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Topics - branxhunter

#81
RELOADING / 30 M1 carbine brass
November 04, 2013, 11:07:07 PM
What is the availability of 30M1 carbine brass in the States, and what is the likelihood that a parcel could be posted over here?

Marcus
#82
THE CAMPFIRE / Bushfires in the Blue Mountains
October 21, 2013, 01:42:13 AM
Just a shout out to 22 hornet - I assume you have your hands full at the moment with all the fires up around Sydney.

Keep safe and our thoughts and prayers are with you and your crew.

Marcus
#83
FIREARMS & OPTICS / New Project - Omark .308
October 15, 2013, 11:22:14 PM
A friend recently gave me this to play with.
 
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Marcus
#84
AUSTRALIAN OUTDOORS / Busting bunnies in the wind
September 30, 2013, 03:02:31 AM
I decided to get out for a shot yesterday afternoon despite the wind. Down here in SW Vic we have had NW winds ranging from brisk to howling over the last few days.

I headed down to my rabbit patch near the coast with the Rem 700 .22-250 and the Sako .222. I was keen to stretch out the .222 with it's new 4-12x40 Lynx scope.

After the wet winter the dunes that make up the property were a rolling green carpet, the sun was out, and I had no timeline to keep so it was a very pleasant afternoon. While there wasn't heaps of rabbits there were enough to keep it interesting, with the wind ensuring that anything greater than 200m away was a challenge (I tend to headshoot for the pot), particularly for the .222. The .22-250 coped better with the wind and after I creamed a few with it I put it away.
 
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It took me a little while to work out how much to dope the wind the .222 as it was difficult to spot the shot, however after a while I saw that holding around 3-4 inches into the wind was about spot on, but that I was allowing to much elevation and was shooting over the top.

Once I worked this out the last three long shots went 169m (two thirds grown rabbit, headshot), 187m (half grown kitten, bodyshot), 190m (half grown kitten, body shot). Locations are shown right to left in the photo below.
 
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It wasn't until I was packing the rifle away that I realised that I hadn't readjusted the magnification on the scope after an earlier off-hand shot and the three rabbits were hit with the scope still set on 5x.....

End of the day realised 9 rabbits with 6 being headshot, so I was happy with the end result. They wer all absolutely crawling with fleas - one of them had the biggest patch of fleas on its ears I have ever seen.

[ATTACH]13425[/ATTACH]

Marcus
#85
FIREARMS & OPTICS / Fallen for my first love again.....
September 30, 2013, 02:57:36 AM
The first centrefire varmint rifle I bought was an Anschutz 1530 chambered in .222 Remington. I got it cheap - $250 - from a mate who said it wouldn't shoot. I spent 3 consecutive nights cleaning thick blue go out of the barrel, whacked a 10x Tasco on it and it shot good enough to lay down the cash.

After some load development I settled on 19.5gn of AR2207 behind a 40gn v-max in Remington cases which would consistenly shoot less than MOA, and often quite a bit less, all helped by that beautiful Anschutz trigger.

As the years passed I bought "better" varmint rifles - a Sako .222, a Remington .22-250 - and the Anschutz has rarely been out of the safe. With the rear locking action, light whippy barrel, very light and slim stock, lack of any glass bedding and minor pitting in the barrel it always got overlooked when there was a jaunt to be had after a few rabbits or a fox or two.

I have idly toyed with the idea of rebarrelling it to .17 Fireball for something a little different, but I would probably need to restock it at the same time. The current stock has a fair bit of drop in the butt and would be better if the comb was higher, more like the roll-over combs that are often seen on later model Annies.

During a still spell of weather a couple of weekends ago I decided to give it a run against some paper at 100m to check to see how the zero was........

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.........and fell in love all over again.


Marcus
 
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#86
FIREARMS & OPTICS / Scope testing - one stays, one goes
September 08, 2013, 03:02:49 AM
A few weeks ago we had a rare window of relatively still, fine weather (we are just coming out of a wet and windy winter here in south-eastern Australia) and I put a few rounds through the .22-250 and Sako .222 at some targets - the first shooting I had been able to do for a while.
 
 
Sako .222

I had picked up a second hand Leupold VX1 4-12x40 fine duplex for the Sako to replace the Leupold fixed 8x AO scope that was on it when I bought it. The idea was that the variable would provide greater flexibility when walking about with the fox whistle, and the fine duplex reticle would enable better resolution on small targets like a rabbits head at reasonable distances.
 
