Well, from a financial planning angle, it was an impulse buy, but in reality it wasn't because I had wanted a heavy rifle for many years. When I ran across this gun with a good deal, I saw an opportunity to obtain my first heavy, with the opportunity to tune it up, wring it out, and learn to shoot it well. With that completed, I'll finally have the ability to hunt something larger and more dangerous than deer. It's a Model 70, manufactured about 10 years ago, in LN condition. The previous owner bought it new, shot it a few rounds, and recently decided to sell it on consignment in my friend's gun shop. Since I'm very fond of the Model 70 and greatly admire the history and overall performance of the 375 Holland round, I decided this was my new heavy rifle. This gun has a 3 round box magazine and a CRF bolt.
So y new quest, after taking it to the range for the first time, is to bed it, set up the iron sights for DG (I'll need help wth that), scope it with some decent glass with enough quality to handle the recoil, repad and balance the gun, and make sure I get a good quality hunting trigger pull. I know all this would be taken care of in advance if I had the Franklins to buy a better gun, but with two daughters in college this was my best option.
So my plan is to use this gun for all rifle hunting, get it completely wrung out, super reliable, and shooting smooth, so that when I finally plan a DG hunt, I'll be ready in the hardware department. Another reason I like this idea of using the gun for everything, is in case I get caught in a situation like I did several years ago, in which I didn't know about the large black bears in the area I was hunting deer in with a 243, I'll be more prepared in the unlikely event of an unpleasant encounter. That particular day I climbed the highest I had ever climbed in my tree stand because at the base of my tree with the biggest damn black bear print I had ever seen. It just made me a little uncomfortable sitting there with my little 243. Funny when I look back on it.
So that's the story. Long-winded for sure, but I'm excited to wade into this particular kind of hunting, and the expertise and experience on this forum.
