Two custom made rifles to hunt the world with

[Addicting]

I personally would go with a Remington 7mm Mag from a pure ammo availability stand point and use it in all of NA.

The 270 Weatherby Mag is ballistics the same if not a hare faster than the 7mm Mag. So she could have a brake installed and mitigate the recoil on either one.

If she is stuck on the 270, it will kill anything she will need it for.

 

[Addicting]

And go and pick up a nice .243, call schmaltz and put a VX3i 4.5-14x40 on it. Then go have fun.

Locally, I can have a Rem 700 built for her finished with her length of pull for 2300 each with a .5 MOA guarantee.

It doesn’t need to be a Blaser. If she gets away from custom, she can get into a very nice factory with the same optics for under 1600 and still shoot great.

 

[Europe]

addicting, thank you for your thoughts on the question asked.

As many here in this forum know, when traveling two firearms are all that is allowed to travel into a country with you as well as the ease of traveling with only two firearms, which Blaser makes even easier with the switch barrel and beautiful cases. Not sure what her wealth, or lack of it has to do with my questions. Not that it is anyones business, but the fact is she is not wealthy but was left enough by her now deceased husband's life insurance to do some of the things she wanted to do after caring for him for over two years. It was a tough time for her and she would give all the life insurance money back, if she could have him back. But they had always enjoyed hunting together and one of the last things he ask her to do was to hunt some of the places they talked about but because of his illness they never got to do together. She has no desire to have a room full of firearms, but would like to hunt the places they spoke of, with his picture in her shirt pocket. I do wonder why wealth, gender, age, color, except for recoil has any bearing on my question, which at this point in time I am sorry I ask.

However, on the flip side many have tried to help and it is appreciated, thank you. Also, a friend of mine said they found a used 270 Wea/375 H & H, is why I asked, and she has not ordered anything yet.

I will just add this to my post--thanks to all who sent pm,s---appreciated!!

 

[Addicting]

If you found one used that fits her go for it!

The reason I mentioned recoil is: I am 6’ 260lbs and have a unbraked 10lb 7mm Mag. It tolerable but not fun to shoot. At her point in her life she should have something fun to shoot, not tolerable.

A .243 is fun and will kill any deer in NA. It won’t effect her traveling as she can travel with the perspective rifle based on the hunt. Deer or smaller take the 243 and have fun. Bigger take the Blaser.

This has nothing to do with her finances or gender. It’s all about enjoying the hunting she plans on doing.

 

[Focus]

To hunt the world...........the assumption is ".....and anything on it", yeah? If that's the case then 30-06 and either .416 Rigby or .458 WM, whichever of those two are more popular in far-off (to me) places. If you took elephant and rhino off the list then change my large rifle to a .375 H&H.

And make it three rifles and get something chambered in .22LR while you're at it.

 

[devon deer]

addicting, thank you for your thoughts on the question asked.
I do wonder why wealth, gender, age, color, except for recoil has any bearing on my question, which at this point in time I am sorry I ask.

April, I'm certain Don Fischer didn't mean anything by it, it's just based on all the previous posts and what you said she requires, I do believe you mentioned gender when you said she was interested in the Blaser manufactured with the female in mind?
To be honest you are correct, taking one breakdown rifle with 2 barrels is better than taking 2 rifles, but the title of the thread was originally '2 customers rifles to hunt the world with' but to some the latter isn't an issue.
She was quoted over $6000, that would be an absolute minimum, the mounts alone for each barrel will be around $500-$600 per barrel, to cut down the cost she could have one mounting system with one scope, but she would have to alter the scope each time to match the ballistics of the different barrels, but I'm teaching you to suck eggs now I think.
As for the Blaser case, I made the decision straight away not to go down that route, there is only one choice for transporting a firearm to far flung countries, Peli!
I hope that helps?
Cheers
Richard
p.s how about a Merkel!

 

[Panda Bear]

I think that statement is spot on!
For most of us 'poor' hunters' we have to make do with what we have, although I do own a Blaser in 30-06, it costs a lot to buy another barrel!
I can't see myself ever going back to South Africa to hunt, but if I did my 30-06 would do the job on what I would want to hunt, it's a personal thing isn't it?
Cheers
Richard

Turns out she is not wealthy, not that that should have mattered. I wish her well April on her quest to fulfill her promise. I am sure it will be bittersweet at times

I am sure you already know this but the largest caliber made on the Merkel switch barrel is 338,

You ask about the 270 Weatherby. There is one in the family and it is a nice rifle but as Addicting mentioned, it kicks a bit

I still lean toward two rifles, made to fit her. The Camilla is nice but no 375 H & H. Have her make a visit to your friend in Connecticut, and get a 375 H & H and either a 308 or 30-06 made to fit her. A lot of ammo assessable for those calibers. Stick on two fixed power scopes so she can keep it simple and buy a plane ticket. Also call Aleena and ask her to help her, she has been there and done that (-;

 

[devon deer]

I am sure you already know this but the largest caliber made on the Merkel switch barrel is 338,

Yes, it was meant as a tongue-in-cheek comment hence the emoji
Yes I knew that about the Merkel, my friend who raves about them tried to convince me before I bought my Blaser, did you know they also do a rifle with females in mind?

