Well today my mission was to go shop for a new rifle for an upcoming Canadian deer hunt. All was well as I walked into the new Cabela's, I was to go to the gun counter, ask the salesperson to look at a Sako M75 and see if they had one chambered for 375 H&H or possibly 338 Win mag. (I have the idea in my head that I want to go to a more or less 1or 2 rifle battery for all my hunting) So I proceed and the counter guy says the only M75 I have would be the 338 in the stainless synthenic, I then handled the gun and it felt and looked ok, nothing spectacular.From the start I wanted to go with a "practical" rifle thus the Sako fit the bill. Ok I said,the M75 might just work or me, I then asked if there were anymore comparable guns on the rack and he said, try lookingat this and he handed me a Kimber 8400 Montana chambered in 325 WSM. Wow!!! what a sweet little mountain rifle it was, my only concern was that it weighs in at about 6lbs and must have ample recoil. At this time I was getting confused on my choices. I kept telling my self...practical, practical.....Then low and behold, sitting next to the synthetic/stainless Montana's were a few wood stocked 8400's.They were quite attractive sitting there all dressed up in there nice little claro walnut stocks........
Red, this is where you come in, after reading your post on "my last synthetic stocked rifle" I thought to myself, ol Red's crazy. My beliefs are that my firearms are indeed tools, not friends, I do have quite a few custom guns that I consider "go to" rifles both stainless/synthetic and fine wood stocked peices.I do admit that I dont mind getting out with them and using em, if they get scratched so be it, they are tools. Yes, some do have battle scars, but then again as we all get older even we humans do and other folks still love us.
Ok, I thought to my self......practical....back to business I thought.....now will it be the M75 stainless or the M8400, chambered in like calibers, one the older well proven 338 Win the other the new 325 WSM, choices choices......lol
I then went and looked at scopes hoping to relax my mind a bit, I was opting for Swarovski's so I went with the 3x12 x50 PH. There, that was simple.....back to the rifles in question....oh no choices again, the salesman asked if I considered the 300 WSM and I said not really but after reading all the hoopla about it I said to myself, well I might want to consider it...more choice now.I look at a M75 in laminated / stainless configuration and the Montana 300's......both of them sweet. Then out of no where I hear the vaint voice of Red whispering in my ear.....go with the wood...go with the wood...ahhhhh be quiet Red, I what a practical gun....weather resistant kevlar and stainless baby!!!!.....then, go with the wood....ahhhhhhh voices. I then picked up a wood stocked M8400 in 300 WSM and fell absolutely in love with it, this particular one had some nice figure and fiddle back throughout. To make a long story short I wound up taking this rifle home with me. I have to give you the credit Red.
I went from being practical in my sense to hearing you lol
I did however switch from mounting the Swarovski 3x12x50 PH on the little Kimber 8400, it was just out of place on it, looked to big so I went with there A-Line 3x10x42 with the 1 inch tube. This scope looks good on the rifle. I dont know what the rifle weighs in now with scope and rings but it's astill fairly light peice. I hope it shoots as good as it looks, as a matter of fact, the wife saw it and said thanks for thinking about her, looks like I might be getting another.....lol, how practical is that? Get something the wife likes so it opens the door to get another[8D]Maybe I can get the Montana or M75 in stainless if I dont hear a little voice in my head[X(]
I left my camera at my cabin on the farm so I cant post a pic of it[
]but will soon
Sorry to rant on and on everyone but it was humorous to me today.
To me wood will always have that little extra warmth over synthetics, I will continue to use (and abuse) both as tools of hunting. I will have mixed emotions when taking the little Kimber on its maiden voyage, hope I dont scratch it.......to bad[:-] Thanks Red Allison for you're insight, you really know how to confuse a fella lol
life is good, give God the glory....doubleA
^%#@*)& Red Allison......
