optics - rifle magazine 220 partial... · 2005-06-24 · optics for the bpcr for the when scopes go...

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Browning BLR:High-Tech

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Browning BLR:High-Tech

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So, you want tobe a gun writer?So, you want to

be a gun writer?

July 2005 No. 220

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.458Lott:

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.458Lott:

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Opticsfor theBPCR

Opticsfor theBPCR

When ScopesGo Bad!When ScopesGo Bad!

Rifle 220

Sportiting FiFirearearms Joururnalal

July-August 2005Volume 37, Number 4

ISSN 0162-3593Issue No. 220

30 Working.22 RiflesStandards froma Bygone EraBrian Pearce

38 Kimber’s .17Mach 2 DuoHornady’s Other .17Clair Rees

46 .458 LottMuch Ado AboutNothing?Phil Shoemaker

56 Optics forthe BPCRThe Cure forAging EyesMike Venturino

66 When ScopesGo Bad!Notches,Peeps, Beadsand BladesAl Miller

www.riflemagazine.com4

6 SwarovskiRail MountSpotting Scope -Dave Scovill

12 8x32Optics -John Barsness

14 The Importanceof HandloadingMostly Long Guns -Brian Pearce

18 On Hittingand MissingDownRange -Mike Venturino

22 Browning BLRRedefinedA High-TechLever ActionStan Trzoniec

2. . .

Page 66. . .

Page 56. . .

Page 6. . .

www.riflemagazine.comJuly-August 2005

On the cover . . .The BLR Lightweight rifle is chamberedfor a variety of cartridges in short andlong actions. The short-action .243 Win-chester BLR is fitted with a Burris FullfieldII 3-9x scope in Burris rings and Browningbases. Photo by Stan Trzoniec.

76 Becoming aGun WriterHow to Cope withRejectionJohn Barsness

86 OpticsRevisitedQueries &Comments -

96 What’s New inthe MarketplaceInside ProductNews -Clair Rees

12 Bob Stitt, Jr.CustomGunstocksCustom Corner -Stan Trzoniec

18 SchnabelingAroundRifles &Woodsmoke -John Barsness

5www.riflemagazine.com

8

Page 46

Page 22

Publisher of Rifle® is not responsible for mishaps of any nature which might occur from use of published loadingdata or from recommendations by any member of The Staff. No part of this publication may be reproduced withoutwritten permission from the publisher Publisher assumes all North American Rights upon acceptance and paymentfor all manuscripts. Although all possible care is exercised, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for lost ormutilated manuscripts.

Issue No. 220 July-August 2005

Sportiting FiFirearearms Joururnalal

Publisher/President – Mark Harris

Editor in Chief – Dave Scovill

Managing Editor – Roberta Montgomery

Art Director – Gerald Hudson

Production Director – Becky Pinkley

Contributing Editors

Associate Editor – Al Miller

Advertising

Advertising Director – Donald Polacek

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[email protected]

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Rifle® (ISSN 0162-3583) is published bimonthly byMark Harris Publishing Associates, Inc., dba WolfePublishing Company (Mark Harris, President), 2625Stearman Rd., Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona 86301. (Alsopublisher of Handloader® magazine.) Telephone (928)445-7810. Periodical Postage paid at Prescott, Arizona,and additional mailing offices. Subscription prices:U.S. possessions – single issue, $4.99; 6 issues, $19.97;12 issues, $36; 18 issues, $48. Foreign and Canada –single issue, $5.99; 6 issues $26; 12 issues, $48; 18issues, $69. Please allow 6-8 weeks for first issue.Advertising rates furnished on request. All rightsreserved.

Change of address: Please give six weeks notice. Send both the old and new address, plus mailing labelif possible, to Circulation Dept., Rifle® Magazine,2625 Stearman Rd., Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona 86301. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Rifle®, 2625Stearman Rd., Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona 86301.

Wolfe Publishing Company2625 Stearman Rd., Ste. A

Prescott, AZ 86301Tel: (928) 445-7810 Fax: (928) 778-5124

Copyright © Mark Harris Publishing Associates, Inc.

