New Zealand is full of opportunity for the aspiring outdoorsman. Want to go diving or 4×4 driving? There are clubs a-plenty that will get you on your way. Want to hunt big red stags, eliminate possums or shoot some fallow deer for meat? Get along to your local NZDA and meet up with some like-minded people.
Crossing the first stream was beautiful. By the 6th or 7th crossing you stop focusing on the scenery.
Want to go pig hunting? You can do that too. But, as I learned on my first pig hunt, there are some more considerations to make than you might think. So, let’s think of this as a beginner’s guide to getting into pig hunting.
All you need is a knife
Wrong. Many think that hunting pigs is easier/simpler than other forms and hunting, because you only need a knife and you don’t need to worry about firearms or firearm safety. Let me dispel this myth very quickly for you.
Some pig hunters do use guns, but most won’t allow a stranger/novice to shoot over their dogs.
Knives hurt too – you still need to be careful.
Pig hunting is actually pretty involved, and makes use of more gear and tracking equipment than you may think.
Go with an experienced pig hunter
Heading out with an experienced pig hunter is not only more likely to result in finding game, but they will have all the gear needed for a successful day out. That includes GPS/maps, well-trained dogs with tracking collars, knives and knowledge.
Knowledge is key. And something to be respected. Ask plenty of questions before and during the hunt – without being annoying of course. Ask questions so you know what to bring with you, ask questions so you know what kind of terrain to expect, ask questions so you know the series of events that will unfold when you happen upon your quarry.
Well-trained dogs make all the difference.
Gear
As I said, make sure to ask what you’ll need to take along. You may need to take a knife, but chances are your hunting buddy will have a spare knife you can borrow, rather than spending money on the sport before you know if you’re going to get into it or not.
Interestingly, the classic ‘pig sticker’ shape knife is not favoured by all hunters, although many do use them. A lot of pig hunters carry boning knives or similar. If you’re looking for a knife in Auckland, this store has a huge selection and decent prices.
Other considerations for while you’re out in the bush include your pack, food/water, first aid, and appropriate clothing. A camera or phone for pictures is great, but keep in mind you’ll probably be going through some rough patches of bush and/or crossing streams. You’ll have no one else to blame if you drop your phone in a river, or fall over with it in your pocket. Yes, I fell over in a stream. More than once.
Wearing blaze is great for keeping an eye on your buddy and not getting lost. A spare GPS collar in your bag, or a walkie talkie is good too.
In terms of a pack, I took a Hunting & Fishing day pack, which was great for all it could hold, but man did it get caught up on just about every twig, stick and branch. And supplejack. Oh my goodness the supplejack.
My mate who took me hunting had all he needed around his waist. This included a small first aid kit, water bottle in a holder, food and some other bits and pieces in a bum bag, and of course his GPS unit for the dogs. He had a rifle slung over his shoulder just in case. I could really see the value of iron sights and shorter barrels in a bush gun, as I saw how even this simply profiled firearm got snagged a few times.
This is supplejack. You will have to get through it… A knife or even small secateurs on on your belt will be incredibly useful.
Clothing and footwear is the one area I would recommend spending some money if you don’t have appropriate gear. If you’re not likely to be heading through gorse and blackberry, shorts are great. Waterproof boots are ideal, and long socks too. An appropriate top for the weather, but I can almost guarantee that short/no sleeves will be the go.
DO NOT, venture out in your brand new gear. You will be feeling sorry for yourself within a couple hours. If you’ve got brand new gear for an upcoming hunt, make sure to wear it in beforehand. Going for a few hikes will not only prevent blisters and sores on a longer hunt from boots and packs not broken in, but will also help with your fitness.
Physically fit
Probably the last piece of advice before I belabour the point. If you’re unfit, crashing through bush for 6 or 12 hours is going to take a hell of a toll. You’ll also probably slow your mate down and drag the whole day out.
