The Current Change In Hunting Rifles

[fyimo]

I'm going to be 71 next month and to me a hunting rifle that I would lust for has a wood stock (the prettier the better) and tuned by a gunsmith trigger and a good scope like a Leupold. Today Companies are producing low cost rifles with excellent triggers, Pillar bedded or free floated plastic stocks, and a bargain priced scope that shoot great for low prices like $400.
My question is even though these are great values is it just us old guys that still love the old school rifles with a pretty stock, excellent trigger, free floated barrel and good scope?

Or am I just too old school.

Old School
H&R 300 Ultra Rifle in 243 with FN action and Douglas air gaged barrel


Current Savage 114 American in 270 That I bought because of the stock and it reminded me of an old school rifle

 

[Bill Bates]

I think a classic action all wrapped in a great piece of wood is what a hunting rifle should be and I'm not ol...oh wait, yeah, I guess it is an old guy thing.

My custom .270 Win. built on a CZ Brno M21

 

[speedyquad]

i'm 41 and prefer a wood stock in a hunting rifle. i like bolt actions in .308, with a good quality leupold scope.

dad would buy and trade rifles at will...most were to trade for soemthing different, there was a core set of guns that were never on the market. if he acquired one to go into that set, he immediately took off any scope that was not a leupold to replace it for one.

 

[shouldazagged]

Both are beautiful rifles, but the Savage stock is truly stunning.

And yes, I'm a lot closer to eighty than to seventy.

 

[RDFabsRep]

To answer your question, "no," it's not just old guys who love a classic rifle. Back in the day, I was plinking at the range with my AR. Then I took out my Marlin 30/30 for the next round. Old timer came up to me and commented on how he couldn't believe I'd own something so old-school after seeing me with the AR.

The workmanship in those old rifles can be appreciated, but currently, similar (excellent) shooters can be had at a fraction of the price, like you mentioned. Plus, you won't feel too bad if your $600.00 gun gets banged around a little, versus your $2000.00 gun.

 

[rburg]

To be honest, I'm not quite as old as you two fossils. And I don't even know a place that stocks or sells Savage. And while I've seen some Savage rifles over the years, I've never seen one in person with a decent stock. The ones I see for sale have scrap wood for stocks. Some in the past look like sanding the stock was an afterthought. If I found a Savage or any other rifle with that nice wood, I'd own it. Its how I ended up with my 7mm Rem Mag Browning. It doesn't shock me that an occasional Browning comes down the pike with presentation grade wood. Even their "bad" wood is pretty nicely done. But sometimes you just luck into a store with a rack of new guns. And if you look real hard, you'll see one that is great. I guess they occasionally salt the mine at Savage, too.

 

[shawn mccarver]

This is a result of the "age of Glock."

Many people are now willing to accept "ugly" guns if they work right and shoot straight.

We have the Savage Axis, and the copycats Remington 783 and Ruger American.

The best thing I can say about this development is that it MAY get more people involved in shooting, which is a good thing.

 

[STCM(SW)]

Yea, must be an old guy thing.

First thing I did with my new 340 MKV WBY and Stevens 25-06 was replace the plastic stocks with wood.
Split the difference with lamanated.

 

[.455Eley]

It's not just you 'old guys', despite constantly being told I should want black plastic stocks, painted on finishes and bull barrels in super-duper magnum calibers, this 23 year old much prefers a light rifle with a nice wood stock and a good deep blue in a caliber suitable for use by ordinary human beings. Example, my Ruger M77 Hawkeye Standard in .270 Winchester. I'm glad I bought it when I did, Ruger quit making them in left hand this year.

I do also happen to have one of those 'ugly but functional' rifles, a Remington 700LH SPS Varmint with a 26 inch bull barrel in .243 with a Timney trigger, HS Precision stock, and 4.5-14x42mm Nikon Buckmasters scope. It excels at making tiny groups at very long distances but it just doesn't have the soul of my other rifles. It's the only 'black rifle' I'll own.

