Vintage stalking rifles

Uinseann_16

Hi all ive been thinking of keeping my 6.5 for target use only and getting a older sporter for deer shooting as a 14lb rifle aint that fun at times
Budget is low as possible and more than likely will be imported from the UK
The ground i shoot on is highly varied from lowland to upland to dense brush just about a bit of everything and i personally dont shoot past 300 yards
My current ideas are a lee enfield sporterised or
An old mauser 98 style action BSA or midland gun company in 7x57 or .270
Also been looking at some parker hale safari rifles
My inspiration for this little idea was probably watching too many episodes of the nearly perfect safari rifle on midwayUSAs youtube channel
https://www.gunstar.co.uk/parker-hale-safari-bolt-action-243-rifles/rifles/1132369#

Richard308

Agree watching videos like this can turn into an expensive watch.

Uinseann_16

parker hale safari would only run you 150-200 pound sterling, 350 euro? by the time its here leaves money for work and optics...:D

cookimonster

'7×57mm Mauser designated as the 7mm Mauser also known as .275 Rigby'

Now that's on my bucket list, but as far as I know getting ammo here would be hard. Anyone out there using said calibre for hunting on this fair isle?

Have a look here :

A BSA Majestic Featherweight .270 1960

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=102678833?

I use this for hill stalking, but have taken plenty of woodland deer, the odd boar and wild goat.

I orginaly paired it with a 8x56 S&B, then lightened it up with a 6x44 Pecar Berlin Champion. Despite the woeful bang off it you'll still drop a hind and calf on the hill with it.

Maybe not quite what you want, but it makes me look for the tweeds instead of the gortex!

Uinseann_16

cookimonster wrote: »

'7×57mm Mauser designated as the 7mm Mauser also known as .275 Rigby'

Now that's on my bucket list, but as far as I know getting ammo here would be hard. Anyone out there using said calibre for hunting on this fair isle?

Have a look here :

A BSA Majestic Featherweight .270 1960

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=102678833?

I use this for hill stalking, but have taken plenty of woodland deer, the odd boar and wild goat.

I orginaly paired it with a 8x56 S&B, then lightened it up with a 6x44 Pecar Berlin Champion. Despite the woeful bang off it you'll still drop a hind and calf on the hill with it.

Maybe not quite what you want, but it makes me look for the tweeds instead of the gortex!

Sellier and Bellot make 7x57 so it should be possible! as does ppu and norma afaik:D

Uinseann_16

https://www.guntrader.uk/guns/rifles/bsa/bolt-action/270/180425143625004


Heres a beautiful old .270 for only £250

Sika98k

cookimonster wrote: »

'7×57mm Mauser designated as the 7mm Mauser also known as .275 Rigby'

Now that's on my bucket list, but as far as I know getting ammo here would be hard. Anyone out there using said calibre for hunting on this fair isle?

Yup, I’ve had a 7x57 for a few years, does everything the 6.5x55 does but a little better. Maximum bullet weight is 175 grains. 140 grains are your classic weight. However for my purposes I prefer the 175’s.
American ammunition is pretty anaemic. Same reasons as American 6.5x55 is downloaded. European manufacturers produce better ammo.

tudderone

I had a Parker Hale midland in .22-250 as a poor apprentice, could not afford much else. It was the time when rifles above .22 were legalised for deer stalking. Everyone was getting rid of the .22 centrefires, and they could be bought for peanuts. I picked out the midland for £90.

Redone the stock with Danish oil, cleaned up the bluing with fine steel wool and 3 in 1 oil and it was a nice rifle for very little money.

Loved it and sadly sold it on when something else caught my eye.

I think they were built on Santa Barbera mauser actions, and the barrels which Parker Hale made themselves were excellent too.

To use something like a Martini single shot in .450 would be great fun, you don't need a 5k rifle with a 2k high end German scope to knock deer at 80 yards.


https://gundeal.co.uk/parker-hale-bolt-action-rifle-.308-.rifles-for-sale-5829

cookimonster

Yup, I’ve had a 7x57 for a few years, ....

Where are you getting the ammo for it?

Sika98k

cookimonster wrote: »

Where are you getting the ammo for it?

A few of us asked an RFD to get some. He imported a goodly amount of PPU FMJ and softpoint. A lot of ringing around has unearthed small supplies in some of the older dealers. Generally have to blow the dust and cobwebs off the boxes !

tudderone

Sika98k wrote: »

A few of us asked an RFD to get some. He imported a goodly amount of PPU FMJ and softpoint. A lot of ringing around has unearthed small supplies in some of the older dealers. Generally have to blow the dust and cobwebs off the boxes !

What a pity, it is such a historic round, the Boers knocking the tar out of the British in south Africa with it. It seems a lot of these rounds got it right from the first, the .30-06, 7 x 57, 6.5 x 55, 7.5 x 55 etc.

cookimonster

Sika98k wrote: »

A few of us asked an RFD to get some. He imported a goodly amount of PPU FMJ and softpoint. A lot of ringing around has unearthed small supplies in some of the older dealers. Generally have to blow the dust and cobwebs off the boxes !

Ahh, I had a feeling it would be mil spec stuff. Can you get hunting ammo for it here such as :

https://www.countydeerstalking.co.uk/Blog/7x57mm-mauser-275-rigby-calibre-review.html

Not really a runner if you can't get hunting ammo altough it's seeing some renewal in the UK will it be a hand loaders jem while it fizzles out on the manufacturers market?

Sika98k

cookimonster wrote: »

Ahh, I had a feeling it would be mil spec stuff. Can you get hunting ammo for it here such as :

https://www.countydeerstalking.co.uk/Blog/7x57mm-mauser-275-rigby-calibre-review.html

Not really a runner if you can't get hunting ammo altough it's seeing some renewal in the UK will it be a hand loaders jem while it fizzles out on the manufacturers market?

Just taking this up again after a long interlude. Yes, you can get hunting ammunition for the 7x57 in this country. Lakeland’s currently have some Remington 140gr CoreLokts in stock. There’s only about 10 7x57s in the country. A small but dedicated following

cookimonster

https://youtu.be/sJEeMO76Xpg

Nice examples of what could be done if ammo was a bit more readily available. The carbine looks cool.

tudderone

Anyone using a military surplus rifle for deer stalking ? Old lee enfields, mosins, mausers ?

Feisar

tudderone wrote: »

Anyone using a military surplus rifle for deer stalking ? Old lee enfields, mosins, mausers ?

I was thinking about a sporterized Enfield as I scrolled down.

cookimonster

If you want something to tickle your fancy try this old girl

https://mcbrides.ie/collections/guns/products/cz-550

This CZ in 6.5x68 will cost you a pretty penny to wine and dine her but there won't be too many in the province let alone your county toting one.

Chiparus

tudderone wrote: »

Anyone using a military surplus rifle for deer stalking ? Old lee enfields, mosins, mausers ?

Had a sporterised swedish mauser, sorry I ever sold it

Limerick Sovereigns

tudderone wrote: »

Anyone using a military surplus rifle for deer stalking ? Old lee enfields, mosins, mausers ?

I use a Number 4 Mark 1* Lee Enfield.