I carry one year round here in Alaska. I bought my first one on a whim back in 1996 at Wal-Mart for $168.00. Bought it to replace my TCR as spare gun in Moose camp. It's seen lots of abuse, tipped three wheelers, tipped 4 wheelers, snowmachine crashes. Even spent two days on the bottom of the Chatinika River. Still shoots good, on scope number four. After the drop in the river, could not stop the rust, so it got the camo treatment. Rustolium green textured paint for all the metal. Rustolium Black Accents for the wood, still got the original pallet wood stock underneath. This gun is almost always with me, if not as my main gun as back-up incase the big gun gets broke.
This gun has taken an uncountable number of Wolves, Black Bears, Caribou, Moose, and Coyotes. Still looking to take a Grizzly with it. I've shot the heads off Grouse and Ptarmigan at 25 yards. (Missed more than I have hit) Killed a Moose at 80 yards with a Speer 125gr TNT. Yea I know that is not a Moose bullet, it's all I had with me at the time. One shot behind the ear, Moose fell like a load of bricks. Have hit Wolves out to 700 yards myself. My hunting buddy used it to kill a Wolf at just over a 1000 yards.
I liked it so well I bought an Ultra Comp in 30-06, off a fellow here on Graybeard. I like the Ultra Comp, and have used it some. Took a Caribou with it. But I keep going back to old faithful, it's proven and I don't care if it gets scratched, grated, dropped, or sunk underwater. It still works, all the time, everytime. Oh Yea, I do carry a can of WD-40 to spray down into the action, and the ejectors, just in case it gets a bath again. The only thing delicate is the scope. I should just go ahead and put a small Night Force on it. They are not delicate, and they are guaranteed not to break. Once this Nikon goes that is what I'll do.
I shoot three weight of bullets. 125gr Speer TNTs, 165gr Sierria HPBT and Nosler Accubond, and 180gr Nosler Partition. Those 165gr bullets will reach out and touch things.