I had bought, mounted and zeroed the 4-12 a few months ago with the resulting groupds being nothing special from a rifle that is a proven sub-moa rifle. At the time I put it down to the breezy conditions. A follow-up short afternoon session after some rabbits down on the lava flow was a little concerning with quite a few misses.
 
So with a window of still weather yesterday afternoon I set up the target on my 100m backstop and fired off a group at 12x, then another at 9x, and another at 8x. Ther results were pretty dissappointing:
 
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I whipped the scope off, and remounted  and bore-sighted the fixed 8x. These were the resulting groups:
 
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Verdict: The 4-12x40 goes.
 
 
Rem 700 .22-250
 
Last time I shot the .22-250 a tried groups at 10x (the setting I use when spotlighting) and at 20x (the setting I use when shooting over the bipod during the day) on the Ziess Conquest. There seemed to be a horizontal displacement of around 1.5" between the two magnifications that I hadn't noticed before. I shot 3-4 groups which certainly did not allay my concerns.
 
So it was with some trepidation that yesterday I pulled the .22-250 out to retry groups at 10x and 20x. I needn't have worried - there was no discernible shift in the POI this time. Indeed, I ended up shooting my best group at 100m with this rifle, and quite likely the best group I have shot with any rifle at 100m:
 
[ATTACH]13408[/ATTACH]
 
Verdict: The 6.5-20x50 stays
#87
FIREARMS & OPTICS / Anschutz 1432 22 hornet
June 27, 2013, 03:24:15 AM
I thought that I might have been on to a bargain, but it was not to be.
 
This Annie in 22 hornet is in one of the local gun shops with a price tag of $450AUD. I have a Anschutz 1530 in .222 and it is extrenely slick and accurate, so I was very interested in this hornet. While not pretty, I thought that with some TLC the stock could be cleaned up.
 
I had it "on loan" for a couple of weeks to try it out. I spent a few hours giving it a thorough clean (it was extremely dirty) and also adjusted the trigger - as it came it had a heap of creep, but it adjusted up  to give a stunning, light crisp break.
 
There was some surface rust on the barrel, but the most dissppointing thing aspect was some pitting in the base of the bore just ahead of the chamber. Apart from the pitting the bore looked good all the way to the muzzle.
 
The magazine was quite interesting with a follower unlike I have ever seen before - fed very smoothly though.
 
I dug out some rings and boresighted my Dads old Weaver K8 scope.
 
I ran a couple of solvent soaked patches through folloowed by clean patches, then tried out some left-over reloads with inconclusive results.
 
I then gave the bore a serious going over with some ammonia-based solvent, vigourous bronze brushing and clean patches repeated a number of times.
 
I then bought a packet of Remington Express 45gn HP loads - first group after the big clean shot the first three touching, the fourth around 1/2" away, and the fifth around 1" away. Groups two and three got steadily worse with group three around 2.5". Seems that with the pitting this barrel fouls very quickly.
 
So today I took it back and said no thanks.
 
Pity.
 
Marcus
 
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#88
Saw this on one of the used guns websites here in Aus

http://www.ozgunsales.com/viewimage.php?photo=26665&width=1175&height=567#

Asking price is $AUD1,800

Marcus


PS: can people see these images? Still working out how to post photos from an iPad.
#89
Been a while since I posted anything, thought I would pass on something from another site that might interest those over the water. I received permission of the original author to post here - I encouraged him to come over and pull up a chair by the THL campfire....

This bloke is a pro rabbit shooter in NW New South Wales. I'll let him lead on with the description of taking 150 pair of rabbits in one night....


Well a few more details for you seeing how you are interested.

That night I was shooting out west of town approximately 110km, mostly over rough crappy dirt roads that only western shires seem to enjoy delivering to their rate payers. When shooting that far out I usually try and leave town approximately 3 - 330 pm, but that night was a bit late, I hadnt started shooting when I took the first photo which was just before sunset, not a bad office view really. The ground at the moment is covered with white paper daisy, and although it looks nice, its really a pain in the rear mainly cause the rabbits lay down and make themselves hard to see, and also when driving over it it turns to dust and is very irritating in you eyes and nose.

