Not going to Africa, yet. 3-gun battery

I didn't get in on the action but still get to play some. I've worked up some loads and helped Doug get his kit ready. This is his second trip so he learned from his first and I took note of his remarks. I also got to break out and refine MY battery I have selected, just as if I was going with them.

I got this long ago from Gary and have only played with some differing scopes and mounts. It now sports a 4-12x Leupold I'm fiddling with. The.416 Rigby is surprisingly versatile if you get creative handloading, 350 and 400 gr. bullets. It fits me like a glove and would be my first pick for my classic "rifle". My kids are going to have to fight over it after I'm gone.

My family and friends are taken aback a bit at my late tinkering with personal rifles. Such is my reputation for being a "Handgunner". I still am and this is my refined rig. The strength of an Encore in the weight of a G2, you pay for it in recoil too, brake be damned. Superb accuracy and power. I'm still questioning Bob's decision to put a SA grip on a single shot, now producing some 3,000+ ft. lbs. muzzle energy. But it shoots and it's mine! I'd not be afraid to take a poke at literally anything on the planet with it. My current favored load is the Nosler 260 gr. Accubond at 2300 fps. (Yeah, Bill Firman, the 300 gr. loads kick a "little", ha!)

I just got in my "new" custom P14 Enfield .338 Winchester magnum. Originally a Remington build in 1916 in .303 British. The dentist bought it through Cabela's so no known story beyond that. He's sticking with his new Brown Precision also in .338 Win. ($$$$$) and I got his cast away at a buy. Fine by me SOMEONE spent a ton of money building this. Barrel, brake, custom stock, bolt handle, ground ears, D&T, mounts, reworked floorplate, new adj. trigger, cock-on open conversion and new short throw safety, serviceable 6-24X scope. It only needs to be loaded. It's old but new and more of a working rig than pretty. I needed one like that. Not a bad second fiddle do-it-all rifle, with a little range added.

If pressed to a 4th gun, shotgun for whatever needs there may be it would first be my 1922 Winchester M12 with 25" plain barrel. If I needed a Magnum, my camo Mossberg 500 24" Turkey gun, was my late Uncle's. Not very exotic, a reliable tool. Honestly, forgive me, I kind of like the Mossberg 3" best with it's tang safety, screw chokes, and simplicity.