Off Season Upgrades and Tinkerings...

Dougfirtree

Dougfirtree

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What kind of gear upgrades are doing this off-season? New stocks, barrels, scopes, loads? Reloading bench upgrades? Other gear repairs, or upgrades? Fishing gear? What do you tinker with in the winter?

I haven't been doing much shooting, or reloading, trying to make sure I have enough components for next season, in case this crap goes on a long time. But I did just replace the bottom metal on my Tikka. This one is actually metal! I got it from High Desert Rifle Works and so far I really like it. Looks and feels better than the plastic stock model and installation was really easy. I noticed that the rear action screw was starting to strip though. Must be a crappy screw to be stripping with a torx head... I may have to track down some extras. IMG_4390.JPGIMG_4392.JPG
 
I have a laundry list of things I was starting to tackle when disaster struck. Was remounting the scope on my .338-06, the rifle I’ve spent the most time with in the past few years, when I noticed the Boyd’s stock had split. This is the one rifle that I had complete faith in, had a great load for it and have like 30 rounds left from last year with a whole new box of bullets waiting to be loaded. After that scope was going to be mounted I was going to pick up a new project. Guess not!

Now in order to try and fix it, I’m going to rip the bedding out of it, fix the stock, re-bed the stock and then install pillars. I’m just pissed about it all. Not what I wanted to do as I really had it in my mind that this rifle was done.

My list besides this involves:
-load development for 150gr E-Tips in the .30-06.
-shorten stock and install recoil pad on wife’s 6mm.
-new scope for 6mm
-load development with 80gr or 85gr Barnes for the 6mm
-swap a few different scopes around

I’m sure I’m missing some too, but these were on my list all last year too before we decided to move from ND to WY. Now we’re about to close on a house and start house projects before we move across town.
 
New 230 berger hybrid load development for my norma imp using r50 is still in work, wanted to experiment with n570 this winter but couldnt find any of that obviously so R50 it is and actually like it so far, great case capacity for cartidge. At some point i need to send a broken scope in for replacement and then remount/zerro. Dropped it and its cracked objective but dam if it still dont shot accurate as hell but i know at some point it will leak or go blurry. 20 minutes after i dropped it shot the herd bull 6point i had been chasing for several days...lol. i am only couple weeks away for hunting need to get my butt moving!
 
Dougfirtree said:
What kind of gear upgrades are doing this off-season? New stocks, barrels, scopes, loads? Reloading bench upgrades? Other gear repairs, or upgrades? Fishing gear? What do you tinker with in the winter?

I haven't been doing much shooting, or reloading, trying to make sure I have enough components for next season, in case this crap goes on a long time. But I did just replace the bottom metal on my Tikka. This one is actually metal! I got it from High Desert Rifle Works and so far I really like it. Looks and feels better than the plastic stock model and installation was really easy. I noticed that the rear action screw was starting to strip though. Must be a crappy screw to be stripping with a torx head... I may have to track down some extras. View attachment 177046View attachment 177047
Click to expand...
I will be ordering these:

​

tikkaperformance.com

Tikka T3/T3x Elite Series Hardened Action Screws - MOUNTAIN TACTICAL®

Quit screwing around!
tikkaperformance.com tikkaperformance.com
 
Well I had bought a new scope mounts and rings for my 6mm Rem just have not mounted them yet. It's kind of hard when what's on there is a steel tube Weaver 3x9 with micro track and since the late 1970's has worked perfect zero stays put.
Just figured after 40 plus years a new one might be a little brighter, we will see
 
Shopped around and found enough ammo for our hunting rifles to get us through the next four years. Talked myself out of a new rifle, and bought a new Humminbird Helix fish finder for our 20' Lund Alaskan. Bought my wife a .45 Woodman Patriot muzzle loader.
 
Just got the last piece for my smokeless muzzleloader build, excited about that.
Still need a bullet swage for bullet to bore sizing.
No doing much tinkering with loads or extra shooting. I have a nice cache of components and am trying to hold my powder and primers to see the end of the current shortage.
Probably gonna sell a few guns this spring, try to kill all the turkeys that I don’t educate.
 
F250 said:
Shopped around and found enough ammo for our hunting rifles to get us through the next four years. Talked myself out of a new rifle, and bought a new Humminbird Helix fish finder for our 20' Lund Alaskan. Bought my wife a .45 Woodman Patriot muzzle loader.
Click to expand...
That's a nice boat for Champlain. I have a 16' Lund Laker and it's a good boat, but I have to be careful about where I go on the lake. If I got stuck out in an exposed area, with some big waves, I'd be in trouble.
 
My plan (if carried forth after they throw me up on the jacks and rotate my old knee out) is to make room in the safe by selling 2-3 queens and then buying/putting together an ultralight packing rifle. After that redoing an old .50cal flinter I built for my dad as an 8th grade Father’s Day present. She’s never been shot and deserves to do so once completed (again🙄)
 
--Had the barrel on my main hunter cut back and threaded for suppressor.
--Working up a 88gr hammer load in the kids .243.
--The bolt for my 6/250 is off at Birdsong getting cerakote blasted off and a Black-T treatment done...if I had it to do over I wouldn't have had the smith cerakote it when he did the action. He's reputable and I took his word for it that it would cycle smooth, but probably never going to do that again based on the result. Black-T is supposed to be excellent, and thin, we'll see...
 
Sold my Hell's canyon 30-06, replacing it with a savage ultralite 30-06 (if i can find a camo one in stock lol) for me elk rifle. Also making a 25-06 savage lightweight storm for deer and antelope.
 
Set up and sight in the new tikka 7mag. Hopefully work up a load with non lead if I can find primers. Bought a curly maple stock blank but not sure what to put it on or if I’ll get to it this year.
 
SnowyMountaineer said:
--The bolt for my 6/250 is off at Birdsong getting cerakote blasted off and a Black-T treatment done...if I had it to do over I wouldn't have had the smith cerakote it when he did the action. He's reputable and I took his word for it that it would cycle smooth, but probably never going to do that again based on the result. Black-T is supposed to be excellent, and thin, we'll see...
Click to expand...
Never heard of Black-T before. Looks cool. I recently had a bolt cerakoted in the “Blackout” color because it supposedly goes on thin and is glossier/slicker than graphite black. Luckily the bolt cycles just like it did prior to cerakoting. I’ll be interested in hearing what you think about the Black-T when you get it back.
 
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