Dropped weapons out of a deer stand?

[bradshaw]

Aug 13, 2023 9:11:39 GMT -5 foxtrapper said:

My beloved 1975 vintage do all m77 tang safety 270 win has a bell and Carson replacement stock do to a fall. Cracked the stock right below the action. No wood missing so maybe it can be repaired. Fall also killed the weaver wide field 2x7 variable scope….

*****

Tang safety Model 77 tells me your stock is walnut. For some, like me, those stocks mount fast in woods for refined offhand shooting.

Stock repair
* Broken through small of stock----drill both pieces for hardwood dowels. Glue the whole with epoxy.
* Broken through magazine well----inlet inside mag well enough the lay with fiberglass. Dam any areas necessary to hold epoxy, then epoxy.
David Bradshaw

[kgb]

Not from a tree, had but the top swivel let go and the rifle pivoted muzzle first into the mud. Had no cleaning rod along so I climbed the stand with the pistol. Worked on the doe that walked by.

[bradshaw]

A flash hider helps keep mud & snow out of the muzzle. Which is why I had Ben “Bear Man” Kilham install a Ruger KAC-556 stainless flash hider on my Remington M6 .308 pump rifle when he trimmed it into a 16.8” carbine. Even so, I subscribe to masking tape to cover rifle muzzles. Electrician’s tape might protect muzzle from plugging on a tree-dropped rifle; doubt masking tape would hold. Plug of snow by itself can grossly swell or banana peal the muzzle. A bullet fired through dirt at the muzzle leaves straight striations of abrasion, which swelling destroys accuracy, requiring barrel trim. Accuracy-wise, tape might throw a .22, but 7mm, .30, and .338 don’t seem to care, even the .338 way out yonder.
David Bradshaw

[jeffer]

Yep! Many years ago, watched my freedom. Arms 454 four, fall, 15 feet from my tree. seem to take about an hour For it to hit the ground. I had slipped the gun in a shoulder holster and taken the strap off. And when I leaned over to tie my boot out, it went.

[parallaxbill]

Aug 17, 2023 22:40:29 GMT -5 jeffer said:

Yep! Many years ago, watched my freedom. Arms 454 four, fall, 15 feet from my tree. seem to take about an hour For it to hit the ground. I had slipped the gun in a shoulder holster and taken the strap off. And when I leaned over to tie my boot out, it went.

It sure is a bad feeling. 

Thanks to all for the responses, so far. I like knowing that I am not alone having sent a beloved firearm into gravity.

[woody]

Common theme seems to be holsters. I learned my lesson with my bandolier holster.