Flatbush Harry
Member
I started a thread yesterday about my new Ruger M77 Hawkeye African in 6.5x55 Swede. I noted there that I was a fanboy of old calibers from the dawn of smokeless powder. I did a bit of smithing and scope mounting on a few of my rifles so I decided a picture was worth posting.
On the left is my Sako Bavarian in .300 WSM. It is super accurate and a stone killer for the lower 48. Nice wood too. Second from the left is my Winchester M70 with high grade wood in 7mm Mauser. I did some scope-swapping so I'll need to sight in again but with its old scope, it was a slightly sub-MOA rifle with factory Privi Partizan ammo. I'll be working up some new loads this winter and just grabbed a bag of .275 Rigby brass to add to the nostalgia. Third from the left is the new Ruger African in 6.5x55 SE. I felt 40 years older just mounting the scope and bore-sighting it. The one on the right is my Ruger No. 1A, also in 6.5x55 SE. I developed a load with 139gr Lapua Scenars and 40.0 grains of VV N550 in Lapua brass that gives me 0.75MOA out of the No. 1...I hope that it will do even better out of the African.
I don't really like to drag these rifles out in the rain and snow but I love the look of nicely grained wood, blued metal and classic calibers. You might also note I'm a Leupold fan boy on my hunting rifles. The Rugers are wearing VX3 2-1/2-8x36 with duplex reticles while the Winnie and the Sako now wear 3-1/2-10x44 with B&C reticles.
Now I'll have to make a choice of which one I have put in my casket for my trip across the Styx. I have a couple of 19th Century silver dollars for the toll for the Ferryman.
Cheers,
On the left is my Sako Bavarian in .300 WSM. It is super accurate and a stone killer for the lower 48. Nice wood too. Second from the left is my Winchester M70 with high grade wood in 7mm Mauser. I did some scope-swapping so I'll need to sight in again but with its old scope, it was a slightly sub-MOA rifle with factory Privi Partizan ammo. I'll be working up some new loads this winter and just grabbed a bag of .275 Rigby brass to add to the nostalgia. Third from the left is the new Ruger African in 6.5x55 SE. I felt 40 years older just mounting the scope and bore-sighting it. The one on the right is my Ruger No. 1A, also in 6.5x55 SE. I developed a load with 139gr Lapua Scenars and 40.0 grains of VV N550 in Lapua brass that gives me 0.75MOA out of the No. 1...I hope that it will do even better out of the African.
I don't really like to drag these rifles out in the rain and snow but I love the look of nicely grained wood, blued metal and classic calibers. You might also note I'm a Leupold fan boy on my hunting rifles. The Rugers are wearing VX3 2-1/2-8x36 with duplex reticles while the Winnie and the Sako now wear 3-1/2-10x44 with B&C reticles.
Now I'll have to make a choice of which one I have put in my casket for my trip across the Styx. I have a couple of 19th Century silver dollars for the toll for the Ferryman.
Cheers,
)
