Stutzen Rifles

Joshua

Well-Known Member
Are the stutzen style rifles still pratical for stalking today? I ask as moderators are becoming more and more frequent amongst the stalking faternity, and now even a prerequisite on some estates. The old world victorian and bavarian rifles are some finest in my opinion, but you rarely see them in the UK anymore.
 
You don't have to hunt around for something 'olde worlde' though.

View attachment 1849

http://www.blaser.de/K-95-Single-Shot-Rifles.61.0.html?&L=1

If I can't find something similar secondhand or at auction by the end of the year then I'm seriously thinking of springing for one of the above in 6.5x57R.

BTW I think this type of rifle is near my ideal for woodland stalking - lightweight, short and easy to move around. I've had several stalking clients use them in the past and tried them out for myself. As you say the only drawback is being unable to fit a mod, (but you wouldn't want to spoil the lines of such a rifle by sticking one on, would you?), but that's not a problem for me.
 
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Are the stutzen style rifles still pratical for stalking today? I ask as moderators are becoming more and more frequent amongst the stalking faternity, and now even a prerequisite on some estates. The old world victorian and bavarian rifles are some finest in my opinion, but you rarely see them in the UK anymore.
Of choice for woodland stalking I still use a stutzen a Mannlicher M72 full stocked with double triggers and in 270 calibre overkill for roe deer I know but dead is dead, It also has sentimental as it was given to me by my father before his death and one I would never sell on when it comes to the end of its practical use as i cant get it re barreled i will de activate it.

And I have to say it they dont make them like they used to the bolt and action is superb, my stalking partner has also a stutzen which is of a origin slightly younger a Heym and he also uses that in preference to his Saur.
 
A stutzen is vital for effective stalking - you can hook the front end over the passenger door with the window down and not have to worry about wether the barrel is touching anything :evil:
 
Hmmm well although i acquired a sound mod last year I have never used it stalking as yet. So the Stutzen is fine with me. mine is a BSA CF2 also in 270 Winchester.
 
Hmmm well although i acquired a sound mod last year I have never used it stalking as yet. So the Stutzen is fine with me. mine is a BSA CF2 also in 270 Winchester.

I here lots of tales of the 270 being unsuitable for stalking especially for use on Roe deer which is basically my No 1 quarry ,personally I dont have any issues with its use at all and the loads I use I find sweet and comfortable and most certainly do not get the recoil smack that others tell me about.

What species do you normally use it for and what bullet weights and type and powder are you putting through your Beezer.?
Stu
 
People who stalk roe with me with any big fast calibre may have worries.
I ask them to use a soft point (bonded or partition if possible) and heavy for calibre.
150 for .270 and to keep the speed down a little.
These combinations tend to keep damage and recoil low.
regards john.
p.s. in my 7mm rem mag i use 150-160sp's partition, grandslam (handloads) or rws conepoints (factory) and they work a treat.

I have always fancied a stutzen but have a few concerns about holding zero's in inclement weather
Have you found this to be true??
 
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A stutzen is vital for effective stalking - you can hook the front end over the passenger door with the window down and not have to worry about wether the barrel is touching anything :evil:

That reminds me of an occaision an FC Ranger took a shot out of the AstraVan passenger window from the driving seat, he swore that the window was all the way down but it still shattered and dissapeared into the door, the windscreen was also cracked. The deer was killed.

Brithunter, I too have a CF2 Stutzen in .270 win and love it. Interesting, has anyone else realised that the reason that stutzens seem so handy to carry is that the front sling swivel is usually well forward.

JC
 
People who stalk roe with me with any big fast calibre may have worries.
I ask them to use a soft point (bonded or partition if possible) and heavy for calibre.
150 for .270 and to keep the speed down a little.
These combinations tend to keep damage and recoil low.
regards john.
p.s. in my 7mm rem mag i use 150-160sp's partition, grandslam (handloads) or rws conepoints (factory) and they work a treat.

I have always fancied a stutzen but have a few concerns about holding zero's in inclement weather
Have you found this to be true??


I use 130 sometimes 150 grain Nosler partitions John and down load a little and although rarely stalk in inclement weather as deer like any other animal clam up so its usually pointless stalking unless its a light shower that is , but keeping the stock oiled well with almond baby oil ,even when getting caught out i find that zero isnt impaired at all.
Regards
Stu
 
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Actually my BSA CF2 Stutzen is my most unlucky rifle. It was the first one I ever brought but has never grassed a Deer. It has always been wrong deer (too good to shoot or I could not afford the fees) wrong sex so out of season of on several times no safe backstop so an unsafe shot. The .270 that I am shooting now is an older BSA Majestic Featherweight Deluxe as the CF2 is listed for collection only. I refuse to have the muzzle chopped on this Majestic so no Moderator. However the Stutzen has shown excellent accuracy over the years and even won the annual 600 yard club shoot two years running. So they changed to rules to disqualify it. I was shooting Nosler 130 Grain Ballistic Tips, of course before the expanding ammunition nonsense. The Stutzen has been carried and uses on the range in inclement weather includign a blizzard that blew in off the Thames estuary whilst shooting on Purfleet ranges yet i have noticed no adverse effects on accuracy that cannot be attributed to my declining eyesight. It's just not as good as it once was even with corrective glasses.