John Barsness

Brian Pearce

Clair Rees

Gil Sengel

Ron Spomer

Stan Trzoniec

Mike Venturino

Ken Waters

Background Photo: © 2005 Michael H. Francis

Page 112. . .

Page 76. . .

118

112

there?” I did, and when wepeeked over the rim, sureenough, that buck was standingabout 50 yards away looking inanother direction. With ad-mirable quickness I brought that.45-70 up and dropped him! Whyhad I missed the first two shots?Coarse open sights, 53-year-oldeyes, the uphill angle and proba-bly I did my usual trick of shoot-ing over him.

That’s usually my problem, andI think the same is true for manyhunters. For some reason wehold high on critters, and withthe lucky ones the bullets skimover their backs. The unluckyones get spined. I can’t count ononly two hands the pronghorn,deer and even elk I’ve hit in thespine in my career. It’s a hardhabit to break. The very first re-spectable mule deer buck I shotafter emigrating to Montanawould have gotten away if the.308’s bullet had been about aninch or so higher. And, the lastelk I shot would have too. Hittingan animal in the spine is a sureway to pile them up in a heap,but I must admit to never havingactually tried to hit one there.

Long ago I actually missed adeer by shooting high but stillbrought home some meat. Amule deer buck was walkingslowly on a slope at the bottomof a rimrock. I decided to takehim, and sat down on an op-posing slope to shoot with myold Winchester Model 54 .257Roberts. I began tracking him,but just as I broke the shot, thebuck passed in front of an unno-ticed doe standing stock still inthe shadows of the rimrock. Mybullet passed right over thebuck’s back and nailed that doesquare in the chest. Luckily I hada doe tag, so it wasn’t a big deal,except for me feeling silly aboutshooting over something again. Afriend was with me, and he ap-proached saying, “I thought youwere shooting at that buck. I did-n’t even see the doe.” Like theAfrican guide, he had a strange

July-August 2005 19www.riflemagazine.com

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All my shots havebeen magnificant!

Except those that weren’t. How’s thatfor a confession? So many writ-ers’ stories about their huntsstress one-shot kills, quick shoot-ing under stressful conditions orthe fact that a second shot wasn’treally necessary – it was justfired for “insurance.” Ever read astory wherein someone made amiserable shot and had to track awounded beast for hours after-wards? You’re about to. Whatabout just plain missing? Thattoo.

The simple truth is that every-one who shoots misses at times.If you don’t miss, it’s because youdon’t shoot. And missing is noth-ing to be ashamed of – at leastthat’s what I tell myself aftermissing something.

Twenty years ago I scraped upenough money for a trip to Africawith the aim of taking someplains game with a Shiloh Sharpsrifle chambered for the .40-70Bottleneck. For a backup I alsotook along a trusty, old Winches-ter Model 70 Featherweight .308.The guide nearly fainted when Iunpacked the Sharps with itspeep sights. He had never seen orheard of one and asked if I hadbrought anything with a scope.When I answered yes, he said,“Well, at least use it for your firstanimal to get over any jitters youmight have.” That first morningwe encountered a herd of bles-bok and one peeled off from thegroup to stand looking at us deadon. I dropped to one knee, tookcareful aim from about 120 yardsand fired. The blesbok droppedin his tracks. The guide, my wifeand I exchanged happy grins.

When we approached the deadblesbok, we could see the bullet

had taken him squarely betweenthe eyes. The guide said, “Greatshooting!” Perhaps not so wisely,I said back, “Not so great. I wasaiming for the chest.” The guide’sface assumed a worried look.

Some days later after I haddropped five animals with a sin-gle shot each from the Shiloh, theguide, Yvonne and I were sittingin some shade drinking beers. Hewas very complimentary aboutmy shooting, and I was glowingwith that magnificent aura, so wedetermined that for my last gameanimal, we would go after agemsbok. After some determinedstalking, we had one dead torights – broadside at about 75yards. I could only shoot off-hand because of the brush, but itwas an easy shot. At least itshould have been. At the crack ofthe rifle, the beast ran off. Fol-lowing him revealed no blood orhair, and he obviously felt fine bythe way he ran. The guide lookedat me questioningly, but I had noexcuses.

