Celebrating the Whitetail Deer

                The annual featured firearm of the American Custom Gunmakers Guild (ACGG #16) project is a Winchester M70 in 7x57 caliber, paying tribute to the whitetail deer, probably the most hunted big game animal in America.

                The ACGG #16 rifle, along with fitted oak and leather case, custom knife, accessories, and signed whitetail print from wildlife artist Hayden Lambson, will be raffled at the Guild’s exhibition in February 2001.  The lucky winner will own the entire set for a $20 raffle ticket.

                The four major craftsmen selected for the ACGG #16 Project were: Ross Billingsley, metalsmith (Dayton, WY), John Pell, octagon barrel (Trinidad, CO), Chuck Grace, stockmaker (Trinidad, CO) and Rex Pedersen, engraver (Ludington, MI).  Three of the four craftsmen are originally from Michigan – prime whitetail country – so the theme seemed fitting for this project's team, as well as the 7x57 caliber.  They chose an unaltered pre-war Winchester M70, the most classic of American turn bolt actions.

                Ross Billingsley first received the action late in 1996 for the initial cleanup including truing all surfaces inside and out, installing a five-panel checkered bolt knob, building up the bolt stop and filing the trigger finger piece smooth and squaring the bolt face, locking lugs and receiver ring.

The action went to John Pell for the installation of his custom half round half octagon barrel made from a Douglas premium blank.  Pell precision chambered it in 7x57, then shaped and flawlessly polished the octagon flats.

The project was then returned to Billingsley for fitting of the quarter rib custom sights, sling swivel band, all new bottom metal, and the final polish.  Precise Metalsmith Enterprises donated a new three-position safety assembly replacing the awkward pre-war safety on this action.  Precise Metalsmith also donated an oversized front sight band, which Billingsley milled to an octagon shape.  He also did this treatment to the oversized Talley sling-swivel band.  This blended with the octagon barrel and created many small flats for the engraver’s art.  Billingsley also did a masterful job of making and installing a rear scope base, filling up the old clip slot from the pre-war receiver.  Finally he milled the rib and rear base to accept a pair of original Len Brownell double lever scope rings that he had squirreled away for a special project

Chuck Grace received the finished barreled action for stocking in August of 1997. A perfectly quarter-sawn piece of English walnut from Don Allen of Dakota Arms was specially selected.  The gun was stocked in classic fashion for a right-handed shooter with a 13 ¾” L.O.P.  A plain trap butt-plate from Roger Biesen was installed, again to provide more canvas for engraving, along with a solid Dakota grip cap.  The stock was shaped and finished and the metal left in the white before shipping the gun to Marvin Huey of Kansas City for a custom fitted oak and leather case treatment with outer canvas traveling case.  Huey lined the case with red super-suede material creating a shoehorn fit for the rifle.

Grace completed the final finish and checkering as soon as the case was fitted.  He used a full coverage pattern in fleur-de-lis motif at 26 L.P.I.  The hard English walnut checkered very well and is complemented by the red hues of the wood.

Engraver Rex Pedersen is very familiar with the Michigan whitetail season being as big an event as Christmas and frequently enjoys watching the deer out his shop window.  His engraving rendition is a combination of a print titled “Rousted” by renowned artist Hayden Lambson and the “once in a lifetime” trophy buck taken by his father near the shop.  The floorplate of the rifle incorporates a scene of the buck and a doe jumping over a fallen tree, escaping a hunter.  The deer were inlayed in gold and the rest of the scene is done in a bank note style and French greyed.  The balance of the floorplate was engraved in a restrained English scroll. 

The buttplate is engraved with the ACGG logo and “Number 16" along with matching English scroll.  The rest of the engraving is an elegant understatement of scroll and gold line borders with a balanced design that complements the classic look of the wood and metal.  All aspects of this fine gun are intended for the owner to admire, yet also to want to use it for find their “once in a lifetime” whitetail.

After engraving all metal was shipped to Larry Brace, Eugene, OR, for rust bluing of the barreled receiver, niter bluing of all screw heads, and the extractor.  All bottom metal was French grayed by Rex Pedersen. 

A special 1½ - 6 power signature series scope was donated by Burris Optics with the Guild logo lasered onto the ocular bell.

                The cased rifle will be given away February 4, 2001.  Ticket sales are limited to 4,000 and the winner does not have to be present.  Send $20 per ticket to:  ACGG, PO Box 812, Burlington, IA 52601-0812.

Photography by Mustafa Bilal of Turk’s Head Productions, Inc.