My fellow Randall knife freaks,
Tomorrow is the last day of the Alabama whitetail season. Our mutual friend, "Crimson Tide", is up here hunting with me. We are seeing deer, but not the "right" deer, if you know what I mean. Lots of good food and company, and of course: The fireplace! All and all, a good time. I'll try to email a few pics in the next day or so, but in the meantime: Does anybody out there hunt? I am curious as to what type of hunting you do. What type of weaponry, and, of course: What Randall ya'll use. Let me hear from ya'.
Wayne has seen my "newest addition" and is on my butt to get some pics for the forum. That got me thinking: Let's hear from you folks and see your "hunting users". I'll check in soon. Gotta get some shut eye: 4:45 A.M. comes pretty early.....to be continued: Captain Chris Stanaback

Capt,

Here I am sitting at work, but off the top of my head this is what I have. (I might miss a few).

6-Savage Model 99's, from 303 Savage ,made in 1899 (serial # 11XXX), 250/3000 Savage, and the rest are 300 Savage.-All have brass rotors.
1-280 Remington in Rem. model 700 BDL
1-7mm Rem. Mag in Weatherby Vanguard
1-.270 WSM in Kimber model 8400
1-.257 Roberts in Winchester model 70, from the custom shop
1-.270 Win.in Winchester model 70 Ultra, w/walnut plank presentation case
1-30-06 Springfield in Model 3100 Crown Grade-Husqvarna
All are topped with either Leupold Vari X II or III, or Bushnell Elite 3200 scopes.
I generally use Federal Premium bullets, or Hornady light Mag bullets.
I've harvested over 35 whitetails, but no real large wall mounters.

I carried the Randall 3-5, that was the first thread knife build by you all last summer. Beautiful Red Stag on it.
And..I have never made a shot over 250 yards! Most of my shots are less than 100 yards. I'm not as good as the Capt! :101

Kent
RKS #109

Kent,

I haven't hunted for many years, but when I did I carried my Dad's 257 Remington-Roberts (open sights) and his 1945-46 model 3-6. It was a great flat shooting rifle and of course the knife did quite well :D

Best,

Ron

Whitetail season has been over here several weeks.
I have been hunting with Thompson Center Contenders for years. Depending on the location I will use a .25-35 Win. 45-70 Gov. or 300 Savage (rechambered from a 30 Herrett). All have 2x Leupold scopes with Redfield three ring mounts. These are all the old original Contenders.

The Captains Hill Country rifle prompted me to reach in the back of the safe to retrieve my favorite "Deep East Texas" woods rifle. It is a Remington Mohawk 600 originally chambered for .243 Win. Twenty years ago I sent it to a gunsmith in Washington who specialized in re-boring barrels and had it re-bored to .358 Win.

I bead blasted the metal to match the finish of the Leupold 1.5-5x Vari-X III. The stock is a custom Clifton Arms composite that cost as much 20 years ago as ten or twelve of today’s mass produced composites. With its 18.5" bull barrel it is almost as handy as the Contenders.

I will post a photo this weekend.

Good response, so far. Alas: The season is over. But I vow to "hunt on". Several options are still on the table. I'm not much of a turkey hunter, but that season is right around the corner. My whitetail body count mounted up fairly well this year. 3 bucks of mountable size. The 10 point from Texas, a 6 (it didn't have any kickers), and an 8 point in Bama. 6 does to put enough venison on my and all of my kids tables, not to mention helping us keep in line with the game commision's requests. My Grandsons (at least 2 of them) killed their first deer (3 total). That makes for a good season.
I'd like to aquire one of those 257 Roberts (hint, hint), if anybody wants to "sniff out" a Randall trade. Tom: What about the Randall you use, or plan to use? Let me hear from more of you....I am thinking of a "building" project along these lines. More later. Best, Captain Chris Stanaback

Capt.

I only have this one .257 Roberts, so will at least keep it for today!, but who knows about tomorrow. :lol The Randall bug might hit me real hard!

I picked this one up last year. It was ordered in December of 1982 by the owner of a air service company in Huntington Beach, CA. It was ordered "In the white", as there was NO bluing on any of the metal, except the trigger. The bolt was jeweled polished. It was sent "In the white", so that engraving could be done on it. No engraving was ever done on it. I got it in the box, unfired, paperwork included.