As most of you blokes would know, the last hour before sunset is one of the best times for shooting rabbits, they have just come out of their warrens and are lazing around enjoying the evening, a bit like us I spose, only we get to enjoy a beer and munchies as well. This time of the afternoon I can usually get up to 30 or 40 pair an hour, shot, gutted and paired, hanging on the back, the best warren I can remember shooting was on another property, and shot 18 pair in just under 5 minutes, I was half hidden by a small bush and they were just enjoying the sun and were extremely dopey, I only managed to get around half that were sitting there, now that was fun.

After sunset things quieten down a bit and the rabbits move out from their burrows a fair way, just means driving out from the warrens until I find which side they are feeding on that night. Might sound strange, but as a general rule they will go out to a different side depending on which direction the wind is coming from. Not a hard and fast rule but they generally like to go back to their warrens with the wind or breeze coming into their faces. The moon phase has a lot to do with how well they will sit, full moon is mostley the best as it tones down the lights of the ute and they arent as spookey, dark nights and I only need the smallest amount of light as they are pretty jumpy. Windy, dark nights, and I wont go out unless I really need the numbers. I only use the headlights and a small light mounted under my mirror for shooting, its set at around 45 degrees to the side and I reckon 80% of the shots are taken in the darker area between the lights, they usually moove out of the light to the dark.

My rifle is a CZ453 Varmint with a Ziess Conquest 4.5 - 14 x 50 AO with a number 4 reticle, I havent tried any of the really flash Euro scopes, and personnally dont like Leupold or other American scopes for shooting at night, not that I have tried any in the last 10 or so years. I reckon the only other one I would use is my Kahles 4 - 12 52, not that you need alot of magnification, I leave my scope set on 8 power, as most of the shots are only around 35 yards which is what I zero my scope for. I use Winchester Power Point hollow points, the old stuff, havent had a go at the new one as I dont need to change and still have several cases left. I buy it in bulk lots 25,000 rounds at a time, get better price that way, and I know its all the same batch. My rifle will keep putting shots into a square of black electrical tape, the same length as its width, around 13mm square for as long as I want to keep pulling the trigger. My favourite aim point on the rabbits is the eye, nice little red target. Knives, I use Victronox 4 inch paring knives and have 6 or 7 in the ute with me, but only use 1 or 2 each night, only cost around 4 bucks so if I loose any its not a real big drama, sure beats loosing that knife that your granddad gave you for your 10th birthday.  

On the side of the rack is where I hang my rabbits after Ive shot them, this lets most of the blood drain out, when Ive got around 15 pair Ill pull up and do a gut, split from breast bone to pelvis and remove just the gut, leaving liver, lungs and heart, take the balls out of the bucks and of course any younguns in the does. **** bag and as much of the **** shute as you can. It takes me around 10 to 15 seconds to gut each rabbit, so around 4 or 5 pair per minute, then thread one leg through the other and join two up and hang them over a galvanised fence post. I dont skin them in the paddock and just deliver them to the chiller as you see them in the photos.

On a really good night Ill be tucked up in bed by around 12 or so, best night was 190 pair delivered to the chiller in town by 130 am but I was only shooting 15 km out of town, and they hadnt been shot for around 10 years or so, you could have walked up to them and just picked them up and saved the bullets, so when they are like that it gets pretty hectic for a while.

So thats basically how I do it, I still learn little things every now and then, bit like life really, the day you stop learning is the day you die. Someone asked about pricing, well its just like every other primary production, we cop it in the neck pretty well, when there is high demand and not many rabbits you can get up to $7 a pair for large but when low demand etc the price gets cut. I started getting 6.20 a pair a few years ago and its gone back since the drough broke and numbers increased. The night I shot the 190 pair was the only night I made over $1000.00, hopefully it will pick up again. The price you see in the supermarkets in the cities is a mark up of approximately 600 to 1000%, someone is making a killing.

Ive just spent the day from 8 till 5 around in the abbitoir skinning and packaging 250 pair and will have another day doing the same tomorrow.

http://ausvarmint.com/forum/download/file.php?id=8914&mode=view

http://ausvarmint.com/forum/download/file.php?id=8918&mode=view


Good read, hey? Hopefully the links to the photos work - they are quite impressive.

