Recommend Badger a huntin' rifle...

[meles meles]

*Ponders a BSA CF2 Stutzen and a roll of greaseproof paper*

[Browning_grrl]

I find it really interesting that the discussion here has focused almost entirely on what I might call 'European' calibers - like the .303 and the 6.5. In America, without doubt, the 2 rounds that have taken more deer than anything else by a country mile are the 30-30 and the 30-06 (with the .308 catching up pretty significantly in recent years), but they have not figured in this Thread at all. Is this a question of availability, cost, quarry size (I don't know what species of deer you hunt there) or something else?

[saddler]

One of the nicest rifles I ever used was a BSA CF2 full stock in .243

Though for getting all muddy I still go back to the Parker Hale Wilson that Breacher has for sale.
Ya can pay him in earth worms & berry jam

[saddler]

I find it really interesting that the discussion here has focused almost entirely on what I might call 'European' calibers - like the .303 and the 6.5. In America, without doubt, the 2 rounds that have taken more deer than anything else by a country mile are the 30-30 and the 30-06 (with the .308 catching up pretty significantly in recent years), but they have not figured in this Thread at all. Is this a question of availability, cost, quarry size (I don't know what species of deer you hunt there) or something else?

Smaller deer species, so less need of more powerful calibers
(Though I have a couple of 06's too....)
.270 & .30-06 are more common in the Highlands for longer shots at bigger Reds

[Countryman]

Currently on my "ticket" authorised for Deer are .25-06, .303, .308 and .300 Win Mag.

The police for decades have liked you to have the minimum legal and have pushed .243 calibre here.

.30-06 though hugely popular overseas was considered a bit "overkill" here and certainly for Roe and Muntjac I would tend to see the point. New guidance is out on that kind of thinking.

Whatever calibre you chose shot placement is key. Round here in the South West of England a good stalk gets you within 100 yards to take the shot. Stalking I agree with an earlier comment is about that element of fieldcraft and luck that gets you there. Taking deer is not about the 500 yard neck shot. Forget the 1200 yard paper punching mentality. Think 4 inch disc at 100 yards.

Sounds easy. Try it having thumped up a combe or crawled for 45 minutes through frost. I've had a lot of lads get on the shot and find they have "buck fever." It's a different kind of skill. Not everybody can take a life. A lot more respect it better after the gralloch.

[tackb]

Oh Dromia wouldn't approve of that version of the Charlie G ! Back in his day it was the old Mk 1a with wooden grips and a steel tube. None of this filament overwound aramid stuff with a thermal imager on top !

I'm guessing PIAT ?

Way off!
Not just wrong decade. ...almost a different century.

The clue is in the name....Carl Gustaff

oh I'm well aware what a Charlie G is and of the carl gustav brand , my little quip about the piat was because dromia is rather fond of dismissing anything new or metric !

seems to have gone over your head though , never mind

[daman]

The most fun gun I ever had the pleasure of being issued was the somewhat smaller Carl Gustav 9mm :



Not really appropriate for deer stalking though

[meles meles]

So Dromia, where do we get a BSA CF2 Stutzen in 6.5x55 Swe for thruppence? Preferably with a stainless barrel ...

[dromia]

There were around 1800 CF2s made in 6.5x55 tween 1973 and 1986.

As the Stutzens would have been a smaller proportion of that total it will give you a feel for their numbers.

As to purchase you just need to keep your eyes peeled, no doubt a quick google would give you a feel for what is out there.

CF2 production numbers (courtesy of Knibbs) indicate popularity and likely hood of availability.


222 7,000 odd rifles
243 5,000 odd rifles
270 6,000 odd rifles
308 5,000 odd rifles
30-06 6,000 odd rifles

[meles meles]

Hmmm, a tad rare then... Maybe that Zastava is a good idea. Anyone know who the UK importers are?