It was also ordered with "fancy wood". The wood and hand engraving are pretty droolable. :101 It came with a satin finish.

I had a light matt finish put on the white metal, which makes it almost looks blue. Shoots like heck!

Kent
RKS #109

Tom: What about the Randall you use, or plan to use? Let me hear from more of you....I am thinking of a "building" project along these lines. More later. Best, Captain Chris Stanaback
Captain,
When hunting the woods I carry a #19-4.5 leather grip.

One thing that makes my woods rifle special (other than the odd chambering) is the stock. I don't think Clifton Arms is in business any longer. They probably could not compete with the mass produced injection molded stocks. The Cliftons were hand laid glass, Kevlar and carbon fiber. They had a gimmick where a bipod collapsed and slid into the end of the stock. I had one of those on a Mohawk 600 chambered in .308 Win. With a 2-7X Leopold Vari-X III. I thought of it as my “sniper rifle”, for whitetails of course.

The .358 M-600 does not have the bipod. It is more of a Jeff Cooper style “Scout Rifle” except that the scope is not mounted forward of the bolt. I was surprised by the accuracy of the re-bored barrel. From a rest I can put my groups into a 2.5’ circle at 200 yards. I did not expect that.

The little “Scout” always generates conversation around the campfire. Photos to come this weekend.

Our deer season ended in december, but turkey is just around the corner. I just received my first Randalls a few weeks ago, but I plan on using My #25-5" for the upcoming season. I am looking to pick up a couple more before the season, so this might change. I am an avid bowhunter for whitetail when my job permits me. I use an Oneida Eagle bow and I also use a Bears Paw take down recurve bow. When hunting with the gun, it's a Thompson Center Omega muzzleloader or a Model 7 Remington Mountain Rifle in 30-06. I can't wait to have the Randall on my hip during the hunting season and around camp.

Chris
RKS#5186

Chris,
I thought that all Remington Model Sevens were short actions. I do not recall seeing . at least in a long 30-06 action, a "Mountain Rifle" in anything but a Model #700 Is this model a new addition to the Remington line? Someone at the hunting camp told me that Remington was fixin' to discontinue the Model #700. Maybe this is the replacement? It would figure that a big company, making a product for 40 odd years, with great success would discontinue it! Go figure.
With regards to your Randall Model #25-5". No question: It is one of the most popular models in the catalog, but, don't you find it a little "big" for turkeys? While I don't consider myself an avid turkey hunter, I usually manage to kill a couple. I find that 3/16" stock knives, like a Model #26-4", or a "GTR" work well on them. What are your (and hopefully other's) thoughts on this. Thanks for the post. Best, Captain Chris Stanaback

Capt.

Sorry! It is a Model 700, I forgot the zero's. I have a #8-4" to carry for the Turkey season. The #25-5" will be my all around knife for camp and the Deer season. Sorry for the mix up! I am really excited to carry these knives during the season.

Chris

No need to apologize. Chris. I just didn't remember Remington introducing any "standard" length actions in the Model #7. This stuff changes every day. You never know what is coming. I am still at the hunting camp. Season is 2 days over, but I have a lot to do. Just went out on the front porch and saw a deer walking downrange, just in front of my 400 yard target. Why doesn't that happen "during" the season? Anyway: I hope that more folks will post up on this thread. I am contemplating a couple of Randall knife "companion building projects". I would like to compile a mental list of folks' favorite Randalls for different types of hunting. From that list we could argue our cases for our favotites, hear opposing sides and points of view, and "build" a consensus Randall knife, or a "mutant" one! We could take the good and the bad and weigh in on the merits. We could then compile the information and build something. EXAMPLE: You like a Model #8-4", "Trout and Bird". So do I, but also like thumb notches, which is an option on that knife. Someone else might like a Model #5-4", "Small Camp and Trail", which comes standard with thumb notches,but not a false edge sharpened. The false edge can be ordered on a #5-4", but a lot of folks do not know that. That could be brought out in the discussion. Education: A bit of debate: a Randall built in 90 days: Not a bad mix!! We could follow it up with a "fishing" companion knife. Something to think about. Best for now, Captain Chris Stanaback

