Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/116174
The Traveling Spor tsman GEAR TESTS Jim Borden began building benchrest-accurate hunting rifles after his heavy benchrest rifles won more than 75 world titles and hundreds of state and regional titles. The custom Timberline bolt-action used on this hunt wears a 24-inch Hart #3 contour barrel fitted to Borden's custom, stainless steel, twolug action and slim, Borden custom-machined bolt handle. A Jewell HVRTS trigger is set to 2.25 pounds and breaks like a delightful surprise. The Borden Brake is so perfectly blended with the barrel that you cannot detect the joint. Talley Unitized rings are fitted to the sculpted action, and the works is pillar bedded, stress free, to a stiff, slim McMillan Rem. Sporter Pattern synthetic stock texture-finished by Jim Borden Jr. As a final weather-proof touch, all metal work is coated in black Xylon. While the finished rifle hasn't the warm look or romance of a classic walnut-stocked rig, it feels sprightly and carries easily, comes to the shoulder naturally, hangs on target beautifully and prints three-shot groups of factory-loaded Vortex 150-grain Barnes TTSX bullets into .480-inch. At Borden's recommendation, I fitted the rifle with a Swarovski Z5 3.5-18x44mm scope with side parallax adjustments. The Z5 uses the same four-coil spring erector tube setup as the flagship Z6 scopes, but with a trimmer, lighter, 1-inch main tube. A rifle/scope/ammo combination like this is just about perfect for virtually any big game hunting in North America plus plains game in Africa. Swarovski's EL Range binocular is the perfect blend of optical resolution, brightness, flare control and contrast with laser range measuring precision in a format as slim and comfortable to carry as the standard EL 42mm binocular. There is an unusual "hump" under each barrel that looks weird, but provides a steadying platform that nicely fits the palms. Within these bumps are the rangefinder parts. This permits the barrels to remain slim and trim for that famous, one-hand EL grip. I found the rangefinder, as advertised, reliable to 1,500 yards. In fact, I got several readings from highly reflective subjects, well beyond that distance. IF YOU WANT TO GO Contact Darren DeLuca at Vancouver Island Guide Outfitters, Box 1062 Station A, Port Alberni, BC, V9Y 7L9. Phone 250-724-1533; email dfdeluca@shaw.ca; web www.vancouverislandguideoutfitters.com.