I know this is old school but if I had to grab one of my rifles right now to go on a sheep hunt...it would be a gun that's over 40 years old!
Yep, I would pass on my Blaser R-93 in .264 wm and pass on a new custom or two...and I would dig out the gun I picked up at an estate sale 10 years ago.
It's a good old .270 built on a pre-64 Winchester action. What makes it special is that it is one of the early sheep rifles made by one of the legends, Brown Precision, Inc.
After I bought the gun I bought some Nosler premium factory ammo just to see what it could do...didn't expect much as the gun had a 22" pencil barrel, was dinged up a little and had a couple of bands of black electrical tape around the stock close to the butt. An older Swarovski was already mounted so I didn't change anything - just shot a 3 shot 100 yd group using my backpack as a rest.
Imagine my surprise when I found a 3 shot cloverleaf (less than 3/4") about 1.5 inches above the bull!
I started grinning like a possum eating briars and still do whenever that gun comes to mind.
I was so excited I decided to call up Brown Precision to compliment them on a fine rifle.
After speaking to Mark Brown for just a moment and describing the gun and how I acquired it he quickly stated "That's Dr. xxxx's gun isn't it?"
I was stunned...he then proceeded to ask if the tape was still on the stock and when I affirmed that it was he laughed and told me that he and his dad had begged the doctor (a hunting buddy of theirs) to send the gun back to be re-stocked but he refused saying "It shoots too good to mess with it".
Then Mark told me the story of how the gun had fallen off the back of the Land Rover on an African safari and got run over by the back tire...but never lost its zero. They taped it up in the field and kept right on hunting.
The gun was used by the doctor to take numerous trophy plains game on multiple safaris in Africa and some dangerous game also.
It also went to Alaska, Canada and Asia to take numerous sheep species...all big trophies.
It was the Doc's favorite rifle...his "go-to" gun.
So when Mark offered to recoat and restock the gun I declined...if it was good enough for the doc its good enough for me! I wouldn't hesitate to go hunting anywhere, anytime with that gun.
Sometimes late at night I think I hear a lion roar...from the direction of my safe.
Sorry for getting longwinded here...
Edwin