I would like to know if anyone here ever hunted with it? if so which one? i am thinking about buying one for hunting Deer and maybe hogs.So would someone get some input.

I have only gone plinking with my 30.06 MR221. It's handling qualities at the range gave no impression that it would give any issues hunting other than fast reloads are not possible due to rimless cartridge and a tendency to close just a touch on its own preventing a cartridge from being yanked past the face. Other than that it shoulders well, points nicely and after a thorough cleaning of the action the triggers are now acceptable. Oh, the comb is a little high but most of my shooting exp is from wire stocked AK's so I'm used to not getting a perfect cheekweld.

i have the 45-70 and well pleased with it. i hunt deer with it and dont have a problem with it. mine is scoped with a 4 power scope. also the scope rail on the rifle is 11mm the mt with rings are available from pyramyd air. [866] 553- 2705 the cost appr. $20.00 regards

I have one in 45-70 SxS. Have had the triggers worked over, have a Nikon 1-4x20 in 11mm mount on it and have FINALLY gotten it regulated with Rem 405 JFP at about 1750fps. Took a long time to sort out the regulation. Have it shooting barrel width apart with left barrel about an 1 1/2" high at 50 yds and each barrel grouping about an 1 1/2" each. Biggest problem was getting the vertical regulation sorted out. Going to try it at 100 yds this weekend and if both barrels together shoot into a 4" combined circle at 100 yds I'll be happy.

Haven't hunted with it YET - but it is going with me in a few weeks to Namibia for PG.

quote:

Originally posted by m3taco:
Biggest problem was getting the vertical regulation sorted out.
Haven't hunted with it YET - but it is going with me in a few weeks to Namibia for PG.

I have a .30-06 and just got the right barrel regulation sorted out last saturday. I brought a set of automotive feeler gauges with me and a pair of scissors. Shot the left barrel (which is fixed) then the right. L/R regulation was SPOT ON. Right barrel was about 8" high at 100m. I slipped a .030 feeler guage between the top of the right barrel and the barrel band. Shot it again. Luckily, it was teh exact right amount. Dead next to each other at 100m (have to shoot at 100m, stupid range rules.) Pulled the feel gauge out a bit, used the scissors to cut it off and pushed it back under the barrel band with the scissors. Shot it again, still spot on! Btw, thats with the crappy iron sights.

Once it was grouping well, the groups were now about 8" too low. Used my Leatherman to screw the fore sight down a couple of turns. Shot it again, about 1" low. Gotta love those mad Russians. Crude, but dang if it doesn't just work!

I've ordered a aperature sight for a Marlin that is adjustable and am going to replace that crappy rear sight. Now that it shoot generally where it should, its going to the gunsmith get the GAWD AWFUL triggers lightened up, smooth up the extraction (cases stick slightly sometimes, and about 2" added to the stock (I'm 6'2" and its a short stock)

M3taco, keep us informed on your hunt, PICS appreciated, and good luck!!

I'm thinking the .ought six might be a good candidate for a .375 or .411 Hawk someday

Most of my regulation issues were...shooter induced. I couldn't or at least didn't settle on a load combination until a few months ago.

Once I decided on the powder, projectile,case and primer combo and STAYED with it, it only took a couple of session at the range.

The 405 Rem JFP was selected because it was inexpensive in bulk quantities and the weight. The powder is H4198 mostly because I use a lot of it and have a lot of it on hand. The charge is basically a max load BUT still staying under the max chamber pressure (32000HST) on the side of the chamber. Best I could figure out, 32000HST is about the same a 28000PSI.

I used the REM 405's a couple of years ago in my 450 Marlin lever on PG with max 450 lever load for PG. Chrono'd at about 2000fps. They were being pushed way too fast - the jackets were totally separating and the cores were flattening out to the size of a quarter. Figure at the reduced 1750 velocity the impact velocity at 75-100 yds should be at or under 1500fps and more inline with the designed velocities.

One of the....peculiarities of the rifle's design is the break open action. As owners know, once you brake the action open and down to re-cock the firing pins, the action springs back to a half open/half closed position. Best I could figure out was that they felt this was maybe a purposely designed in safety feature. You can carry the rifle cocked with rounds in the chamber and the action still open without the rounds falling out. My action springs where so tight that I had to hold the action open to load/reload. The problem is, as owners know, it sometimes feels like you need three hand to reload - two to hold the action open and one to deal with the cartridges.

While the gunsmith was working over the triggers he worked the cocking action over too. Now, once you break the action open all the way and re-cock, the barrels will stay fully open under their own weigh. Once you load/reload, a little upward pressure and the barrels will return to the half open position for loaded carry if that is what is wanted under the particular circumstances. I also left the factory safety as it is. Mostly because of where we hunt in Namibia involves climbing around a lot of kopjes and brush and didn't want to take a chance of having the action accidentally close and a trigger get caught in the brush. I know the odds are 1:1,000,000 but......

I don't know if they all have the same recoil pad on them but mine has a series of round holes that partially passed through from side to side. Guess I should say "had". Didn't replace the pad - all I did was use a drill bit the same diameter of the holes and drill them all the way through the pad. It now feels very similar to the Limbsavers I have on other rifles.

Ref converting to other/larger calibers....don't know this for a "fact" but I wonder if that may have been a contributing factor to Rem stopping the association with them. The chambers and barrels on the 45-70 are pretty thin and I think the 28K psi limit would limit what you could do with them and Rem didn't want to deal with the liability.

After two years of work, I'm very pleased with mine - light weight, fun as hell to shoot, cheap to shoot and should be a good way for a poor man to enjoy the "double rifle in Africa" experience.