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This is a follow-up to my PFD column from a couple of weeks ago. In that column, I talked about how I planned to spend my PFD by buying a rifle and getting new tires on my small motorhome. I decided to put the tires on hold for a while and watch how grocery and gas prices go into the near future. I did, however, go ahead and buy the rifle. Here’s what happened.
I had been reading about this rifle model for a year or so and thought it would make a fun hunting rifle for everything except the big bears. With the proper lead bullet loads, it would also work well for the monthly “Bang and Clang” steel silhouette matches at the Birchwood range. I was watching its availability on a couple of online gun auction websites. One online site didn’t list this particular model for sale. The other site had about a half-dozen guns available from dealers across the country, within a range of prices with a one-hundred dollar spread from highest to lowest. As I watched the various sites online which listed the rifle, the gun began disappearing as bidders snapped them up.
Obviously, the cheaper priced guns went first. To my surprise, the two highest priced guns went next, leaving a couple of mid-range priced rifles still available. I had planned to wait until my PFD was deposited in my bank account before ordering, but when a single rifle remained listed online, I decided to order it while the gun was still available. Since my purchase of the last available gun, the rifle has not reappeared online for sale.
Okay, what is this “great” rifle? The Italian gun making firm of Uberti, is making their version of a light African stalking rifle. The model is called the “Courteney,” after a famous African professional hunter from the early 20th century. Uberti is using a copy of the Winchester 1885 High Wall, single-shot action, and while not authentic, the action fits the style. The rifle is chambered in 303 British caliber and weighs right near seven pounds. The stock and forearm have a decidedly English style shape.
The barrel has a quarter-rib with a fully adjustable open rear sight and the rib has weaver/picatinny grooves for mounting a scope, if desired. The barrel is blued while the action is color casehardened, making for a good-looking combination to my eye. I bought a Vortex Crossfire II scope in two-by-seven power to mount in some extremely high “see-through” rings which allow the use of the iron sights as well as the scope. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t use “see-through” rings, but I needed the high rings to clear the eye piece end of the scope, allowing easy thumb access to the hammer.
In addition to the scope rings, I already had the sling I planned to use. It is a braided leather sling made in Spain. Being a single-shot rifle, I was looking for a way to carry extra cartridges for easy and fast reloading. Diamond D leather has their shop in Wasilla, and I had bought a couple of their butt-mounted cartridge carriers in the past for other rifles I own. I stopped by the shop and found a deep brown leather carrier which fit both the rifle and the 303 British cartridge perfectly.
After cleaning the rifle, including the barrel, I began putting all the pieces together. The rings are an older style made by Burris, I think (and no longer available), and very nicely complements the barrel bluing. The braided leather sling looks nice on this style rifle. The scope adds a decidedly “modern” look and the flip-up scope covers are not “authentic,” but there comes a point where function offsets appearance on a rifle being set up for Alaskan hunting.
I already owned a set of reloading dies for the 303 British cartridge, but I needed to find some reloadable brass. I couldn’t find any brass locally, but I was able to purchase loaded full-metal-jacket bulleted cartridges using reloadable brass. I also found some reloadable brass on one gun auction website. I had a suitable selection of the proper sized bullets (.312), both lead and soft point jacketed, along with adequate powder and primers. Now I need to shoot some of the factory loads to get brass and sight in the rifle.
I’ve been studying the reloading manuals for a good 180-grain bullet load for hunting. I have three or four of the powders recommended, so things are looking good!
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