My Top Varmint Killer Gets Beautiful Makeover

[SIG220]

Originally posted by Makarov9
SIG, I have that exact rifle. I've been contemplating getting a new laminate stock for it. Your Savage turned out really nicely. It's a great rifle for the price, but the Tupperware stock leaves a lot to be desired. .17HMR is a fun lil' round.

Here is the website with info on the stock, if you want to check it out.

Only down side was the 2 month delivery time.  

http://www.sharpshootersupply.com/JVR_Stock.html

[SIG220]

Originally posted by SOB
Somewhere a Sage Rat is crying.

That is indeed this rifle's primary quarry, also known as the Belding Ground Squirrel.  These little buggers do make for a most challenging target, as they are so small, and scurry around so much.   And when they stand up, your windage has to be perfectly dead on to make a hit.





I met the greatest Ground Squirrel hunter in the world a few years ago, at a Varmint hunters barbecue.    His name is Varmint Al, and he has an in-depth web site all about varmint hunting online on the web at this address:

http://www.varmintal.com/avarm.htm

He has a wealth of information about hunting with the .17 HMR cartridge.   I recommend that anyone hunting with this ammunition checkout his site.


Here is a photo of what he looks like in person:

[LePaul]

Interesting site he has.  He's taken down some coyotes too.

He's pretty good and writing why he is taking those critters down...fleas. Fleas equal plague.  Shooting those things in more humane than the poisoning options he mentions.

[Halo]

Thanks, Sig, excellent link to varminting.

[Maverick]

Sig,

This is why I posted what I did.

"Well, for accurate shooting in either the field, or from a shooting bench at a range, it was not at all ideal."

Nothing to indicate it was the architecture of the stock was the problem and bedding a plastic stock by the manufacturer is spotty at best.

I have a laminated stock on my Ruger mini 14 but the only thing I like about it is that it's sealed from moisture due to it's construction. To me, "pretty" is way secondary to function. That's one reason I don't have any collectibles in my collection and no fancy stocks on my shooters. That's another reason I like my Glocks. Yep they are ugly as sin, but they shoot where I am aiming and I hit what I shoot at. To me that is beautiful rather than the outward appearance of the tool.

[lazs2]

You guys must not have any cheekbones.   those straight stocks.. I just cant weld my cheek to em without my eye being to high.

lazs

[culero]

I've shot a bunch of those little critters with a .22LR. You just have to get within 100 yards or so.

I enjoyed reading his accounts of calling coyotes in. I can do him one better. I eliminated the ones living around my place when I first moved in, after they pissed me off (killed a puppy I gave a neighbor). Called them at night, sitting under a dark shade, using a rabbit call. It took me a couple of months, because they spook for a while and won't respond after a shooting incident, but I eventually got rid of them. Thing is, I shot them with a shotgun, 00Buck, close and personal. It was satisfying

[SIG220]

Originally posted by Maverick
Sig,

This is why I posted what I did.

"Well, for accurate shooting in either the field, or from a shooting bench at a range, it was not at all ideal."

Nothing to indicate it was the architecture of the stock was the problem and bedding a plastic stock by the manufacturer is spotty at best.

I have a laminated stock on my Ruger mini 14 but the only thing I like about it is that it's sealed from moisture due to it's construction. To me, "pretty" is way secondary to function. That's one reason I don't have any collectibles in my collection and no fancy stocks on my shooters. That's another reason I like my Glocks. Yep they are ugly as sin, but they shoot where I am aiming and I hit what I shoot at. To me that is beautiful rather than the outward appearance of the tool.

You are right in that my post left an incorrect impression.  Sorry about that.

The worst thing about the stock was that it actually came with no sling swivel studs.   And I absolutely have to have a stud on the fore end, in order to be able to mount a Harris bipod on the gun.  I had a gunsmith add swivel studs, but it was sort of a hack job, since the stock was never designed for them.   The fore end swivel stud finally broke off last hunting season, as it just could not support the heavy bipod any longer.

So that is the more detailed reason for the new stock.   A bipod is essential to my shooting accurately in the field, and I needed a stock that was able to properly support one.

My own Glock 17 is currently in the middle of an amazing transformation, much more significant than this.   It is getting 4 significant upgrades installed on it.   The first has already been installed, and the second is due in this coming Monday via Fed Ex.   The third part should arrive in another week.   The fourth is a custom stainless ported barrel, though, and is still another two and a half weeks away from delivery.

But once I get everything installed, I will take my Glock to the range, and post some photos of it, as it will be one cool shooting machine by then.

My full size SIG 220 also got Crimson Trace Laser sight grips recently, and I am also getting a custom barrel for it too.   But the lead time on that barrel is still well over 2 months away.    

The nice thing about the Glock is that there are so many vendors making so many innovative enhancements for it.  Plus I recently found some +5 round magazine extenders for the Model 17, that increase the capacity of a magazine from 17 to 22.   I currently have some 19 round mags for it that have the factory Glock +2 extender on them.  

I'm pretty much now settled on my Glock being my home protection gun, my full size SIG 220 .45 being my automobile gun, and my newest handgun, my Smith & Wesson M&P 40 caliber compact, replacing my compact model SIG 220 as my concealed carry gun.

Alas, I am very promiscuous when it comes to handguns.  I am really not faithful to any one brand or type of gun.

Perhaps I now need to change my ID to:  SIGGlockS&W

[SIG220]

Originally posted by LePaul
Interesting site he has.  He's taken down some coyotes too.

He's pretty good and writing why he is taking those critters down...fleas. Fleas equal plague.  Shooting those things in more humane than the poisoning options he mentions.

One traditional hot spot for hunting sage rats in Oregon has been the tiny little farming town of Fort Rock.   Several years ago all the landowners there decided to go with poisoning, and the bait stations were everywhere in the valley, all over all of the alfalfa fields.   There was hard a squirrel to be seen anywhere, where once they covered fields and offered fantastic shooting.  The goal was to wipe out the squirrel population for once and good.

Well, since then, the Oregon legislature outlawed poisoning, due to its potential effect on the environment.  On a humanitarian side, I do think that poisoning is a rather painful way to die, also.  It is a rather long and torturous process for the squirrel.

Anyway, it has been amazing, as just a couple of years after the ban, the squirrel population rebounded like crazy.   The area now once again offers good shooting.  

I think that long after man is history, there are going to be a variety of rodents still running around this planet.

[Latrobe]

I personally like the black more, why do you think the M16 is black?

[SIG220]

Originally posted by Latrobe
I personally like the black more, why do you think the M16 is black?

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Would you feel less threatened by this M16???

[TheflyingElk]

Here is a shot of my squeeker getter, it also services song dogs very well:aok
Encore 223, also have 270 barrel for Bigger critters[/IMG]

[TheflyingElk]

Bye the way[/IMG]

[TheflyingElk]

gave my son his first Blacktail buck[/IMG]

[LePaul]

OMG that Peta pic is priceless!