Mustangs Rule
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2021
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Wolverine I and Wolverine II
Went to the range yesterday, shot alone, and did so with the little rifle that is the “final conclusion” of my 60 plus year span as a marksman and hunter. It is almost seems like a toy. Might think it a .22 looking at it from a distance.
It is Sako Finnlight stainless, synthetic, carbine in .308 with a 20 inch fluted match grade barrel. The scope look “toy-ish” too. A 1970's 2X-7X Redfield "wide-view" made in Denver. The adjustments are ½” not the usual ¼”. Good enough. It is my favorite scope.
Sako rifles have a much lower bolt throw. Allows for Ultra-low rings. Did they have dangerous game in mind with this design? Who knows? This Redfield scope works well with these ultra-low rings, leaving a space between front bell and barrel that two credit cards clear. My spare scope is a Japanese 2.5 fixed Weaver light aluminum scope with no front bell at all. This scope is coveted by Professional Hunters in Africa who guide for dangerous game.
I also have this scope with ultra-low Sako rings on it, all sighted in and ready to go on in a minute with no need to re-sight it in. With this scope on, the whole rifle really looks like a “toy gun”.
I know of no other rifle that can have a scope mounted with ultra-low rings. It is a close as one gets to shooting with iron sights. ( Oh, I have the hard to find Sako Peep sights too ) With the low bolt throw and low mounted low power scope it is such an ultra-fast rifle.
With downloaded lead bullets powered by a dash of Unique powder, I hunt all small game with it too! I do a snow-shoe biathlon course with it during the winter, both long and short range.
For whitetails in the forest I loaded Barnes all copper 30-30 bullets in my .308 case at 30-30 velocities with the reduced load powder H 4895. With mounts and these light scopes, this rifle weighs exactly what a model 94 Winchester carbine weighs and is an inch plus longer.
The Camp Perry Powder AA2520, which is designed for the .308, works miracles in this rifle with it’s match grade barrel. Safely going right to, but not going over the max by the book loading, I get just under 2,900’/sec with the 165 grain Barnes TTSXBT with BC of .439. It is a tack driver with all loads. I could go to 500 yards with a big animal like Elk with this load in this rifle.
The 15O grain TSXBT is just shy of 3,000’/sec with a B C of .370. Good for deer/antelope out to 400 yards but I rarely take them over 200 yards.
I worked up a load with round nosed, all copper Lapua Naturalis bullets. For Wild boar in the tall barely on grain ranches, and night shooting of wild boar in fruit orchards, of course with a depredation permit. Shooting one standing on his hind legs in the moonlight eating peaches is a unique affair. About the only time they taste good, except for the little ones.
I named this Sako rifle “Wolverine II”. “Wolverine I” was little Venezuelan 7x57 Calvary carbine in 7x57, with the heavy bullet twist and an 18” barrel. It had a true Mauser action and I had it drilled and tapped for high quality peep sights. I left out the sight and just shot it as a ghost ring. When I was young with great eyes I could MOA at 100 yards all day long. With Wolverine II and my small scopes I can Sub-MOA all day long. Both of these rifles look like toys to most hunters used to big long rifles with huge scopes
In the canyons overlooking a flat 3,000 acre barley ranch where I hunted and guided for wild boar for a dozen years, there was a wide cave. It was all sedimentary sandstone, which carried a lot of water from rains and now and then snow.
The water percolated it’s way through the sandstone and did a “drip, drip, drip” creating a big puddle that boar wallowed in during the summer heat. Could be one big boar in there or a sow with little piglets all staying wet and cool.
At least once maybe twice a summer I would stalk over to the other side of the canyon and from well under a hundred yards away, look into the cave with morning low light shinning in. Then I would pick out a target and fire. If it was big smelly boar I would just take out the back-straps and drag/slide it down canyon for the coyotes. If it was a sow with larger piglets, I would keep shooting never taking the rifle butt down from my shoulder working the bolt as fast as I could.
Then I would take the best cuts for myself and go over to a sheep ranch, and tell the Peruvian sheep herders to come there with their skinning knives.