Marcus
#90
AUSTRALIAN OUTDOORS / Fox that fell to the whistle
February 09, 2013, 02:21:08 AM
A while back I bought a Silva Fox predator call - something we call a fox whistle here in Australia. Our friends in the US really should do themselves a favour and check out some of the footage on the Silva Fox website:
 
http://silvafoxwhistles.com.au/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4
 
I must admit I was blown away by some of this footage, so I would assume that those across the pond might find it fascinatiing as well.
 
I have mainly used it while spotlighting, but during our summer holiday down on the coast I took the opportunity to try some daylight fox whistling. I had my Sako .222 and found a location high on the side of a dune where I could sit in the shade of a boxthorn (RH side of photo below) and face the scrub in the property next door.
 
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After whistling for a while I saw a fox coming out of the scrub (green arrow) only to stop and sit on its haunches on a small rise around 200m away (yellow arrow). I whistled a little more, and the fox kept coming in and I lost it over the brow of the dune I was sitting on. I shouldered the .222, slipped off the safety, and waited.
 
The fox came up over the brow of the dune, sat on its haunches to look at me (orange arrow), and I lowered the boom.
 
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A very satisfying morning indeed.
 
Marcus
#91
THL SUPPORT FORUM / Photo display in threads
February 08, 2013, 03:33:53 PM
A little earlier this year I changed from a laptop to an Apple iPad, and now cannot see the photos I post within my threads. Any ideas on how to address this? I take it from the various replies that others can se these photos.

Marcus
#92
FIREARMS & OPTICS / Kreighoff Semper drilling
February 02, 2013, 02:02:23 AM
Found these photos on rimfirecentral - thought that there would be a few here that would appreciate them.
 
Barrels are 8x57 JRS, 12g, .22lr.
 
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Marcus
#93
FIREARMS & OPTICS / Niiiiice.....
February 02, 2013, 01:58:03 AM
Rem 700 .220 swift, Hart barrel, Fajen stock.
 
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Not mine unfortunately.....
 
Marcus
#94
A few mates from work, my brother, Dad and I spent a few hours at the Hamilton rifle range with our hunting/varmint rifles. One of my workmates is a member of the rifle club and took us through the standard requirements, then we got down to shooting groups at 100 yards. We then moved back to 300 yards and had a bit more of a blast. Had a fantastic time.
 
There were some really nice rifles on show - a custom Sako A1 .204 with a Schmidt & Bender scope, a Howa .204 with custom thumbhole stock and Nightforce scope, a Rem 700 VSSF .204 with Meopta scope, a Tikka HB .204 with Simmons scopoe, a Sako 85 with Kahles 8x56 scope, A Neilson in 6x47 Lapua, a beautiful custom sporterised Mauser 98 in 8x57 JS, and my Sako A1 in .222 and Rem 700 HB in .22-250.
 
Enjoy.
 
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Marcus
#95
As I was saying on the other thread I just started, I have recently learnt a couple of really useful things from threads on the rimfire central website. Under the optics section there was a great thread on how to adjust parallax on a non-AO scope to modify a centre-fire scope with parallax set at 100-150yards to a scope that can be used for rimfires, with parallax set at whatever distance suits.

Basically this approach works on scopes that have an outer ring on the end of the objective bell, like Leupold VX I, Simmons, Bushnell etc. Often this ring can be loosened by hand; if tight a rubber jar lid strap can be used. Once loosened the front lens in its carrier can be screwed out a turn or two which will reduce the parallax distance. As long as the lens carrier is not screwed right out the integrity of the gas seal is not compromised.

I used this approach to set the parallax on a Simmons Whitetail Hunter 2-10x44 scope down to 50m. I set the rifle up in bags, loosened the front ring, and then made incremental adjustments on the lens carrier until the was no movement of the cross-hairs against a target at 50m when I moved my eye around. All up took about 15 minutes.

This approach opens up all sorts of scopes for use on rimfires and other short-range rifles, and apparently is the approach used by the factory.

Marcus
#96
FIREARMS & OPTICS / New take on using Tru-oil
January 10, 2013, 01:57:12 AM
I have spent a bit of time looking through the various threads on rimfire central - what a gold mine of interesting and useful information! I have discovered two very useful new things, one of which I will post about here, and another I will post as another thread.

