The gun: An original P.O. Ackley built rifle on a Mauser action that belonged to a Physician (and world-wide sheep hunter) from Eugene, Oregon. The scope mount bases are custom fabricated for the gun, the scope is a Weatherby 2x-7x that retains superb brightness and solid adjustment consistency. The barrel (also of Ackley manufacture) is 24". The wood is dark finished walnut of striking figure, with extensive fine hand checkering in accented fleur-de-leis pattern, Rosewood forend cap and grip cap conservatively absent any white-line spacers.
The caliber: .276 Ackley Magnum (actually .284 caliber-Parker chose the lands measurement to distinguish his 7mm Magnum from others). This is a "sensible" 7mm Magnum, in that the case capacity is somewhat less than its strapping commercial progeny the 7mm Remington, and is closer to the Sharpe and Hart version: sharing with that cartridge a more favorable neck length as well. Ackley was honestly self-critical when noting, "it is still badly overbore capacity, a characteristic it shares with all 7mm Magnums." Belted case as was thought "necessary" for that time period, as nearly all the early 7 mags were off the .300 H&H case.
The gun was purchased about 15 years ago in an estate sale by a friend, after he enlisted me to inspect and catalogue the firearms collection of the deceased Physician. Upon completion of his purchasing the entire collection (and knowing my penchant for "weird guns"), my friend gave me this gun. It came with a complete set of precision hand-machined (most probably by P.O. himself) loading tools in order that a sheep hunter on an extended expedition could load ammunition in the field. I had taken the rifle hunting shortly after receiving it, but utilized it then only for "finishing" a deer not hit well by a partner.
2018 season granted the rifle its own chance. Refinement of the load settled on a 120g Nosler Ballistic Tip propelled by 64gr of IMR4350 and a Federal 210GM primer. Chronographed velocity was 3310 fps: easily in the neighborhood of what is possible with the Remington of greater case capacity. The gun with this load can duplicate all shots touching time after time, even when I DON'T "do my part" (as is the customary qualifier). It is an easy gun to shoot well.
Pushed by partners hunting the same ridge, 3 Whitetail bucks appeared at 300 yards, and I settled behind a set of boulders with a good hard rest. Evaluating the trio and nearly beginning my squeeze on the best, in the bottom of my field of view something moved: a 4-point Muley was getting up, and was walking my direction. I pulled the gun off the Whitetails and directed it to where I knew the Muley would come around the boulders at close range and waited. And waited.
With no arrival on schedule, I peered around the boulders to see him standing rock still and staring at my refuge. This crafty guy had seen or heard me shuffle position and he was locked up. I re-gained my original rest and committed to the long shot.
Parker's piece of art was instantly decisive. The "Doctor's Gun" went hunting again.
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