Your most ‘satisfying’ purchase this year?

I just took delivery of my Marlin (Ruger) 1894 Trapper in .38/.357, courtesy of Blue Fieldsports of Corhampton. Fantastic service including a stunningly accurate forecast of availability and then opening on a Sunday to suit my schedule.

The rifle looks to be beautifully engineered and built, is balanced and mounts naturally. I feel incredibly lucky, especially as these rifles are in such high demand.
 
I’m updating my earlier post on this thread about the Zulus being my most satisfying purchase of the year, to say that it might be my most satisfying purchase of any stalking gear, bar the rifles themselves, ever.
It’s a game changer especially in the hour and with the leaden skies we have been having of late.
The fact that I have shot 11/17 deer since 1/11 with my 308 (which has the Zulus on it) shows how this rifle has been transformed into my go-to rifle for deep winter shooting.

I’m even considering getting one for either the 243 or the swede as I love shooting those rifles but they aren’t getting as much use as they would normally get this year.

Finally, in terms of accuracy with the Zulus, I took a cwd last Saturday from 170m with a head shot from my stubby (16” barrel) 308 with a 150gn hornady Ecx bullet (not exactly pointy), and it was bang on. No need to hold over (I don’t use the ballistic calculator), just point and shoot - it’s zeroed at 70m.

Cracking little piece of kit!!
 
I could spin you a yarn that asserts the design sought to plug a significant gap in the UK cartridge market while Creedmoor was still in nappies. But I'll spare you the bull!

It was simply my attempt to pay homage to certain US cartridge experimenters and sporting rifle writers of the last Century. I also figured that if I was going to the trouble of commissioning a custom rifle it may as well be chambered in something interesting and, in so far as possible, unique.

The 250K spits an 87g .25 bullet from a necked up and blown out shouldered 6X47 Swedish Match cartridge.

It has worked for me which is all that matters and is still hitting the spot as of this morning:
View attachment 451913
K
Swiss match surely K?
 
It has been a most satisfying "shooting related" purchase year.
A very tidy 6x42 Zeiss Diatal T* from a member here. Exactly what my CZ452 in 22LR (and my ageing eyes) has been waiting for.
A Derraco Comparator set. Every home should have one.
A brand new pair of Fujinon 7x50 FMTR-SX bins ridiculously cheaply.
A fresh stash of Speer 7mm 110gr TNT which had been unobtainium for quite a while.
 
Not quite a purchase this year but more of an appreciation- the heated steering wheel on my Land Rover Discovery Sport 🤗

The number of times recently when it’s restorative power have brought feeling back into my frozen fingers has really made me appreciate this “luxury”. Indeed, the combination of heated seats and heated steering wheel is my idea of a stalking Nineveh ☺️
 
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Not quite a purchase this year but more of an appreciation- the heated steering wheel on my Land Rover Discovery Sport 🤗

The number of times recently when it’s restorative power have brought feeling back into my frozen fingers has really made me appreciate this “luxury”. Indeed, the combination of heated seats and heated steering wheel is my idea of a stalling Nineveh ☺️
I like the heated windscreen on Land Rovers too
 
Magnetics arrived and fitted to cabinet along with with another storage solution all for under £30
 

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