Come see me Jan 31 - Feb 3 at SCI's 52nd Annual Sportsmans 2024 Convention in Nashville at booth #2312.

Meet Patrick Holehan

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“To watch him work is to observe a fine craftsman become totally immersed in the task at hand.”
– Bob Robb, Gun Hunter Magazine

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Born in Arizona and growing up in the Rocky Mountains around Durango Colorado, I developed an obsession starting in my adolescent and teenage years for hunting and fishing. Thinking I might head for a degree in Wildlife Biology, I started my education post high school at Trinidad St. Jr. College in Gunsmithing. After finishing their two year and 9 mo. programs I took a job in Tucson, AZ at Jensen’s Custom Ammunition working as a commissioned based repair and minor custom gunsmith.

Though I didn’t know the value at the time, it was a gift having the opportunity to work in a general shop with such a high volume of across the board type firearms work. Experience which would serve me well in years to come.

The Jensen crue was full of avid hunters and the educational value escalated my hunting knowledge. The desert was a whole new experience over the pine woods I grew up in. I put aside the old Herters recurve and the guys educated me to the modern bowhunting equipment. I guided my first hunters for pay in 1987.

In 1989 I got the opportunity to go to work for Custom Rifle Builder Frank Wells. Custom bolt rifles are where my passion lay since my school days. Frank built an array of custom bolt rifles and my education and experience was accelerated. I worked for Frank through January of 1994. My opportunities included work on several auction pieces including the No. 3 Lion/Buffalo Rifle we built for the Most Dangerous Game series which was auctioned in January of 1994 at the SCI convention.

I then put a small shop together at my home and started doing gunsmithing and custom stock work, as well as custom one of a kind type bolt rifles. During my time with Frank we also dabbled in the outfitting business. I met many individuals while building rifles and guiding hunters who inspired my thinking for a small line of rifles I wanted to start. Fashioned mostly around the Winchester M70 I decided on a square bridging for a positive integral scope mounting system incorporated into a small line of Classic Rifles. My passion going into the stock designs and execution which I developed while working for Frank.

I continued to work in the Guiding/Outfitting area. It allows me time in the field and makes a great cross over for the Rifle Business. One of my greatest passions, Coues Deer Hunting, which I offer in Mexico. Another great crossover has been my Antelope Hunting Operation in New Mexico. Not because of any crossover, but simply because of my own passion for turkey hunting I added the Goulds Turkey Hunt on the ranches we guide Coues Deer Hunts on.

In short, I have been blessed with the opportunity to work on some awesome, high quality wood stocked guns giving me the chance to express in lines, finish and checkering work all of which I love to do. As well, guiding hunters every year after some of my favorite animals. This line of work is no way to get rich, but there are different levels of wealth.

Patrick L. Holehan
Custom Rifle Builder & Hunting Outfitter,

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Learn more about Patrick from this podcast interview: https://bluecollarvoices.com/podcast/patrick-holehan-custom-rifles-episode-26/

“There are so many stories that I could tell about Pat’s rifles that I wouldn’t know were to begin! Hunting stories from Africa or Coues Whitetail in Mexico, but the most telling stories come from the rifle range. I am aware as to how unorthodox this sounds, but just bear with me and you will understand.

Both my father and myself have used Pat’s rifles for hunts on both continents, and we can both personally attest to their reliability and quality, but the confidence we have in his work comes from the results that  we have experienced on the rifle range! For over10 years we have known Pat as a custom rifle maker, and have trusted him to build rifles for us that allow us to be certain of taking shots that otherwise would seem impossible.

We have seen his guns make under half MOA 10 shot groups at 100 yards no matter the bullet construction (given they are the same weight) with every rifle he has built for us!
He has built for us 7mm REM MAGs, 300 WIN MAGs, 375 H&Hs and we have on commission a 6.5 Creedmore that we cannot wait to get our hands on!