Those little rifles are great killers, hardy toys!
MR
Went to the range yesterday, shot alone, and did so with the little rifle that is the “final conclusion” of my 60 plus year span as a marksman and hunter. It is almost seems like a toy. Might think it a .22 looking at it from a distance.
It is Sako Finnlight stainless, synthetic, carbine in .308 with a 20 inch fluted match grade barrel. The scope look “toy-ish” too. A 1970's 2X-7X Redfield "wide-view" made in Denver. The adjustments are ½” not the usual ¼”. Good enough. It is my favorite scope.
Sako rifles have a much lower bolt throw. Allows for Ultra-low rings. Did they have dangerous game in mind with this design? Who knows? This Redfield scope works well with these ultra-low rings, leaving a space between front bell and barrel that two credit cards clear. My spare scope is a Japanese 2.5 fixed Weaver light aluminum scope with no front bell at all. This scope is coveted by Professional Hunters in Africa who guide for dangerous game.
I also have this scope with ultra-low Sako rings on it, all sighted in and ready to go on in a minute with no need to re-sight it in. With this scope on, the whole rifle really looks like a “toy gun”.
I know of no other rifle that can have a scope mounted with ultra-low rings. It is a close as one gets to shooting with iron sights. ( Oh, I have the hard to find Sako Peep sights too ) With the low bolt throw and low mounted low power scope it is such an ultra-fast rifle.
With downloaded lead bullets powered by a dash of Unique powder, I hunt all small game with it too! I do a snow-shoe biathlon course with it during the winter, both long and short range.
For whitetails in the forest I loaded Barnes all copper 30-30 bullets in my .308 case at 30-30 velocities with the reduced load powder H 4895. With mounts and these light scopes, this rifle weighs exactly what a model 94 Winchester carbine weighs and is an inch plus longer.
The Camp Perry Powder AA2520, which is designed for the .308, works miracles in this rifle with it’s match grade barrel. Safely going right to, but not going over the max by the book loading, I get just under 2,900’/sec with the 165 grain Barnes TTSXBT with BC of .439. It is a tack driver with all loads. I could go to 500 yards with a big animal like Elk with this load in this rifle.
The 15O grain TSXBT is just shy of 3,000’/sec with a B C of .370. Good for deer/antelope out to 400 yards but I rarely take them over 200 yards.
I worked up a load with round nosed, all copper Lapua Naturalis bullets. For Wild boar in the tall barely on grain ranches, and night shooting of wild boar in fruit orchards, of course with a depredation permit. Shooting one standing on his hind legs in the moonlight eating peaches is a unique affair. About the only time they taste good, except for the little ones.
I named this Sako rifle “Wolverine II”. “Wolverine I” was little Venezuelan 7x57 Calvary carbine in 7x57, with the heavy bullet twist and an 18” barrel. It had a true Mauser action and I had it drilled and tapped for high quality peep sights. I left out the sight and just shot it as a ghost ring. When I was young with great eyes I could MOA at 100 yards all day long. With Wolverine II and my small scopes I can Sub-MOA all day long. Both of these rifles look like toys to most hunters used to big long rifles with huge scopes
In the canyons overlooking a flat 3,000 acre barley ranch where I hunted and guided for wild boar for a dozen years, there was a wide cave. It was all sedimentary sandstone, which carried a lot of water from rains and now and then snow.
The water percolated it’s way through the sandstone and did a “drip, drip, drip” creating a big puddle that boar wallowed in during the summer heat. Could be one big boar in there or a sow with little piglets all staying wet and cool.
At least once maybe twice a summer I would stalk over to the other side of the canyon and from well under a hundred yards away, look into the cave with morning low light shinning in. Then I would pick out a target and fire. If it was big smelly boar I would just take out the back-straps and drag/slide it down canyon for the coyotes. If it was a sow with larger piglets, I would keep shooting never taking the rifle butt down from my shoulder working the bolt as fast as I could.
Then I would take the best cuts for myself and go over to a sheep ranch, and tell the Peruvian sheep herders to come there with their skinning knives.
Those little rifles are great killers, hardy toys!
MR
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