A couple of years back, I wason a “gun-writer hunt” at the fa-mous Nail Ranch of North Texas.We were hunting trophy whitetaildeer and feral hogs using UbertiModel 1873 replicas (.45 Colts)and Model 1885 “high walls” (.45-70s). My shooting with the hogsusing the Model 1873 was mag-nificent! The first shot hit theboar at about 75 yards and with asqueal he took off. This is wheremy many years of cowboy actionshooting helped. Fast levering ofthe Uberti resulted in two morehits as he zigzagged through theprickly pear. In a few seconds hewas done for.

Perhaps that slightly made upfor the shooting I had done at abig whitetail buck the day before.He stood broadside about 150yards up a slope looking at me,while I missed him twice with theUberti .45-70. Then he ambledover the top. I had even beenresting the rifle over cross-sticks!The guide said, “I don’t think hewent far. Do you want to walk up

M i k e Ve n t u r i n o

ON HITTING

AND MISSING

ON HITTING

AND MISSING

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this blesbok deadcenter betweenthe eyes with aModel 70 .308.He was aimingfor the chest.

Rifle 220

look on his face when I said, “Ididn’t either.”

The most impressive long-rangeshot I’ve ever made was part ofone of the most miserable dis-plays of marksmanship I’ve everperformed. Nearly 30 years ago,my good friend the late Don Ster-mitz and I were coming out ofthe mountains after a futile dayof deer hunting. We were on hiscousin’s ranch, driving in a trackmore than a road, when a coyoteran in front of us. Like mostranchers Don had no love forcoyotes and told me to “get outand shoot that thing.”

By that time it had moved out toabout 200 yards, then stoodbroadside looking at us. Usingthat fine old Model 54 .257Roberts again, I naturally shotover it. We were in a large bowlshaped area with plenty of snow,so visibility was good. That dumbcoyote would run about 75 to 100yards and then stop, turn broad-side, and look back at us again.Three more times I shot over

him. Finally he ran right to theedge of the far side of the bowland stopped to look back onelast time. He was really way outthere by now, and to be honest Ishouldn’t have even tried shoot-ing. This time I really raised thecrosshairs and let fly. To myamazement, and probably thecoyote’s too, the bullet took himsquare through the heart. Donwalked out there to retrieve himand said it was 547 paces. He wasimpressed. I wasn’t – it was plaindumb luck.

My high shooting got me introuble again just last Januarywhen several friends and I wentafter bison at the SandhillsRanch Properties of Nebraska(HC 91 Box 36, Gordon NE69343). I’ve done some magnifi-cent shooting there in the pastbut didn’t on this last trip. Inbelow zero and windy weather, Ihit a cow bison high in the humpwith an original Sharps .44-77. Ofcourse, there are no vital organsin the hump, which resulted in usscouring the snowy countrysidefor over four hours to find heragain. All that’s another story.The meat’s in the freezer so that’sthe bottom line.

It wasn’t one of my most mag-nificent performances, and con-trary to what you might thinkfrom reading the above, therehave been some magnificentshots made in my career. Butthat’s the great thing about hunt-ing and shooting: If you don’tmake a magnificent shot, there’salways the next time.

20 www.riflemagazine.com

A great shot on aTexas hog thenext day helpedmake up formissing this nicewhitetail twicebefore hitting itthe third shot.The rifle is aUberti Model1885 “high wall”.45-70.

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BrowningBrowningThe BLR comesin short and longactions. Stanmounted a Burris3-9x Fullfield scope in Burrisrings and bases on the .243Winchester test rifle.

