Reeder Custom Guns - In a weak moment I thought about selling this one but

I think I may lean at moving the MOA kit in it's place. To sponsor a HHC adventure. Doug and I both really like this one. He took a nice Ram at HHC with it. This is a Jim Rice RPM-XL "Elk Hunter" package gun. RIP Mr. Rice, he was a hard charger. More accomplished target shooter than hunter but he did make it to Africa.

This is basically a precision target gun adapted to a Hunting role. The trigger is actually TOO good and can easily me mis-adjusted to too light a setting, tripping the internal safety. Sorry, no lefty's at all! But it is super accurate and shoots easy pushing a 250 gr. jacketed .358 rifle bullet at 2250 fps, not too bad. I can make .356 Win. brass from .444 Marlin run in .358 Win. dies and the neck shortened by 50%. This later model has a "cam" extractor I much favor. In fact it has lots in common with the Freedom FA of late which sports less complicated firing group and trigger system. Just FYI as they are pretty rare.

My biggest issue is carrying it through the woods. It needs a sling system. I could have a stud drilled and tapped in the bottom of the gripframe. Maybe a barrel band on the front? What do you guys think? I like a sling on a single shot hunting handgun.

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when I got the gun. I still have most of it. I did experiment with the .444 to .358 to make sure it could be done and worked well. I guess the .356 stuff is pretty hard to find?!

I never really loaded it hotter than factory as the recoil is pretty snappy, even with the brake.

heard the Automag is coming back!

then the second batch will be a whole new design (sorta). High dollar.

Now, if they would bring the Wildley back at a price an average guy could afford one!

reliable enough to hunt with. Constant problems. That is why they went in and out of business so many times. On one afternoon's practice with Kase's 45 WM Wildey the hammer broke and fell off. The best semi auto hunting handgun was absolutely the grizzly. Non gas operated. Just like a 1911. Reloads worked great and plenty of power and again
Kase and I had probably 8 or 10 of them thru the years, in 45 WM, 44 Mag and 50 AE. Didn't care for the 50 AE as the recoil was pretty rough. But overall in my humble opinion, the very best semi auto hunting pistol ever made.

It was a fine .44 Remington Magnum power level semi-auto that was reliable and outstanding accuracy potential. I really like the dual spring arrangement and short recoil principal. But it was not without minor faults.

Sighting and provision for optics were a bit if a chore.

Small part fatigue and some frame battering and cracking was also an issue but would take considerable use to manifest itself.

I was blessed to be able to procure one to play with and test to my great satisfaction. I could not "see" the silver front sight but it shot great. I even shot "lead" cast bullets from mine. EGADS! Worked perfectly. I do remember one anxious 30 minutes of searching the pasture grass for a dropped "bolt accelerator" piece. Whew....

had even one problem with any of them once I found the load they liked. Lee Jurras' favorite was the 357 AMP. Mine was and is the 41 JMP (developed by Lee). I don't think Lee would have risked 4 long safaris in Africa with his Auto Mags if there were any inherent problems with them. And he took only 4 Auto Mags, no rifles at all.

I have hunted all over the world with mine also and never a hitch. No cracked frames, no parts falling out, nothing. I scoped a couple of mine, especially the 41 JMP, and no problem there. I used a rifle base and drilled & tapped the rib over the barrel and installed the bases. On one I used the Weaver bases for the Marlin 336 as it was flat on the bottom and fit the rib perfectly. The longest open sight shot I have taken was with an Auto Mag at a bit over 150 yards (on video) at a Dall sheep. Hit him twice. I have even taken a couple of turkeys with it. I would bet my life on the Auto Mags. At first I used my own brass and loads using Lake City Match 308 brass cut down. Then Lee started making the ammo at Super Vel and that was great. Later on Norma started making the ammo and I went to that and stayed there. Years later Cor Bon started making ammo for it and the last couple of hunts where I used the Auto Mags I used the Cor Bon.

The Grizzly is a more user friendly pistol and probably the best in the long run when you look at money spent, ammo availability, grips, sights etc. In my humble opinion the Wildey is junk. Nothing but problems.

Several of my hunting buddies used their Auto Mags all over the world with me. And they never had any problems either.
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However It does come out on occasion to punch a few holes and introduce the unsavy to Wildey. I always thought it was just the 475's that broke hammers.....damn it Gary....your scaring me

and not shoot it as parts are not easy to find should you break something.

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IN APRIL. I AM SCHEDULED TO GET ONE OF THE FIRST GUNS FOR TESTING.

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I've talked to JD Jones too but both Jones and Rock stopped going to the Y-O before I went with Gary the first time. Didn't get to meet them in person. Lots of other nice fellows. I did meet Mr. Rock's son-in'law, Jim maybe? Nice guy. I think they may have sold the rights to make RPM's but I'm not sure.

I'd like to have a rimless 06' extractor fitted so I could use .308/.358 Win. brass.

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