Milsurp for hunting purposes?

P-14's are really nice - such an advanced small arm for their time - heavy as all get out though but who cares. I would imagine if she is sporterized, bedding would be like for a regular bolt action with a one piece stock but I don't really know for sure.

I know that bedding my bubba smle will probably involve bedding the rear face of the forend, bedding the 'draws', bedding the face where the wood contacts the bottom of the receiver, and probably bedding the knox form - recoil lug area, make sure the king screw bushing is exactly the right length, and play around with the middle forend band tension until it is just right - how much is a Stevens 200 nowadays? :p :p
 
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I like this thread.

When I bought my first "deer" gun, it was at a local auction. I came home with an AG-42B. I took deer with it for my first 2 seasons. I didn't buy it as a "collector" piece, but as an affordable deer rifle. That was 25 years+ ago...I was drawn to milsurps then as they were affordable (.303's could be had for 10 bucks).

Now they are collectable, doesn't mean they are less potent...I still have (among the gems) that 'ol Ljungman, and can't imagine ever parting with it.
 
people who complain about weight should stay out of the deer woods this year i hope to take my full military stocked martini henry in all of its 8.5lb glory after a moose spot and stalk
 
antiqueguy said:
people who complain about weight should stay out of the deer woods this year i hope to take my full military stocked martini henry in all of its 8.5lb glory after a moose spot and stalk
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8.5lbs isn't bad for a milsurp, I think my Garand is well over 10lb with a full clip and sling attached. It balances and carries very nicely despite that weight, though.


Mark
 
mmattockx said:
8.5lbs isn't bad for a milsurp, I think my Garand is well over 10lb with a full clip and sling attached. It balances and carries very nicely despite that weight, though.


Mark
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come out to a little more with a bayo(not really needed when hunting but helps hold the gun when taking a break),sling,leather stock pad to give me the length needed but biggest problem here is the nearly 3' of barrel try swinging that around in the woods of nothern ont
 
I took my M1917 out this year. Would I do it again? Probably not, because it was in too nice of shape, all matching, etc. to the point that I was far too concerned about the condition of the rifle. Once I have a bit of money to spend I intend to get a factory rifle I don't mind beating around a little bit.
 
Tinman204 said:
If you're a good shot like Smellie IS then yes hunting is like shopping! Also I know many Manitoban hunters that hunt with nothing more then an old lee enfield and some skill. Not everyone needs deer piss sprays, blinds and all of that crap.
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I used to live in Manitoba. Deer were running around like rats - basically 2 or 3 behind every bush! :)

It's kind of different here in BC.
 
1899 said:
I used to live in Manitoba. Deer were running around like rats - basically 2 or 3 behind every bush! :)

It's kind of different here in BC.
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Depends where you are in BC. I do wildlife damage claims on forage crops in the southern interior and I see as many or more deer than I ever did in SW MB. Whitetails have moved in big time in addition to the native mulies.
 
purple said:
Depends where you are in BC. I do wildlife damage claims on forage crops in the southern interior and I see as many or more deer than I ever did in SW MB. Whitetails have moved in big time in addition to the native mulies.
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Yeah, try and get permission on the private land where the whitetails hang out.
 
DaveMachine said:
I took my M1917 out this year. Would I do it again? Probably not, because it was in too nice of shape, all matching, etc. to the point that I was far too concerned about the condition of the rifle. Once I have a bit of money to spend I intend to get a factory rifle I don't mind beating around a little bit.
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I've owned both p14, and 17. Possibly the slickest bolt actions I've owned, and couldn't imagine a better rifle to knock bambi onto dinner plates. Very accurate, and certainly built to last! (soon to be 100)
 
I like milsurps for hunting, and use them all the time for "truck gun" type use.The fact that they were built to function in the worst possible conditions when people's very lives was on the line means most of them are extremely rugged and reliable. Your most commonly available milsurp calibers (6.5x55, 7x57, 7.5 swiss, 308, 30-06, 303, 7.62x54R, 8x57 etc) are all fine big game killers, and you can find decent hunting ammo for them commercially.
 
Northman999, you make a very good point as regards the ammunition.

I think it is no coincidence that those also are versatile rounds and are easy to handload for: no tricks, no triplex powder charges, no weird primers that you can only get from a little old man in the Black Forest. Just load 'em up and bang 'em off. AND, for cheap practise ammo, or for short-range medium-power loads, they ALL tolerate very well the Harris Universal Load...... which gives you decent ammo for 2 bucks a box.
 
I've shot a lot of game with all of the 7x57, .308, .30-06 and .303 using handloads and they all did the job supremely well. I recall hunting mule deer with a couple of friends who were using the then new 7mm Shooting Times Westerner with a 140gr Nosler BT over 78 gr of powder and boasting a muzzle velocity of 3500fps. I was shooting a 7x57 with the same bullet over 50 gr of powder with a muzzle velocity of 2800fps. They wondered if it was up to the job. They got a great big crash, boom, bang and a lot of shot up meat. My deer fell over just as quickly with a lot less damage.

The 7x57 with a 140 or 150gr bullet is an ideal all-round deer cartridge. The .303 Brit with either a 174 or 180gr round nose bullet is a super round for hunting in the bush. Good bullet placement at moderate ranges trumps the sound and fury of a magnum any time.
 
I've have an FN Mauser in 30-06 that's been in my family for three generations, my grandfather got it for a cord of wood a lot of years ago, and has taken more then it's fair share of deer & moose and continues to do so. The only rifles in my collection that have taken more game are my great grandfathers 1899's
 
shredder said:
Smellie, what is this "Harris Universal Load" you speak of???
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The Harris load is a reduced target/medium range load. It was perfected by C.E Harris and is considered to be a "universal load" in all millitary cartridges. The Harris load Is a cast bullet pushed by 13 grains of red dot powder. I'm no expert but from research I've done you get around 1700-1800 fps and enough power to drop small game at closer distances. The best part is these rounds can be loaded for under $2 a box!!!
 
I have a "brand new" '54 Faz (No4 Mk2) and that rifle is my new favorite hunting rifle. Very accurate, wood stock and ruggedly dependable. I use either 150's or 174 grain bullets. It has the ladder peep and is smokin' deadly to 300 yards. I know, ask the 'yote that wandered into that sweet skinny front sight. With the 174, it went down hard and the bullet exited with a moderate hole on the other side. I prefer my 243 for 'yotes, but that rifle sure impressed the heck outta me!
 
Harris specified a cast bullet in the 180-grain range was safe with his load and worked in any military-type rifle he tried it in..... and he had access to a LOT of different rifles.

You can apply gas-checks or not, depending upon your rifle. The load is slow enough that if your lead is fairly hard you will not NEED a gas-check, but some rifles want them anyway. Generally, the load will shoot better with the gas-check, even though that brings your ammo up to 10 cents a shot.

Friend Buffdog uses this as his gopher-sniping load out to 300 in his pet .303 but he can do that: he is bigger than me, nicer than me and he can even SEE a Gopher at that range!

If this current panic in the US eases off, I should have several more moulds coming in, so the coming Summer should be a lot of fun.
 
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