Words are not enough to describe the level of quality Pat strives for when putting his masterpieces together! If you are on the fence, and are willing and able to spend the cost for one of his rifles, don’t even doubt it for a second! THEY ARE WORTH IT! And when we use the word MASTERPIECE, it’s not just used for the quality of his action and barrel work, because his stocks are what dreams are made of! It does not matter if it is a synthetic or incredibly gorgeous wood stock! Whatever he makes will be the gun you will always show of to your friends at the range or on the field!

Don’t think about it and commission a rifle for your next hunt!”

José Francisco Bours Jr

“I first met Patrick Holehan 25 years ago on an antelope hunt in New Mexico. My family and I have hunted with Patrick on numerous occasions for antelope in New Mexico. Patrick is an excellent judge of trophy quality bucks and extremely patient when glassing in order to attempt to get you the best Pronghorn possible. His area outside of Roswell has a very good population with a high percentage of mature bucks. Above all, I have found Patrick to be diligent in preparation and most of all extremely honest! I am looking forward to hunting with Patrick again soon.”

Mike Davis

“If you are attracted to top-of-the-line old school hunting rifles, the kind with fine walnut stocks, old world custom craftsmanship, and pinpoint accuracy, look no further than those built by Patrick Holehan. I’ve been in the outdoor and gun writing business since the late 1970s, and been around a lot of rifle builders, and Patrick is as good as they come. He builds everything from the ground up, taking great pride in his work, and will not settle for second best. His rifles are beautiful, reliable, and they shoot lights out. You will not be disappointed.”

Bob Robb

“The P in Patrick Holehan’s first name stands for perfection. Whether a recoil pad or a high-grade totally custom rifle, he delivers the same degree of thought and attention to the task. No, this is not a paid advertisement!  It’s true words from the benefactor of rifles that are as accurate as they are beautiful. Patrick is an outfitter/guide for Couse deer, and I have the memory of taking a record head with one of his rifles.”

Sam Fadala, Field Editor, GUNS MAGAZINE.

“As fine hunting rifles leave me weak-kneed, I leaned on the table when unboxing the Holehan-built .25-06. But I’m also critical of rifles that don’t measure up. So the checkering, wood-to-metal fit and Patrick’s integral scope bases got special scrutiny. I couldn’t find a flaw. Each diamond on the bolt knob was exactly like the next. No flat tops, no over-runs. The stock, cleanly checkered in a traditional point pattern, fit snug as the skin of a peach to the perfectly rust-blued steel. Its wrist was delightfully slender and open; the forend had just the right taper; the cheek-piece appeared cut from marble. Flats were flat, straight edges straight and evenly crisp. Each curve was properly a segment of a circle. Not a sanding mark remained. The rifle flew to cheek, aligning my eye instantly  with the Swarovski’s crosswire. Oh boy! And this was the “field” stock, of laminates, which I’d begged to spare the figured walnut injury on the mountain! At the range, the bolt slicked up cartridges and spilled empties without a hitch. Groups averaged just under an inch. Weeks later, as dawn brightened deer country, a buck slipped from the draw ahead of me and scooted up a ridge. It stopped at about 300 steps, peeked back over a rock. I had the top of its shoulder. Just enough. At the report, the deer collapsed, dead as it was still falling. My rack holds other fine rifles. None is more elegant or finely built than this Model 70 by Patrick Holehan. None has a keener nose for the target, or feels better in the crook of my arm.”

Wayne van Zwoll

“I’ve known Pat Holehan for decades. Our first adventure together occurred decades ago in Sonora, a successful Coues deer hunt that went off without a hitch. Over the years we have become good friends, hunting together many times for a variety of species, from doves and quail to deer and turkeys. When it comes to outfitting deer and Gould’s turkey hunts in Sonora, Patrick is as good as it gets. He speaks fluent Spanish, intimately knows the ins and outs of the paperwork required and how to cross the border quickly and easily, and has access to some prime ranches to hunt. His private land New Mexico pronghorn hunts are highly successful and well run, too. He’s an excellent glasser, and always has reliable and knowledgeable guides working for him. I look forward to my next adventure with Patrick and Gone Huntin’ Outfitters, and recommend him highly.”

Bob Robb

Contact Information

patrick@plholehancustomrifles.com
520.745.0622

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