Stan Trzoniec

Browning’s radically newBLR rifle first saw thelight of day in 1971. Withthe usual “no formal an-

nouncement” of the new entry,Browning employed only 21⁄2 pagesin its catalog to describe the rifleas being made of the “same stuff”rifles were made of when a good,“straight-shootin” rifle was just asmuch a necessity as a horse.

Browning went on to promote the gear drive, ro-tary bolt head and the convenient, detachable mag-azine. Two bolts of different lengths are shown, butin the specs, the rifle is chambered only for the .243and .308 Winchesters. Obviously at that time, car-tridges that would fit a “long” action were in theworks. A new BLR sold for $149.50 and an extramagazine added $9.

Over the years, we have seen some changes in theBLR, and the most noticeable was the switchoverto the pistol grip type stock complete with the

round knob. The forearm had no barrel band, in-stead used a special bracket to secure

the forearm to the barrel and re-ceiver. Short and long actionswere employed and chamberedcartridges from the .22-250 Rem-ington up to the .300 WinchesterMagnum.

Whether it was time for achange or Browning realized theerror of its ways, in 2003 the BLRwent back to the original, moretraditional look and a straight


A High-TechLever ActionA High-TechLever ActionBLRBLR

Rifle 220

Fit and finish rate extremelyhigh marks, especially in hard-to-do areas like the barrel channeland both ends of the receiver.On the buttstock, the wood isnearly flush with the rear of thereceiver, but on the forward partof the receiver, it is finished“proud” with just a hint of extrawood. For personal fit, the riflemounts without hesitation.

Like others of its class, the BLRis fitted with a two-piece stockthat Browning calls Americanwalnut. On the rifles I have seenover the years, it is clear, cleanand serviceable wood with astraight grain. No doubt, it ismore than a few steps above a“utility” grade, but it is still a per-

fect match for a rifle of this typethat makes its living as a fieldgun. The comb is straight and de-void of any high (monte-carlotype) comb. Nor is there a cheek-piece on the left side, making therifle adaptable for either right- orleft-handed shooters. Addition-ally, it is interesting to note thatwhen using the supplied ironsights or with the installation of ascope, just a moderate amount ofmovement of the head aligns theeye to the proper sight picture.

The grip is straight, reminiscentof what we might call an “Englishgrip” and with the combinationof the large lever opening offersvery quick handling characteris-tics. The checkering pattern is

Price advances aside, the rifle isfinely finished, detailed perfectlyand contains all the refinementsthat modern technology canoffer. All the metal is polishedand blued in a bright finish, thewood is walnut selected for grainand color with a weather resist-ant, high-gloss finish.

grip. Browning termed it the“Lightweight,” and to press for-ward on its new offering, thecompany is presently chamber-ing it for not only some of theWinchester WSM cartridges (in-cluding the .270, 7mm and .300)but the .358 Winchester and the.450 Marlin as well. Currentshort-action BLRs go for $710 forstandard chamberings, $779 forthe Winchester Short Magnumsand $752 for the long-action mag-nums. Extra magazines are $55.


In 2003 the BLR wentback to the original,

more traditional look.

REDEFINEDBrowningREDEFINEDBrowning

The comb on the stock is perfect for either iron sights or scopes, as isthe English-type stock for quick-action shooting in tight quarters.

Left, the fluted bolt measures almost an inch in diameter. Below left,the bolt features a plunger-type ejector and the blade extractor. Thebolt face rotates for a secure lockup. Right, underneath the bolt areteeth that mesh with the gear arrangement in the receiver. Operationis very smooth.

much larger than the originalBLR and extends on the butt-stock with a downward flair thatends almost halfway down to thetoe of the stock. The checkeringpattern itself is flawless in execu-tion and consists of a point de-sign on both the grip and forearm

that is laid out to match the linesof the gun. To compliment thecheckering pattern, a border sur-rounds all panels, adding somerefinement to this already classicgun.

The forearm is almost square indesign and has checkering on

both sides – again, with a border,this is well laid out and compli-ments the stock fully. On theforend, a polished bolt connectsthe forearm to the receiver witha forearm tube. To add thatwestern taste, a barrel band isstandard.