On our way through Kauaeranga Valley we caught some peeks of the peaks. If you’re lucky, this great outdoors is your gymnasium. If you’re not that lucky – you’ll have to do something else to raise your fitness.
If you work a desk job or have a few too many pies and beersies, get yourself into some sort of fitness regime if you foresee hunting in your near future. The gym is great, and for many it’s the only practical option. However, if you can get out for longer walks/hikes/runs, you’ll thank yourself further down the track. This is the kind of fitness that will really pay off.
Be a good bugger
If someone has taken the time let you tag along to a spot they know of, and they’re imparting knowledge, etc., etc., make sure you sort out some of the expenses. Offer to get the pies or pay for the fuel. No one likes a bludger.
So – did we get a pig on my first hunt? No. I did get a first-hand education in all of the above though, and it will all come in useful the next time I go out. The most important thing I learned? Pig hunters are crazy – in the best way possible.
This is not a sport for the faint of heart or those who can’t dedicate a decent amount of time to training dogs and chasing dots on a GPS unit. It’s a dedication and a lifestyle, and damn it’s fun.
Late last year I had the privilege of being invited along to the first Long Range Shooting course run by Precision Shooter. The event was not only an introduction to long range shooting for many, but also the first event of its kind.
The LRS Level 1 – Fundamentals class was primarily focused around getting shooters of all abilities onto a fairly level playing field, and teaching solid shooting techniques. The course was run by Kerry from The Bloke and Precision Shooter, but most of the content was delivered by Christian Neubauerx – Beretta’s head gunsmith in New Zealand. With 20+ years of experience as a smith, Christian knows his way around a gun better than most.
How’s this for a classroom setting?
The classroom
The first half of the day was a ‘lecture’ of sorts. Essentially a classroom-like setting, undercover and with the use of props (i.e. rifles and gear). If the word lecture puts you off, don’t let it. Think about all those questions you’ve been researching in internet forums and gun sites. Now imagine an authoritative source, giving you the answers direct, without bias and internet-inspired bravado or stupidity.
Even though my rifle was shooting groups like this the day before, I still found the course quite a ‘shake up’ of my technique.
There was plenty of time for questions, and we managed to cover off what kind of rifles make good long range rigs, cartridge choice, shooting equipment and a decent amount of theory (such as MOA vs MIL, etc).
There were plenty of breaks and opportunities for tea/coffee and snacks (all provided). Before heading down to the mound we had a demonstration of shooting technique from Christian, who climbed up onto a long table with his unloaded rifle, and took us through body position and shooting sequence.
The range
Now it was time to put what we learned into practice. Everybody got their gear down to shooting position and racked their rifles. There was a good array of firearms, from utilitarian hunting rifles, through to long range platforms such as the Ruger Precision Rifle, and several in between.
I was shooting my fully supressed Tikka T3 in 6.5×55, residing in an MDT TAC21 chassis, and topped off with a Vortex Viper PST 6-24×50. Having a Tikka, I particularly enjoyed having Christian take the course, as I was able to pick his brain on Tikka-specific issues, such as the trigger creep I was experiencing. As head gunsmith of Beretta NZ, he has forgotten more about these rifles than most could ever hope to know.
The venue for the day was the Swiss Club, north of Auckland. If you’ve ever shot at the ASAR (Any Sights Any Rifle) shoot, you’ll know it’s a pretty sweet set up, and all of your shooting is done from an enclosed shooting position, out of the sun and the wind.
We were shooting at a set distance of 300 m. Hold on you say – “that’s not long range”. Fair comment. Remember this is the fundamentals course. Some of those attending had never shot beyond 100 yards/metres before. Not only was it about bringing these guys up to speed, but it was also about honing fundamental skills, regardless of distance.
The target area and shooting hut.
Even at 300 m, trying to implement the techniques we had just learned, I did notice a lot more spread in my groups than I would have expected. Basically I was having a shake-up of my technique, and trying to focus on new ways to do things meant not shooting as well as I usually would, but building positive habits to shoot better in the future.
