The Tale of a Rifle

In May 2006, I bought a BRNO ZKK601 from Alan Millars Hunting & Fishing in Dunedin.

I paid $450 for the rifle, and $80 to get 2" chopped off the barrel and a re-crown, as there was a bulge at the muzzle. The purchase included a Tasco 2-8x "World Class" scope.

This was my first centrefire hunting rifle, and I shot a few things with it over the time that I had it. I also upgraded the scope to a VX-I 3-9x40 and re-finished the stock (poorly) and carried it a lot of KM's.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...s/DSCF0252.jpg

In about December 2007 I got the bug for a new rifle, and sold my BRNO on trademe for $550 to a man somewhere in the North Island, and put the money towards a Remington 700 SPS, also in .270, bought from Alan Millars. My intent was to rebuild that rifle as a custom .280, and I replaced the stock on it with a fairly nice black laminate.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...s/PB070042.jpg

I didn't shoot very many animals with this rifle. I did put a fair few rounds through it at targets (including shooting Norway's first LR course with it) and shooting goats, wallabies, rabbits etc. I shot 2 hares at 500+ yards with it, first round hits. I only owned it for less than a year, and a fair portion of that time was spent working in Australia. In around July 2008 I bought my current Sako (also from Alan Millars), and the Remington remained basically unused after that, until about November 2008 when I decided to sell it to fund a stock and scope for my new Remington .223. I sold it on trademe, only getting around $1000 for it as I was in a hurry to sell. I bought a High Tech Specialties stock and a Nikon 3-12x42 Monarch with the money from the sale.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...s/P3050003.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ntitled-11.jpg

The High Tech stock never fit my Remington .223 properly, as it was inletted for the old-style trigger unit and my rifle had the new "X-mark Pro" unit. I ended up swapping it for a HS precison stock from a 700VS, which also did not fit. I made it fit with a bit of "gunsmith-in-a-box" work (Dremel tool). The Nikon scope I used a lot on both my .223 and my .243 Sako (on the Sako while my VX-III was at the custom shop), it worked very well for a budget scope and I did a lot of long range shooting with it. When I got my .223 rebarreled by Dan Hardy to a .223AI, he gouged out the barrel channel of the stock out extremely roughly, and I painted it tan when it came back.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...s/PB180088.jpg

In late 2009 sometime, I ordered a McMillan for the .223AI, and Isold the HS stock to forum member "Aurochs".

At the same time, I had loaned my Nikon scope to forum member "Gordy" to use on his Howa .243, and he had dented the tube, so he bought me a secondhand but "new in box" 4-16x42 Monarch to replace it. I sold this on trademe, and used the funds from stock and scope to purchase a used Leupold Mk4 4.5-14x50. I used this scope on my .223AI and .243/6.5x47 for about 8 months, making my longest shots on animals to date with both rifles - 525 yards first round rabbit with .223AI, and 700 yards first round goat with .243.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...s/PA180046.jpg

When I got my new job in Australia in March 2010, I traded the Mk4 scope, along with some cash and my Leica CRF1200 rangefinder to forum member "crzyman" for a pair of 10x42 HD Leica Geovids.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...s/P6130158.jpg

So that is the story of how my first hunting rifle, a $450 BRNO ZKK601, became a pair of Geovid binoculars.

I would like to own that BRNO .270 again, if I could find it, or another one like it.

Good story Gimp. Thanks for sharing.

It's an interesting tale of the upgraded gun, I often wonder how people arrive at the setup they have.

Buying my first rifle was the start of a long painful journey of loosing money, I've been the guinea pig for new rifles and there parts and friends have saved heaps of money by letting me try first.

Good lord, look at the hair in that first picture. :thumbsup:

Cool story.

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Originally Posted by Josh

Good lord, look at the hair in that first picture. :thumbsup:

Cool story.

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:thumbsup:

Look Pete maybe this is it, http://www.trademe.co.nz/sports/hunt...-431017614.htm

Jeff

The stock trouble on the SPS brings back horrible memories of trying to get my SPS 223 to shoot. Could have bought a Tikka or similar by the end of it, though if frustration has a price I could have bought a Sako or better. Wasn't intending buying a project.......

Nice read all the same.

Did someone put an illustration of the rifle's owner on that HS stock? very tasteful :thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by Kitto

Did someone put an illustration of the rifle's owner on that HS stock? very tasteful :thumbsup:

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I can confirm that Gimp illustrated it himself. It was during a bored moment in a camping ground in Cromwell if I recall correctly.

That's not to say that it wasn't an illustration of the rifle's owner, though :grin:

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Originally Posted by Josh

I can confirm that Gimp illustrated it himself. It was during a bored moment in a camping ground in Cromwell if I recall correctly.

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Followed by the question "You ever had feelings for another man bro?"

G'Day Fella's,

Gimp, we have All done it but I learned a long time ago not to sell any good rifles!
To the best of my knowledge, Brno have only ever made One bad rifle!!!
That particular bad rifle, was owned by a mate of mine and the action barrel thread, had been cut out of square!
Not very good but.....

The Czech people, are very under rated for their engineering skills and abilities!
Take out the Soviet invasion of the Czech Republic in 1968 and the poor influence this had on almost any thing made up until Communism, got the flick in Europe and you can have a very nice firearm!
I actually have a 1970 made Brno ZKK 600, that was originally chambered in 7x57. It is still very well made, so this is the cut off date, I use for any Brno/CZ firearms!

Hope that helps

Double Doh!!
Homer

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Originally Posted by Kitto

Followed by the question "You ever had feelings for another man bro?"

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It sure is an interesting thing to 'doodle' on your stock...:grin:

I have also made the mistake of selling a rifle only to regret it, twice! Never again.

Thought id bring back a blast from the past. I still have my first centerfire rifle bought about 40 years ago. A sporterised m96 mauser, steel lynx one piece mount and a 4x32 nikko stirling since been replaced

Im looking forward to our man Gimp,updating the story till present day.

Attachment 231760
1977 still here. GPM.

Glad you kept a track of what and who to you did your ' financing ' with. For a long long time as a single centerfire rifle owner I followed a similar path.
If I could get back to the 700 Classic .243 I bought new I too would be a happy man.

Attachment 231761
Different stock, different scope, now has a suppressor but still here. Shown with a more recent .308.
GPM.

I too regret selling my brno 270 vintage 69. But it's position as my big banger now goes to a 300 wsm mod 70.

I don't regret selling my 308 mauser. Was quite heavy but it was certainly a reliable setup until the redfield lost its gas. went through all sorts of adventures when i was inexperienced and mostly held zero haha