The DIY Hunter

Here are my 243 WSSM rifles, two stainless laminate varieties of Browning A-Bolt rifles and a Winchester Model 1885.

As you can see I really like Quake Claw rifle slings. A leather sling would look nicer on my Model 1885 but function wise, Browning Clincher or Quake Claw rifle slings are the best at keeping my rifle in place on my shoulder and I use them on every rifle I have.

 243 WSSM A-Bolt Stainless Laminate Hunter

243 WSSM, Browning A-Bolt Stainless Hunter Laminate with 22" barrel
 Bushnell Elite 3200 3-10x SA Scope

This rifle in my favorite for coyotes and deer when serious hiking is involved. It has a beautiful brown laminate stock and a short 22 inch barrel. It's a great small, light mountain rifle with pretty good range. Dallen my oldest son has taken a liking to it and used it to make one shot kills on his first mule deer buck, whitetail deer buck, bull elk and cow elk.

 243 WSSM A-Bolt Stainless Laminate Varmint

243 WSSM, Browning A-Bolt Stainless Varmint Laminate with 24" fluted barrel
 
Bushnell Elite 4200 4-16x Side Adjustable Objective Scope (How the rifle was Pre-2014)

This is my all-around rifle. I use it for just about anything. It has a beautiful gray laminate stock and a longer, thicker, 24 inch barrel. I also had the barrel deep fluted to shave some extra weight off this rifle and it looks really cool.

A-Bolt 243 WSSM Varmint Laminate with Adjustable Comb, 20 MOA EGW Rail and Vortex Viper PST Scope

In 2013-14 I did a few upgrades to my Varmint Laminate. It now has an adjustable comb, a 20 MOA EGW Rail with low Four Hole Skeleton Weaver rings and a Vortex Viper PST 6-24x50 MOA second focal plane scope. Because the 20 MOA picatinny rail places the scope higher I needed the comb raised to get proper eye, cheek alignment. I had Karl McKnight make the fully adjustable comb and add the extra length to the stock I need with a new recoil pad/spacer. Karl did a fine job! I like the look and especially the functionality.

A-Bolt 243 WSSM Varmint Laminate with Adjustable Comb A-Bolt 243 WSSM Varmint Laminate with Adjustable Comb

For ease in getting this stock to the gunsmith that is out of town, I just sent the stock. When I got the stock back the adjustable comb prevented the bolt from traveling enough to cycle the action. I should have been clear that I needed the action to cycle and make the cut short enough so that it would. Anyhow, a little trimming with a band saw, some sanding, some polyurethane and it works and looks great. The photos above show before and after I modified the comb to allow for the action to fully cycle.

 243 WSSM Winchester Model 1885

243 WSSM, Winchester Model 1885 with 28" barrel
 
Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24x AO Mil-Dot Scope

I love  Model 1885 rifles. They were John M. Browning's first firearm designed in 1878 that went into production as the Winchester Model 1885 and is still in production to this date. 

This rifle is my favorite for prairie dogs and rock chucks. It's a heavy rifle but it shoots bullets really and I mean really fast, thanks to the long 28 inch barrel. The Winchester 55g Ballistic Tip factory loads are clocking in at 4240 fps out of this rifle.

It may be a single shot but with a cartridge holder on the side of the stock I can still get off a follow-up shot pretty darn fast as you can see in my 243 WSSM Model 1885 Coyote Double article.

 

243 WSSM Rifles, Two Browning A-Bolts and a Winchester Model 1885 

This photo shows all three of my 243 WSSM rifles together to give a better size comparison.