There was one frustration on the day, and that was supporting the rear of the rifle. I had just bought a new bag that was the perfect height for my MDT chassis, which sits higher off the ground than the original Tikka stock. However, the Swiss club is most often used for unsupported shooting of target rifles, with slings and jackets. To suit this purpose the club had built their mound on a slight upwards incline, to better aid body position, while the targets were on a downward angle from the mound.
The bag I snagged from Kerry made a huge difference.
For many of us, this meant struggling somewhat to get the right height/angle on our rifles. Thankfully after trying one of the rear support bags that Kerry had on hand, I was able to get shots downrange with greater consistency. This really inspired me to start looking at purchasing a multipurpose bag for field shoots. I’m not always going to have a perfectly level and stable shooting platform, so a more versatile bag is definitely called for. I haven’t decided yet on the bag I’ll use. I like the idea of the Reasor Gamechanger Bag, but I’ll need to have another thorough look at the options provided by the Gearlocker before I make a final decision.
Coaching
The format of the shoot was focused around improving the individual shooter. We had a few sighters, and then Kerry and Christian gave each shooter individual, one-on-one coaching through a series of single shots. We focused on body position, breathing, eye-relief, rifle mounting, bipod loading and more.
At some point we had lunch, which again, was provided. This was a great opportunity to chat with everyone and see how they were doing and what they were learning.
One-on-one coaching was one of the highlights of the day.
Next up was shooting groups of five. However, instead of simply having Christian or Kerry tell you where your shot landed, we had to try and determine where the shot went, based on how the shot felt. After a while you get pretty good at this. Adding this extra link between action and reaction really helped me identify which parts of my technique and environment were affecting my shot placement.
Unfortunately we ran out of time to complete the shoot, as we learned that the resource consent for shooting is limited to 5 pm. However, after a full day of learning and shooting, no one left feeling disappointed. After packing up we headed back to the club house to do a quick debrief and also to talk about cleaning methods and some other bits and pieces. I found this last casual info session extremely useful, as there is a lot of misinformation and disinformation out there when it comes to proper cleaning technique and which products to use.
Comparing gear and swapping stories with other shooters was a big part of the day.
Being the first event of its kind, there were some timing/teething issues, but nothing that negatively impacted my experience of the day. Having been on another course run by Kerry, I know the next Long Range Shooting course will be running like clockwork.
Speaking of the next course… I’ve heard rumours from Precision Shooter that the Level 2 course could be coming up soon, and at distances up to 850 m. Definitely sign up for the Precision Shooter newsletter and keep an eye on their Facebook page so you don’t miss out on that one.
For those who would prefer to start at Level 1 and get their fundamentals solid, I would highly recommend the course, especially for anyone wanting to get into long range competition, or stretch out their ethical hunting ranges. Beginners will benefit the most from this course, but looking back over the 4 pages of notes I took, even those a bit further along the learning curve will take away significant amounts of useful tips and techniques.
Not the best shooting I’ve done in my life, but a day of serious learning.
One of the things I learned more about was the effect of cant (tilting) on point of impact – especially at longer ranges. It’s something I hadn’t considered too seriously, and you can bet I’m going to do a tall target test to check out my cant in the near future. Another good tip was, when deciding to use MOA or MIL, think about what kind of shooting you’re going to do. For example, I intend on shooting a bit of F-Class, and they mostly use MOA, so that will be easier for me. Also consider what your shooting buddy uses, so you can speak a common language when it comes to wind calls, etc.
You can read more about the past course here, and don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter to hear about upcoming events.
Brass uniformity affects a few things – but how much of a difference can you expect from brand to brand? If you have highly consistent brass you’ll notice similar life spans across your reloads, as they stretch at the same rate. You’ll have near identical case capacities, the result of uniform wall thicknesses. There’s a whole lot more to case uniformity, but what I want to focus on is the amazing difference from brand to brand.
Five lots of 10 brass – which came out tops?
