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HTC Rifle almost done!

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01 August 2010, 19:21
taylorce1
HTC Rifle almost done!
Well it is done for now anyway until I can get some more money put together to put some finishing touches on it.

Rich Riley of HTC installed the barrel and blue printed the action. Action is a Zastava 98 with set triggers. Barrel is a 26" SS Lilja #5 contour chambered in .25-06. Current scope is a 4-16X40AO Bushnell Elite 4200, I'm going to change out the rings and bases soon but couldn't have it naked for the pictures.

I got the call it was done enough to take out and hunt with in August of last year. This was the orginal stock I put on it. An exhibition grade Carlo Walnut second from Richards Microfit.


While trying to open up the barrel channel a little more before pronghorn season I ran into a problem with this stock. I had some grain run out and the stock broke in two right through the recoil lug area. I put out feelers on several forums to see if anyone had a spare stock I could buy and a poster by the name of Karnis on 24hr Campfire answered my plea. He sent me the stock for free, didn't even have to pay the shipping. With the help of Snellstrom I was able to get the barreled action inletted and bedded in time to hunt pronghorn. This is how it looked while I hunted last year.





After the season was over I returned the barreled action to Rich in December to send off for a black semi-gloss teflon finish. So over the winter I stripped the stock, added a Kick-Eez pad and refinished it and waited for Rich to give me a call to pick up my action. The action has been done for a few months but I couldn't get in to pick it up. Well I've got it back together now and other than getting some low rings and possibly some new bases I'm very happy with how it turned out. I sure do like the stock it is in know far better than the orginal.










I'd love to add a different bolt handle with some checkering work to it, a M70 style 3 positon safety and different bottom metal with the floor plate release in the bow. Right now however she will hunt for a few years before I'm able to add these things if I ever do as that will require a new stock for the bottom metal and I kind of like it the way it is.

Thanks for looking!
02 August 2010, 06:58
taylorce1






Got the scope mounted lower today but now my scope is only a 4-14 power. If I crank it to 16X I can't operate the bolt. Medium rings put it about the same height it was before. So I decided that I didn't need 16X power anyway.
02 August 2010, 17:59
22WRF
Very nice! A nice, honest, hunting Rifle.

Good luck hunting with it this year.
02 August 2010, 18:41
butchloc
typical richards quality
02 August 2010, 21:02
taylorce1
quote:
Originally posted by 22WRF:
Very nice! A nice, honest, hunting Rifle.

Good luck hunting with it this year.


Thanks, but this one will not be going out hunting this year. I built a couple of other rifles that I'll be using since I've been working with them the most for load developement. My pronghorn rifle this year is a Stevens 200 that I built in 6x47 and my deer and elk hunt will be handled by a 1917 .300 H&H.

I took a doe pronghorn last fall with this rifle using factory 100 grain Core-Lokt ammunition. I want to take my time building a load and wringing the long range potential out of this rifle.

Thanks for looking!
03 August 2010, 08:27
mauser93
I admire both your rifle and your tenacity.

Question, and PLEASE don't take this as some sort of implied criticism of calibre choice.

What do you hunt,in Colorado, with a 25.06? I know about hunting in wooded hills, and hardwood forest. I know nothing of mountain hunting.

Thanks.
03 August 2010, 15:05
taylorce1
quote:
Originally posted by mauser93:
I admire both your rifle and your tenacity.

Question, and PLEASE don't take this as some sort of implied criticism of calibre choice.

What do you hunt,in Colorado, with a 25.06? I know about hunting in wooded hills, and hardwood forest. I know nothing of mountain hunting.

Thanks.


I built this rifle mainly as a plains rifle. Where I grew up and still hunt in Eastern Colorado there are very few trees and a lot of sage brush and open prairie. I envisioned this rifle as mainly a pronghorn and mule deer rifle. I'd love to try it out long range on some coyotes and prairie dogs as well.