My mountain rifle is getting walnut…

[Mtnmilsurp]

Mine’s ready for stain and oil…

 

[medvedyt]

Was a fun afternoon yesterday!

Lathered it on thick

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After a 15 minute soak (it really slurped up the first coat), I rubbed it down and sat in the least dusty place in the house (wood stoves are great, but sure make a mess).

It’s showing pretty dark right now, but will lighten up with the next stages. I’ll let it sit a couple weeks now to dry before starting on wet sanding.

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5lb 8oz as it sits now

your grand dad can be proud of you.

 

[rifletuner]

Mine’s ready for stain and oil…

Great work. Thats looking very nice

 

[Stearinlys]

Hey @Decker9 , quick question about your inletting, was the reasoning behind sinking it further intot he stock to allow material for removal during the finishing process? I think you may have mentioned it, I quickly read through it...

Also on the TruOil convo, for what its worth, I used it on a guitar I made my dad from scratch and I really liked how it came out. I wouldn't say it was an easy button for me, but maybe that's because it was the first time I had used it lol. Can't speak much to the durability of it, but it sure looked (and still does) great. I did two heavy coats, and then 10 thin ones cut 50/50 with mineral spirits, then wet sanded and one last thin coat.

 

[Decker9]

Superb work right there @Stearinlys ! Defiantly a special piece! I’d love to build my dad a rifle stock, he’s been married to his custom model 54 since before my time though, a stock built by me would sit in his cabinet I think lol.

I sunk the metal into the wood more for personal preference. I like a flush smooth transition from metal to wood, vs how factory rifle tangs tend to sit on the wood.

I asked around a bit to see if there was a reason for it, what Iv found is inletting into the wood can cause a chip out behind the tang if there isn’t a hair of clearance, which I found out on a previous build. With a proper tight bed though, the clearance can be so minimal it’s hard to see with an eye, and still feels like a smooth transition.

Iv had this rifle out a couple times on the pack, so far the finish is holding up well. I do find it a tad slippery under recoil, I’ll get it checkered here this winter I think.

 

[Stearinlys]

Superb work right there @Stearinlys ! Defiantly a special piece! I’d love to build my dad a rifle stock, he’s been married to his custom model 54 since before my time though, a stock built by me would sit in his cabinet I think lol.

Hahaha that's fair! I probably would have been less inclined to do this if it would have just sat there, but he always wanted, and was in the market for, a Tele... and his birthday was coming up, so I knew it would get used. But man, what a process, and seeing his face light up when he first saw it.... Made it all worth it haha.

I sunk the metal into the wood more for personal preference. I like a flush smooth transition from metal to wood, vs how factory rifle tangs tend to sit on the wood.

I asked around a bit to see if there was a reason for it, what Iv found is inletting into the wood can cause a chip out behind the tang if there isn’t a hair of clearance, which I found out on a previous build. With a proper tight bed though, the clearance can be so minimal it’s hard to see with an eye, and still feels like a smooth transition.

Makes sense, I'm with you on the transition... Feels cleaner and more streamlined, which is what I prefer. Looking forward to seeing what you do with it. How're you finding the area around your hinge plate? Not having any issues with snagging at all?

 

[Decker9]

Hahaha that's fair! I probably would have been less inclined to do this if it would have just sat there, but he always wanted, and was in the market for, a Tele... and his birthday was coming up, so I knew it would get used. But man, what a process, and seeing his face light up when he first saw it.... Made it all worth it haha.

Makes sense, I'm with you on the transition... Feels cleaner and more streamlined, which is what I prefer. Looking forward to seeing what you do with it. How're you finding the area around your hinge plate? Not having any issues with snagging at all?

Tbh I don’t use the floor plate at all, but it does function perfectly, didn’t notice any hangups.

Almost go time for this one, rubbed in one last coat for good measure, sheep mountain bound on Monday!!

 

[Slick8]

Great build and thread.

Best of luck on the hunt.

 

[Decker9]

Well, I finally got to least do some packing with my new sheep rifle, and what a gem it is to pack!! We seen 30 +\- rams in our 12 days out, a couple were right there at full curl, but not the “extra inch or ring” that we needed.

This fella was iffy, 370 yards, looked good from the front, but from a side profile, he didn’t break the “plane of the nose”, but rather curled up just to his eye. I thought I seen 8 rings once or twice, but more often got 6-7 years old.




Another for next year maybe



Hike out day we got glimps of another band that needed a closer look, next year will be this rifles year maybe. I think I’ll pack it for this season's goat hunt still.


Just over 2500 km driven, 200 km bush plane, close to 100 km on foot over 12 days in the hills, rain to +30c, it suffered a couple minor rubs that are easily touched up. A range trip tomorrow to see if the wood + leupold still hit zero at 200 after this trip

 

[Moose83]

Sweet pics! Good to see a nice rifle getting out doing what its meant to do... hope you had a great trip, definitely been hot up here the last week.

 

[MT_Fin]

Beautiful rifle, beautiful country, and looks like a great trip.

 

[Stearinlys]

Man Decker thats awesome. BC is so gorgeous, rifle OBVIOUSLY looks great

I like the looks of your pack, what is it?

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Thanks for sharing a little bit of the hunt with us! Beautiful!

 

[Decker9]

Man Decker thats awesome. BC is so gorgeous, rifle OBVIOUSLY looks great

I like the looks of your pack, what is it?

Thanks! Defiantly some amazing county up this way!

The bag is an old Kifaru duplex timberline 1 I bought in 2011 iirc, but with the newer frame attached. I can’t count the days in field that bags had, it’s well worn in lol. I attached the grab it the past couple years, I find it super handy.

 

[Stearinlys]

Kifaru, ok. I like how tall the hip pads are. Look like they dig in less than a narrower style like what my MEC pack has, or even my old Deuter.

Is that bag clipped on top the "Grab-It"?

 

[Decker9]

Kifaru, ok. I like how tall the hip pads are. Look like they dig in less than a narrower style like what my MEC pack has, or even my old Deuter.

Is that bag clipped on top the "Grab-It"?

I gotta say, comfort wise I haven’t felt a pack (frame) as comfy as this one. It took a bunch of adjusting over a few days with a full pack to get it right, but once it’s there I sure notice the difference.

The grab it attaches to the bottom of the frame and acts like a big diaper over the bottom/back of the pack, it attaches to the frame near the top to act like a big sandwich. I find it great for loose items like clothing or to tie on my spotter for easier/quicker access. It’ll be great to strap on some sheep horns, some day.

I think the only way I’d ever switch bags, is if Kifaru made a 7500 cubic inch reckoning bag lol. I love the centre zip, but the reckoning bag is a tad too small I find for these trips.

 

[Wyo_hntr]

So to be legal the horn must go past the bridge of the nose?

 

[Decker9]

So to be legal the horn must go past the bridge of the nose?

The way I understand it it does.

A little confusing though.

My one and only ram was a tight curl, didn’t break the nose, but did curl 2” above the “nose plane” but rather back by his eye vs across the nose.

The inspector at the time, had a separate jig he used to measure the tight curl.

That made me super nervous about “tight curls”. I think, a couple we seen may have passed the test, but just not enough confidence to pull a trigger.

My one ram was a 7 year old, so really shooting for 8+ for my next.

 

[Wyo_hntr]

I honestly didn't know what the specific regs were. I am certainly not second guessing you.

 

[Decker9]

I honestly didn't know what the specific regs were. I am certainly not second guessing you.

Never took it that way , cheers!