I live here in Oregon and Traditional archery hunt only for all species including ELK.
I make my own arrowheads and arrows. I also make knives and consequently i got to gut and skin my first trad buck with my own knife. Its fun, shooting wood into beasts but more enjoyable just "trying" to get close. I also have a 30/40 Kragg that i could use but dont like guns. They are too loud....LOL.
Jeff

Alabama's deer season ended Tuesday so I'm back home and can now start counting down the days till next fall and opening day. I thought I would share some photos in the next few posts of both the Captain's new "special" Randall that he just received as well as my new Denmark Special that I had on order with the Captain. We carried these two knives on the last 4 hunts that we made but unfortunately we did not get an opportunity to use them on that that "right" deer that we were hoping for. We both saw bucks, but as the Captain said, not the "right" bucks. The first pictures are of the Captain's model 11-4 with fossil walrus, thumb notches, aluminum and black spacers. This is a great looking knife in the photo but "in person" it is really something special. My Denmark Special has green micarta teardrop handle, brass and black spacers, thumb notches, and wrist thong.
Wayne

The first photo is of me using the Captain's 400 yard range to sight in my latest "toy", a Dakota model 97 Hunter in 7mm Remington Mag. Next is Captain Chris using his excellent shooting skills to help me fine tune my Dakota. (He had to show off a little and bust some plastic coke bottles at 400 yards so that he could take away my using the new rifle as an excuse should I miss a deer). Next is a photo taken from the bench looking down range.
Next is The Captain wearing his new Randall. Finally is a picture so that you could all see the "primitive" conditions that the Captain and I have to endure while at the camp. As you can also see, the property does produce a quite a few nice bucks!!! For the last 4 hunts of the season, The Captain used his Hill Country Rifle and I used the Dakota.
Wayne

####, Wayne,
You're really making me miss the place....and I haven't even left yet!! Hope ya' had a great time. The fact that you didn't shoot the lesser bucks directly relates to your return invitations. Best, Captain Chris Stanaback

I hunt deer in Indiana with a 1971 S&W, .44 Mag, Model 29, 6.5" barrel. Bought the gun in 1979 when I turned 18. It was the first gun I ever purchased.

As for the knife, I'm now using my Model 8 (just in case I see a trout walking through the woods). :D

Cap,
I had a great time!!! As for the lesser bucks, I definitely support your clubs rules on size of bucks. Besides if I get to come back those "lesser" bucks that I let walk, may be trophy size!!!!!!!!!
Thanks again to youand the other club members for allowing me to visit.
Wayne

Wayne and Cap, you guys really know how to rough it! Sounds and looks like a great time had by all. Cap, you are wearing that knife like you might actually cut something with it. Is that allowed? The handle looks like an artifact like a chunk of fire starter or such. Is it? Really cool looking! Is it comfortable in the hand with the thick handle? Wayne, cool looking knife you're sporting there too. I like the handle. Looks like an outdoorsman's knife and indestructible. I think you two are having more than the allowed amount of fun for teenagers like yourselves.

Do you guys bow hunt as well? I see the deer target for practise and it made me wonder. I think if I were to hunt, it would be with a bow and with a developing interest in the long bows, that's what I would have to try after I made my bow of course. Our friends' post about making his own arrows and arrowheads got to me to thinking again about making my longbow. Guys, anyone who is bored with life, needs to see me. I've got enough hobbies for ten men and not enough time to do any of them justice:banghead

Thanks for sharing the pictures!

seuss

Maddog, are you a knapper or do you make your arrowheads of steel? I had the opportunity to watch a really good bunch of knappers last year and they turned out some beautiful stuff. They just talk and knock and talk and knock and before you know what's happening, they've produced a beautiful arrow or spear head. It was great fun to watch!

seuss

Allen,
I haven't bow hunted for the last few seasons, just during firearm season. Thanks for the nice comments on the Denmark. That one was ordered for a user.
Wayne

The Captains Hill Country rifle prompted me to reach in the back of the safe to retrieve my favorite "Deep East Texas" woods rifle. It is a Remington Mohawk 600 originally chambered for .243 Win. Twenty years ago I sent it to a gunsmith in Washington who specialized in re-boring barrels and had it re-bored to .358 Win.
I bead blasted the metal to match the finish of the Leupold 1.5-5x Vari-X III. The stock is a custom Clifton Arms composite that cost as much 20 years ago as ten or twelve of today’s mass produced composites. With its 18.5" bull barrel it is almost as handy as the Contenders.
Here it is:
http://www.knifenetwork.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2706&d=1139068659
http://www.knifenetwork.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2707&d=1139068666

I hunt whitetails here in Arkansas and this year I carried my new A.G. Russell Special. Unfortunately, I did not take anything this year. I saw a couple, but would rather wait until I take a "wall-hanger". Besides, I want my Randall's first deer to be a nice one.