Above left, there is no external safety. The half-cock position on thehammer is shown. Above right, the hammer tips forward to contact therear end of the receiver, preventing an accidental discharge. Right, tofire the gun, the lever must be in the uppermost position.

P I O N E E R R e s e a r c h 9 7 F o s t e r R o a d , S u i t e 5 M o o r e s t o w n , N J 0 8 0 5 7 ( 8 5 6 ) 8 6 6 - 9 1 9 1 ( 8 0 0 ) 2 5 7 - 7 7 4 2 F A X : ( 8 5 6 ) 8 6 6 - 8 6 1 5 E M A I L : i n f o @ s t e i n e r - b i n o c u l a r s . c o m

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load on one’s shoulder during anall-day outing. There are no pol-ishing marks on the sides of thisreceiver, which adds to its highquality. Top side the receiver isgrooved to help break up glarefrom the sun if one chooses touse the iron sights. The receivercomes drilled and tapped forcommercial scope bases that areavailable from Browning or othersources like Burris, Leupold andRedfield.

With the downward movementof the lever, the bolt (whichmeasures almost a hefty one-inchacross) moves to the rear, ejectsthe shell, cocks the hammer andon its return, moves another car-tridge into the breech. Ratherthan use levers and cams likeothers in the lever-action busi-ness, Browning has taken the un-conventional route and outfittedthe BLR with a set of gears thatwork in conjunction with a rack

and pinion arrangement. Addi-tionally, the bolt is fluted. The re-sult is a very smooth action thatworks without hesitation or un-evenness. To secure the action,Browning has designed the boltwith a rotating head completewith multiple locking lugs. Forpositive ejection of the spentcase, both the ejector and clawtype extractor are located withinthe bolt face.

Apparently Browning has de-cided to keep the BLR as tradi-tional as possible by adding someinnovative features to the ham-mer. The only safety on the gun isa half-cock feature with a dualpurpose. First, by placing thehammer in a locked position, allpressure has been removed fromthe trigger, and it moves backand forth without any resistance.

To accommodate all cartridgelengths, the short action meas-ures 63⁄4 inches, while the long ac-tion is 71⁄2 inches. The receiverhas been beautifully finished,polished and blued similar toother Browning rifles in thisclass and offers about 16 squareinches of metal for engravingpossibilities. Nevertheless, ma-chined from aircraft grade alu-minum, it certainly lessens the

Rifle 22026 www.riflemagazine.com

There is a black recoil pad in-stalled in concert with a blackspacer. The pad is rather hardand is only one of two seriousnits I have to pick on the rifle.With all the modern recoil padswe have on the market, magnumshooters would certainly wel-come a buttpad with a little moregive. On the other hand, and per-haps a little more serious, theonly thing I find missing fromthis rifle are sling swivel studs.The rear stud would be no prob-lem, but the front stud wouldhave to be attached on the barrelband or forearm bolt.

The BLR is fitted witha two-piece stock

that Browning callsAmerican walnut.

Left, a gold bead sits on the rampfront sight. Above, streamlinedand very efficient, the rear sighton this BLR is adjustable forwindage and elevation.

To release the magazine, simply press the release in-side the stock. Plenty of room has been relieved fromthe stock to allow the use of heavy gloves.

The detachable magazine allows use of pointedbullets.

good idea to order both the rifleand bases at the same time.

The .243 Winchester has alwaysbeen one of my favorite choicesfor varmints and small game andto use it in a levergun would be afirst-time opportunity. Out at thelocal range, construction was un-derway for additional avenues of

standard, medium-height glossyrings, which on second thoughtcould have been of low height iffor no other reason than to givethe rifle a lower, more stream-lined look and to add to its handi-ness in the field. Bases areavailable from Browning (itsnumber 123-53), and it might be a

Rifle 220

rifle and has enlarged this area inthe stock so even hunters wear-ing gloves can release the maga-zine with little or no trouble. Abox magazine is an importantfeature for any lever action tohave simply because you can useany bullet design you choose forhunting or target use.

