Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles I blame David_Walter!

David was selling a faux Howa Alpine rifle in 7mm-08 a few weeks ago, I wound up with the Bansner's Alpine stock after he split up the deal. So I finally got to Sportsman's Warehouse yesterday to pick up a .308 Win Howa rifle with Kuiu Vias camo stock, which is the same barreled action as the discontinued Howa Alpine rifle. So total I'm into a faux Alpine rifle for around $650 total, Sportsman's had the Alpine .243 Win in stock as well for a close out price of $899. The other option was as .308 Kimber Hunter at $800, which I admit was extremely tempting but I wasn't exactly buying this rifle for me.

Swapping out the stocks dropped the rifle from 7 lbs to 6 lbs 2 oz, so I figure the total rifle will weight less than 7.5 lbs all up when it is ready to hunt. Which will save my daughter a full pound from the current all up weight of her M700 Classic in .300 Savage she loves. I was worried that if I went with the Hunter it might actually be too light for her as it took us a long time to work up to the recoil of her .300 Savage. I don't want her to be scared of recoil again and saving one pound is a big change for her, I figure she'll basically be shooting the same loads with this .308 as she does her .300, 125 grain NBT and AB as well as 135 grain TTSX so recoil shouldn't bother her too bad.

I blame him as well. I bought a stock for a rifle I don't have. I know where one is that I want. So yeah, I'll be doing that this weekend.

The Holy Sisters always said I was a bad influence.

I blame him too. Don't know what for yet, but I'll think of something.

It took some convincing to get my daughter to be okay with a new rifle, she really loves her .300 Savage. Two years ago I watched her give up on an elk hunt because it was kicking her butt, she wasn't prepared to go from sitting in a blind to hunting the mountains. I was unable to prepare her mentally for that first elk hunt, in my defense I'd suffered a shattered leg and was barely mobile and I was far from prepared myself for her first elk hunt.

The guys that took her after elk worked their tails off for her and were disappointed in her giving up as well. I'm going to lighten up all her gear this year, lighter weight clothing and rifle so it doesn't drag her down. She's really in great shape physically this year as well, compared to two years ago when she was 13. I think it'll allow her to stay in the game mentally much better this year.

Have you considered a McMillan 700 Classic in Edge construction? It would shave some weight and maintain the same stock geometry she's accustomed to. She's older, stronger and in better shape than two years ago so the need for weight reduction may also be mitigated.

Tried that discussion last year, I learned quickly you don't change one thing about her .300 Savage!

She may not need the weight reduction, but my guess is she'll enjoy having lighter gear. She's 5' 11" tall and about done growing according to the orthopedist who said her growth plates are almost fused over. So buying better hunting gear isn't so bad as she won't be outgrowing it so quickly, she gained almost 6" in the last two years.

I just order the last stock on eBay and have one of the Kuiu 243 rifles headed for pickup at the Chattanooga Sportsmans Warehouse. Already have a Redfield Revolution 2-7 ready to mount. Some low Talleys and I will be into a lightweight deer getter supreme. Thanks for the suggestion.

Yes, He is an enabler!

This is the weakest call out thread I've seen yet....

but a bunch of really good guys are involved..

so it must be what other sites call a Gentleman's Call out Thread...

I blame self-control....I can't seem to find any!

Set up my .204 the same way, and like Tzone, I have another stock on the way and no gun to put it on. Yet.

He is indeed and needs to be held accountable.

I have a nice 300 Win Mag KS in my safe that needs a scope and taken to the range because of him.

Well I don't feel the need to apologize. I'll probably be thanking him in a few months, just after 3rd rifle season is over.