Big Brown suprised me this morning.
03-07-2008, 12:23 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: southwest Ohio
Posts: 1,047
Big Brown suprised me this morning.
Ordered the 21" LRH barrel for the Hawkenfrom Green Mountain Tuesday and wasn't expecting it until sometime next week. I sure was suprised to get it this morning!!!!!!!!! Perfect timing, we got hit with snow/sleet and the roads are terrible, so I stayed home and had plenty of time to fit the barrel to the stock. Took some rib shortening and a bit of hammer adjusting (heat & bend), but it fit the barrel channel good & tight and the underlug & wedge pin were a perfect fit. I switched a brass thimble with a sling stud for the blued thimble while I was at it.
Looks like now I have to pace the floor waiting for the snow to melt so I can get out and test the new barrel.
Now if this thing shoots, I'll have to consider re-finishing the stock.
Looks like now I have to pace the floor waiting for the snow to melt so I can get out and test the new barrel.
Now if this thing shoots, I'll have to consider re-finishing the stock.
03-07-2008, 12:45 PM
#2
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
RE: Big Brown suprised me this morning.
That's a perfect looking rifle... What an excellent walk around the woods rifle. Also for tree stand hunting. I was also impressed with the balance of the rifle in that Hawkins stock. I am sure you're going to like it. Once you get a chance to shoot it... 
03-07-2008, 01:06 PM
#3
Fork Horn
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location:
Posts: 304
RE: Big Brown suprised me this morning.
Man those are nice looking rifles with those 21" bbls. I was looking at daves reports and they sure seem to shoot good. I might have to look for a cheaper hawkins or renegade and set me up with one of those. Kerry
You are going to like it!!!
03-07-2008, 05:30 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: southwest Ohio
Posts: 1,047
RE: Big Brown suprised me this morning.
The more I look at & shoulder the rifle the more I like it. I balances amazingly well and the sights just seem to hang on the target from a standing offhand hold. If it will throw a Barnes Expander accurately I think I'll keep it around until next deer season. The tang on the rifle is almost browned looking, the breech plug on the barrel has a brown cast, and the barrel itself is a nice blue. Almost looks like a custom finish job.
I figured up my total investment in it so far, and it shouldn't require skipping any meals and starving myself to pay for it. ($189.08 + about 1 hour labor to make all the adjustments to fit the barrel)
I like my NewEnglander, but I had forgotten how nice double set triggers are for offhand shooting. I tuned it down so I can firmlyfeel the hair trigger with my finger then it goes off (just over a pound of pull). No creep at all.
I didn't know what kind of sights would come with the barrel, but was pleasantly suprised to find a good quality set of fiber optics on it. My old eyes sure like fiber optics. Glowing fuzzy dots show up a lot better than dull colored fuzzy dots. Actually I wear contacts for distance correction and the close-up clarity depend a lot on lighting. I can read at arms length in bright light, but in dim light I have to use reading glasses. With fiber optics I can still see to shoot as long as there is enough light for the sight to glow.
Looking forward to a range session with this one!!!!!!!!
The tang on the rifle is almost browned looking, the breech plug on the barrel has a brown cast, and the barrel itself is a nice blue. Almost looks like a custom finish job. I figured up my total investment in it so far, and it shouldn't require skipping any meals and starving myself to pay for it. ($189.08 + about 1 hour labor to make all the adjustments to fit the barrel)
I like my NewEnglander, but I had forgotten how nice double set triggers are for offhand shooting. I tuned it down so I can firmlyfeel the hair trigger with my finger then it goes off (just over a pound of pull). No creep at all.
I didn't know what kind of sights would come with the barrel, but was pleasantly suprised to find a good quality set of fiber optics on it. My old eyes sure like fiber optics. Glowing fuzzy dots show up a lot better than dull colored fuzzy dots. Actually I wear contacts for distance correction and the close-up clarity depend a lot on lighting. I can read at arms length in bright light, but in dim light I have to use reading glasses. With fiber optics I can still see to shoot as long as there is enough light for the sight to glow.
Looking forward to a range session with this one!!!!!!!!
03-07-2008, 05:46 PM
#6
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
RE: Big Brown suprised me this morning.
I know all about those eyesight problems, Wabi. I asked my Ophthalmologists if she could implant an LED in my right eye, but she looked at me real strange like.
03-07-2008, 06:05 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: southwest Ohio
Posts: 1,047
RE: Big Brown suprised me this morning.
ORIGINAL: Semisane
I know all about those eyesight problems, Wabi. I asked my Ophthalmologists if she could implant an LED in my right eye, but she looked at me real strange like.
I know all about those eyesight problems, Wabi. I asked my Ophthalmologists if she could implant an LED in my right eye, but she looked at me real strange like.
03-07-2008, 06:07 PM
#8
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
RE: Big Brown suprised me this morning.
Maybe so - but I guess there are worse things than a quirky sense of humor. It's a burden I bear. I once asked my dentist if he could put little stainless steel cutters on two of my molars for cutting fishing line. He said that would be a bad thing if I ever bit my tongue.
