Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Cobbled One Together that Might Work for the Boy...

You are in for some serious fun, my friend!

Mine are a little closer in age than that, but not much.





My oldest boy was deadly with a 22 at 4 and killed his first one with a 223 before he hit 5. Not every kid is the same, but you may be mighty close on your oldest boy. My daughter snapped this one of big brother congratulating younger brother (5) on his first deer.

Appreciate the kind words!

DJ

DJTex;
I was perusing the threads, saw this one with your handle below it and just knew it would be a dandy. Once again sir, you did not disappoint.

Thank you so much for generously sharing your family hunts with us and in so doing, inspiring us to do likewise.

Please pass along congratulations to your son on the very sharp looking rifle and the tasty looking doe he used it on too.

Hopefully DJ, another tip of my battered Bailey will suffice until I think up something different. You do very well sir and the world would be a better place if more fathers took the time with their children like you do. I mean that.

Thanks again DJ and all the best to you and yours this week.

Dwayne

Great thread, really great pictures and rifle!!! Heck I think you boys probably kill bigger bucks than me - must be the guide right:)
Thanks for posting!!

Don,

I do believe your young lad is off to a good start with his new rifle. I'm thinking those 80gr. TTSX will not disappoint.

I hope (and think) you are right about the hogs.

It will be a triumph for him when he walks up to one. I think he's come to almost think they're bullet proof!

He has busted several and found none of them - but he hits the big ones, and missed the only little one he had a crack at shooting off sticks over a tank dam with a bunch of us watching. Of course, he thought it was crippling off - couldn't believe he might have actually missed!

He would have shot the next one with a 50 cal if that's all we had. He was that mad when the last one ran off with his little 60 partition without bleeding...

DJ

John,

Much obliged for the heads up!

Please note that I edited my original post to credit you as the rifle locator! Sorry for falling down on that job...grin.

It has worked mighty well so far!

DJ

Thanks, Dan!

You're right about Mark - good fella and a good Gunsmith - who doesn't mind educating me on stuff as he does it.

He has treated me very well. I'd like to have him teach the boys some gunsmithing one of these days.

I'd really like to have him build me like any one of a couple of yours some day!

I've dreamed up a few blueprints...most of the fun is probably the anticipation.

Hope your crew is all well.

How's the newest member of the Clark family?

DJ

Deer before age 5? wow!

Granddad taught us kids how to shoot and we hunted a lot of small game. He was well into his 80's when he took his first deer. (After his third one he decided they were too much work. LOL) Didn't get my first deer until I was in my early 30's.

Many thanks - really appreciate it!

One other little fact I left out about the rifle...

The sling was built by one of my best friends - Amigo here on the 'Fire.

You might remember his daughter killing the king of all 7 points a few weeks ago.

We were hunting together and I forgot to bring a sling for my son's rifle, and this sling that Amigo built just "happened" to be too short for him, and he gave it to my son.

Amigo does that a lot...my breast collar on my saddle, spur leathers and knife scabbard were all crafted by him.

Won't ever see another sling on that rifle.

DJ

It's them stinkin', crop destroyin', pasture rootin', deer scarin' hogs that done it...

All that, and now they cause magnumitis...All the more reason to kill them all.

He's really mad at them!!!

Wants them on the ground when he touches off the shot.

I'm thinkin' he's about to get an introduction to the ear hole shot.



Although I do wonder if I can actually recover a TTSX if I bust double shoulders on a big one.

Hogs are an excellent bullet testing medium...

I think a Montana 243 is about as good as it gets, but this little rifle is mighty nice. Not as light, obviously, but he shoots a little heavier rifle better and can handle it just fine as is and LOP on a Montana is a bit much for him still - plus, I love a bargain and putting stuff together (when it works out...grin).

I've kind of been bitten by the 243 bug lately.

Modern bullets, and especially the 80/85 TTSX/TSX have been a game changer - the 243 is just a fast, flat death ray...without enough recoil to bother even the little guys.

DJ

Dwayne,

As always, you are much too gracious...

Your encouraging words always make me want to do the best I can to deserve them, as I expect they do for all the dads on the 'Fire.

Keep tipping that Bailey. It's your trademark and has made us all want to walk the straight path with more determination.

You are mighty gifted at encouragement. That "B" in BC30cal doesn't stand for Barnabas, does it?

All the best to you and your family.

DJ

Judging from the buck in your Avatar, I'd say we have a long way to go before we approach your level!

Thanks for the kind words - glad you enjoyed the post!

DJ

Think you're right on both points, William.

Thanks for getting that stock set up so well! Top notch in looks and function!

Looks like your boy had another amazing year. Congrats!!

DJ

i'd be impressed if he could stop one through the lungs! you'd definitely have one if you put it in length wise!

Taking the kids out is a blast! seeing things through their eyes, everything is new, it's the only time dad will be cool till they get married and have kids of there own! but i can deal with that!

Yep, if Mark can tell you're not an idiot and prone to hurting yourself, he'll show you how to do all sorts of stuff. I really like that he doesn't mind sharing that information, especially when he knows that teaching me how to adjust a trigger for example is going to keep me from paying him to do it for me. Definitely have him build you a rifle at some point. You've probably got a pretty good idea of what you like and don't like, and he could fix you up with something the factory doesn't produce.

Family is doing good, thanks for asking. The little one is wearing me and Momma out, but he's fine. I forgot how hard these first few months were!

Hope all yours are doing well!

-Dan

Penetration certainly isn't a problem with the Barnes. My boys and I have lined hawgs up, and taken up to three with one well placed 85gr. TSX clipping along at 3300'ish from the .243

Problem with hawgs (as Don well knows) is that they're tough, resilient SOB's that can soak up some lead and make a long death run before dropping..... typically in some of the worst thick rattlesnake infested brush imaginable.

Best to shoot them in the sweet spot. Between the ear and eye is certain DRT. Even with a .22LR they drop like a bag of cement.

I could probably speak for most of us on this post. I too, enjoy building up a rifle as such - not to the extent of a custom job, but actually buying a barreled action, mating it to a decent stock, rings and bases, scope etc..

My 30-06 Howa was contribed this way. I actually bought the stock first on eBay, the factory Howa camo unit which is indestructible - yet quite light. I then ordered a stainless barelled action, then some weaver rings and bases - and topped it off with a Redfield Evolution scope in 2-7 X 33. Weighs 8lb all up - and for a -06, just the right amount of weight I was after.

I could have bought a similar rifle brand new , complete and paid around $70 more - but in this way, its they way I want it.

CK