 

[David R]

I know you said Deer gun. I have not hunted deer since I moved here and they make us use a shotgun.

If I do hunt, its with a Ruger Super Redhawk 44 mag. Wood and stainless...

Here is the last Savage I bought this summer.

I looked at the Remington SPS and decided wood and blue steel look better. I bought this model 25 instead to shoot a 100 yard and 200 yard off hand rifle matches.

Its not as pretty as some above, but.... Its mine and paid for
AND it shoots little groups.

223 rem bolt action 4 shot magazine.
I also have a Remington 700VL 22-250 which stays in the safe most of the time.

I do not own any stainless rifles with plastic stock.

David

 

[Rpg]

I love good wood on a rifle.

That said, I am most conserned with features such as weight (under 7 lbs ), short and handy ( 20' bbl or less) and an absence of features such as pistol AR 15 grips. I've never found a semi auto action useful in hunting.

Don't hunt with a gun that will embarrass your dog.

 

[RIDE-RED 350r]

Na, it's not just you "old dogs".. I just had my 37th birthday last week... For the past 8 years I have been toting a Rem 700 ADL synthetic in 270 Win that was given to me as a gift for deer hunting. I'm not a fan of the looks, but for a basic little workhorse I couldn't be happier.

Now my younger brother, (33) has been a Winchester nut for quite some time. He has (4) m70's ranging from pre-64, XTR, last year New Haven, and a current production FN. And then he has (2) Trappers and a pre-64 m94 32spl... To say he had me pining for a Winny of my own a long time ago would be an understatement...

This past november I decided I needed my nice m70 and let go of 2 pistols to make it happen. I got a new m70 Super Grade in 338WM. I love love love that rifle!

Then, in early December I wandered into an LGS looking for some ammo and stumbled upon the perfect Christmas gift for my 10 year old son. An old Winchester model 69a.

When I picked that up, I noticed I sort of fancy looking m94.. checkering on the wood, and caliber 375 WIn on the tag... I had no idea about the 94 Big Bores till this point. And after going home and doing some looking around, I just had to have that Big Bore 375 despite the scavenger hunt that it is to get ammo and components!

The 94 Big Bore now rests one slot below my Super Grade on my gun rack...

This shop, like many others, has more than enough black rifles of various configs.... But I never really "see" them in much the same way I look right past the auto pistol case and to the revolver case looking for that tell-tale body line of an S&W hiding amongst the other things.

My 700 Remmy is a tool. It gets the job done and is deadly accurate... But my 2 Winchesters will be passed down to my son someday and they will always reside under a Barrett roof.

And you know what?? I don't even have any descent pics of either to share!! I'll have to remedy that.

 

[shocker]

I'm 60 so I bridge eras. Fanciest rifle I have is a Sako finnbear in 300 mag (circa 1969). But I didn't buy that, it was a gift from a relative who was thinning his collection.
If it's my money on the counter, most likely it's going to be a blue steel gun with synthetic or laminated stock.
OTOH, an M70 Alaskan in 30-06 could pry my wallet open.

 

[Arik]

Yes it's you old guys!

I don't have much use for a hunting rifle. I have one and someone years it does see the light of day....some years. But usually the only reason it comes out of the safe is when im rearranging something. So for that rare time it's actually shot I don't need to nor want to spend money on it. Mine is actually a wood and blued steel Ruger 77 in 3006 but it's that way because it was a good deal. If there was a better deal on a rubber or synthetic stock I'd have bought that one. If I go hunting I don't mind doing a little climbing over rocks and trees and that stock will look pretty bad rather quickly.

 

[Arik]

This is a result of the "age of Glock."

Many people are now willing to accept "ugly" guns if they work right and shoot straight.

I thin you got it right with this. I think a lot of the younger generation, me including (35) don't view firearms as anything more than tools. We all know that with minimal maintenance they last and last. So for me its....does it shoot straight and reliable? Is it a good price? That's as far as I go. I was reading a post here yesterday about waxing revolvers and I thought to myself that that idea has never even crossed my mind. No more than waxing the TV remote!

