The mesquite added a lot of weight - 10.8 lbs without scope. The good news - recoil is mice nuts. I carried it for 10 days and when I got home my Tikka T3 lite in 308 seemed like a match stick!

Never mind the rifle, the cartridge obviously performed well

Seriously, a very nicely finished rifle and a credit to your skills.

What loading are you using in the 404?

The rifle came out great, you are a real craftsman/artist. Nice trophies too.

That thing is magical and using it on a safari is more so.

I have a couple actions laying around, in hopes of doing something similar in 2016.

quote:

Originally posted by fla3006:
The rifle came out great, you are a real craftsman/artist. Nice trophies too.

John Reese did an awesome job on the checkering. Lots of hard work by me on the rest of the stock. The mesquite did not like planes! Used a lot of cabinet making rasps, mainly 49 and 50 profiles and even a horse hoof rasp!

The bottom metal is from Duane. I used a modified factory magazine. I've been thinking about doing my own magazine from scratch because I could easily get 5 rounds down instead of the current 4 if I got the internal width correct. I was planning on finishing a piece of hard oak to the internal shape of the mag I need and either forming some thin stainless steel around it or using it as a form and building out the gap between the current epoxy bedding and the form for the right dimensions. TBD.

If you build a new magazine out of thin metal, reinforce the front with some 0.080" to 0.125" steel. The bullets noses will batter the front of the magazine concave and start to hang up on the bottom of the feed ramp.

Common issue that I have seen on big bores with thin metal magazines. CZ's seem to have this issue.

Jeremy

Austin Hunter, your rifle looks wonderful! I was wondering the origin of the bolt release?

Also, whats the advantage of the detachable recoil pad? I initially wondered why you complicated the grinding jig, but then I read the caption and it makes perfect sense!

Great Build, I've watched it from the start, I have used burl Mesquite for knife handles and for-end tips. My friend Clyde Fischer built mesquite stocks in the late 70's early 80's. He was from Victoria. Here on my Place I have several Large Mesquites that I would trade to someone for a few(2-3) good blanks. These trees are 2-3 foot Diameter. I would want the small stuff for cooking Brisket tho...

quote:

cooksey: My friend Clyde Fischer built mesquite stocks in the late 70's early 80's. He was from Victoria.

Don Dobratz was another "master of mesquite" from Victoria (actually Telferner). Don't know if he is still around, mainly worked for a few select customers.

quote:

Originally posted by 724wd:
Austin Hunter, your rifle looks wonderful! I was wondering the origin of the bolt release?

Also, whats the advantage of the detachable recoil pad? I initially wondered why you complicated the grinding jig, but then I read the caption and it makes perfect sense!

It's a standard Enfield bolt release cut off and the spring steel returned back on itself. I think Nick Hughes here on AR makes some new bolt releases from scratch that are really snazzy.