Here in Arkansas, we also do quite a bit of duck hunting. Don't get much use for the Randall though.

I love my A.G. Russell! Fits my hand nicely and the blade is just the right size. I just ordered a model 15 for myself. Thinking of making it my EDC!

Keith

Tom,
First of all let me preface this by saying that I have way too many rifles. Absolute fact! Secondly: Nice photos of your weaponry. I have a Mark Banzner "Ultimate Rifle" in 358 Winchester. It is made up on a Remington Model #7, today's version of your rifle action. His hand laid composite stock, bead blast blued, whammer-jammer trigger, blah, blah, blah. I scoped it with a Fuginon 1.5-6X "Heavy Duplex" riflescope. It shot so well with the first 200 Grain Winchester "Silvertips" I ran through it that I bought 5 cases of the same lot number!! That's right: 10 boxes per case: 20 rounds per box: 1,000 rounds of the exact same load! That ought to be enough, don't ya' think? Just on a lark, I sighted this rifle in 1.3" high at 100 yards. This gives me a 150 yard zero. More importantly than that, I can use the intersection of my 6 o'clock heavy post (picket) and thinner center wire (crosshair wire) to provide me with a 300 yard zero! The distance from the "picket" to the center of the crosshairs, on maximum power, is 5"/ total "holdover" or 6.3" @ 100 yards equates to "dead-on" at 300. I have shot 8.5 ounce water bottles at 300 yards to "prove" this theory to myself. Although the 358 Win. is not known for being a "long-distance" killer, I think a 200 grain "Silvertip", in 35 caliber, slamming into something at 300 yards, would pretty much dispell that rumour!
In Alabama I generally use a heavier, longer cartridge. The "Banzner" allows me to slip around for several hours without the wear and tear on an old man. If I do "happen" up on a spot that looks good and want to sit for a while, I feel assured that this big boy will launch one down range far enough and with enough gas to get the job done on anything I am hunting!
I carry a Model #6-4 1/2", or a Model #7-4 1/2", with a #6 grind (whichever you prefer to say) in the woods, when slipping around. I use a "RDH", or reduced hilt, and had a buddy of mine make me an ostrich "pouch" sheath to carry it in. The handle is finger-gripped stag, which is no longer an option. A wrist thong and compass were installed, as both options are quite important to me "in the woods". A wrist thong allows me the "hang it" whenever I may want to. It keeps the Randall at the ready,but out of my way in the meantime. As far as a compass is concerned: There are a bunch of reasons to have one,besides keeping yourself from getting lost. I'll (we'll) cover that a bit later. Thanks for the pics. When I get back to Kenansville and settled in after this marathon season, I will try to post some pics. Best for now,Captain Chris Stanaback
P.S. How about the rest of ya'. Surely there is one more "yarn-strecher" or "story-teller" out there! CCS

Captain,
Sounds like I have the "Poor Boy" version of your rifle!
I handload all my ammo. I loaded 300 for this 358 fifteen years ago and still have enough to "sight in" 20 or so shots before the reason starts for a couple more years. I don't use this one every year. I never try to recall the loads from memory but I do know that the bullet is a 180 grain Nosler. I hesitate to post the load here after I look it up but it was the best out of a dozen or so trials back then.

Captain,
What is the barrel length of your Model 7-358?

Here are a couple that got away shot the photos this morning before I went to work. They are here all the time, all year. They neighbors shoot the big ones.

Tom,
My barrel length is 22", yet the rifle is very light and handy. Of course, my Chandler sniper weighs 12 1/2 pounds, and my Hill Country weighs in at 8 1/2 pounds. Any 7 pound rifle would seem light and handy! Best, Captain Chris Stanaback

My weapon of choice is a Browning A-Bolt .300 Win Mag for walkin' critters and a Browning Gold 12 ga. for flyin' critters!

