For many years in the safe.

12 June 2005, 01:55

Roland1

For many years in the safe

Bought it , put it in the safe, sometimes on a wintry night, I took beauty out of the safe and sited her on a stand close to the open fire place, mesmerized by her splendor combined with the reflection and smell of burning wood, I was wondering about her real role. In my heart I new that Darwin Hensley did not craft her to be a safe queen.

Past week I took beauty to the range; she impressed and rewarded me with sub-moa groups, making up my mind. I know she will hunt this year.

Darwin Hensley â€“ Exhibition French Walnut - Winchester Pre 64 .338 Win Mag

Just sharing,
Roland

12 June 2005, 02:12

browningguy

Well that's not a bad looking rifle, and while I'm pretty sure it was meant to hunt with I can understand the desire just to look at it.

How does that butt plate feel when shooting on the bench?

12 June 2005, 02:21

Smoker*

Hey Roland1,

Keep it out of the safe! Whatever you hunt with that cannon will be so impressed with its beauty, you won't have to shoot...the beast will die from visual delight!!!

Good Shooting,

Smoker

12 June 2005, 02:41

fusino

Beautiful rifle!

12 June 2005, 02:54

mudstud

WOW!

12 June 2005, 04:14

Thomas Jones

Speechless !
Is Mr hensly still in buisness? and how can he be reached? great cartridge and My favorie action to build on. I have a 1953 featherweight I am thinking of having done into probably a .257 Roberts ack imp. Probably out of my price range but at least worth asking ...tj3006

12 June 2005, 04:26

458RugerNo1

That's a beauty! Shoot and enjoy it!

My guns are tools, beautiful precision tools. I don't baby them - I don't abuse them by any means, but they get used and enjoyed or I don't keep them around long most of the time. Mine all soon show their silver-worn appearance and have little dings here and there, but they live a life outdoors and go places with me daily. Living in the country I rarely walk outside without grabbing a favorite rifle in the event I run into a coyote, predator, marauding mongrel dogs, etc. A shot at one of these now and then keeps you on your toes and keeps your edge. This is Mtn Lion country also and I've had to deal with one in the past that was an aggressor, so I've learned that lesson to not be out of reach of something that goes Boom.

12 June 2005, 20:46

ForrestB

Roland, admit it, it's the steel butt-plate that keeps you from shooting her.

Actually, a very nicely done rifle. It looks like the metal work is mostly original. Is that the case? Darwin did a great job on that one. I hope it sees some good use this year.

12 June 2005, 20:58

Savage99

Roland,

That's a spectacular rifle. Your house seems very fine as well. Show us more guns.

Forrest has some really nice guns too.

12 June 2005, 22:13

fla3006

Beautiful rifle, unusual wood grain, flat-sawn?.

12 June 2005, 23:30

Brad

It's beautiful but with a steel butt is designed to hang on a wall, not be shot... I'd get that changed!

13 June 2005, 01:03

Roland1

More,

Dale Goens - .338 Win Mag - FN action

Carl Gunther - .375 H&H - Winchester Pre 64 - 1953 Super Grade - The most accurate rifle I own .29 Moa 3 shot group - Consistently .45 Moa

Gary Goudy -Exhibition Turkish Circassian Walnut - .375 H&H - Winchester Pre 64 - 1953 Super Grade

John Bolliger - .375 H&H - Winchester - 2000

Just sharing,
Roland

13 June 2005, 01:32

Savage99

I like those stocks with the black streaks in them. Others like fiddleback are great too. Thanks for the pictures.

As to the steel buttplates they do look nice and can be shot. All military rifles have steel plates for instance. At the range one can slip a pad on. When I started out all guns had steel or metal plates. Those vaunted pre 64 M70's had steel plates and the Featherweights had aluminum ones. Later some had plastic.

Here is the best streaked stock that I have. I know it's only a factory gun but in person this rifle looks good.

13 June 2005, 02:21

Brad

quote:
As to the steel buttplates they do look nice and can be shot. All military rifles have steel plates for instance. At the range one can slip a pad on. When I started out all guns had steel or metal plates. Those vaunted pre 64 M70's had steel plates and the Featherweights had aluminum ones. Later some had plastic.

Yeah, and it makes for flinching, bad shooting and lost game... the first part of your first sentence is the only reason to exist... "they look nice." It's a way to show off skill on an "art rifle." Steel butt plates lead to all sorts of other ill's like chipped/blown wood when dropped (as happens to real hunting rifles). No, I grew up shooting an 1897 12 ga with a steel plate... it's only for nostalgic masochist's, the utterly ignorant or both...

13 June 2005, 04:47

Atkinson

I would take wonderful gun to Africa, Alaska, and stick her in a saddle scabbard and hunt elk and mule deer..

If I owned Angelina Jolie, you can bet I wouldn't keep her in my closet, well I wouldn't have at one time! lol

13 June 2005, 05:04

schromf

I will make a case for steel butt plates. I usually hunt cool to cold weather. Usually very cold before dawn, but warms up during the day. So I wear lots of layers so I can add or peel them off over the day.

I like the quickness of steel with layer clothing, any rubber buttpad is slower, I haven't got a leather covered to compare to so untl I hunt one I have nothing to say. My steel pads are old military, or custom rifles in lighter calibers. My 7x57 doesn't really kick, and I would certainly do the same on a 6mm or 257 Roberts or a 250 Savage.

