Working Gun
Here is my new toy. It is a Montana Rifleman 1999 barreled action in 6.5 Swedish, with a McMillan stock. The rifle is blued steel finished in Guncoat. On top is a set of quick detachable Leopold mounts, a VXIII 2-8 power, backed up by a William’s rear site and a fiber optics front post. The gun was built by Bits of Pieces in BC.
My goal was to have a working gun for life in Canada’s north. The 6.5 Swedish is very popular in the eastern Arctic. It is used on everything from caribou to seal. With FMJ bullets it is respected for its excellent penetration on whales. I selected the scope for caribou hunting, and possibly musk ox. The quick detachable mounts are suppose to hold zero when the scope is removed, allowing me to switch to iron sites easily. With iron sites, I can take the rifle with me hiking on the tundra, for use as a bear and wolf defensive weapon.
I know that many people prefer a ghost ring and post combination for a scout-type rifle. But I have tried pep sites before on the tundra and the glare from snow makes it very difficult to focus. My bubby noted the same thing. Your eyes water from the glare and soon you cannot see clearly enough to shoot.
I did not select stainless steel for two reasons. Barry from Bits and Pieces told me that it is better to have blue steel in extreme cold. Also, a very experienced Inuit hunter told me that stainless barrels give erratic performance in temperature below-30 Celsius. After a few rounds are fired, shots begin to spread out markedly as the barrel heats. While stainless is ok for one or two shots, the groups will allegedly open up to an unacceptable level with repeated fire. If you are hunting a number of caribou, you may only be able to dispatch one or two before your rifle loses its accuracy. I have never tested this theory, but I trusted the judgment of the man who recommended against stainless.
I must say that Bits of Pieces put it together very well. The action is extremely smooth, and the rifle shoulders beautifully. With either iron or optical sites, it points perfectly leading to instant target acquisition. I expect the 140 grain round, even at modest velocity, will be sufficient to dispatch both polar bears and wolves at close range.
When I first saw it, I felt it was lacking in finesse. I have another Bits of Pieces rifle that is far more pleasing to the eye. But the utilitarian design has grown on me and it is now quite appealing. It is utterly functional and the Guncoat finish and fiberglass stock gives it a military bearing, much like the original AR180 had. It is simple, even crude, but entirely effective.
Big
Here is my new toy. It is a Montana Rifleman 1999 barreled action in 6.5 Swedish, with a McMillan stock. The rifle is blued steel finished in Guncoat. On top is a set of quick detachable Leopold mounts, a VXIII 2-8 power, backed up by a William’s rear site and a fiber optics front post. The gun was built by Bits of Pieces in BC.
My goal was to have a working gun for life in Canada’s north. The 6.5 Swedish is very popular in the eastern Arctic. It is used on everything from caribou to seal. With FMJ bullets it is respected for its excellent penetration on whales. I selected the scope for caribou hunting, and possibly musk ox. The quick detachable mounts are suppose to hold zero when the scope is removed, allowing me to switch to iron sites easily. With iron sites, I can take the rifle with me hiking on the tundra, for use as a bear and wolf defensive weapon.
I know that many people prefer a ghost ring and post combination for a scout-type rifle. But I have tried pep sites before on the tundra and the glare from snow makes it very difficult to focus. My bubby noted the same thing. Your eyes water from the glare and soon you cannot see clearly enough to shoot.
I did not select stainless steel for two reasons. Barry from Bits and Pieces told me that it is better to have blue steel in extreme cold. Also, a very experienced Inuit hunter told me that stainless barrels give erratic performance in temperature below-30 Celsius. After a few rounds are fired, shots begin to spread out markedly as the barrel heats. While stainless is ok for one or two shots, the groups will allegedly open up to an unacceptable level with repeated fire. If you are hunting a number of caribou, you may only be able to dispatch one or two before your rifle loses its accuracy. I have never tested this theory, but I trusted the judgment of the man who recommended against stainless.
I must say that Bits of Pieces put it together very well. The action is extremely smooth, and the rifle shoulders beautifully. With either iron or optical sites, it points perfectly leading to instant target acquisition. I expect the 140 grain round, even at modest velocity, will be sufficient to dispatch both polar bears and wolves at close range.
When I first saw it, I felt it was lacking in finesse. I have another Bits of Pieces rifle that is far more pleasing to the eye. But the utilitarian design has grown on me and it is now quite appealing. It is utterly functional and the Guncoat finish and fiberglass stock gives it a military bearing, much like the original AR180 had. It is simple, even crude, but entirely effective.
Big
