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Here are a couple of pix of a recent Joe Smithson rifle in .300 H&H built on a Granite Mt Arms action for Mark Buchanan. The rifle features Smithson's propriatry detachable scope mounts and has been pig hunting in California, prairie dog shooting in South Dakota and will soon be on its way to Ethiopia for big game. For those not familiar, Mark Buchanan produces a series of very high caliber hunting videos in the "Death Series" (BigBoreProduction.com) the latest being "Death on the Savannah" about a Cameroon hunt that Joe was also on. They shot Savannah Buffalo and giant Lord Derby eland with a custom .416 Rigby.   ACGG Life Member, since 1985 | ||
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Quite the looker! But, Pasture Pooches ? | |||
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Field Testing!  ACGG Life Member, since 1985 | |||
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Beautiful rifle Michael J Michael J | |||
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That is a beautiful rifle. I know that it is the current trend, but I am always a bit put off by the rear sight being placed so far forward. Is Joe Smithson connected(related?) to Ted Blackburn? Jason "You're not hard-core, unless you live hard-core." _______________________ Hunting in Africa is an adventure. The number of variables involved preclude the possibility of a perfect hunt. Some problems will arise. How you decide to handle them will determine how much you enjoy your hunt. Just tell yourself, "it's all part of the adventure." Remember, if Robert Ruark had gotten upset every time problems with Harry Selby's flat bed truck delayed the safari, Horn of the Hunter would have read like an indictment of Selby. But Ruark rolled with the punches, poured some gin, and enjoyed the adventure. -Jason Brown | |||
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I like Marks photo better, not as washed out. Very Nice Rifle!!! _____________________ Steve Traxson | |||
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Delicious!  ...thats built using an Std.lengthMagnum receiver, yes?What does a set of those QD rings cost? | |||
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Joe smithson's rifles look really nice.I like the shape of his stocks and how the whole rifle comes together. | |||
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I like the nitrate blued accent pieces. Nice rifle. Terry -------------------------------------------- Well, other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play? | |||
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beautiful!! I LOVE the lines of that stock. SDH or other builder correct me if I'm wrong but: it looks like that stock was setup for open sights, with that sexy drop to the comb. and the scope is real low, necessitated by that. so the rear sight has to be further forward to not interfere with sight picture? I'd be very happy to own it even chambered in 300 win! Red My rule of life prescribed as an absolutely sacred rite smoking cigars and also the drinking of alcohol before, after and if need be during all meals and in the intervals between them. -Winston Churchill | |||
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The rear sight is a few inches further forward than I would place it, but Mark shot that pig offhand with the sights so... I don't think there is any specific connection between Ted and Joe. I believe it is a standard action, Joe sells the rings and mount installed. Joe Smithson Glad you all like the rifle! ACGG Life Member, since 1985 | |||
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who did the stock work? | |||
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That boar has a nice set od dentures Mike Legistine actu? Quid scripsi?[/] [i] Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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The Brits knew a lot more about where to place an express sight than we do. And they usually put them well forward. Remember that you have to try to focus in three planes, target, front sight, rear sight. Your eyes can only focus on one at a time, and the closer together the sights are the quicker you can aim. Of course this could be carried to an absurdity by putting the express sight an inch behind the front sight ..... | |||
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Vigillinus is right on spot. John Taylor had a big issue with Rigby for placing the rear sight to far to the rear. This setup is a lot better for quick aiming than with the rear sight a few inches back. The difference of hunting rifles and wall hangers. But it is a very beautiful rifle, I specially applaude the scope set-up. Bent Fossdal Reiso 5685 Uggdal Norway | |||
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That is a magnificent rifle.  Thanks for posting the pix! Don | |||
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Nice! I always enjoy seeing custom rifle photo's - Thanks for posting them. | |||
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Love the stock shape, the barrel profile, the wood, the action and the mounts!!  Thanks for posting. GG | |||
