuracy with Hornady factory ammo 168 BTHP has been down to 5.7mm 3 shot group and on par with my other custom T3 that has a Lilja barrel.

Interesting is that my CTR was just dropped into a pre bedded stock.

 

 

 

 

3 shot group off the hood of the car 100m with 168 Hornady bthp match. Never had a factory barrel that was as consistent as this one.

 

 

 

 

edi

[trucraft]

Very Nice Edi, like the pebble dash on your stock.

[The_Dogge]

"Beware of the man with only one gun" as the saying goes!

I can't have the necessary familiarity to shoot that many guns really well.

Thanks for showing, I'm glad to see Tikka have kept up the standard with the T3x, stock looks great too.

[tackb]

my 260rem that was in one of your e-tac stocks is as we speak being rebarrelled in 6.5 creedmoor at 20" , I would say I'm going to have a love affair with that one this season , incidentally I'm also having it adapted to run AW mags (hopefully , the riflesmith pulled a bit of a face so I'm not holding my breath!)

[ejg223]

trucraft, tried the splatter finish on a few now. It is something different. Also tried rougher finish on the stock surface to reduce reflection and give it a warmer feel. Grippier too.

 

Dogge, I was very pleasantly surprised when I opened the box of my new X CTR. Lovely feel to it. So far no issues except if for some reasons the bolt is not all the way down one can get a light strike. Happened once when I was in high grass shuffling around to get in position on a deer.

 

Tackb, nice looking round the creedmoore, I'd like one necked up to 7mm....

Had one 6.5 creed that was put in a long action with AI 300WM mags, it didn't feed properly. Never tried AW mags yet.

edi

[gbal]

7mmx6.5 CM might be rather like a 7mmx 260Rem.

Especially as a carry deer rifle.

 

That would be the 7-08 near enough,already available in such configuration as factory rfiles that just work for medium deer plus.

 

Of course,that means such wildcats would also work ballistically.....just as the 7-08 does.

 

(nothing agin' alternatives-even wildcats,if they just work all round.)

 

My follies are the 6.5 x54 in the M/S carbine and 250-3000 Savage 99-both absolute classic carry deer rifles in Europe and US respectively-their advantages over 260rem and 243 rem respectively are not paper ballistics,but they have some niche appeal,and of course some challenges,and camo would be a crime. :-)

 

gbal

[ejg223]

Of course the 7-08 should be just as good I thought more down the lines of long heavier bullets in standard mag length. The shorter case might be an advantage. Some claim long loaded 6.5 creedmoore don't even fit into an aics mag.

edi

[gbal]

edi, I wasn't quibbling about your idea,which is why I confessed to my follies-the long heavy bullet made the 6.5 M/S in it's day.Of course it had probably the world's best ever magazine too.Not one that cound be smithed either,perhaps an advantage,perhaps not.

I've not seen a persuasive (well factual) argument for any one magazine system on a sporting rifle-it might be interesting to hear why aics (or whatever) should dominate other decisions.

 

That's genuinely an open question. I've lived through the 'controlled feed' model70 and not so model 700 "controversy",and never had any field use issues (or any issues-period).The whole aics/aw etc and general magazine issue might benefit from a clear exposition-since so many modifications seemto be about magazines/" bottom metal"

Maybe it's simple-such modifications allow a longer OAL,and therefore more powder (though that's another 'needs justification' issue too-like why not just a bigger cartridge anyhow?)

Sometimes of course,if everyone savvy user does it,that's one kind of answer-just been looking at the WBR championships this year-every medal (gold silver bronze) went to a 6PPC shooter,using necked Lapua 220russian brass and Vihtavuori 133;so what's new in 100/200 y bench rest.Pet bullets,maybe.

 

I am all for informed appropriate choice,with some room around the edges for idiosyncracies (as the PPC once was). Are standard magazine systems really in need of upgrade for stalking rifles-my naivity is to shortlist cartridges,then choose delivery systems (aka rifles) that can do that job.I would not though go past the PPC as a single shot custom 100y Bench Rest rifle (though the 30 BR in a -slightly tweaked-Rem700 action repeats reliably,though an upgrade stock would help.....as I'm sure you'd agree! :-)

 

g

[tackb]

edi, I wasn't quibbling about your idea,which is why I confessed to my follies-the long heavy bullet made the 6.5 M/S in it's day.Of course it had probably the world's best ever magazine too.Not one that cound be smithed either,perhaps an advantage,perhaps not.

I've not seen a persuasive (well factual) argument for any one magazine system on a sporting rifle-it might be interesting to hear why aics (or whatever) should dominate other decisions.

