TESTING, TESTING 1 2 3

Phil Shoemaker sent this photo to us recently of one of his rifles that we put some elbow grease into a while back. It is chambered for 9.3x62 and made on a Pre-64 Model 70 action. The stock is a Legend with an Edge shell. This rifle was assembled as a light backup rifle and as a petri dish of sorts for us. The barrel is stainless and coated with Cera-kote, the action and other small parts are caustic blued. The  bolt is rust blued the floor plate and trigger bow are aluminum and covered with the Winchester factory anodizing.

Phil does not abuse his equipment nor does tend to baby it either. This rifle is used like any good tool and due to the location of Phil's zip code is exposed to a bit more environmental abuse in one year than most rifles see in the many years. Our interest in this rifle has been the exterior finish and how well the surface coatings have held up. To date the rust blued surfaces look pretty good. The caustic blued action looks good as well but is now beginning to show some wear. The Cera-kote barrel appears, well Cera-koted except where it's scratched and then the stainless shines through. Despite what we are led to believe not all coatings or applications are all they're cracked up to be and others will surprise you with their durability.

I took a Legend on a Yukon sheep hunt 6 years ago and the Model 70 action was purposely polished to a 400 finish and left in the white. I was testing the protective properties of a lubricant called Corrosion X that was recommended by non other than Phil. This oil was developed as an aircraft lubricant and is now our # 1 go-to gun oil. For 12 days the rifle was pulled in and out of sweat soaked scabbard, drenched with rain, pelted by hale and carried with my grimy hands. This abuse can be tough on any surface finish much less a receiver in the white. I wiped the rifle down every morning before we left camp and every evening when we got back. Laps time per day, 5 total minutes.The Corrosion X kept the action rust free in the areas that I could wipe. The metal under the stock line where I could not wipe did begin growing a very, very fine film of rust in certain small areas. Proving that maintenance in the field is just as important as the coating on the firearm. Having spent more than a few hours in hunting camps I can honestly say I can hardly remember seeing anyone wipe down their rifle after a long hard day on the hill. This disconnect with daily rifle maintenance and how it relates to performance just boggles my mind.

404 Jeffery Classic at the Range

This last weekend we had a client stop by after finishing up a Utah deer hunt to see the progress of his 404 Classic. This left hand Model 70 chambered for 404 Jeffery and another left handed Hagn 300 H&H single shot are in the final construction stages and are presently the center of my attention . We then took the 404 to the range so the owner could run a magazine or two through the rifle to see how the stock fit, felt and handled.

Its early career was in the guise of a Legend that has toured both Botswana and Zambia and showed great service on all accounts. With its French Walnut stock and new barrel the rifle has taken on a whole different look. This rifles hold 5 total rounds and does not require a drop magazine. Complete with our scope mounts, trigger bow & floor plate assembly, loaded and topped with the S&B Zenith 1-4 it tips the scale at 10lbs.

The owner requested that the stock be made without an ebony forend tip installed and I myself have always preferred this tip-less look. With the last 3 rounds the owner hit 3 clay birds at 25-30 yards shooting as fast as he could work the bolt. All 3 clays turned to dust. Now it's on to sanding, finishing and checkering.

Zambian Buffalo and the Legend 375 Ruger

Not to many years ago we were asked if we would consider building a Legend chambered for the 375 Ruger? The query came from Athol Frylinck a veteran Zambian PH and a shameless rifle collector. His request were pretty standard, the rifle had to hold 5 rounds, function under duress, be accurate and had to be made on a Pre-64 Model 70 not the current G series action. We ordered the reamer, found an action and began making the punch and die required to build the 4 round magazine assembly. While the project did present some challenges before it was completed the results met the goal 100%. Over the past 2 years the rifle has become a favorite with his clientele and he has been asked if he'd consider selling it more than once. Despite the perceived limitations of the S&B 6X scope and A4 reticle this Legend will consistently shoot Woodleigh 350gr Soft points and FMJ's into a ragged hole exceeding even our expectations. Pictured above is Athol and John Oosthuizen another PH of considerable reputation and Legend owner and the very rifle laying on it's most recent victim. The lower image is of the same buffalo and the hunter that took the buffalo. One might question Athol's choice of optics yet over the years we have learned to pay attention and keep an open mind to request that are based on experience derived from the trenches everyday. For Athol this rifle had specific guide lines to meet specific situations. The number of buffalo, cats and of plains game taken with this 375 is beginning to mount up. The skinning team can count on overtime whenever this rifle is in tow.

Legend Long Range reaches out twice

Bret Wursten shot this respectable Mule deer buck today in northern Utah. The buck was taken on a ranch managed by Todd Black of Black Timber Outfitters 435-770-9302. Bret used his Legend 300 Wtby and a 180gr TSX. While he freely admits he didn't allow for enough wind to begin with the proof as they say is in the pudding.  Then Brady Roth used the same rifle to take his first Mule deer a management buck with one round at 589 yards. Apparently the snow that blew in 2 days ago has the deer on the move

Just another manic monday

                     On any given day the following is taking place. Please do not try this unsupervised

Legend 300 Wtby and a recently taken Yukon Moose

Bret Wursten just returned from a Moose hunt in the Yukon. His outfitter was Dan Reynolds of which he gave high marks for the logistics, camps, equipment, etc. Bret took this bull at about 200 yards in a typical Canadian downpour with a 180gr TSX hand-load of his own construction. In the 10 days Bret and his guide only saw one other Bull Moose. Both were called in by the guide from quite a distance. Bret's Legend has a switch barrel chambered for 375 Wtby which he has already put to good use in Africa. Beware of the one gun man, especially if it has 2 tubes.

I took a gun for a walk today

I took a gun for a walk today, it was of a trial of compatibility to see how well we might work together. The gun was an older Model 12, 16 gauge, solid rib, lacking blue and finish in all the right places, a veteran of someone else's time afield. Outside of  Turkeys I haven't really hunted birds since my shorthair died and my daughter Lexi was born. That would be 12 years now. I've wanted to get back into it, find another dog, get a shotgun I liked, get in better shape.

The 16 was sent to me by a friend that has the same passions and time constraints. Once in a conversation I mentioned my first gun was a standard grade Model 12 in 20 gauge that I shot my first Virginia grouse, bob whites and even my first whitetail buck with. My brother now owns that gun and I'm sure it's rusting away in a closet in Georgia. Over the years I have owned, borrowed and used a surprising number of shotguns. Like my rifles I kept them only long enough to use, evaluate and then sold or traded them off to try another.

The 16 arrived with a note " it's yours if you want it, but promise me you'll use it" and that was all. It sat in the safe until a few weeks ago when I decided to pattern it. The feel, the unmistakable sound of the action being cycled brought back some dusty memories. Later that week I was comparing shell and shot selections at the local Hook & Bullet hangout. The choices were pretty limited but I'm use to limitations.

Today I picked a route up a ridge that was steep and high. The lower area of the trek would take me through some cover that should hold some western Ruff grouse and the higher slopes might hold some Blues. It was a power walk with ammo. I never saw a bird but that hardly mattered. The sweat pored off my body and my lungs reminded me that the steel in my legs is no longer titanium. At 55 I'll need to really work out a plan to maintain these kind of walks.

The 16 felt solid, comfortable and familiar the whole day. It was neither too light nor too heavy. The rounded Winchester receiver felt great in my hands just as 20 gauge had 40 years ago. I began to wonder why I hadn't pursued this idea years ago and with the very same shotgun. I going to bust some clays this week. Then I'm planning another weekend route and might even start looking for a pup.