“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is nowhere better displayed than with two guns I recently saw at the NRA’s Whittington Center this past June. The guns couldn’t be more different, as are the owners, the first being a custom single-action sixgun built by Hamilton Bowen.

The other is a well-used, beat-up relic of a rifle nicknamed “Old Ugly” (OU) by famed Alaskan bear guide Phil Shoemaker. The rifle, a much-altered Whitworth Mark X .458 Winchester Magnum, is a prime example of Alaskan bushcraft and ingenuity.

Every alteration was performed with the goal of “customizing” the rifle by improving functionality, pointability, and more importantly, reliability for its owner. The rifle is used primarily for backing up clients hunting fierce Alaskan coastal brown bears. When facing a tenacious brown bear, this rifle is as beautiful as it gets — in its own way — especially during a charge!.

Base Gun

When talking with Phil about one of the most famous “Bear Guide Rifles” of all time, he explained the basis for his gun started as an old Interarms Mark X barreled action chambered in .458 Winchester Magnum. When speaking of cartridge choice, Phil said, “The more I experimented with and used the other big bores, from the various 375s & 416s up to the 500 Jeffery and 505 Gibbs, the more I came to appreciate the standard .458 Winchester. Like the 45 ACP, it’s not the biggest or most powerful, but it is easily managed, having a long and proven track record of performance.”

Probably the most endearing feature that stands out — and one notices first — is the OU stock. Painted in different shades of browns and greens and consisting of different textures, the stock appears to have been constructed by Dr. Frankenstein on a patched-up boat oar. But, when looking closely, one sees the genius behind every alteration which made the stock very functional.

Most gunmakers would cringe at turning out such a finished product. But this is Alaskan bushcraft, where anything and everything is used to get the job done. What OU lacks in looks, it more than makes up for in functionality. The rifle is well-balanced, feeling good in the hands, as if epoxied to the stock.
Phil bought the Mark X action for around $300 back then, saying it was priced right for a seasonal guide with two young kids. He planned on bedding the barreled action in a Brown Precision stock as they were about the only game in town 43 years ago.

The only problem was the stock comb was too high for the bolt to function. No problem for a “Sourdough” like Phil. When living in Alaska, learning to make things work with what you have on hand is part of life — shipping from the lower 48 is expensive!

So, Phil simply shaved 1″ from the comb to provide the clearance needed for the rifle bolt. He also added epoxy to the bolt knob, rounding it and making it larger.

“I remodeled the Brown Precision stock by cutting the comb down, reshaping it with fiberglass cloth and then painting the grip and forearm with Aircraft Wing Walk coating for a better grip. When I bedded the action, I mixed Devcon Liquid Steel with iron filings from a machine shop. I’m not sure if it made it stronger, but figured it couldn’t hurt,” stated Phil. “I mounted a 2.5X Leupold scope using Weaver rings. Taking the scope off and putting it back on doesn’t seem to change zero much at all.

Bush Monster

Loaded with three rounds of ammo, the rifle is well-balanced, weighing 9 lbs., 4 oz., and is manageable recoil-wise. Phil stayed with the original Interarms trigger, as it is all-steel and rugged.

Phil used a Dremel tool to cut a thumb notch on the left side of the action to assist in seating cartridges in the magazine with his left hand. It may not be the prettiest job, but it sure is functional and that’s all that matters. Phil also made the barrel’s bedding lug from ¼” steel scrap. The barrel was cut down to 21″ from factory length, making the rifle easier to carry and wield in the alder thickets.

When the whole work was finished, Phil spray-painted the frankengun with different greens and browns to its current pattern. I like the name “Sourdough” for the pattern, or maybe “Alaskan Bushcraft”? Phil touches up the gun when needed. “I just want the metal covered to avoid rusting.”

I had the privilege of shooting Old Ugly several times, and what Phil says is true. For me, the gun felt like it weighed about 7 lbs. because it balanced so well. Busting rocks at 200 yards was both fun and easy, with the white rock dust exploding and drifting off with each shot.

While many of us dream of owning custom rifles, how many dream of making their own? What Old Ugly lacks in looks sure makes up for in other, more important ways. Phil has carried Old Ugly for 43 years. There’s no stronger endorsement than Phil’s own words: “Old Ugly remains THE rifle I choose when things absolutely have to die!” And die, they do …