The barrel is hammer-forged forlong life and measures 20 incheson standard cartridges, 22 incheson the WSM offerings and 24inches on the 7mm Remingtonand .300 Winchester Magnums.At the muzzle is a ramped frontsight installed by the factory thatincludes a gold bead. The rearsight is adjustable for both eleva-tion and windage. A recessednotch helps shield it from glare,and its contour makes mountinga scope with even a large objec-tive lens a cinch.

Since I like optical sights, aglossy finished Burris Fullfield II3-9x scope was mounted. Thescope was installed in Burris


Second, for additional safety, thehammer rolls forward and restson the bottom part of the bolt.This makes it impossible for thehammer to contact the firing pin.When ready to fire, just pull backon the spur to the full-cock posi-tion. The trigger breaks at 61⁄2pounds.

The magazine is flush mountedand is detachable by means of asmall lever just in front of it onthe underside of the rifle. Pullingthis lever to the rear releases themagazine for loading or unload-ing. Currently, standard cartridgeBLRs hold five rounds; magnumshold four. Again, Browning hasconsidered everything on this

Each side of the receiver tapersinward to accommodate the woodto metal fit.

Like its western counterparts, theforearm includes the traditionalbarrel band. Finished bolt at theforend secures the forearm tothe receiver and keeps the barrelfree from vibrations.

Browning has decidedto keep the

BLR as traditionalas possible.

Below, the top of the receiver is grooved, and it’sdrilled and tapped for scope mounting. Right, most ofthe scope makers today make mounts for the BLR,but Stan used proprietary Browning two-piece mounts.


July-August 2005

fire, limiting testing to 75 yards.Samples from Hornady, Federal,Remington, Speer and Normawere packed along, and surpris-ingly, the lighter-weight bulletsgrouped the best.

The heavier bullets, from 90 to100 grains, opened the groups to1.5 inches. That’s still not tooshabby, and I will take it anytime,especially when hunting in thethick cover of the Northeast.What the BLR might have lost inthis larger group is surely offsetby having one handy gun at yourside.

The Browning BLR is one classyrifle offering much to the fieldshooter. It is easy to carry, andwhile others depend on a tubularmagazine that limits bullet design

for more specialized game, theBLR will handle just about anyammunition with aplomb. Accu-racy on average is better thanmost of its ilk, and if Browningwould add those sling swivels,this would be the perfect rig tocarry in the woods.

For more information contact,Browning Arms, One BrowningPlace, Morgan UT 84050.

29www.riflemagazine.com

Range Testing of theBrowning BLRbullet velocity group(grains) (fps) (inches)

58 Hornady Varmint Express 3,555 .7570 Federal Nosler

Ballistic Tip 3,167 .7590 Remington Nosler

Ballistic Tip 2,898 1.25100 Speer Grand Slam 2,890 1.50100 Norma softpoint 2,985 1.50

SpecificationsRifle model: Browning Lever Rifle (BLR)Scope: Burris Fullfield II 3-9xAction: Lever-action repeater, both short

and long actionsCartridge tested: .243 WinchesterCartridges available: from .22-250 Rem-

ington to .300 Winchester Mag-num and several WSM cartridges

Stock: American walnut, select gradeCheckering: modified point pattern on

pistol grip and forearmBarrel length: 20, 22 and 24 inchesOverall length: 391⁄8 to 447⁄8 inches de-

pending upon cartridgeand action length

Sights: iron sights furnished, receiver dril-led and tapped for commercialmounting systems

Safety: hammer half-cock onlyWeight: from 61⁄2 to 73⁄4 poundsFinish: high-gloss blue and stockOptions: extra magazinesPrice: $710 to $752

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In never mind how many years

of schlepping rifles through air-ports, I’ve had a number of guncases damaged – even destroyed –by ham-handed baggage handlersand mechanical luggage-deliverysystems. The list includes every-thing from moulded cases thatwere simply too flimsy to surviveto some supposedly sturdy alu-minum cases that worked awhilebut eventually gave up the ghost.