 

That's genuinely an open question. I've lived through the 'controlled feed' model70 and not so model 700 "controversy",and never had any field use issues (or any issues-period).The whole aics/aw etc and general magazine issue might benefit from a clear exposition-since so many modifications seemto be about magazines/" bottom metal"

Maybe it's simple-such modifications allow a longer OAL,and therefore more powder (though that's another 'needs justification' issue too-like why not just a bigger cartridge anyhow?)

Sometimes of course,if everyone savvy user does it,that's one kind of answer-just been looking at the WBR championships this year-every medal (gold silver bronze) went to a 6PPC shooter,using necked Lapua 220russian brass and Vihtavuori 133;so what's new in 100/200 y bench rest.Pet bullets,maybe.

 

I am all for informed appropriate choice,with some room around the edges for idiosyncracies (as the PPC once was). Are standard magazine systems really in need of upgrade for stalking rifles-my naivity is to shortlist cartridges,then choose delivery systems (aka rifles) that can do that job.I would not though go past the PPC as a single shot custom 100y Bench Rest rifle (though the 30 BR in a -slightly tweaked-Rem700 action repeats reliably,though an upgrade stock would help.....as I'm sure you'd agree! :-)

 

g

 

entirely your choice , others think differently , for example I want a lower profile ten round magazine on my hind culling rifle than the 10rd aics so I'm having the rifle modified to run the AW mags

[gbal]

tackb,yes I can see that line of thought,for magazine capacity.

Really it's a different application,so a different tool.

That is entirely understandable.

( just as the very fine Porsche 911 would not be the best choice to haul out ten carcasses!) :-)

 

g

[ejg223]

A bit like standard electric plugs often not the best solution is chosen, same with magazines. I chose to use aics mags on my rifles just so that I never have the issue of misplaced lost mag leading to a useless rifle and of course the reliable centre position feed. I have the AI type mags in my old 579 Sako, my 1909 Mauser, my Tikkas, Remmies and Howas. Maybe the ten shot CTR magazine is a better design, double stack single feed?? I don't know but am using one at the moment. Pity that is not available in a 5 shot version, although the aics 5 shot is almost as long as the CTR 10 shot. I am designing a floor plate that will take AICS mags but fit in a CTR stock at the moment so one can change to the cheaper aics/magpul/accurate etc. mags.

Our standard floor plate mag in our Sako always gave problems, as well as other floor plate arrangements I had. I thought overall they were just too finicky and got rid of all of them. Once fitted properly the AI type mags work very reliable.

edi

[gbal]

Thanks Edi;I can see 'compatability' helping,though a lost magazine-in the field-can only be remedied by carrying a spare....

One more naive question- are the AICs /AI mags really clones,or do you need the one that goes with a particular cartridge/family ..otherwise,the 'picked up the wrong one' error remains a risk.....though hardly a serious one for the 2/3 rifle shooter....who color codes his rifle,mag and ammo box....for each....

 

...though we have all "dolloped" in some way,even with but one rig to pack....

circuit failure between the headphones was always the hi fi weak link.... :-)

 

g

[maximus otter]

Here is my complete battery for this and every other deer/fox season:

 

 

From left to right it's a Sako 85 Finnlight in 6.5 x 55mm fitted with a Schmidt & Bender Klassik 3-12 x 50. Ammo used is Norma factory, loaded with the excellent 120 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip.

 

maximus otter

[ejg223]

G,

For some rifles it is a disaster trying to get hold of a spare mag, for whatever reason. I always have a few spare AI mags. My rifles are set up in such a way that no alterations on the mags are done, meaning any un-fettled mag will work in all my rifles. Also the magpul mag I have, although it has internally less COL space. I tend to load mags only when out on the range or field. The four 308's I have all shoot the same load equally well and make things easier.

edi

 

 

Otter,

simple good setup. Nothing wrong with that.

[gbal]

:-)

 

Sometimes "minimus is indeed maximus" , as Mies van der Rohe might have said.

 

Good rig - cover on the mod is a nice fashion nod ; otherwise nearly klassic ! ( 75-or earlier)?

 

gbal

[ejg223]

My 308 T3 custom was standing in the corner for a while...so I decided to re-spray the stock with a speckle finish. OD green base, black, Desert Brown and FDE speckles. Put her together this afternoon and rushed off to get her zeroed. Ground was muddy so zeroed her off the car hood 100m. Three shot group. Ready for the doe season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

edi

[dannywayoflife]

Edi that's stunning

[ejg223]

Thanks Danny, not too sure about the colour yet... but at least the rifle shoots and the 22" 1/13 lilja barrel shoots any ammo around 100fps faster than my 20" CTR.

edi