Here’s a quote from an article on .233 brass at 6mmBR:
From a reloading standpoint, the important thing to note is the rather substantial variance in case capacity from one brand of brass to another–as much as 2.6 grains! So, you cannot assume that a particular “pet load” will work if you change brass brands–you’ll have to do new testing.
Two-point-six grains – that may not seem like much, but for the little .223 case, it’s a fair amount. Bear in mind, the brass compared in that article is mostly higher-end stuff.
Our brass uniformity test
I’ve just started loading for 7mm-08, and as I undertook loading for an OCW test, I thought I should start with the most uniform brass possible, so that the results of various powder charges are more meaningful.
I had 5 brands of once-fired brass, that I’d put through my Mossberg 100 ATR. I didn’t have a huge quantity of each, so I just took a random sample of 10 of each. The brands ranged from budget to middle of the road. We looked at Prvi Partizan (PPU), Highland, Remington, Winchester and Hornady.
Unlike the .223 test at 6mmBR, I noticed 17.44 gr difference in average weight from the highest to the lowest. This is probably a result of both looking at a larger case and also looking at wider variety of brass quality.
Results:
The heaviest brass was PPU, coming in at 181.79 gr on average. Highland (produced by PPU) interestingly came in quite different on average at 171.67 gr. The more middle-end manufacturers (we weren’t looking at the likes of Norma or Lapua here), came in more similar: Remington at 168.07 gr, Winchester at 164.35 gr, and; Hornady at 165.69 gr.
Winchester and then Hornady came in the lightest, which would hint at more internal case capacity, but you couldn’t say that for sure without testing H2O capacity, which I didn’t get into. I did the entire test using a digital scale and digital calipers, to identify overall uniformity.
Simple tools for a simple test.
Weight:
Winchester had the lowest standard deviation in weight (0.48 gr), and the least difference between highest and lowest (1.60 gr). The highest was surprisingly Hornady at 1.33 gr standard deviation and a difference of 4.90 gr between highest and lowest. The S.D. for Remington, PPU and Highland were as follows; 0.74 gr, and 1.07 gr and, 1.05 gr. Respectively, the differences between highest and lowest were; 2.40 gr, 3.40 gr and 3.30 gr.
Length:
After one firing, most brands didn’t have much of an increase in overall length. All eamsurements below in millimetres.
Brand
Standard Deviation
Difference High-to-low
Remington
0.02
0.07
Highland
0.03
0.08
Winchester
0.03
0.12
Hornady
0.03
0.10
PPU
0.05
0.16
Neck diameters and wall thickness:
All brands except Hornady and PPU had extremely uniform outside diameters for their necks (0.00 mm S.D. and high-to-low differences of 0.01 and 0.02 mm). Hornady and PPU both had 0.01 mm S.D.s and high-to-low differences of 0.02 mm.
The inside diameter showed a bit more variation, as a product of both brass thickness and softness.
Brand
Standard Deviation
Difference High-to-low
Winchester
0.01
0.02
Hornady
0.01
0.02
PPU
0.01
0.05
Remington
0.02
0.06
Highland
0.03
0.08
Which brass did I choose?
All of these brands had similar factory loads, with 139 gr or 140 gr projectiles. The differences in the once-fired brass was quite illuminating. Also interesting, but not deal breaking, was that Remington and Winchester both had a single silver primer out of a box of 20 cartridges, when the other 19 were brass-coloured. After this series of tests I decided to stick with Winchester brass for my 7mm-08, as it was the most uniform in every category except length, where it came middle of the pack.
It’s important to note that these were small samples, and that brass in other calibres may vary quite differently from what we saw with the 7mm-08. There are also a whole bunch of brands we didn’t consider.
However, if you’re looking at lower priced ammo to generate good quality brass for reloading in 7mm-08, my money would be on Winchester – I even bought another pack of Super X today.
