For the last 10 years or so, I have had a 30-06 and a .17 Hornet. Foolishly, I sold my Heym 30-06 to get what looked like a very smart customised Mauser action 30-06. I have no end of trouble with it and have sent it away to a gunsmith who specualises in Mauser Actioned rifles. He called yesterday to say that someone has tried to modify the magazine with a grinder and has then made a mess of bedding the stock before grinding parts of the action off to fit the bedding, then re-bluing. It is well beyond economic repair.
A relative died recently and left me his .240 Apex. I am certain I want to keep this, there is a lot of family history in this particular rifle. It has been in the same family for 98 years and we have a record of the many stags shot with it. As I am in the UK, I am now precluded from owning another rifle of a similar calibre.
The same person also had a very nice .375 H and H, but I have no idea what sort of condition it is in now. Both are hand made British rifles but have been stored in a very damp gun room and the previous owner spent the last 60 years using up his stock of Cordite ammunition in them, so I am expecting them to be poor, although I could purchase the .375 cheaply from the relative who now has it. There is no particular family history to this one.
I am trying to decide what to do.
My shooting at home is roe and pest control, mainly crows in the lambing fields, red deer on an estate that only allows rifles between 6.5x55 - 30-06 which must be used with a moderator and copper ammunition and I am going to Namibia later this year to hunt plains game.
I took the 30-06 to Mozambique last year and it worked well on game up to Kudu, although the advice I was given was to bring a .375 next time, then it gives me the option for larger game and puts animals down faster in thick bush.
The PH in Namibia has said that I should use a moderated rifle to prevent disturbance and we will be hunting Impala to Eland. He has asked me not to bring the .375, as unmoderated it will cause too much disturbance. He recommends an 8x68.
I am planning a cull buffalo hunt at some point in the future, when funds permit.
My question is should I apply for a Schultz and Larsen or Blaser R8 with switch barrels in a .22 centrefire (Roe / vermin) something around a 7x57 / 270 (red deer) and a 9.3 with moderator for plains game or a .30-06 and a .375? I was thinking of a .22 centrefire, the .240 for roe and an 8x68 for red deer and plains game but I was advised that my local police force will not allow anything above .30-06 for domestic use and when I applied for the .30-06, I was told that it was only granted as I had an African trip booked, as it to considered by my local force to be too powerful for UK use alone (they do not generally issue above .308)
My alternative is to keep the .17, buy the .375 and get another .30-06, although the Firearms Licencing Officer has told me that it would be easier to get permission for an additional barrel than another rifle and I like the idea of using the same action for everything. I should probably sell the .240 but don't have the heart to do it.
It will probably take 3 months to get permission to acquire a rifle, so I need to make a decision. I also don't want to end up with too many rifles, aside from our very strict licencing.
Any thoughts?
A relative died recently and left me his .240 Apex. I am certain I want to keep this, there is a lot of family history in this particular rifle. It has been in the same family for 98 years and we have a record of the many stags shot with it. As I am in the UK, I am now precluded from owning another rifle of a similar calibre.
The same person also had a very nice .375 H and H, but I have no idea what sort of condition it is in now. Both are hand made British rifles but have been stored in a very damp gun room and the previous owner spent the last 60 years using up his stock of Cordite ammunition in them, so I am expecting them to be poor, although I could purchase the .375 cheaply from the relative who now has it. There is no particular family history to this one.
I am trying to decide what to do.
My shooting at home is roe and pest control, mainly crows in the lambing fields, red deer on an estate that only allows rifles between 6.5x55 - 30-06 which must be used with a moderator and copper ammunition and I am going to Namibia later this year to hunt plains game.
I took the 30-06 to Mozambique last year and it worked well on game up to Kudu, although the advice I was given was to bring a .375 next time, then it gives me the option for larger game and puts animals down faster in thick bush.
The PH in Namibia has said that I should use a moderated rifle to prevent disturbance and we will be hunting Impala to Eland. He has asked me not to bring the .375, as unmoderated it will cause too much disturbance. He recommends an 8x68.
I am planning a cull buffalo hunt at some point in the future, when funds permit.
My question is should I apply for a Schultz and Larsen or Blaser R8 with switch barrels in a .22 centrefire (Roe / vermin) something around a 7x57 / 270 (red deer) and a 9.3 with moderator for plains game or a .30-06 and a .375? I was thinking of a .22 centrefire, the .240 for roe and an 8x68 for red deer and plains game but I was advised that my local police force will not allow anything above .30-06 for domestic use and when I applied for the .30-06, I was told that it was only granted as I had an African trip booked, as it to considered by my local force to be too powerful for UK use alone (they do not generally issue above .308)
My alternative is to keep the .17, buy the .375 and get another .30-06, although the Firearms Licencing Officer has told me that it would be easier to get permission for an additional barrel than another rifle and I like the idea of using the same action for everything. I should probably sell the .240 but don't have the heart to do it.
It will probably take 3 months to get permission to acquire a rifle, so I need to make a decision. I also don't want to end up with too many rifles, aside from our very strict licencing.
Any thoughts?