HELIX Lady DS | Bolt Action Rifles, Guns, Helix | Merkel

HELIX Lady DS The HELIX Lady-DS is the hunting rifle from a woman’s perspective: The butt plate has been adjusted to a woman’s anatomy. A steep pistol grip allows for a relaxed use of the trigger, even with smaller hands and a strongly dampening butt plate reduces the recoil. Well balanced

www.merkel-die-jagd.de

Cheers
Richard

 

[deer_shooter]

If pulling from my safe, I'd go with 30/06 and 375 Ruger. If I could add to it with custom rifles, I'd lean towards 7x57 and 404 Jeffery.

 

[Don Fischer]

April, I'm certain Don Fischer didn't mean anything by it, it's just based on all the previous posts and what you said she requires, I do believe you mentioned gender when you said she was interested in the Blaser manufactured with the female in mind?
To be honest you are correct, taking one breakdown rifle with 2 barrels is better than taking 2 rifles, but the title of the thread was originally '2 customers rifles to hunt the world with' but to some the latter isn't an issue.
She was quoted over $6000, that would be an absolute minimum, the mounts alone for each barrel will be around $500-$600 per barrel, to cut down the cost she could have one mounting system with one scope, but she would have to alter the scope each time to match the ballistics of the different barrels, but I'm teaching you to suck eggs now I think.
As for the Blaser case, I made the decision straight away not to go down that route, there is only one choice for transporting a firearm to far flung countries, Peli!
I hope that helps?
Cheers
Richard
p.s how about a Merkel!

Your right, I didn't mean anything bad about it. But wealth, age and gender will enter into it. I suspect if you can't afford to spend $3000 on a firearm, there's no reason to consider them. Most of us as we get older get more intolerant of recoil. I'm 73 and at this point in my life I have learned to like my 243! Gender? Some women are tuffer than nails yet recoil still get them. Men generally won't complain about recoil, it's not manly! Color don't enter into it anywhere. Europe mentioned, except for recoil, he's right. That would cover gender and age for me.

Something about wealth is if she can afford to travel the world hunting everything. cost would not enter into anything, unless she's like me, cheap! If I could afford to hunt the big five in Africa, I'd either use the most inexpensive rifle in the proper cartridge I could fine or at this point shoot them with my Nkon!

 

[Europe]

Panda Bear, Merkel does offer a 9.3 x 62 also, We have talked to Aleena and she came up with an entirely different strategy. She suggests letting her use her daughters custom made 450/400 for her DG hunt, which will probably only happen one time. Then get a custom made 30-06 made on a Model 70 pre 64 action. With the availably of ammo and the wide range of bullet weights she should be able to hunt everything else. At this time we have zeroed in a bit more and trips to Alaska, Africa, Austria and New Zealand will probably be the only places outside of the lower 48 . Time will tell. We did suggest that she visit the frozen north, at least once.

Don, no harm, no foul, but thank you. However if you look at your post on page three and the post that follows, you will see that others used one line of your post to push the wealth agenda, but whatever, I refuse to let these types of things deter me, as I still have things i want to do and very little time to do them in

Addicting, thank you, you actually prompted me to ask her to consider borrowing a 450/400 that was custom made for a female for her DG hunt. Get a custom made 30-06 for everything else. but I like your 243 idea, it is such a fun caliber. My granddaughter has one in the Browning BLR that she carries when horse back riding in the mountains. I dont think she has ever shot anything with it, but she looks good when riding her horse LOL Maybe borrow a rifle, get one rifle made and pick up a 243--maybe a Camilla --I have to look and se if Weatherby offers the 243 in the Camilla

Don, you also like the 243

It has been fun so far and thanks for the input fellows, appreciated

 

[noharleyyet]

What, no appliance white ceracoat suggestions?

..sorry April, hanging curve

 

[devon deer]

Don, no harm, no foul, but thank you. However if you look at your post on page three and the post that follows, you will see that others used one line of your post to push the wealth agenda, but whatever, I refuse to let these types of things deter me, as I still have things i want to do and very little time to do them in

Oh April you mean me!
I'm not pushing anything, never have never will, it was a generalisation, not aimed at anyone, I feel I have added a lot to your thread that requested the forums advice, my experience is based on actual hands on with Blaser, and to a lesser extent Merkel.
I'm sorry if you see it any other way.
Cheers
Richard

 

[Panda Bear]

What, no appliance white ceracoat suggestions?

