Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada New firearms for the New Year.

I bought a remington 700 sps stainless 300wsm and topped it with a zeiss conquest 3x9x40. Itching to try it out.

Wellll, I have been selling many of my guns, age,my wife's serious health issues and no heirs to leave my fine collection to. I also have six CRF hunting rifle custom projects on the go and two more pristine Brno actions to build on, a 21H and a ZG-47.....probably a .25-06 and I dunno, as I have a LOT of "medium" boomers.

But, on Dec. 23rd/12, I DID buy ONE more, an "ultralight" 7-08 "sheep rifle" on a sts Remmy Mod. 7 receiver, with about every fine, functional, highend mod possible, and built here in BC by one of the best guys with guns, our buddy here,"brno284" that I have ever known in my now 55 years of shooting/guns.

It will go 6#2* scoped and is for my REAL "old age", like past 80 or so, as I intend to hunt until I am 90 and maybe past that! As a "young'un" now of only 66, I figure that this rifle, NOT "cheap" will actually work well for me as the years roll on....and, the 7-08 is just another form of my beloved 7x57, one of my lifelong favourites.

BUT, NO MORE...........well, I hope so, anyway.......

A couple weeks ago I got a new fwt model 70 stainless in 270 (Winchester). Initial trips to the range have it shooting quite well, certainly sub 1" 3 shot groups with selected load(s). Very pleased with the rifle overall. No "plans" for more guns, but don't hold me to that!

Hah!!!! How MANY times have I heard THAT one from you, Mr.B!?

You will stop buying and selling and trading your hunting rifles about when I start advocating for gun control!!!!!

I only have one new addition planned this year, a just-in-case gun and fun shooter. Quite a departure from my usual bolt action & scoped rifles and fine double barrel shotguns.
It is a Rossi M92 in .44 mag and stainless 20" barrel. I already have one in .38 /357, and like it so much I will add this one in a more bear capable caliber. I will equip it with aperture rear sight and an upgraded blade front. Cast some WFN lead bullets for it and load some light for plinking entertainment in my bush camps and load some heavy to give me peace of mind in bear country.
It is a rifle that I plan to carry when I don't intend to shoot anything, but want for personal security, entertainment, and "whatever" without having to baby it or do anything special to pack it along. Kinda the Canadian version of a handgun for the bush. Same weight as some big handguns, low maintenance, handy & relatively short, but capable of shooting big critters if the need arises.
I might shoot a whitetail with it just to try it out.

Good idea, I had two of the "pre-crossbolt" 1894CS .357s, but, they are a tad "jerky" in their functioning and I sold them as part of the reduction in rifle-shotgun-revolver numbers I have done during the past little while.

I also have a Marlin 336-.44M. that I bought in autumn, 1967 and I and my brothers used as a "lookout gun" and so on. The old Lyman receiver sight is now a bit wobbly and the external finish shows the use one would expect.

I am going to fit an XS peep-scope rail, have the XS front blade installed now, a beefed-up extractor and some other mods and use it for exactly the purposes you have yours for. I "may" even have MPI synthetic stocks installed and thus cut the already light weight to the minimum for backpacking.

I have owned and used six "modern" Marlin lever rifles, this was my first and it is smooth, utterly reliable and a 300 gr-.429" bullet at about 1800 fps-mv. is "big medicine" for the problems with various "varmints" that we now encounter in BC's angling and hunting situations.

It also holds TEN rounds and is a "low visual impact" type of serious bush tool that I think is the currently "best option" for we decent Canucks to keep handy for whatever. Plus, it is EASY to shoot fast and hit what needs to be shot......

kutenay;
I trust that this finds you and yours acceptably well and that you are keeping warm enough in this bit of a turn down in temperatures.

Between you and my cyber friend from Saskatchewan I'm again feeling the urge for another lever gun in the safe - which of course I "need" like another port in my skull. However.....

The chap that I cowboy for on occasion and help out on the spring branding crew annually has been known to have a Browning 92 in .44 Magnum available for the vagaries of life.

As you - and he - noted, it holds 10 as compared to the 7 in my .30-30 '94. He also pointed out to me the difference in projectile weight, which in my mind at conversational distances can't hurt.

The only thing that hurts with that wee carbine is shooting it. A fun target piece it is not!

If castnblast would be so kind as to report on his impressions of the new Rossi, I for one would be most interested in reading them.

I've looked at a couple '94 Winchesters in .44 Magnum over the years and somehow they never really did it for me. The cartridge is just too short for that long throw maybe?

