Time to stick with SAKOes & Rem 700's

I am 66 with ALS, last year I spent most of the summer trying to get a custom 7x57 Mauser, finally got someone else to shoot it & it was a steady 1" rifle. Today I hit the Range with a M 700 & Dakota. I got .5-.75 groups out of the M700 270 but the Dakota was shooting 3". Got another shooter to try the Dakota & he shot 2 sub 1" groups. Looks like I am shaking to hard to use a rifle with a slow lock time.

My Daughter & Son in Law have no interest in my guns so I guess I need to start moving some of my collection.

How far are your shots on game?

Originally Posted by gahuntertom

I am 66 with ALS, last year I spent most of the summer trying to get a custom 7x57 Mauser, finally got someone else to shoot it & it was a stedy 1" rifle. Today I hit the Range with a M 700 & Dakota. I got .5-.75 groups out of the M700 270 but the Dakota was shooting 3". Got another shooter to try the Dakota & he shot 2 sub 1" groups. Looks like I am shaking to hard to use a rifle with a slow lock time.

My Saughter & Son in Law have no interest in my guns so I guess I need to start moving some of my collection.

I'll be your son.

Travis

Originally Posted by gahuntertom

My Daughter & Son in Law have no interest in my guns so I guess I need to start moving some of my collection.

Originally Posted by deflave

I'll be your son.

Travis

Well I would be Travis' HALF brother.

on your side.

Sorry about your illness.

Have a great friend recently diagnosed with ALS.

Hs also has a few guns and can no longer enjoy them.
Fortunately his kids are gun loony types.

gahuntertom I lost a family member to ALS several years ago. I am sorry to read about your illness. I am glad that you have good friends to take you shooting. You will be in my family's prayers.

What is ALS?

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - AKA Lou Gehrig's Disease

Keep shooting! very sorry to hear about your illness. You are in my prayers!

Originally Posted by gahuntertom

I am 66 with ALS, last year I spent most of the summer trying to get a custom 7x57 Mauser, finally got someone else to shoot it & it was a steady 1" rifle. Today I hit the Range with a M 700 & Dakota. I got .5-.75 groups out of the M700 270 but the Dakota was shooting 3". Got another shooter to try the Dakota & he shot 2 sub 1" groups. Looks like I am shaking to hard to use a rifle with a slow lock time.

My Daughter & Son in Law have no interest in my guns so I guess I need to start moving some of my collection.

Prayers sent up just now on your behalf sir. Hang in there. Remember if your still able to shoot a 3" group your hitting within 1 1/2" of your aiming point. Enjoy as much as you can as long as you can. That's my plan. Keep the Faith.

Sorry to hear about your problem, I was in the hospital last month myself, I had to go twice. I am on the med but I do have a problem that will be with me for the rest of my life. As for your shooting, you are plenty accurate for most all the real big game hunting we do here in America and the rest of the world for that matter. Hunt till you can't anymore its that simple, Keep the rifles you really like even if its a 3 inch gun, that is plenty accurate, sell the others. Or make a gift or two to some deserving soul.

Tom,
if that 270 was the one i sold you your doing fine as I dont have ALS and that is about all i could do with it.
as long as your having fun is all that matters

gene

Originally Posted by gahuntertom

I am 66 with ALS, last year I spent most of the summer trying to get a custom 7x57 Mauser, finally got someone else to shoot it & it was a steady 1" rifle. Today I hit the Range with a M 700 & Dakota. I got .5-.75 groups out of the M700 270 but the Dakota was shooting 3". Got another shooter to try the Dakota & he shot 2 sub 1" groups. Looks like I am shaking to hard to use a rifle with a slow lock time.

My Daughter & Son in Law have no interest in my guns so I guess I need to start moving some of my collection.

Prayers on the way for your health.

Originally Posted by gene270

Tom,
if that 270 was the one i sold you your doing fine as I dont have ALS and that is about all i could do with it.
as long as your having fun is all that matters

gene

It was the rifle I bought from you and I am really happy with it, it is more accurate than my Jarette or Lewis rifles.. You were correct it is bouncing cases off the scope, no big deal.. did you do anything to try & fix it? I have to go over to my gunsmith this week & I am torn with letting him work on it or just leave it alone.

Prayers on the way for your health.

As for 3" groups, back when I was younger that was a good deer gun! Hope you keep on hunting as long as possible!

Thank everyone for your nice comments. I was just trying to point out that if you are getting older & shake it's a good idea to use a rifle with a fast lock time. Anyway it gave an excuse to take some gun pictures & post them.

The top rifle is a VanPatten 7x57 barreled action that was restocked by my gunsmith in a Brown Precision stock. I think the original action was off a FN/SAKO action because it has Sako bottom metal, it has a Browning trigger that has been converted to 3 positions. The barrel is a 1:9 twist #2 Douglas.

The next rifle is the the 270 that I bought from Gene. M700 action smithed by Bob Green, Hart #2 barrel, Pacific Research Stock. The most accurate hunting rifle I own.

The 3rd is a 2nd year Dakota 7 Rem Mag that I bought from my Doctor. He carried it to Africa and the wood is near 99%. The barel has a silver dollar size spot where the bluing was rubbed off in the safari rack

The bottom is a stock Remington M7MS. It was next to the door so I put it in the picture.

Again thank everyone for your kind remarks.

[Linked Image]

Tom I like your rifles, particularly that Mauser in the Brown stock...

Good for you that you are still shooting despite the illness.

Could it be the recoil of the Dakota 7 mag may be the reason for the groups with that rifle? I not you shoot the other rifles well,and that may be the only difference..One of the greatthings about 270's and 7x57's is the mangeabble recoil of both.

Good luck to you and stay with it!

Nice looking guns. Sorry to hear about your illness. Will pray for you. Hang in there.