It’s never hard to convince a hunter to go out for a hunt, or to get a field shooter to a local competition – but what do we do when we’re not involved in our chosen shooting sports? Are we still getting all we can out of the beautiful country we live in? This is the question I asked myself while camping at the Lake Tarawera Outlet this holiday.
He won’t remember this yet, but when he starts becoming aware of his surroundings, I’d rather this than a city street.
While certainly not a hunting destination, there was plenty of opportunity to hike, fish, boat and swim. Hot water rock pools and endless kayaking destinations during the day, and cooking a camp feed in the evening, seeing more stars than you’d usually see in a month in Auckland.
Yes, it’s quite a “civilised” way to get into nature, compared to smashing through the bush chasing a pig. But when you’ve got family and a young baby, and a need to get outdoors, just about anywhere without electricity will do.
While taking a short walk through the bush between the boat ramp and the ski lane, I thought of a couple of friends of mine. They recently hiked the Hillary trail over Christmas and spent the holiday reading books and catching amazing sunsets. This couple regularly hike around the upper North Island. As I thought of the hike they had just finished, I realised that this non-hunting pair of friends are not only much fitter than I am, but they see a whole lot more country than I do. And they feed their souls but getting away from the daily grind, and into nature, much more often than I could lay claim to.
Getting out on the water is just one of many ways to enjoy the beauty of our outdoors.
So, here’s my New Year’s resolution – get out there an do it. Whether it’s hiking, fishing, swimming, driving, whatever. This year, I plan to spend more time outdoors on the weekend than indoors. My boy is only 3 months old, but by the time he starts forming the memories that will make up his childhood, I want him to remember the names of trees and lakes, rather than games and movies.
This particular rifle is a quiet bush monster. Monstrous in appearance, but suppressed and subsonic in its implementation. There’s a lot that’s gone into this particular rifle, so – fittingly – we’ll do an entire article covering the various bits and pieces, and the decisions that led to each of them.
One decision that was, unfortunately, made for us, is that I’m no longer going to have the rifle Cerakoted, as a dear and valued member of the NZ shooting community, Victor Alberts, passed away recently while on holiday overseas. Victor was the applicator and artist behind Cerakote NZ, so necessarily we’ll be looking to sort out some other means of protecting the metal on this bush gun.
The rifle that defended the free world – twice
The Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) rifle was featured in both world wars and a host of conflicts all around the world. Its younger brother is only now being phased out of service with the Canadian Rangers, who will have a locally made, licensed version of a Sako product (T3 CTR). Other weapons have been trialled, but none compared to the reliability of the Rifle No 4 Mk 2 (since 1941 – not bad).
Even still, the old Lee-Enfield is a devastating tool in the hands of irregular forces around the world, who do not have access to more modern weaponry, or who perhaps have an abundance of old Commonwealth stock. With ballistics and firepower not too far off the .308 Win, it’s not hard to see why the rifle has kept pace.
Anyway, I digress. So, this stunning piece of history came to my possession in a sorry state. Which is okay, as I was keeping an eye out for an old beater that could be beautified without destroying a battlefield artifact.
My 1943 SMLE (above) was in a sad state when I bought it – compared to my 1942 (below) which will stay unchanged.
One of the problems with using a wartime rifle (1943), that was mass-produced with unique ‘improvements’ and variations across the world, is that you are bound to run into quality issues. In contrast, I do have a 1942 Lithgow rifle which is beautifully symmetrical and well-machined (even if it is left a bit rough in some areas). But this made-in-Britain wartime specimen is a product of its environment, and loose tolerances, rough surfaces, and poor bluing are to be expected.
In hindsight, I really wish I’d done this build off a Rifle No. 4 instead of an SMLE No.1 Mk iii, as the action lends itself to being rebarrelled to higher-power cartridges, but that may have taken this build in another direction altogether.
If you’re considering a build on a No. 4 or even No. 5 action, Boyds thankfully caters to those, too.
