Return of the Green Machine!

[Guy Miner]

Almost all of my loading and shooting in 2016 & 2017 was with my primary hunting rifles:

25-06 Rem 700 CDL
30-06 Rem 700 CDL
375 H&H Win 70

Knowing I had quite a few hunting opportunities coming up in the fall of 2016 and spring of 2017, it seemed appropriate to really concentrate on making sure I had good ammo, and got good practice with those rifles, particularly the 30-06 rifle.

But... Today I was somewhat surprised to see how much match-grade ammo I'd loaded and stored away for the .308 Green Machine. At my loading bench, I did put together 25 more new cartridges, but... I sure don't need to do so! Good grief, there's a lot of 308 Win ammo here, almost all of it loaded with 155 or 168 gr match bullets. Mostly Nosler, some Sierra.

I was heavily into shooting the 308 for a long time, in matches, and on SWAT. It felt good in my hands again today. Hefty, but good. Didn't shoot it today, just checked it over, loaded 25 rounds, inventoried a surprisingly large amount of ammo previously loaded for it...

Am looking forward to shooting it a lot more this year! That rifle and I have a lot of history, going back over 20+ years. Maybe I'll even shoot a 600 yard match or two with it.

Guy

 

[DrMike]

Neat to see how the body reacts to an old friend. There are a couple of rifles that I haven't shot for a couple of years that just feel good when I take them out and handle them. That rifle appears to have treated you very well, Guy.

 

[Guy Miner]

And in the original HS Precision stock, which is considerably lighter and handier than the McMillan, with the old 4.5-14x Leupold that was on it the entire time I was a police sniper. I actually like it a lot in the original stock. It sheds a little weight and some bulk.

Not sure that the big Vortex I've got on it now is better than the old Leupold. But the city owned that Leupold.

I won some matches with that rifle. Did well in others. Fell on my face in a few!

Shot some game with it too. That was nice. It was good to own my "duty" rifle as it followed me home upon retirement. I used to shoot it every two or three weeks, and now I realize that it's probably been two years since I've spent any time with it at the range!

That's about to change...

Guy

 

[sask boy]

Guy, it funny how we all seem to become attached to a certain rifle. As you know I have 2 custom built rifles and they are such a treat to shoot and hunt with.
But last week I picked up my CDL in the 270win and it just fit like a old pair of gloves :wink:. I am now thinking of maybe getting it re-barrelled into a 280AI or maybe just a 280 Remington :mrgreen:.
I do believe the good Doctor on more than one occasion has mentioned the 280 is among his favourites to shoot

Blessings,
Dan

 

[Guy Miner]

Dan, I think I first learned of the 280 from reading Finn Aagaard's articles in American Rifleman & American Hunter long ago. He was quite enamored of the cartridge from what I recall.

That and the then-new 2.5-8x Leupold, which he and I both consider one heck of a good general purpose hunting scope.

Guy