Hard-Working Aussie Rifles with Wild Dog Stocks
It’s not unusual for a shooter to acquire a nice, custom hunting rifle that spends nearly all its life as a safe queen, getting used only once every few seasons, if at all. That’s why we like to see hunting guns that “earn their keep” in regular field use.
Forum member Andrew from Geelong, Australia has two matching hunting rifles that definitely get serious use, harvesting a wide variety of wild game. Both guns are built on Winchester Model 70 actions, fitted in Australian-crafted Wild Dog camo stocks. One rifle is chambered in .243 Win, while the other is a 270 WSM. Andrew has fitted Leupold VXL 4.5-14×50 scopes to both guns. That is the scope with the odd-looking cutaway front objective that lets the scope sit lower on the gun.
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Wild Dog Stocks and Custom Rifles from Australia
Wild Dog Australia, based near Brisbane, Queensland, produces both innovative high-tech stocks, as well as complete rifles. Wild Dog’s staffers are all active shooters and hunters. They build stocks that are light, but very strong, employing carbon fiber and advanced composites. The folks at Wild Dog aren’t afraid to think “outside the box”. One of the clever signature features of Wild Dog hunting stocks is a trap-door ammo caddy integrated into the buttstock. Smart eh? The flip-open ammo storage keeps your ammo clean and secure. You don’t have to mess with clumsy strap-on ammo sleeves that can slide around and collect debris and thorns.
Wild Dog Does Tactical Too
In addition to its hunting and varmint stocks, Wild Dog now produces a variety of rugged tactical stocks. The carbon-fiber reinforced thumbhole LA-TA2 and SA-TA2 feature clean lines with no protrusions. (These stocks run about US $900, plus another US $125 for custom camo paint.) Ergonomics are excellent and we think the grip/thumbhole area fits the hand better than an Accuracy International thumbhole stock.
Wild Dog also makes an excellent REM-SA-TA1 non-thumbhole tactical stock for Rem-clone short actions. The LA-TA2, SA-TA2, and REM-SA-TA1 all feature adjustable cheekpieces and adjustable length-of-pull spacer systems. Shown below is something you don’t see very often, a snakeskin camo Barnard-actioned tactical rifle. Leave it to the Aussies….
The Tompkins Trophy goes to the overall Long Range High Power Champion. Along with bragging rights, the winner receives a Tompkins Trophy plaque, a goldtone medallion, a gold and diamond National Long Range Championship ring, a $500 Visa gift card, a $500 check from Sierra Bullets, a $500 check from Berger Bullets, and a Remington Model 700 Sendero SF2 300 Ultra Mag Rifle.
Her upbringing probably had a bit to do with it, too. Some might not know that Sherri’s sister (Michelle Gallagher), mother (Nancy Gallagher-Tompkins), and step-father (Mid Tompkins) have all won major National Championships. In fact, there are now 14 National Championships in the family. “It would have been nice to have mom here, but she’s over in England shooting the F-Class Championships.” One could say that shooting is in their blood. This was not Sherri’s first major championship. Sherri won the 2003 World Long Range Championship in Bisley, England.