Taking apart the two-piece stock
The Lee-Enfield is everything a modern precision rifle is not. It’s not free floated, the stock is not a single piece and and the ergonomics are all wrong. However it was well-suited to winter clothing and putting a lot of lead downrange, so we can’t really judge the designers for that.
The two piece stock is easily taken apart with some screwdrivers, and potentially a socket driver if you don’t have a really long flat head screwdriver. Check out the easy tutorial here (with lots of pictures!).
Not many rifles will have the trigger come out with the floor metal.
Fitting the Boyds Field Stock Design
Final fitting will be needed.
One thing I love about Boyds stocks is seeing the precision lines in the inletting. Now. Take a look at your naked Lee-Enfield. There is not a single square section on that thing. Because the action has so much inconsistency in shape and finish, I spent a fair bit of time sanding and filing around the top of the action and inside and around the sear and trigger slot.
The area around the mag well also needed some relieving of material to get the floor plate sitting properly again, which allowed the barrel channel to move into the appropriate position.
I found it really useful to mark the action with engineer’s blue (a permanent marker will do), to find the high spots on your action that necessitate removing some more wood.
Please be careful removing material, as it’s a lot easier to take off than it is to put on! While I say I spent a lot of time on this, that doesn’t mean I shaved off a lot of the laminate. Rather, I spent a lot of time making sure I didn’t take off too much, so I could still have a snug fit.
When fitting the butt stock, shaving off a small bit of wood off the top of the donut-shaped insert allowed the laminate stock to snug up nicely when I tightened the bolt. However, on the forend side I found there was a bit of a gap between the wood and the characteristic steel band which forms the rear of the receiver and separates the forend and butt stock. I had a shooting buddy of mine machine up a shim to bridge the gap. He put in some counter sunk holes so that I could screw it into the stock once I had all of the metalwork (including the shim) coated, however it’s so far been held in place by friction and is doing just fine.
The shim held in place by friction fills a small gap between action and stock. Once coated with the rest of the metal work it will blend in well.
The gap between the forend and steel band I’ll put down to variance between manufacturers of rifles over time. I measured this strip of metal on my two SMLE rifles (one year apart, but one from Australia and one from the UK), and found a 1 mm – 2 mm difference in broadness.
You will definitely need to take out some wood where the rear ring of the receiver interrupts the line of the stock, and also where the safety lever goes in the forward position.
A radius and a square cut will make room for the safety lever and the rear action ring.
Positives of the Boyds Field Stock Design
If you’re looking to improve your Lee-Enfield Rifle or SMLE, you have three options:
Restore the wood with new old stock or modern replicas (on a No 4 this is feasible, on a No 3, near impossible)
Put it in a plastic stock, which will reduce weight, but will deliver more recoil, and increase your noise in the bush with its hollow construction
Choose a hardwood/laminate solution
I’m assuming you landed on option 3, which is why you’re here. The hardwood solution is not only inline with the character of the gun, but also just feels right. I have a couple battle rifles in modern plastic stocks, and I’m too embarrassed to take them to the range, and too put off by the handling and feel to really enjoy them.
The Boyds Field Stock Design (and any of their stocks, really) is a re-imagining of the stock design based around the action and the shooter, not simply a replacement of the existing furniture. This means you can expect an increase in accuracy, stemming from various feature improvements, such as a better inletting, length of pull, cheek weld, positive grip characteristics and also added rigidity when compared to plastic aftermarket (or even original manufacture) stocks.
Line of sight
I found that the Boyds stock in particular raised the eye-line perfectly for the old rifle. With the original stock, if you try and get a positive cheek weld, you’ll be looking at the top of the action. You have to raise your head a bit and compromise your repeatable position on the rifle in order to see the iron sights.
Lining the two up by the rear of the bolt, the difference in drop is quite evident, as is the angle of the butt pad – both changing the handling characteristics of the gun.