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Dago, Joe Smithson did the stock work...and metal. Trax, I had Joe build a set for me with a removable low profile peep that fits in a Fisher grip cap. The rings bases and peep site were about $1,030. I understand the price has gone up since then. They are second to none in quality (fit and function) and return to zero is absolute. They are on a 416. | |||
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AF,Thanks for the info. | |||
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How sad for those two animals. I assume they fell off the mountainside, the cat chasing the horned one. Better off they had both been shot dead in an instant than to plummet those horrible seconds to the pavement below. I ain't no animal rights wacko. I love a thick sirloin grilled medium rare, but to see an animal suffer (as I think these did) hurts me inside. Hunting them is OK, but needless pain and suffering is not... | |||
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I have noticed the opposite to be true regarding rear sight placement on British big bores. [IMG]http://www.wasabiloco.com/416%20Rigby%20(3).JPG[/IMG]     Jason "You're not hard-core, unless you live hard-core." _______________________ Hunting in Africa is an adventure. The number of variables involved preclude the possibility of a perfect hunt. Some problems will arise. How you decide to handle them will determine how much you enjoy your hunt. Just tell yourself, "it's all part of the adventure." Remember, if Robert Ruark had gotten upset every time problems with Harry Selby's flat bed truck delayed the safari, Horn of the Hunter would have read like an indictment of Selby. But Ruark rolled with the punches, poured some gin, and enjoyed the adventure. -Jason Brown | |||
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Mother nature can be a Bitch! | |||
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I think the placement of those sights is more a matter of how Mauser delivered the barreled actions rather than any deliberate decision by the British gunmakers. If you scale the shank and radius from the reciever to the rear of the island band, it is pretty much the same distance as the Model A and Model B Mauser barrel profiles. "Experience" is the only class you take where the exam comes before the lesson. | |||
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Seems like I read here that as some owners aged they had the sights move farther forward. Sadly, I can relate. ------------------------------- Some Pictures from Namibia Some Pictures from Zimbabwe An Elephant Story | |||
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I stand corrected: The Smithson Rifle is in truth a .300 H&H! A much more interesting cartridge in my opinion.  I'm glad you all enjoyed the photos! Anyone enjoying custom rifles in the field would like the Big Bore Productions DVD "Bolted the Death" with 10 or 11 custom Mauser bolt rifles in Zimbabwe hunting dangerous and plains game. Smithson and Mike Roden of Granite Mt. Arms were along with Mark. A dozen Cape Buffalo and a bunch of plains game all taken with walnut & blued steel custom bolt rifles. Big Bore Productions Steve ACGG Life Member, since 1985 | |||
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just can not beat the price, quality, or nice guy factor, of the smithson rifles no shortcuts on any of it I can not find more well built guns Anyway it matters not, because my experience always has been that of---- a loss of snot and enamel on both sides of the 458 Win---- | |||
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Beautiful and magnificent, SDH! As we've come to expect from you. Regarding rear sight position, is an aperture or peep sight's utility affected as much with aging eyes? In other words, is a more rearward location better with them? | |||
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With an aperture sight, it is always best closest to the eye. Aging eyes can generally adapt better to a peep sight. as an option, Joe makes a very nice peep that goes in the rear scope base. ACGG Life Member, since 1985 | |||
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Regarding rear open sight placement: IMO vigillinus and Bent are correct, the more-forward placement is definitely better for aging eyes. If we disregard the rifle's appearance for a moment (!?) and concentrate solely on the optics, we find that the sight picture gradually becomes sharper as the rear open sight's distance from the eye is increased. This should come as no surprise since many of us are now old enough to have experienced the need for reading glasses at the closer distances, as well as our increasing difficulty in changing focus quickly. A very short conversation with even an amateur optician will quickly confirm this fact. There are still some smiths who insist upon building rifles strictly for looks rather than for best ergonomics and of course this is OK for the armchair enthusiast. But IMO not OK for a serious user. Just don't confuse (currently fashionable) good looks with proper design. And don't blindly accept other folks' opinions on good looks, either! I've seen some fearful turkeys that were touted as 'beautiful' when the most descriptive term should have been 'gaudy' or even worse, 'expensively low-class'! Regards, Joe __________________________ You can lead a human to logic but you can't make him think. NRA Life since 1976. God bless America! | |||
