Coyote Hunter
Single-Sixer
Or, rather, some of them.
Last fall I decided my Ruger American in .30-06 had frustrated me enough. Dad had given it to me in 2013, unfired by him but possibly fired by the shop he bought it from when they installed the scope. The scope was a Bushnell Ultra HD or some such that I didn't care for at all and was soon replaced by a Burris Fullfield II 3-9x with Ballistic Plex reticle, a scope I have on most of my rifles. The American consistently shot 2-1/2" groups at 100 yards. I tried 5-6 types of factory ammo and worked up several handloads loads to no avail. I had hoped to go elk hunting with it in 2013 but didn't have a good load. After Dad passed away in 2014 I was even more determined to make the thing work but still couldn't find a load that met my accuracy requirements. A decision was made to sell the rile and the Bushnell scope was put back on it. I know I have a picture of it somewhere but that where eludes me.
In March of 2011 I scratched a longstanding itch and purchased a Ruger #1 in .280 Remington. It was used and a/the previous owner had it nickel plated and had a Moyer trigger installed. It was a handsome rifle and a tack driver. After using it to take antelope I realized it really didn't suit my hunting needs and it became something of a safe queen that only went to the range and back. Daughter #1 is moving back to Colorado from the east coast and will be going elk hunting this fall. While I have several rifles she could use, I decided a .270/7mm-08/7x57/.280 class would be better suited for her. The Ruger #1 became trade bait. The #1 is on the right. The one on the left is the M77 in 7mm RM that I purchased new in 1982.
The last rifle I sold was a Hawkeye .300WM. I had purchased it as a wedding present but the wedding was called off. The rifle had been a display rifle at Dick's and had a couple of small scratches in the bluing and some small dings in the stock. I had called Ruger and asked what they would charge to reblue the rifle and the answer was "No charge" as it was purchased as a new rifle. (Typical Ruger service.) In addition to rebluing the barrel, however, they also replaced the stock with an African stock. It was one beautiful rifle but not one I needed as a Zytel "boat paddle" .300WM was already in my safe. The Hawkeye also became trade bait.
The American and the Ruger #1 got sold before elk season last fall and I immediately went online and purchased a Ruger All-Weather .280 Rem. It showed up at the LGS the night before I left for elk camp. The first thing I did after returning from the hunt was to work on the trigger, which wasn't bad but is now quite good. It has been to the range a couple times now and I am very happy with the way it shoots. Here's the All-Weather .280 in a laminate stock I took off a stainless MKII .30-06:
Next I took the Ruger Hawkeye to a couple of gun shows and traded it. While I got $100 less than I wanted for it, I also got a NIB Ruger Scout for $150 less than I could get it elsewhere, including online. It also got some trigger work. I mounted a standard Burris Fullfield II 3-9x on it and I am very pleased with how it handles and shoots. So is Daughter #1 who wants to use it for her elk hunt this coming fall. She is rather petite and prefers it to the All Weather .280. Here's the Scout with 3-round (in the rifle) and 5-round synthetic mags, caps for the synthetic mags, the steel 10-round mag it came with and a couple of bipods.
I'm done selling for now but still have some wants, including a walnut/blue Hawkeye in .308 Win and another Ruger #1 in .45-70.
Last fall I decided my Ruger American in .30-06 had frustrated me enough. Dad had given it to me in 2013, unfired by him but possibly fired by the shop he bought it from when they installed the scope. The scope was a Bushnell Ultra HD or some such that I didn't care for at all and was soon replaced by a Burris Fullfield II 3-9x with Ballistic Plex reticle, a scope I have on most of my rifles. The American consistently shot 2-1/2" groups at 100 yards. I tried 5-6 types of factory ammo and worked up several handloads loads to no avail. I had hoped to go elk hunting with it in 2013 but didn't have a good load. After Dad passed away in 2014 I was even more determined to make the thing work but still couldn't find a load that met my accuracy requirements. A decision was made to sell the rile and the Bushnell scope was put back on it. I know I have a picture of it somewhere but that where eludes me.
In March of 2011 I scratched a longstanding itch and purchased a Ruger #1 in .280 Remington. It was used and a/the previous owner had it nickel plated and had a Moyer trigger installed. It was a handsome rifle and a tack driver. After using it to take antelope I realized it really didn't suit my hunting needs and it became something of a safe queen that only went to the range and back. Daughter #1 is moving back to Colorado from the east coast and will be going elk hunting this fall. While I have several rifles she could use, I decided a .270/7mm-08/7x57/.280 class would be better suited for her. The Ruger #1 became trade bait. The #1 is on the right. The one on the left is the M77 in 7mm RM that I purchased new in 1982.
The last rifle I sold was a Hawkeye .300WM. I had purchased it as a wedding present but the wedding was called off. The rifle had been a display rifle at Dick's and had a couple of small scratches in the bluing and some small dings in the stock. I had called Ruger and asked what they would charge to reblue the rifle and the answer was "No charge" as it was purchased as a new rifle. (Typical Ruger service.) In addition to rebluing the barrel, however, they also replaced the stock with an African stock. It was one beautiful rifle but not one I needed as a Zytel "boat paddle" .300WM was already in my safe. The Hawkeye also became trade bait.
The American and the Ruger #1 got sold before elk season last fall and I immediately went online and purchased a Ruger All-Weather .280 Rem. It showed up at the LGS the night before I left for elk camp. The first thing I did after returning from the hunt was to work on the trigger, which wasn't bad but is now quite good. It has been to the range a couple times now and I am very happy with the way it shoots. Here's the All-Weather .280 in a laminate stock I took off a stainless MKII .30-06:
Next I took the Ruger Hawkeye to a couple of gun shows and traded it. While I got $100 less than I wanted for it, I also got a NIB Ruger Scout for $150 less than I could get it elsewhere, including online. It also got some trigger work. I mounted a standard Burris Fullfield II 3-9x on it and I am very pleased with how it handles and shoots. So is Daughter #1 who wants to use it for her elk hunt this coming fall. She is rather petite and prefers it to the All Weather .280. Here's the Scout with 3-round (in the rifle) and 5-round synthetic mags, caps for the synthetic mags, the steel 10-round mag it came with and a couple of bipods.
I'm done selling for now but still have some wants, including a walnut/blue Hawkeye in .308 Win and another Ruger #1 in .45-70.
