A lifetime of hunting, shooting sports

I grew up in a family that hunted and fished. My father was an avid hunter, pursuing small game like rabbits, pheasants, squirrels, and grouse in season and whitetailed deer during the Michigan big game season. The tradition in our family became celebrating Thanksgiving on the weekend after the Thursday holiday, because my dad was gone deer hunting prior to that time.

When I was little, my dad would fly-fish for trout in the river behind our house and as we moved, over time, he would take my sister and me out cane-pole fishing for sunfish off Lake Michigan’s piers or out on one of the many local lakes for bream or perch.

As a younger child, I accompanied him often on pheasant hunts carrying my BB gun, until I could demonstrate safe gun handling in the excitement of the moment. My first gun, at age 14, was a shotgun my grandfather had originally purchased in 1929. I had to repaint the entire inside of our house over the summer to earn that gun. The day it was presented to me, I remember my grandfather telling me if I had shooting opportunities at half the game that gun had already harvested, I would have a full lifetime of hunting pleasure.

As my father aged and his health deteriorated, he became more of a shooter and less of a hunter, spending a lot of time at the gun club he had joined. He experimented with various reloads and pursued more of the technical end of shooting rather than spending days in the field hunting.

I turned 65 earlier this month and, as much as I hate to admit it, I’m realizing my days in the field are numbered. My health is fine and I hope to live and hunt a long time into the future, but my days hunting sheep or goats are over. I’m also thinking a Sitka Blacktail or caribou might be preferred to a moose, simply because the chunks of meat are smaller and easier to handle, especially on a pack-out from the kill site.

I’ve always been somewhat “eccentric” in my firearms interests and I only see that intensifying somewhat as I get older. As a present to myself on my recent birthday, I decided to put together a semi-custom rifle in a hard-to-find caliber for hunting small game. I set about securing a good supply of the ammunition first, to be sure I had something to shoot when the firearm was completed.

The caliber is 17 Hornady Mach 2 (HM2), a rimfire round rapidly moving into the “obsolete” cartridge category. That’s a shame, really, because this round has a flatter trajectory and is more accurate than the fabled 22 long rifle cartridge. If I ever again hunt squirrels in the Lower 48, or anywhere for that matter, this would be my preferred caliber. It will also make a fine snowshoe hare and sitting-shots grouse cartridge here.

After securing the ammo, I next ordered a custom drop-in barrel from a maker in Montana. The rifle action is the new CZ USA brand, model 455, a bolt-action, which is designed to allow switching barrels and calibers. The company had offered the gun in 17 HM2, but due to slow sales, dropped it from their line a few years ago, hence the need for a custom, drop-in barrel chambered in that caliber.

I’ve always liked the wooden thumbhole style rifle stocks for their ergonomic feel and handling qualities. I ordered such a stock, designed to have a “drop-in” fit for my action and barrel, from a large stock making company. The scope mounts and extra magazines have already been ordered, too.

I should have the barrel and stock by the time you read this. The scope mounts and magazines should arrive soon as well. The new rifle I had to purchase, just to get the action, should be here in a week or so. With any luck, the parts should assemble together with minimal fitting. I’ll use a gift card from my wife to buy the scope for the rifle.

In a few weeks, I hope to have my semi-custom rifle together and shooting. I’ve dreamed about this gun for a few years now. I look forward to getting it finally put together and taking it shooting and hunting. Oh, by the way, if anybody needs a 22-caliber barrel or synthetic stock for a CZ model 455, let me know. I’ll have some extra parts!

Howard Delo is a retired fisheries biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Leave him a message by emailing sports@frontiersman.com.