One last thing I really like on steel pads is a style thing. Some steel pads are a straight plate screwed to the Butt. THe type I like has a tang and rounds off the top edge of the Butt. Nothing to catch and always fast to the shoulder.

One last thing I "HATE" shotgun pads on rifles, There were a lot factory rifles that shotgun pads were standard. The Model 70 was one. If I am going to put on a pad its going to be a solid.

13 June 2005, 06:15

500grains

Roland,

Your Bolliger has to be the best .375 HH I have ever seen from any maker, bar none.

Congratulations on owning some of the finest custom rifles that money can buy!

13 June 2005, 06:46

fla3006

My vote also goes to the Bollinger.

13 June 2005, 06:58

Buster

Man, that's the stuff dreams are made of! You've got a fine collection there!

13 June 2005, 20:56

577NitroExpress

That is wood porn...

13 June 2005, 21:19

Glen71

quote:
Originally posted by Brad:
Yeah, and it makes for flinching, bad shooting and lost game... the first part of your first sentence is the only reason to exist... "they look nice." It's a way to show off skill on an "art rifle." Steel butt plates lead to all sorts of other ill's like chipped/blown wood when dropped (as happens to real hunting rifles). No, I grew up shooting an 1897 12 ga with a steel plate... it's only for nostalgic masochist's, the utterly ignorant or both...

Amazingly, I have never heard that pre-64 M70's cause flinching, bad shooting and lost game!

I have hunted the last 20 years with a 270 that has "eek" a steel buttplate. I don't shoot it with a t-shirt on, but I don't hunt in t-shirts. I am also neither a nostalgic masochist nor totally ignorant. You, sir, are entitled to your opinion as are we all. I personally would not want a steel buttplate on a 338, but I would not criticize someone else's choice to do so. Nor would I insult them.

13 June 2005, 21:51

Brad

I wasn't critisizing his choice, I was speaking to Savage 99... learn to read things in context.

14 June 2005, 03:29

mstarling

Woow ... talk about gun porn! Seems to give a lot of folks a "woodie."

(sorry, I just couldn't pass on that one.)

Just magnificent! I love the .375s. Congratulations on good taste and the wealth to exercise it.

14 June 2005, 04:45

I like that for sure !!

14 June 2005, 05:42

boom stick

gun porn...i'm blushing

16 June 2005, 07:44

Roland1

quote:
Originally posted by Roland1:
Thank you all,

Roland

16 June 2005, 19:04

<allen day>

Roland, that is a very beautiful rifle. I'm really impressed with the color and layout of the blank. It looks like and old piece of genuine French. And since it sounds like it shoots extremely well, you've really got it made!

I agree with Brad about the steel buttplate, though. One of my friends has a matched pair of fine custom Mausers in 270 Win. and 338 Win. Both have Biesen steel buttplates, and shooting the 338, especially with 250 gr. loads, is not exactly a pleasant experience. Form follows function, and I'd have a red 1" Pachmayr Decelerator on that .338 of yours if I owned it.

But, custom means just that -- CUSTOM

!

AD

16 June 2005, 21:03

JeffP

quote:
Originally posted by Atkinson:
If I owned Angelina Jolie, you can bet I wouldn't keep her in my closet, well I wouldn't have at one time!

Damn straight,ride her hard,put her away wet...
And hunt that rifle. lol

18 June 2005, 20:12

Frank Martinez

Hey Jeff, there aren't many who would live through the experience or be able to put her away at all. Geez I nearly had heart failure just looking at these beauties.
Frank

22 June 2005, 10:06

Roland1

quote:
Originally posted by ForrestB:
Roland, admit it, it's the steel butt-plate that keeps you from shooting her.

Actually, a very nicely done rifle. It looks like the metal work is mostly original. Is that the case? Darwin did a great job on that one. I hope it sees some good use this year.

ForrestB,

The action and bolt was completely reworked.
Forrest, you ought to know in Texas we donâ€™t care about steel butt-plates.

Thank you and good hunting.
Roland

22 June 2005, 17:15

ChopperGuy

quote:
gun porn...i'm blushing

Gun porn for the gun sluts here.....

______________________
Guns are like parachutes. If you need one and don't have one, you'll likely never need one again Author Unknown, But obviously brilliant.

If you are in trouble anywhere in the world, an airplane can fly over and drop flowers, but a helicopter can land and save your life. - Igor Sikorski, 1947

23 June 2005, 02:09

oldun

Roland,
The Bollinger is a wonderful rifle. Go shoot something with it.

23 June 2005, 04:02

Cal Sibley

Admittedly they are beautiful rifles, but a wall hanging rifle is defeating it's purpose, no matter how pretty. It took me many years to come around to this, but no one will appreciate them as much as I do so why not enjoy the weapon and get it into the field more. Besides it'll look even beter in outdoor daylight than it does in your gun room. Just one mans opinion. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

23 June 2005, 08:37

Harris

John Bolliger 375 H&H is exactly the rifle I have designed hundreds of times in my head.

gary Goudy 375 is also stunning.

Very nice collection there Roland.
Thanks for sharing
Harris