Had a local "gunsmith" declare any rifle would be ruined by hand loaded ammunition. Only factory ammo is safe enough to use.
Same guy also recommends a minimum 5 to 6 lb trigger pull for safety. Any lighter and " the gun will go off too easily."
Glass bedding and free floating are a waste of time because if it were necessary the factories would do it.
Also zero your scopes dead on at 50 yards because any farther and rifles aren't accurate enough to hit anything.
He also refuses to rebarrel rifles because he can't "afford the fancy equipment the factories use" and "factory barrels are better anyway."
When I was a teenager, just starting to drive, the best sporting goods/gun store in the Houston area was Grant Ilseng Sporting Goods. I was trying to learn as much as I could about firearms, shooting and reloading, so I hung out in Ilseng's and several of the other gun stores whenever I got a chance to go into town. After several visits, I finally got a chance to talk with Ilseng's gunsmith, an older fellow who seemed to be revered and respected.
I got almost word for word the same sermon, with the exception of the last two statements. He did re-barrel rifles, but only after
he determined that they were completely shot out, and he would only re-barrel them for the same cartridge for which they were chambered by the factory. He was also a firm believer that sighting in a rifle at any distance beyond 100-yards was a waste of time and ammunition.
Needless to say, I was very disappointed. After that, I only occasionally dropped into Ilseng's, just to drool at the extensive array of fancy rifles and shotguns on display.