More than a dozen years ago, Ifound a solution – a thick-walled,injection-moulded “Travel Vault”case then sold by Browning. Thisextremely sturdy two-gun case fea-tured an O-ring seal to keep dustand water at bay, along with fourequally sturdy clips to lock bothhalves of the case firmly together.This case accompanied me oncountless hunts in both the UnitedStates and abroad without lettingme down.

I vividly remember the timeBarnes Bullets’ owner RandyBrooks and I watched the AlaskaAirlines 727 begin taxiing awayfrom the Cordova airport terminal– with our rifles still aboard. Fortu-nately, this was a very small air-port, with airplane-to-towercommunications handled by thesame person who manned the gate.In response to our frantic call, theairliner paused long enough forour two gun cases to be unceremo-niously chucked out the cargohold. After a 10-foot fall, theylanded – hard – on the tarmac. Nei-ther Randy’s gun case nor myTravel Vault were even slightlydamaged, and the rifles insidewere unscathed.

As good as it was, this case was-n’t perfect. It was acquired well be-fore built-in wheels were available.I had to pick up the whole thingand lug it around – a wearying taskwhen the case held a couple ofscoped rifles, bipods, binocularand an assortment of other gear.

The four heavy-duty latches wereanother problem. I don’t knowhow many times I’ve delayed theline at the check-in counter while Icursed, pounded and pried to getthese latches to release their deathgrip on the case lid. I’ve lost a fin-gernail or two in the process, buteventually managed to open thecase for inspection. I dreaded thecheck-in line.

The new Hardigg iM3200 StormCase I’ve recently been using an-swers those problems. Hardigg hasbeen designing and manufacturingheavy-duty cases for military andindustrial use for the past half-cen-tury. It produced its first Storm

Case for sportsmen just a coupleof years ago. The cases are injec-tion moulded of Hardigg’s high-performance HPX® resin. I canvouch for the company’s claim thatthe cases are rugged, water-resist-ant, dent-resistant and virtually un-breakable. Apparently bombproof,they’re also guaranteed for life.

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with factory ammoGUARANTEED

ACCURIZE IT!!!

At Hill Country Rifle Co. we live for accuracy. Besides building1/2 MOA custom rifles, we also know how to get custom rifleaccuracy out of your factory rifle. Our services include: pillarbedding, free-float barrel, trigger work, recrown barrel, lappedscope rings and more. Plus, we do something the others don’t:We actually shoot your rifle after completing our work andgive you the targets.

[email protected]

(830) 609-3139Hill Country Rifle Company 5726 Morningside Drive New Braunfels, TX 78132

BEFORE AFTER

A handful of models are avail-able, but the iM3200 case is justthe right size to transport a pair ofscoped hunting rifles. It’s 47.2inches long, 16.5 inches wide and6.7 inches deep. Empty weight is17.7 pounds. The case sports a pairof integral wheels, along with afold-down handle on one side foreasy carrying and another handleon the end opposite the wheels foreasy rolling. Moulded-in hasps ac-commodate standard padlocks.

The case is lined with multilay-ered foam that can easily be cut tocustom-fit your favorite firearms.Closed, the case is air- and water-tight. A patented Vortex™ pressurerelief valve automatically adjustspressure inside without admittingwater and protects against temper-ature extremes.

In addition to the wheels (whichI’ve really appreciated), my fa-vorite feature is the half-dozen“Press and Pull” latches along oneside and both ends of the case.These latches are delightfully easyto open: simply press a button inthe center, then pull up gently oneach latch. No more bad languageor bruised knuckles! No moreholding up airport check-in lines!

After transporting this case onairlines and tossing it into a fewpickup truck beds, I’m convincedit’s at least as tough and durable asthe Travel Case that served me solong and well. Believe me, that’ssaying something! It’s also lighter,rolls on wheels and is a lot easierto open. Mine is black, but olivedrab is also available. Hardigg’siM3200 Storm Case retails for asuggested $287.

