I was having a transatlantic chat with Mr. Free Market the other day, and he was telling me about his latest deer cull on Lord Someone’s estate up in Scotland — an annual event, you may recall, which includes the company of Doc Russia and Combat Controller in the slaughter. Here are two of their implements of Mass Deer Destruction:
(L-R: Blaser, Remington 700 in .300 Win Mag)
Here’s Mr. FM, with his Tikka in .70 Win):
I’m now too old to participate in such merriment — the cost, weather and terrain pretty much rule it out for me — but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel a little tug when I see pics like the above.
However — and this will come as a huge shock to Longtime Readers — even had I been up to a visit Over There… I wouldn’t have had a proper “reach out and touch” rifle. I know, I know; Kim The Ultimate Mauser Guy without a decent hunting (or sniper-, take your pic) rifle? Say it ain’t so!
Actually, I do have a rifle capable of such an activity: it’s the last of The Late Lamented Layabout Sailor’s guns, which I have absolutely been unable to sell, a T/C Compass in 6.5mm Creedmoor (which the Widow Irish said I should hold onto until such time as, because she doesn’t want it around in her house). Here it is:
…and, in the lovely words of the same Mr. FM, it’s uglier than a bucketful of burst arseholes.
Nevertheless, beggars can’t be choosers, and all it needed was a halfway-decent scope, and I happened to have a spare Burris Fullfield 2-8x35mm lying around, so…
…I mounted it on the Compass on Monday evening, and took it off to Texas Legends yesterday.
(That’s a Noveski KX3 flash hider / noisemaker, not a suppressor… but soon, baby.)
I didn’t bother to boresight the thing, just screwed it in place and trusted to luck or whatever that I’d actually hit the target. En route, I remembered just in time that I didn’t have any 6.5 Creed ammo, so I swung by Cabela’s and grabbed a box of Remington Green Box 140gr because it was the cheapest.
“So, Kim… how did it shoot?”
Cold barrel, no sight adjustment, first time ever on the trigger, 5-round string at 50 yards:
…the orange dot being the point of aim.
Wow.
Okay, here’s what I didn’t like about the Compass (other than its looks, i.e. that ‘orrible plastic stock): the magazine. It’s a rotary thing which holds five rounds (5+1 in common parlance), and it’s a cast-iron bitch to load (certainly at first try, anyway). T/C no longer make the thing, which doesn’t surprise me, but there are aftermarket options available. My major gripe is that it’s impossible to reload the magazine through the mag well (and I tried, trust me on this). You have to take the thing out of the rifle to reload it. On balance, though, it’s not a big deal.
What did I love about the Compass? The trigger, which has been pulled maybe a dozen or so times, was excellent — as good as any Mauser trigger under the same circumstances. Takeup is smooth and regular, no grittiness, and the sear release is consistent and smooth as silk. The action is likewise lovely, the bolt works smoothly and without issue. And everything else about the rifle is excellent.
So… am I going to keep it?
Yes. As soon as the funds are available, I’ll be paying the Widow Irish for the rifle. And I’ll be tossing the box away this afternoon.
Here’s the thing: given how many times I’m likely to use it — it’s a backup rifle at best — the T/C Compass is a good, serviceable rifle, every bit as good as the budget-line Mossberg Patriot and far better than the Savage Axis. The chambering is okay — I know, I’d probably prefer it in .243 Win, .270 Win or even 6.5x55mm Swede — but as the 6.5 Creed is the latest thing for all the cool kids to shoot, it’s available pretty much everywhere.
As for the ammo: were I at all interested in tightening up the group, there are any number of the Usual Suspects to call on: Remington Premier Match, Fiocchi Hyperformance, Federal Gold Match, whatever. As it is, however, I’ll probably just stick with the Green Box; I’ve dropped many a game animal with this brand, and I’m confident that their Core-Lokt 140gr pointed soft point (PSP) bullets will take care of pretty much anything I need them to. And at about $1.20 per pull, it’s about the same as even the budget Prvi Partizan offerings.
At a later stage, I’ll bring the group down to land about an inch over the 50-yard aim point, but sufficient unto the day etc. etc. In the meantime, National Ammo Day is approaching, which is when I’ll likely get the half-dozen or so boxes that will keep me going pretty much for the rest of my life.
Good times, good times.
Tomorrow I’ll talk about the second part of the range session.