While its been years since I've run across a Marlin in either .357 or .44, I recall being much more favorably inclined towards them. That said though kutenay, I've worked on a couple recently produced Guide Guns - one in .45-70 and one in .450 Marlin and thought the overall final polish/finish was lacking on both carbines.

Anyway, it's fun to plan a new project, so thanks to both you and castnblast for some pleasant food for thought on a cold Okanagan winter morning.

All the best to you and yours in the upcoming week kutenay.

Dwayne

I just received a set of Skinner sights for my Marlin 1894 44 mag last week. I haven't had time to install them yet. They appear to be very sturdy, well made sights. I also purchased the front sight replacement blade. Initially I had considered the tactical version they offer but the tradional ones won me over. Hopefully I'll get them installed soon.
Those Marlins are very nice to carry/use in the bush indeed theses sights can only make a great rifle better.

Dwayne, as an aside, my friend finally brought in the damaged scope rings yesterday. I'll try and get those pictures to you this week. For all the fuss he has made about them, they don't seem to be a priority to him....
Have a great day,
Jeff

You too, Dwayne, I had a customized 336=1895, WW sights,etc-.45-70 and a customized Browning 1886 SRC until last year, 400s at 1850-2000 chronoed, depending on bullets.

The original carbine butts were just HORRIBLE, the WORST "kick" I have ever felt and FAR worse than the Browning Safari .458 I had and shot off the bench with them, my "keeper" custom light P-64 .375 Grizzly gun is a pipsqueak in comparison...only a topped-out .378 Roy I shot in for a longshoreman, back in the '80s was about as brutal.

Soooooo, I sold them as I can shoot bolt rifles much better and have more of them than I can ever wear out. But, the little Marlin 336s-.44 ARE a very choice piece and mine has never bobbled in the 45+ years of hard use.

I am thinking Skinner, as well and they do not seem to have a phone number to call concerning an order for a bunch of sights....anyone know about this?

Kutenay: I had great communications with the owner of Skinner Sights via e-mail. He responds very quickly. Thats likely your best bet initially.
Have a great day,
Jeff

Thanks, I will e-mail him and order what I need and I assume he ships by USPS to Canada?

He ships USPS, he shipped same day I ordered but then it sat in Canada Customs, it took several days to clear. Crazy.

I'm going to end up with some sort of LH 270 Win for both my wife and I to use, I hope a 12 gauge shotgun and maybe a 222 or 223 if the right deal comes along but that one can wait for a while.

I just picked up a Cooper Classic in .308, nice gun!

Nice! I am pretty much a CRF guy and have only one PF hunting rifle, enroute, a full custom Remmy Mof. 7 7-08 described above, but, I like what I see in Cooper's lineup and Clay of Prophet River and his crew have certainly been outstanding to deal with on the few smaller items I have purchased from them.

The .308Win. is and has been for 40ish year, among my most favoured cartridges, in the top half dozen of all I have used. There is very little one would do with a rifle in any region of Canada, that I have seen, that cannot be nicely done with this outstanding round and it is, perhaps, the easiest cartridge to load for and shoot well of any realistically suitable for big game.

What scope are you planning on? I really like the Leupy 1.75x6 MHD on .308s...and, .338WM rifles, and have several from my original "short tube" 1995 vintage specimen to one purchased recently. My very choice little Classic sts .308 in it's Micky Edge handle wears the old one in Talley QDs and weighs 6#10* all up, balances like the Browning 20 bore Sidelock I used to own and is probably the most practical "working" rifle I have or ever have had.

Only thing I got in 2013 worth talking about(so far) is another old Pre'64 Model 70. A 1948 vintage rifle in the good old 30-06 chambering. The bore looks to be in fine shape and it shot quite well first time out so I'm planning a reblue and restock on the old girl...I said planning,....not specifically doing...plans are made to be changed and I've done my share and the share of at least two others when it comes to changing rifle plans.
I really should order up a McMillan right now thereby forcing me to hang on to it until the stock arrives.


https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...0/Re_Help_me_Find_a_Pre64_70#Post7400290

I would like a 25-06 Remington by fall.

I'll probably put a leupold VXIII 2.5-8 on the .308, mainly because I have one hanging around. I like the Talley lightweight rings, and have a pair ordered. I agree whole heartedly with your evaluation of the .308. It's an outstanding cartridge, and so easy to load for! I'm a big fan of the Cooper rifles, this is my second one, the first one was a .280 AI. That one is going to Utah in the fall for a mulie hunt.

The BIG 6 MM Rem is a wonderful cartridge ! RJ