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Thank you, SDH. | |||
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You bet 1 shot! Oh! the one time a peep can be tooo far back it a bolt-peep folded down! BTW: I place open rear sights about 25" from the buttplate, give an inch or so either way for best appearance. Steve ACGG Life Member, since 1985 | |||
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Joe I more or less agree with the three of you, placing the rear sight further forward is better for aging eyes. I really like the the rifle in question, but the (very)short forend exaggerates the forward placement of the rear sight. SDH has great taste regarding proportions. His +- 25" rule is one for the books. I do wonder what the average rear sight distance was for British double rifles built during the early part of the last century. According to my measurements(from photos and catalogs) many double rifles had the rear sight placed about 6" ahead of the receiver face, and bolt rifles often had the rear sight less than 3" ahead of the receiver ring. I would guess that this would place them less than 20" from the butt-plate. I am not implying that this is the best option. I only point this out because these were rifles that were built with open sights as their only sighting option. They were state of the art for their time, and they were made to be used. Jason "You're not hard-core, unless you live hard-core." _______________________ Hunting in Africa is an adventure. The number of variables involved preclude the possibility of a perfect hunt. Some problems will arise. How you decide to handle them will determine how much you enjoy your hunt. Just tell yourself, "it's all part of the adventure." Remember, if Robert Ruark had gotten upset every time problems with Harry Selby's flat bed truck delayed the safari, Horn of the Hunter would have read like an indictment of Selby. But Ruark rolled with the punches, poured some gin, and enjoyed the adventure. -Jason Brown | |||
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Perhaps designed for younger eyes? | |||
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I wonder....this is the 21 st Century...contacts, laser surgery..If the guy can pay for a custom rifle, it's a pretty sure bet he can pay for necessary eye correction. I've almost never found a situation where the rear blade needs to be more than 5" in front of the receiver face. I am now building a 300 H&H..the fellow is 60+ and he specifies the rear blade 3"in front of the receiver face. Now perhaps he has unusually good eyesight, but he likes the longer radius. And he has sent numerous photos of English guns set up about the same way. There's no such thing as a "rule" | |||
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Duane, I would spend my money on a rifle before I would spend it on eye surgery.I can't afford both. Butch | |||
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Guys, The eye can only focus on one distance at a time even 6 inches is too great a distance such as on a 4 inch revolver for both front and rear sight to be "in focus". The time difference for the eye to switch focal distances between an object that is 12 inches away and an object that is say 32 inches away versus switching from 16 inches (because rear sight is further forward) and 32 inches is infinitesimal. Besides when using iron sights you don't keep switching focuses. You start on the target, the gun comes up the rear sight in focus, aligning the front sight, and then you lock focus on the front sight and the front sight stays the focal point. You don't switch back and forth. If for some reason you did need to switch back and forth then time is no longer of the essence. Mike Legistine actu? Quid scripsi?[/] [i] Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue. What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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3" in front of a Hagn receiver? or 5" in front of a magnum Mauser? Is that with a 13" or a 15" LOP? Geez that sight could be just about anywhere! Which surgery or contacts can correct loss of close vision, the typical vision change with aging? Never heard of the Golden Rule, eh? Best, Steve ACGG Life Member, since 1985 | |||
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I recently had new lenses installed in my eyes, so I'm an old guy with new eyes. I can see the rear sight, the front sight, and the target all at the same time now, after 30 years of being in "scope prison". To celebrate, I bought an older Marlin 336 in 30-30 and mounted a rear peep sight on it. No problem shooting accurately with it. Don | |||
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