Recent developments in ammo availability, reloading considerations and MDOC’s adoption of Antler Point Restrictions all came together and I decided it was time to take a look at my rifle battery. The only thing I really needed was a full-snort centerfire hunting rifle with some glass on it.

Nearly 20 years ago, I traded into a Remington Model 78 ‘Sportsman’ 30-06. The way I use a rifle, the Model 78 is perfect for me. I need a rifle that can stand hard service; but I dislike the current crop of sightless, synthetic-stocked centerfires.

I was blissfully happy with that 78 until the fateful day when my wife wanted to shoot it. She clobbered gallon jugs at 200 yards with it and fell immediately in love. Lacking a recoil pad, it walloped her pretty hard, so I cut the stock to fit her with the best Decelerator pad then available. She still loves it; but when I shoot it I get a thumb knuckle in the schnozz. It’s just too short for me now.

I cruised auction houses, pawn shops and gun shops looking for another 78/06, to no avail. Then in the last month, our local outdoor market produces TWO of them. One had the dark stock, which I like, and it also had the better scope- a very clear old Bushnell Sportsman 4x12 with the parallax-adjustable objective. So that’s the one I bought, for a little less than a sightless WalMart plastic rifle and a bubble packed scope. I hurried home and ran five rounds through it. No mechanical problems surfaced, though the trigger could use a little TLC.

Range report when the monsoons stop.