Now the Federal Fusion 150 grain bullet seems to do a good number on Roe from my very limited experience with it, one Roe Buck does not make a good sample, but I will certainly use it again.

Oh Manlicher_Stu, I tend to use faster powders due to the short barrel and H-380 has worked very well indeed. Reduces the muzzle fire ball considerably.
 
Actually my BSA CF2 Stutzen is my most unlucky rifle. It was the first one I ever brought but has never grassed a Deer. It has always been wrong deer (too good to shoot or I could not afford the fees) wrong sex so out of season of on several times no safe backstop so an unsafe shot. The .270 that I am shooting now is an older BSA Majestic Featherweight Deluxe as the CF2 is listed for collection only. I refuse to have the muzzle chopped on this Majestic so no Moderator. However the Stutzen has shown excellent accuracy over the years and even won the annual 600 yard club shoot two years running. So they changed to rules to disqualify it. I was shooting Nosler 130 Grain Ballistic Tips, of course before the expanding ammunition nonsense. The Stutzen has been carried and uses on the range in inclement weather includign a blizzard that blew in off the Thames estuary whilst shooting on Purfleet ranges yet i have noticed no adverse effects on accuracy that cannot be attributed to my declining eyesight. It's just not as good as it once was even with corrective glasses.

Now the Federal Fusion 150 grain bullet seems to do a good number on Roe from my very limited experience with it, one Roe Buck does not make a good sample, but I will certainly use it again.

Oh Manlicher_Stu, I tend to use faster powders due to the short barrel and H-380 has worked very well indeed. Reduces the muzzle fire ball considerably.

Brithunter I will give the H-380 a try I normaly use VARGET which seems to suite it but i am always interested what others are using and the results they are getting

Thanks Stu
 
I ask them to use a soft point (bonded or partition if possible) and heavy for calibre. 150 for .270 and to keep the speed down a little.

I think for British conditions that the 270 is actually far better with either the 140 grain bullet at about 2,850 of the 150 grain bullet at about 2,750.

A sort of "modern" interpretation of the 7mm Rigby or 280 Ross or an "Americanised" .277" diameter 7x64. The 130 grain is really best left for use over the side of the Atlantic from which it came!
 
Shot quite a bit with a Remington Mohawk stutzen, liked the feel of it and shot well, downside, small loading port difficult to load in a hurry and no floor plate had to cycle each round to unload.

Stu. if you are going to try H380 its recommended that you use magnum primers with this powder.
 
Shot quite a bit with a Remington Mohawk stutzen, liked the feel of it and shot well, downside, small loading port difficult to load in a hurry and no floor plate had to cycle each round to unload.

Stu. if you are going to try H380 its recommended that you use magnum primers with this powder.




Noted
Thanks Stu
 
OK I looked at my records and note that I have only used the H-380 with the 130 grain bullet. I first started using it back in 1993 with a std CCI 200 primer.. OH just found I did use it with the Sierra 150 Grain Game King and actually shot it at 600 yards. The last time I loaded with the H-380 it was to use up the last of the Nosler 130 grain Solid base bullets now discontinued (pity) and they used the Rem 9 1/2 primer. it was with this load I finally broke the .270 win back luck and duck by grassing a Muntjac buck yearling in Hampshire. So far I have never used anything but standard large rifle primers and have used Rem 9 1/2, CCI 200 and Fed 210's.

Now in the 25-06 with Reloader 19 I have has to switch to magnum primers due to hang fires. Hope that helps some.


Oh and BLC-2 works very well in the .308 win.
 
Kevin never said these powders wouldn't work with standard primers only speer manuals and a few others simply state they will probably work better and maybe even safer with mag primers.
regards john
 
OK I looked at my records and note that I have only used the H-380 with the 130 grain bullet. I first started using it back in 1993 with a std CCI 200 primer.. OH just found I did use it with the Sierra 150 Grain Game King and actually shot it at 600 yards. The last time I loaded with the H-380 it was to use up the last of the Nosler 130 grain Solid base bullets now discontinued (pity) and they used the Rem 9 1/2 primer. it was with this load I finally broke the .270 win back luck and duck by grassing a Muntjac buck yearling in Hampshire. So far I have never used anything but standard large rifle primers and have used Rem 9 1/2, CCI 200 and Fed 210's.

Now in the 25-06 with Reloader 19 I have has to switch to magnum primers due to hang fires. Hope that helps some.




Oh and BLC-2 works very well in the .308 win.

Interesting post in regard to using standard large primer or magnum in its use using H-380 powder a lot of contradictory opinions here , I think i will need more research before filling any cases, At the moment the powder I use is suitable for both calibres that I have one being .270 Winchester and the other being 22-250 Remington by expanding my choices it may or may not be dissadvantagous in doing so for any improvement that I am getting already ,something to think about anyway

Stu
 
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