Trawling around the CZ/Brno thread, and under a link called "Sophia's most asked questions (or something to that effect) there was a thread called "Woodstocks take on using Tru-oil". Do yourself a favor and check it out - there are some nice prices of timber shown.

Basically this guy found out that Armour-all works to set Tru-oil very much like two-part epoxy. Instead of waiting for 24hrs for a coat of Tru-oil to dry, a coat can be dry in 15mins. Due to the quick drying time there is little opportunity to collect dust, and rubbing back with fine steel wool between coats is often not required. I used this approach to refinish my Brno Mod2 and it works - it works very, very well.

The steps are:

1. Pour Tru-oil into a low, wide mouthed jar.

2. Spray Armour-all over the area of the stock being worked on, and use fingers and the palm of the hand to smear evenly across the area. I did each side of the butt separately, and the fore-arm as the third separate area.

3. Dip the tip of two fingers (no more) into the Tru-oil, and rub over the area of the stock being done. Spread evenly, then really rub vigorously with the palm of the hand to generate some heat - it seems to cause the reaction between the AA and the TO.

4. After a short time the stock will start to feel glassy to touch - the reaction is working!

5. Adjacent areas can be blended into already finished areas. If the stock continues to feel sticky, or has an orange peel look, you have used too much Tru-oil. Spraying some more Armour-all and rubbing it in can sometimes remedy the situation, otherwise set it aside to dry, buff back and start again.


I used this approach to apply around 6 coats of TO to my Brno stock in a day. After applying a coat I would let it dry for anywhere between half an hour and an hour in between doing jobs around the farm.

Check it out, this just might change the way you undertake stock refinishing from now on.

Marcus
#97
FIREARMS & OPTICS / Brno model 2 22lr - 1973 model
December 07, 2012, 03:42:45 PM
I have always admired the lines of the original Brno model 2, and have had a hankering to pick one up at some stage. I really like the classic straight comb, the nice slim fore-end and the schnabnel fore-end tip. The Brno model 2 is legendary here is Australia, and was the rifle of choice with many of the professional rabbit shooters.

After undertaking some research on the excellent rimfire central website //www.rimfirecentral.com I started looking in earnest. My goal was to find a 1950's or early 1960's model with nice timber. I missed a couple that were advertised (of course they tend to go very quickly) before a stumbled across a 1973 model.

While not as old as what I was originally looking for it seemed to have some nice figure in the stock. Interestingly the open sights had been removed - while perhaps not suiting the collector/purist I quite like the clean look the barrel has. The foresight has been removed by shortening and recrowning the barrel, while it looks like the pin that locates the rear sight was drifted out then the rear sight collar slipped down and off the barrel.

The action has been bedded and a rear action screw added behind the trigger bow where a wood screw is usually located. This screws into a block dovetailed into the underside of the rear tang, which I think is similar to the later CZ rifles.

It came with a 3-9x44 Tasco World Class PLUS scope in what look to be the standard factory mounts (I also have a friends 1967 Model 2 here at the moment for refinishing of the stock that has the same mounts). I have replaced the Tasco with a steel tube microtrac Weaver 3-9x40 for the moment which is more in keeping with the rifle, however the mounts are way too high. My research shows that the available options to replace with lower mounts is rather limited due to the 5/8" dovetail. Apparently Brno .22s had this wider dovetail up until CZ started producing the rifles in their own right in 1974.

I have shot at 25m, 35m and 50m so far. Accuracy at 25m and 35m has been excellent with ragged one hole groups, while at 50m the groups start to blow out a bit. This may be due to the wind we have here at the moment (the 25m and 35m shooting lanes were protected from the wind by tree plantations) and/or the trigger which is showing a fair bit of creep before it lets go.

So the plan is to strip and refinish the stock, remove the creep from the trigger, source some lower mounts, and possibly obtain a K4 steel tube Weaver or a 4x Leupold.

Marcus
#98
FIREARMS & OPTICS / Rem 788 - reshaping the stock
July 27, 2012, 11:42:35 PM
You may remember that I bought this .222 earlier this year for a mate:
 
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His circumstances have changed and so it still sits in my gunsafe. While it shoots well with the Timney trigger the clubby, chunky stock does nothing for me at all.
 
