When it comes to finding a rifle that’s suitable across the whole spectrum of uses Chris Dalton thinks that he can’t do any better that the Haenel Jaeger 10, going so far as to call it his favourite rifle.
The Haenel Jaeger 10 is a bolt action rifle and is the perfect hunting rifle for High seat, driven hunt and stalking. This rifle was designed by Haenel to be used as a daily companion in the field for hunters. It is robust, easy to handle and comes in many variants with wooden or synthetic stocks.
As a professional stalker, you’d think Chris would be interested in the engineering and technical specifications, but he’s not mechanically minded. Chris says that when he gets into a car, he wants to be able to turn it on and go somewhere without it breaking down, and in many respects he chooses rifles based on the same premise. . What interests Chris the most is how the rifle feels, if it’s balanced, accurate and strong enough to withstand what he wants to do with it.
For Chris, the weight and feel of the Jaeger 10 was very important. There is a fine line when it comes to getting the weight right as there is a balancing act between being light enough to carry the rifle and heavy enough that it’s stable when being used. Coming in at around 3kg, Chris finds the Jaeger 10 strikes that balance nicely because it sits comfortably on his back when carrying it for a few hours at a time and balances nicely on sticks – which is how Chris most often shoots due to the environment he is in. Above all, it’s just comfortable to use.
Another feature Chris rates highly is the Leupold VHX-3HD scope on the Jaeger 10. The reason Chris really likes this scope is that the dials and the numbers on them are big enough for him to read without his glasses on. This means he can adjust quickly it if he needs to. For Chris it’s the simple things like being able to alter the zoom without having to put his glasses on that makes the Leupold VHX-3HD an ideal scope.
When it comes to ammunition Chris uses a non-toxic ammunition – the Sellier and Bellot Blue 120 grain. Initially he was slightly nervous to use non-toxic ammo because he had heard that non-toxic ammo didn’t perform very well in the field. But after nearly a year of use, having had success shooting plenty of deer, he is convinced – it perfect in the rifle and is pinpoint accurate. When Chris isn’t using the non-toxic ammo, he uses 243 ammunition for shooting smaller species of deer and 6.5 creedmore ammunition for the larger deer.
Overall, the Jaeger 10 ticks all the boxes for Chris when it comes to a great rifle. Watch this video to hear more from Chris.