For more information, contact


It’s True!Now you can haveyour own syntheticstock finished torecreate the mostm a g n i f i c e n twoods. The rarestand most beauti-ful hardwoods cannow be replicatedin synthetic form.This is not a photooverlay. Each grainis hand applied.

Every burl is individually de-signed and varies. Every finish isone-of-a-kind and as unique aswood itself. Visually outstandingand tough as nails with a life-time guarantee! Prices from $299.

Any Wood, Any Color,Any Grain, Any Grade

*Send Your Bare Synthetic Stock to:

Exotic Synthetics

Block 5 So. Broadway • Lima, MT 59739406-276-3611 • www.exoticsynthetics.com*UPS only - Never work on a loaded firearm!

Any Wood, Any Color,Any Grain, Any Grade

Exotic Synthetics

Drillings • Bolt Guns •DoublesChoose from our many patternsor duplicate from your pattern.

MURRAY’S CUSTOM1002 W. 6th St. Bldg. “C”

The Dalles, OR 97058Tel: 541-296-6916WOOD INLAYS

Ebony • Rosewood • White HollyMany other woods available.

• Three Shapes• Four Sizes

STOCK DUPLICATING!Precision RiflesmithingBarreling to Benchrest Standards since 1987

Mike BryantBryant Custom Knives & Firearms

7761 FM 592 • Wheeler, TX 79096

www.bryantcustom.comShop: (806) 826-5618

[email protected]

Rifle 220

with a thread protector to slip onwhen traveling and adjusted therails to feed four cartridges fromthe drop box magazine.

Additional metalwork comes inthe form of a bead blasted blueon the action, barrel and related

parts. Wrapped in Talley mountsis a new Leupold 30mm VX-IIriflescope with an illuminatedreticle. Iron sights consist of anERA assembly with an adjustableV blade mounted midpoint on thebarrel and a sourdough frontsight blade tipped in gold.

The stock wood is exhibitiongrade English walnut from Pres-lik’s stocks in Chico, California,finished in hand-rubbed oil andcheckered by Teresa Planton in apattern that fits this particulargun perfectly. There is a shadowline around the American-styled

cheekpiece with a unique touchon the forward tip of the combcourtesy of the builder himself.

A two-screw pistol grip cap isfrom Jerry Fisher and an ebonywood tip cut at 90 degrees com-plements the forend of the stock.Finally, to help keep the integrityand comfort of the stock duringactual shooting or hunting for-ays, three through-stock boltsand a heavy-duty Kick-Eez recoilpad complete this impressivepackage.

Bob Stitt, Jr. has been in thetrade since 1949 when he builthis first custom rifle that hestill has today! He has been mak-ing dangerous big game riflessince, and if you like the looksof this rifle and think it willmake a fine addition to your col-lection, please contact Bob atPro-Balance Dangerous GameRifles, 15025 LowryHills Road, BristolVA 24202-4123.

Whenever a custom rifle

comes in chambered for .45caliber or larger, it rates a secondlook. Sure, I know that so-called“safari” rifles all seem to centeron the same design features to in-clude a heavy barrel, larger thannormal stock proportions andwood that can take the abuse yetnever show signs of age or,worse yet, splitting.

Bob Stitt’s rifle seems to be anexception to all the rules. Thegun certainly looks like it cantake all the punishment a largecaliber cartridge can dish out, yetits clean lines seem to belay thatfact right up front. It is comfort-able to handle, the workmanshipis first-rate, and if I were plan-ning a trip to Africa, this is thegun I would take.

The action is a late model 2003Winchester Model 70 that was a.458 Winchester Magnum. Fromhere, Dennis Olson took overand rechambered the rifle to .458Lott. Then he built a very ef-fective muzzle brake complete

BOB STITT, JR.CUSTOM GUNSTOCKS

BOB STITT, JR.CUSTOM GUNSTOCKS

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If I were planning atrip to Africa, this isthe gun I would take.

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optics - rifle magazine 220 partial... · 2005-06-24 · optics for the bpcr for the when scopes go...

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