HP Hunter Rules

[Jerry G]

Woodies are great and that is a fine one Dan, but............. gun stocks should be plastic if they are going to be exposed to any kind of weather or changing humidity.

[Bob Mc Alice]

Jerry, you sound like a broken record sometimes. "factory barrels can't shoot"...."wood stocks are no good for silhouette". You are wrong on both counts. Look around, you see plenty of both at big matches. Dans stock is a beauty and I'm sure it is well sealed against the elements. Your plastic stock advice is great for a big game hunting gun used primarily during the rainy season in B.C. or Kodiak, AK.

[Merlin]

Just can't quite get the comfort level about talking about some other guys "beautiful" wood......

[dustinflint]

Woodies are great and that is a fine one Dan, but............. gun stocks should be plastic if they are going to be exposed to any kind of weather or changing humidity.

That stock is from Treebone so the wood has been off the tree for 30+ years. Any swelling or deformation that piece of wood was going to do was done during the first 10 years after it was cut. It's not moving any more regardless of the elements and that stock is just as good as any plastic or composite stock. People who don't like wood stocks are either parroting what they heard someone else say or their only experience is with the cheap wood stocks that come on some mass production rifles that are made from wood that is not properly aged and still green.

That is a fine stock. The ONLY issue with a Treebone stock for a silhouette rifle is the weight of some types of wood.

Dustin

[DanDeMan]

Dustin,

I asked George at Treebone to use the lightest wood he had. I don't remember what type of wood it is, but it is very light. The pillar bedded stock with lightweight Pharr recoil pad weighs 2.1 lbs.

[Jerry G]

Goo roo, I did say the stock was purdy. The only factory bbl I have bad-mouthed is the new remingtons. Their soec is 1 1/2 minyres in a 100 yd tunnel. Seems a little loose for their $1,500 sniper rifle.

[Bob Mc Alice]

Jerry, I have owned dozens of Remington 700's and currently own a dozen wearing factory barrels. I never had one that would not shoot to my expectations. Some of them rival the accuracy of my Douglas barrels. Those that say they are bad either a) can't shoot well off a bench. b) don't know how to properly develop an accurate hand load. c) don't know what they are talking about. d) all of the above.

Hope your not mad at me Grandpa, see you in Sept. for our state smallbore.

Sorry for the thread derailment, Dan.

[DanDeMan]

....Sorry for the thread derailment, Dan.

Bob,

I might just be showing my age, but this just came to mind about derailment....

Driving that train, high on cocaine,
Casey jones is ready, watch your speed.
Trouble ahead, trouble behind,
And you know that notion just crossed my mind.

To get the thread back on track, snicker, snicker, two of the most accurate rifles I've ever owned were factory Sakos. One was a 7-08, my first HP silhouette rifle; and, the other was a TRG in 6.5 x 55, possibly still owned by the one and only DImas.

[Jim T.]

Woodies are great and that is a fine one Dan, but............. gun stocks should be plastic if they are going to be exposed to any kind of weather or changing humidity.

That stock is from Treebone so the wood has been off the tree for 30+ years. Any swelling or deformation that piece of wood was going to do was done during the first 10 years after it was cut. It's not moving any more regardless of the elements and that stock is just as good as any plastic or composite stock. People who don't like wood stocks are either parroting what they heard someone else say or their only experience is with the cheap wood stocks that come on some mass production rifles that are made from wood that is not properly aged and still green.

That is a fine stock. The ONLY issue with a Treebone stock for a silhouette rifle is the weight of some types of wood.

Dustin

Roy F. Dunlap does not appear to agree with you. Kind of like saying that if you let a sponge dry for 30 years it won't soak up water anymore.

[Jerry G]

I like that one Jim.

[Bob Mc Alice]

Hmmmmm....if you take that sponge and soak it with polyurethane or the like, it's water sucking days are over. Just don't try to wash your car with it.

[Jim T.]

Bob:

I am all for soaking sponges in poly just keep it off my nice wood stocks! We can discuss this more tomorrow in person.

PS: Why don't you throw the wood stocks you are going to use tomorrow in the bathtub tonight, after you and the wife get out, lets see how they look tomorrow?

Jim

[kevinbear]

Things to consider, realistically . 1. No silhouette shooter I've ever seen let a rifle get wet for more than a few minutes then there dried off, it's not like hunting in Alaska.
2. Pretty much everyone with more than a beginners mindset has it done or pillar beds the action and free floats the barrel themselves negating any effect
the minor movement of a damp wood stock could impart on the metal parts of a rifle.
I have more synthetic stocks than wood ones but don't see that there's any advantage one way or another in silhouette.

[DanDeMan]

Gents,

Finally got the barrels picked up this afternoon and put the 7-04 barrel on. Fully fitted-out the rifle weighs 8.80 lbs. With the somewhat heavier 6.5-04 barrel the rifle will be just under 9.0 lbs. I took a few pics in the fading light. The rifle holds very well, load-testing to commence later this week.

[kevinbear]

Good looking rig, I'm looking forward to reading about your load development with the 6.5-04.
Kev