With the Boyds stock, the decreased drop on the comb means you are looking straight at the iron sights. If you had a low mounted scope, you could use this quite easily with little compromise in cheek weld. I have a Vortex Razor HD red dot sight mounted on mine, which, unfortunately, means added height to the optic. However, this doesn’t bother me because, with its unlimited eye relief, I can have my head just about anywhere on the stock and still have an accurate sight picture.
Solid construction
The Boyds stock is not only solidly made with highly advanced resins, but it feels more substantial when you’re shouldering or handling the rifle. The forend fits an adult male hand well, unlike many skinny stocks, where your fingers will wrap around onto the barrel if you’re not careful. It’s also beefier at the butt end. This is in contrast to the original skinny grip that would have been perfect for gloved hands in the trenches, but not user friendly for acquiring a positive grip in the hot bush and forest we often hunt in.
The slight increases in length, width and girth, add up to a much better length of pull and trigger/bolt manipulation characteristics, without increasing the overall length by much at all.
Choice
If you’re pulling apart an old rifle like this to do something special, why not make it truly one-of-a-kind? From the standard colours offered by Boyds, the Pepper laminate is a sexy rendition. Black and charcoal – it modernises any firearm, while still retaining the warmth of wood. There is also a straight walnut stock if that’s your preference.
The ‘Scale’ laser engraved chequering adds aesthetic appeal, visual depth, and enhanced grip characteristics.
I chose a Zombie Hunter custom colour for an extra US$16.50, and my rifle stands out like no other. It’s an attention grabber at the range, and it just looks freaking cool. It’s one of those guns you want to take out and shoot, regardless of whether you’re actually working on a load or hunting or just plinking. I might burn through a lot more ammo just because she looks ‘cool’, but that’s okay. Not to mention, everyone else wants a go at it, too!
I also asked for some chequering on the stock, specifically the ‘Scale’ pattern. It’s laser engraved, and absolutely perfect. It adds some extra grip (of course), but also adds depth to the appearance of the rifle. There are a couple other options to choose from as well.
While you’re at it, you could also look at a custom finish, or a different butt pad option to tame your heavy-hitting wildcat magnums.
Negatives
Hey, nothing’s perfect, and there always have to be some negatives.
My only regret on this build (regarding the stock) is not having sling swivel studs, as a sling will be essential for crashing through some of our heavy NZ bush. However, I’m sure Boyds would have included some had I actually thought to ask. Not to worry, I do have some spare, but that’s definitely something I’ll think about next time. More a mistake on my part than a negative with the stock.
There is one negative, and again, it’s not actually a fault of the Boyds Field Design Stock: It’s the rifle. There is no way on God’s green earth that you will have a perfect fit. Unless you own the Boyds’ house action that they model their stocks off.
There is so much variation in fit, quality and manufacturing tolerances between these old war time rifles, that I can almost guarantee some work for you with sandpaper and a file or two, no matter what brand of gun stock you choose. However, if you’re restoring or upgrading any milsurp rifle, this should be something you expect along the way, so don’t let this put you off.
If hard work is not your cup of tea, there are plenty of modern actions that are very uniform and require little-to-no work to customise. Thankfully, Boyds makes stocks for those rifles, too!
Conclusion
At the end of the day, I’ve found (once again) that the Boyds product is a substantial improvement on the original stock that came on the gun. Not only this, but dollar for dollar, I can’t imagine another aftermarket stock coming close.
The customisation options offered by Boyds are a real bonus for anyone looking to increase the appeal of their old shooter, and the standard options are plenty for those who don’t like drawing too much attention to themselves or those who are watching their budget.
Would I buy it again? Yes. And I guess that’s the highest recommendation someone can give after thoroughly testing a product.
We truly live in the golden age of civilian firearm innovation. As various shooting sports gain popularity around the world for their challenging formats and supportive communities, manufacturers have been given the feedback and audience required to push their product lines ever-further.
