Ok. I know I'm officially addicted to these gems. I am in the process of completeing 4 H&R projects. I am finalizing the conceptual plans for 4 more over the next five years. The hardest part will be to keep the project expenses from the wife...
Here is my list of current projects all are 80% or better completed.
1. 44 Mag topped with a Redfield Revolution 2-7x33 Accu-Range scope. I hope to achieve MOA in style at 125 yrds when it's all said and done.
a. Rifle Stock Beautifacation. Just got done adding the ebony blocks to the fore end and buttstock. I am waiting on a 18 lpi checkering kit. Buttstock will be thinned a little more and refinished in a golden-reddish stain and sealed in minwax tung oil. I will pillar and barrel bed, and free float forend. Bed the buttstock to action.
b. Trigger Job - Never done one, not so sure this will be the pilot rifle...
2. 500 S&W topped with a Nikon XLR 300 BDC scope with EER. I hope to achieve 2 MOA in style at 300 yards when it's all said and done.
a. Rifle Stock Beautification. I got the entire stock swapped out. Now it wears Boyds Thumbhole w/ extra soft recoil pad in Forest Camo with a factory camo fore end. I will pillar and barrel bed, and free float forend. Bed the buttstock to action.
b. Recoil reduction. This is still a bear to shoot off the bench so I have committed to a Kings Armory 50 cal muzzle threaded artillary style brake for maximum reduction. I still need to work up a decent long range load.
c. Trigger job - same as above.
3. 357 Max topped with a TBD scope. Thinking a Redfield Revoltion 3-9x40 or 50 w/ Accu-Range.
a. Rifle Stock beautification. I got the entire stock swapped out. Now it wears a Boyds Thumbhole in Pepper with a factory gray/black fore end (which matched very well I might add). I will pillar and barrel bed, and free float forend. Bed the buttstock to action.
b. Trigger job - same as above.
4. .17 HMR topped with a BSA Sweet 17 scope. I hope this a Sub MOA rifle out to its maximum range on a good day.
a. Rifle Stock beautification. I got some pictures of this over in the rimfire section. Stock was a Gunstocks Inc second in walnut. I added the same ebony for some accents. I am still putting on the final finish coats. I let them dry a week or more between coats. Finish is a straight min-wax tung-oil. It has already been pillar and barrel bedded. Has a no name bipod.
b. Trigger job - This may be first attempt before tearing into the other actions.
Future (next Five Years) Projects:
1. 8mm Mauser in a full length walnut stock. I am going to build it. My Dream Handi. Subject to slight modifications of course as time goes on. I am going to top this with a 1-4, 2-7 or 3-9 scope of some kind. Hope to have it #4 German reticle, but we will see.
a. Stock beatufication Phase: I have decided on a Gunstocks Inc. Walnut MC no rollover. Will be trimmed with a proper steel grip gap. Full length fore end with a steel military style barrel band used as the barrel cap to keep with it's military heritage. I had wanted to use bone spacers, but I am altering that look a little. I plan on checkering the buttstock and forend. I am going to have the generally ackknowledged German national symbol tastefully engraved into the buttstock and inlayed with ebony or a faux ebony. Of course it will be full length bedded. I will also pillar bed and bedthe action to the buttstock.
b. Barrel Boring Phase. I have decided to go with a barrel rebore to achieve getting an 8mm Mauser Chamber and bore. This will allow me to work the stock up using the existing barrel conture and then send in the barrel for the rebore. This rifle will porbably start life out as a 223 rem or 204 ruger.
c. Trigger Job Phase - Hopefully by this time I will have the pocess down pat.
For future projects 2,3, and 4 over the remaining years just repeat the above but in a .303 British keeping with a British empire theme, 30-06 keeping with a US theme and 7.62x54R keeping with a Russian theme. I will not to rebore for the 30-06, and I may just use 30-30 rifles as my donars for the 303 and 7.62x54R. We will see how well the 8mm goes first. Oh yeah could take longer cause I nned time to play with my rifles that are just plain fun to shoot or new calibers to explore that are just "regular". 7mm-08, 444 Marlin to name a couple that have my interest at the moment.
Ok, I got that out of my system.
Here is some 44 mag stock pictures of in progress work. I bought the rifle, 22-250, purely for the stock. The end caps are from the same block of ebony that I used on my .17 HMR. I am still going to work the buttstock grip area and bed the fore arm. Should have this all done and ready for first coats of tung oil by Fathers Day.
I ordered a redfield 2-7x33 revolution Friday for the 357 max. It should be in today or tomorrow.
