Gun Appreciation Thread

[Kai]



fantastic!! absolutely love that glass. Ive been looking for a minute at getting a new rifle in 6.5CM, but everything I read just points back to 300wsm.

Depends on what you want it for.

I've got a 6.5 Creedmoor too. It's another lightweight rifle (Kimber Mountain Ascent.)

The 6.5 Creedmoor is good for deer hunting, and there are some who use it for elk.

However, for me personally, I like the extra energy of the 300 Win Mag when elk hunting.

 

[Cold Iron]

My new elk hunting rifle:

300 Win Mag, Kahles 624i scope. total weight is 8 pounds, 19 ounces.

Built by R Bros Rifles, in Washington state.

Nice, but I'm thinking at 9 pounds 3 oz. that is one heavy gun to be carrying for elk, is that the correct total weight? I'm knocking at the door of 60 though and ounces do matter eventually, trust me LOL.

I do like the 6.5 x anything for thinner skinned smaller boned game they have always seemed to have knockdown power well beyond their paper "theoretical" application. Even the 6.5 Swede. But also prefer 7mm Mag or above for elk.

Spent last week in Superior National Forest grouse hunting with the Toller.

1949 Ithaca 37 16 ga. a proper grouse gun should eat purple shells IMO. Refinished the wood this summer will send the metal out to be reblued this winter after hunting season.



And a red phase ruffie with the F.A.I.R. (NEA 500) 16 ga.

 

[Kai]



Nice, but I'm thinking at 9 pounds 3 oz. that is one heavy gun to be carrying for elk, is that the correct total weight? I'm knocking at the door of 60 though and ounces do matter eventually, trust me LOL.

I do like the 6.5 x anything for thinner skinned smaller boned game they have always seemed to have knockdown power well beyond their paper "theoretical" application. Even the 6.5 Swede. But also prefer 7mm Mag or above for elk.

That is the total weight of the gun, the scope, and bipod. The rifle alone is 6 pounds, 9 ounces.

It's very lightweight compared with other long range capable elk gun setups. It's certainly much much lighter than my previous elk gun (A Desert Tech SRS-A1 covert.)

 

[Mark from Plano]

A couple of recent purchases:

Had an old Hungarian PPK copy that I traded for a new Ruger LCP at a gun show last month. Playing around with some laser sights and grip extensions to help with comfort and accuracy a bit. Not really sure it helped.

Springfield Armory TRP 1911. Just awesome:

 

[DerekS]

^ nice pickups! The LCP is uncomfortable, and not very accurate at all. not a fun gun to shoot. That being said, its fantastic for what it is. its not supposed to be fun to shoot or really accurate. its tiny, and meant only to be used at a distance of a few yards at most. Its thinner and lighter than a J frame, and is probably one of the easiest to conceal guns. I wear pretty slim fitting denim, and an LCP still fits in my pocket.

 

[Mark from Plano]

Totally agree. I really don't mind shooting it as much as apparently some do. I wanted something that would fit into my bicycle handlebar bag when I go riding and it works great for that. No real complaints with it in context of what it's meant for.

Recently joined a gun club so I've been shooting more. The one I have that's REALLY not fun to shoot is this Ruger New Model Super Blackhawk .44 Mag. Bought this one new back in the late '70s.

That is, it gets rather un-fun to shoot magnums through it. I'm usually done after 2-3 cylinders of mags. Shooting .44 Specials is super fun..and super accurate.

Just realized, I guess I own about the biggest and the smallest handguns Ruger makes. Well, not quite the biggest, but close.

 

[DerekS]

LOVE it. took my smith 629 out this weekend and shot a few cylinders. Everyone needs a 44.

 

[JLibourel]

I bought my old model Super Blackhawk on December 3, 1967. I remember it as if it were yesterday. It is certainly one of the most accurate handguns I own.

I was shooting my Smith & Wesson Model 25 .45 Colt (4-inch) yesterday. I put 40 rounds through it double action. Double action shooting seems to magnify the punishment of recoil. I remember discussing this with Ross Seyfried many years ago, and both of us suspected the greater flexion of the hand in the DA work caused this. The load wasn't especially ferocious--a 250-grain "traditional" cast bullet and 8.5 grains of Power Pistol (probably something over 800 fps). Nonetheless, I was nursing a sore right hand last night. Fortunately, the agony has largely abated today. Of course, I'm also getting pretty old, which may affect matters.

 

[Mark from Plano]

I grew up doing a lot of deer hunting in the very brushy Ouchita Mountains of SE Oklahoma. When I was 17 (1978) Dad took me down to buy a Marlin model 1894 .44 magnum deer rifle figuring it would be a great brush gun (it was/is). We walked out with both the Marlin and the Ruger thinking it would be good to have both the rifle and the sidearm in the same caliber. That was my deer rig for the next 30 odd years that I hunted deer.

Still have both guns. Haven't fired that Marlin in a while. Need to take it out soon.

 

[Mark from Plano]

Speaking of deer rifles...

In 1966 my dad somehow knew of a gunsmith in Little Rock that he commissioned to make two matching custom rifles. One was in 300 Win Mag for himself and one in 243 Win for his father (my grandfather). Dad's 300 was stolen back in the early '80s, but my Papaw was very proud of his gun and carried it on every hunting trip for the remainder of his life. Dad got it back when his father passed in the mid '80s. A couple of years ago he gave it to me. Absolutely love having this gun.

 

[Huntsman]

Those '70s walnut maple laminate 'thumbhole sporters' have always been a style I enjoyed.

 

[Mark from Plano]

Kimber Eclipse Pro II. Commander-Style 1911 with Crimson Trace laser grips. Got it this week from my Father who bought it several years ago and never fired it. Took it to the range this morning and put 100 rounds through it. I like the pistol and it would be a more convenient carry weapon than my full-sized 1911.

 

[brokencycle]

Mark is just cleaning up this thread right now.

 

[DerekS]



Kimber Eclipse Pro II. Commander-Style 1911 with Crimson Trace laser grips. Got it this week from my Father who bought it several years ago and never fired it. Took it to the range this morning and put 100 rounds through it. I like the pistol and it would be a more convenient carry weapon than my full-sized 1911.

nice!! kimber caught a bad reputation awhile ago.... their QC was pretty spotty, and i had a couple that were just awful. But in recent years, it seems theyve come a long ways. The last half a dozen ive had were flawless right out of the box. the eclipse is one of their nicest loking pistols...always loved that. congrats!!

 

[Huntsman]

Took a very brief trip to the range on the last warm day:


WWII '03 Springfield sniper rifle. Remember the sniper in the tower at the beginning of Saving Private Ryan, reciting Bible verses to himself while shooting and constantly resetting his scope? That's this rifle.


There is nothing like a Thompson. Nothing.

Totally worth it.
~ H