While shooting sports and hunting have always benefited from advances in military tech, we’ve now reached (and well passed) the tipping point where armed forces personnel look to the likes of PRS and 3Gun competitions to evaluate equipment they would not otherwise have come across. In this recent interview with Kerry from The Gearlocker, the 6.5 guys describe how the lack of gear restrictions in PRS-style shoots becomes a wealth of knowledge for military and LE types.
Here are 3 very recent new product announcements from some of my favourite manufacturers.
Vortex “Huey”
Vortex Optics has recently announced the UH-1, which they’ve affectionately nicknamed the Huey. It’s a holographic optic in its own class. The release in their VIP newsletter describes the UH-11 as having fewer moving parts than your average holo sight, increasing reliability, as well as a near elimination of forward signature of the illuminated reticle – a first for this type of sight.
Loving that camo look? One of the Vortex staffers performed a spray can overhaul on this optic. Image credit: Vortex Optics.
The reticle itself is the new EBR-CQB. The term CQB and the feature of being near invisible to anyone/anything forward of the shooter hints that this sight is more suited to military and LE applications. This is one of those situations where battlefield considerations lead to the development of an optic that many civvy shooters would love to own for multigun style competitions, or even just for fun.
I also love the fact that it can use rechargeable batteries and has an onboard charger port. These are the kinds of user-focused features that most manufacturers would put in the ‘too hard basket’.
If you want to read more about this product, or any new announcements from Vortex, make sure to subscribe to their newsletter.
Boyds stocks for the Howa 1500 Mini
Earlier this year Howa released a ‘mini’ action, for shorter-than-short-action calibres. While this is limiting for some who might want to rebarrel down the line, it’s a boon for those who want to save weight, decrease bolt throw and action length, and increase reliability for their smaller cartridges in a dedicated platform. To those who think a rebarrel may be in the cards – get yourself a standard short action or long action!
Which would you pick? The Varmint Thumbhole in Pepper laminate would be my choice. Image credit: Boyds Gunstocks
The problem with introducing a brand new, and very unique, action length and profile, is that even though shooters may be familiar with the 1500 platform, aftermarket manufacturers have nothing to support the product any longer.
Thankfully, Boyds Gunstocks is forever expanding their range of stocks to upgrade your favourite hunting or competition rifle. The latest announcement concerns the Howa 1500 Mini;
“The Howa 1500 Mini was released in March 2016. Boyds now makes gunstocks for this hot little beauty in all three of its barrel configurations: The Lightweight barrel, which is a #1 contour; the Heavy barrel, which is a #6 contour; both at 20 inches; and the Standard barrel, which is a #2 hunting contour at 22 inches in length.”
Boyds has made sure that all of our favourite stock designs are available; Classic, Featherweight Thumbhole, Heritage, Platinum, Prairie Hunter, Pro Varmint, and Varmint Thumbhole designs. And for those of you that always get left behind with new product development (yes, I’m talking about left-handed shooters), don’t worry, Boyds has you covered too with many LH options as well.
If you’re reading this, wishing Boyds made something for your obscure rifle, check out their website, it’s all there. And if you can’t find it, use the product request form to ask them to consider your action for their next product development.
To keep up-to-date with the latest happenings from Boyds, make sure to subscribe to their mailing list using the form on their website, or hop onto their Facebook page.
Lapua brass for 6.5 Creedmoor
Last, but not least, the 6.5 Creedmoor has gained enough ground swell for Lapua to consider it as a worthy cartridge for their premium brass.
Small primers and flash holes FTW. Image credit: Nammo Lapua
This doesn’t just mean high quality brass for those riding the Creemoor train, but also brass with precision shooting in mind. Lapua has developed its Creedmoor brass in line with its other target brass, including their popular .308 Win. Palma brass, in that it has a small rifle primer and a non-standard smaller flash hole of 1.5mm as opposed to the standard 2mm. Lapua claims this aids in consistent ignition of powder and more accurate down-range performance.
All you 6.5 Creed fans can expect to get your mitts on some shiny new Lapua brass early in 2017. You can read more about this latest Lapua product release here.