Rigby,
A pair of Brownings: But what Randall? Best, Captain Chris Stanaback

Ah yes, the Randall. . .an A.G. Russell Special is my current hunting partner!

....I have not hunted for quite a while. I did hunt turkey, deer, squirrels and quail when I lived in Texas. I was never a great wingshot but I sure liked watching good dogs work cover for quail. Well trained bird dogs are amazing to watch. My boss at Fort Hood had two good dogs and tried very hard to get 500 birds a season. He was successful one year there. We would quit work early during quail season and hunt the many clearings and brush lines on Fort Hood. My second and third tours in Korea I hunted pheasants without dogs. The terrain was thick with brambles and had lots of bomb craters and barbed wire just for good measure. There were a lot of pheasant but it was tough to get a bird up but we had a bunch of fun. We did get some birds and eating pheasant with your buddies is one of life's best pleasures. I hunted deer and hogs here in GA but quit when I got a boat and was offshore fishing every free minute in the early 80s. Every fall I get the urge but for various poor reasons never do get back into hunting. Hunting guns? Winchester Model 70 30-06 and old JC Higgins 12 Ga pump. If I was hunting today I would use my 12 Gauge side by side instead of the pump.
Jeff

Capt., getting back to you a little late on this Post, but here is my $0.02 worth of input.

I am a "Addicted" Deer and Turkey Hunter & "Half Hearted" Goose Hunter.
I Hunt Deer with the Bow, Muzzleloader, & Rifle, only in New York.
New York is broken up into both Rifle Zones & Shotgun, Handgun & Muzzleloader Only Zones, due to the population density. New York is also broken up into a Northern & Southern Zones for different Season Dates.
I hunt both near my Home (aka "The Lodge") in Pawling, Dutchess County, which is a Shotgun, Handgun & Muzzleloader Only Zone. After trying numerous weapons for this Zone, I have changed to using the Muzzleloader for both the Shotgun & Muzzleloader Seasons.

I also hunt up at in the "Big Woods" in the Adirondacks, which is a Rifle / Northern Zone. The Camp is located in both the towns of Ticondarogo & Crown Point, in Essex County. The Club I belong to has a Lease of all most 2,000 Acres from International Paper Company. We have a total of 25 members, & only 10 Members hunted this past year. We have a small 1 Room Cabin up there to stay in. It is a really nice "Remote Location" to Hunt in. The Property was recently Logged, so there is a lot of both Logging Roads & Skidder Trails, which enables us to access most of the Property with ATV's. We have an Early Muzzleloader season, which opens in early October for 1 week. We have a long Rifle Season, which goes from the middle of October through Early December. We than have another Late Muzzleloader Season for 1 more week. There are not a lot of deer up there, so Does are only allowed to be taken during the Muzzleloader Seasons. Our Club always had a "No Doe" rule, but we changed that for next year, since the Lease was over run by Does this Year.

All of my Turkey Hunting is usually done at "The Lodge". We can only use a Shotgun for Turkeys in New York.

The little bit of Goose Hunting I do is at the "Coop", which is where my Shop is, also in Dutchess County.

I don't really know how many Rifles I have, but some of my Favorites for use up in the "Big Woods" are the:
"Patina Special" (an old beat up Ruger Model 77R, Tang Safety, 30-06 in a old Synthetic Stock that I bought for $200.00).
"Hacksaw Whelen" (a Remington 700 Classic in .35 Whelen that has been cut down to a 20" Carbine).
"Fat Sister" (an old Remington 660 in .308).
"Little Sister" (a Remington Model 7 KS in .308).

Any shot that we may get up there will be short, (less than 100 Yards) since the woods is pretty thick up there. All of my Rifles wear Leupold Scopes, usually a 1.75 - 6 Power, all with Heavy Duplex Reticles.

For a Muzzleloader, I use my "Remy Carbine" (a Remington Model 700 MLS .50 Cal. SS with a 22" Cut Down Barrel. It wears a Leupold 2-7x Muzzleloader Scope).

For Randall Knives, I have used the Model #04-4", #07-4", & a #08-4" on Deer. I have used the #08-4" on Turkeys.