As I already own two .222s I have decided to sell it on, so thought I would experiment a bit and try some reshaping the stock to make it slimmer and better feeling in the hand, and make it stand out from the other 788s currently on the used gun market here in Australia at the moment.
 
This is how it looks so far:
 
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I may yet taper the fore-end down even further.
 
And from above:
 
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The width of the fore-end was basiocally the same as the stock width at the action. In the photo above you can see it has now slimmed down a lot.
 
So, I now have a couple of decisions. Should I add a contrasting fore-end tip of River Redgum Eucalyptus camuldensis:
 
[ATTACH]13143[/ATTACH]
 
...and should I leave the stock the natural color, or restain a darker color?
 
Marcus
#99
FIREARMS & OPTICS / A pair of Sakos
July 22, 2012, 03:19:17 AM
As a few of you know I have a Sako A1 .222 that I bought last year and refinished.
I can see why people love these little scaled actions.
 
A couple of weeks ago I was at a friends place for a breakfast gathering when he offered me a look in his gun cabinet. Lo and behold he had a Sako A1 .223 with a 4-10x40 Pecar scope in Hilver base and rings. This was a classic, top class set-up in Australia when I was growing up.
 
The scope was missing a lot of blueing on one side, with the reticle up in the upper left hand quadrant of the sight picture. The oiled stock was very dry. The rifle still has its original Sako barrel but the open sights have been removed, leaving the threaded tapped holes in the barrel.
 
Apparently a aquaintance wanted to GIVE my friend this rifle but he refused, and so gave $AUS150 for it! I told him he should still be put in jail for theft!
 
Anyway I offered to take it home and clean it up a little for him, and try to find a handload that would shoot well. He was happy for me to take it and play with it for a while.
 
I gave the barrel a good clean which showed some pitting in the barrel. Hmmm, perhaps this was why the original owner wanted to give it away. I didn't hold much hope for its ability to group well.
 
First groups with Remington Express 55gn SPs were around 2" ay 100m. Not great. Things started looking a little better with the 50gn Remington Accutip loading which shot aroiund 1" at 100m.
 
I then concentrated on fixing up the various issues with rifle. First off I took the scope off and rubbed down the worn areas with wet and dry sandpaper. The scope tube was then dried and rubbed with fine steel wool before applying some Birchwood Casey cold blue. The scope tube was then rubbed back with the steel wool again. While this didn't produce a blued finish that matched the factory Pecar finish it was better than letting the bare steel tube continue to suffer from surface rust.
 
The scope was replaced onto the rifle and I centred the scope reticle using the turret adjustments. I slipped a thin piece of sheet plastic between the underside of the scope tube and the front ring and firmed up the ring screws again. I then loosened off the rear ring windage screws in the scope base, and then shot and adjusted these screws until the POI was close to the reticle aiming point.
 
The stock was taken off and the finish sanded off. I steamed out the few small dents then applied 5 coats of Tru-oil before rubbing in some Patina wax to produce a buttery smooth finish.
 
While the stock was off I adjusted the trigger pull weight down slightly and cleaned the accumulated grime off the action.
 
The final job was to try some handloads. Using my usual approach of 0.5gn increments in powder charges I found that this rifle is very finicky but could still shoot very well when the right combination was found. The load of choice turned out to be 25.5gn of AR2206H behind a 55gn Nosler SHOTS SP which produced a group of 0.6" at 120m. Half a grain either side produced groups greater than 1.2". This pattern was repeated with two other projectiles.
 
I returned the rifle to its owner today, and took along the target to show him. He was so chuffed with the group he asked to keep the target!
 
Here are some photos of the rifle:
 
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Here are some with my Sako .222:
 
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and here is the load of choice:
 
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Marcus
#100
Got some new glass for my Remington .22-250 through 4scopes.com

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Very impressed with the clarity during zeroing, adjustments were very precise, duplex-type crosshair is nice and fine. I went with the hunting turrets as target turrets are likely to get knocked out of zero when spotlighting.

The 50mm objective on the Simmons 6.5-20x50 just cleared the barrel, whereas this one has a gap of around 7mm. I think the next lowest Lynx stud mounts might be just the trick.

Zeroing at 100m:

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Group shot at 200m - that's a 0.75" three shot group:

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And here is the first victim. Clarity under the spotlight was beautiful.

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Unfortunately this means my taste in scopes has just got more expensive.....

Marcus