 

[BAM-BAM]

I discovered CZ rimfire rifles in 2011 at the ripe old age of 57..... micro-mauser action, walnut stocks...... and best of all; Mannlicher stocks on the FSs...... I'm up to 3FS rimfires and a .223..........

All are great for walking in "Penn's Woods" and a lot of......

"what is that?" and
"where can I get one?"...... at the range!!

 

[one eye joe]

I'M AN OLD GEEZER, THAT HAS HUNTED IN THE NEW ENGLAND WOODS FOR OVER 50 YEARS. IN THE TERRAIN UP HERE, LONG SHOTS ON GAME ARE RARE. MY HUNTING HAS BEEN WITH MARLIN LEVER RIFLES, SHOTGUNS, AND REVOLVERS---ALL STEEL AND WOOD. I HAVE OWNED SOME THAT WERE NICELY FIGURED FOR FACTORY WOOD, AND IT HAS ALWAYS PAINED ME IF ANY GOT DINGED UP. NONE WERE ANYTHING LIKE THE GORGEOUS WOOD ON SOME OF THE RIFLES ON THIS THREAD. I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE CARRYING ONE THROUGH THE THICK, ROCKY, BRAMBLE FILLED WOODS UP HERE. I USUALLY SWAP TO PACHMAYRS ON MY REVOLVERS, IF I INTEND TO CARRY THEM IN THE WOODS….
I LIKE BUSHMASTER ARs AND SYNTHETIC STOCKED SAVAGE BOLT RIFLES WITH THE ACCU TRIGGERS. I CAN APPRECIATE THE VALUE OF A STAINLESS RIFLE IN A SYNTHETIC STOCK, THAT WON'T CHANGE ZERO, OR OTHERWISE BE AFFECTED BY HARSH WEATHER CONDITIONS. THEY JUST DON'T GIVE ME THE URGE TO PICK THEM UP AND HANDLE THEM, LIKE OLD MARLINS DO. I THINK OF THEM MORE AS TOOLS, RATHER THAN WORKS OF THE GUNSMITHS' ART……..

 

[Frizzman]

I qualify for the "older guy" club and find the aesthetics of beautifully grained wood and polished, blued steel appealing. Plastic stocks are ugly and all look the same. I agree that the move towards plastic and dull finished handguns has led the way to cheaper, durable and utilitarian rifles. The AR15 has also had a major influence on firearms design. The new rifles mentioned are functional tools for hunting but lack eye appeal to me. On the other hand, for a rifle I would carry in cold, wet conditions and not be concerned about it getting banged and dinged while moving through rough terrain...the utilitarian, pedestrian plastic stocked rife makes sense. There are "foodies" and others who have started to hunt purely for the meat and they just want to spend as little as possible to get that meat. My rifles are all stocked in wood. I have a AR15 and a 1943 vintage M1...The AR has it's uses but the M1 is the one I choose to shoot for pleasure.

 

[weatherby]

Really liking that 243 Art.

Pretty sure you are aware I like nice wood.

To the point of even thinking a 10-22 deserves it.

 

[Rangerpat]

I'm 63 years-old and think exactly like One-Eye-Joe, most of my hunting rifles are stainless steel with plastic or laminated wood stocks. When I'm hunting I don't want to worry about scratching up my rifle stock or the rifle barrel getting rusted in rainy conditions. To me my rifle is a tool that is to be used but not abused.
A hunting buddy of mine hunts with a rifle that has a special camo protective covering over the stock and fore end to protect it from the elements. He doesn't want to get his "pretty" rifle dinged up in the woods.
My 27 year-old son hunts with a Browning X-Bolt that has a beautiful wood stock because he likes the looks and feel of wood. So, I guess he is old school and I'm not.
The only pretty stock rifle I own is a muzzleloader, it's a Hatfield Mountain Rifle that I have hunted with but now hangs over my fireplace.