..sorry April, hanging curve

now that is funny

I thought Aleena would be able to help---but damn--that works

 

[Anschutz]

I hate these questions because I fear that one day my wife will stumble across my post and ask why I need an X or Y. With that said, if I were to have two rifles made to last me a lifetime of hunting they would be in .270 Winchester and .375 H&H. I love my Savage for what it is but would not have a custom rifle built on that action. I'd probably go with either a Remington 700 clone like a Mausingfield or a Model 70 action on both and have the .270 wear a synthetic stock and stainless barrel. The .375 I would have to have a walnut stock and blued metal. I'd have to add a .22 and shotgun though because bunnies, squirrels, and birds taste good too.

 

[std7mag]

Reading about borrowing a rifle for DGS hunts, i can't help but wonder if this is a good idea?
It is Dangerous Game, after all.
I don't feel that i would feel comfortable doing it without some serious time behind the trigger of THAT rifle.

As for NA hunts, and i'm sure to catch a lot of flack, but why punish yourself with the 06'?

Bolt face on the Blaser should also readily accept Blaser cartridges also. Not too common here in the States.

 

[Don Fischer]

Reading about borrowing a rifle for DGS hunts, i can't help but wonder if this is a good idea?
It is Dangerous Game, after all.
I don't feel that i would feel comfortable doing it without some serious time behind the trigger of THAT rifle.

As for NA hunts, and i'm sure to catch a lot of flack, but why punish yourself with the 06'?

Bolt face on the Blaser should also readily accept Blaser cartridges also. Not too common here in the States.

My memory fails me right now. Movie about building a railroad bridge in Tsavo, Africa and the place is attacked by two man eating lions. They go out the kill them and one guy takes a borrowed rifle in a bigger cartridge from a guy at the camp, never fire's it. He get's the shot at one and the gun miss fires! Take a note, fire your weapon's and be sure you can shoot them and that they shoot before taking on dangerous game. Sometime's dangerous game fight's back!

 

[Europe]

Don,

The Ghost and the Darkness

Don, and Std7mag, excellent point. Aleena's invitation was for her to come and stay with them for a month or as long as she liked. She also felt it would be necessary to familiarize herself with the rifle before hunting with it. Although her daughter uses it with no problem, the recoil may be more than she can handle or even wants to handle. If she still had not purchased her rifle, they also have other rifles that are female friendly, stock, lop, recoil, that she could try.

However since I last posted, she has had the opportunity to shoot a 270 Weatherby and has decided to pass on it. She still has her 30-06 she used for years, but to needs to b replaced---plus she promised her husband that she would get a new rifle or two and take it on the hunts they talked about but never got to do together. At first it was lack of money and raising a family, then his illness and death, but now her entire family supports her doing this ( rifle and trips )

I know we have been all over the place (caliber wise and Blaser or two separate rifles) --sorry about that, but ideas, from you fellows and others are all great ideas and need to be explored. as well as some of the used rifle offers that came her way.

Here is where we are today. She likes the Blaser and some of the things others seem to dislike or have a problem with, she does not, she really likes how the Blaser would travel . the other three companies who make switch barrels that have ben mentioned, do not work for one reason or another.

Today we are back to "new" and thinking 243, 30-06 and 375 H & H ( and yes there would need to be more than a barrel change for this to work, but it is a 5 minute change )

Thanks guys, a lot of great advise, help, and guidance, has been given and it is appreciated--Thank you. She did also ask me to thank everyone and also said they ( you fellows ) probably are a bit concerned that three women are going to screw this up--badly--LOL--and she may be right

 

[Addicting]

Go borrow the rifle and shoot it first. If it works done waste the money on a 375 H&H. That has always been the odd gun out in this conversation. It is only used for one safari and is driving the conversation for several other hunts when it will be collecting dust.

There is a plethora of options that she may like on a 243 and 30-06.

With the price tag of that Blaser is she going to be upset the first time it gets scratched? She is paying for as much beauty as function.

 

[Europe]

Addicting, excellent suggestion. unfortunately they are not that close to each other. She is also thinking she needs that 375 H & H for Bears in Alaska, but I am sure a few, probably many have been taken with the 30-06. "But" If she decides not hunt the brown bear on the Alaska trip or any DG on the Africa trip, this gets a whole lot easier. I have told her that she certainly does not need to hunt DG to enjoy hunting Africa. The only DG she is interested in hunting is the Lion, not the Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard, Rhino.
Without a doubt the lion can be an adrenaline hunt but they are so expensive, it is her decision, but I have been telling her how much fun and hard it can be hunting some plains game--plus, there is so much more to do there besides hunt. She does want to hunt a coastal grizzly, but not an inland brown bear. But I would hate for her to get the 375 H & H just for that one hunt, but having a trio of calibers/barrels might be something others in her family might use when she hangs it up and starts knitting

I bet this is way more than anybody wanted to know lol