Regarding my Troy Hammer Bighorn 25

I have not written much about it, as life and failing computers and eyesight have gotten in the way.



Bottom line I love it.



Basically I bought this rifle to replace a Seneca 2500 carbine. I loved the weight and the long magazine as I am a 50 year plus bullet caster.



The Seneca was light and with my cast bullets, hit 80 Fpe but had the handling characteristics of our old John Deere model A tractor my old man tethered me to as a kid.



I checked out the Kral Bighorn from Troy Hammer and was impressed with the features, 10 shot magazine that takes .400 “ cast bullets, threaded muzzle for a tensioned barrel system and 83 fpe plus energy. Also with Troys tune you get a valve that does not deform from having it loaded and filled to 3625 psi for extended periods.



I cut off and replaced that cast bullet mutating choke with a Donny fl threaded 1/2 x20 cap, replaced the metal tensioning tube with carbon fiber, recrowned then polished the barrel interior and crown with #7 polishing compound followed by Flintz until I got tight groups, then reversed the barrel in the vice and hit the first 12 inches with rigorous polish wirh #7 from the lead to mid barrel to obtain a very slight tapered choke with mirror polish. Then I used crayton bulbs to match the driving band on the MPMold and barrels leade. I use sized bullets for gauges, only one use per bullet, until I get bullet lead fit resembling the fit of a cork in a wine bottle.



By now you realize this is not my first cast bullet conversion, I found this choke amputated 21 inch barrel to be the most consistent barrel I have polished, Troy hand picked it for me and used my home cast .252 bullets to test the .251 groove diameter which IS the correct way to set up a cast bullet barrel for a specific bullet. It works far better than guessing, then selling those inaccurate cast bullets that are a one size fits all attempts.



Then I added a Talontunes 3625 psi tank to put the rifle on a diet, glass bedded the tank to the hogged out forend. Then I used alcohol with 000 Steel wool to thin out the stain and reveal the lovely Turkish walnut grain.



I put 5 coats of Trueoil and then hand rubbed #7 and like the metal finished with Flintz.



B3236C0C-5B3D-433C-AD3B-CAC235F15D00.1649720762.jpeg
6A0FFFFC-F4A7-4F07-AE45-B98D045986FD.1649720812.jpeg
6FD945EF-DD57-4F41-956E-58610417877B.1649721525.jpeg




The result is a lovely satin finished walnut stocked rifle with superb accuracy and handling characteristics.



I also used a 1 inch picanitty scope rail to the cf barrel shroud to give one shot sight ins once a laser is added. The rifle being a light weight weapon wears a unlighted Hawke 2x7 scope in lever rings.



If you want to see what properly sized cast bullets can do, check out my 500 and 615 yard utube videos showing hits on 12 oz cola cans made 8 years ago.



Regards, 



Roachcreek











I had ordered a couple of MPMolds molds that I had for my Benjamin Kratos that I tuned to 60plus fpe
 
My powder burner days ended about the time I lost most of my eyesight, my son shoots a lot, or would if he could get ammo.



I recast my bullets so it is only electricity or gas to make bullets.

M home designed air compressor system using two CAT Shop compressors, to run a Altaros booster fills my 30 minute tank every week, and has for a year now, so ammo cost are Penni’s as is propellente.



But all this cost as much as a shop pickup or a slightly used trophy wife.



E3B01A39-F648-4CF4-BA04-8E72C5A0F4DF.1649723292.jpeg



Roachcreek
 
RC

Great group, great rifle! It’s hard to take a brand new item and then strip the finish off it, to see the grain underneath…I do it all the time. I’m not sure why these manufacturers believe they have to use some type of “almost paint” to finish stocks.

mike

My biggest complaint on my new Taipan Shorty, they painted a wood grain finish over the wood stock
 
  • Like
Reactions: Flintsack