The Current Change In Hunting Rifles

[BigBill]

There's nothing like having good wood on a blue steel colored rifle or wood stocks on a handgun or good wood on a shotgun.

But I seem to get one day or two of monsoon rains every so often on a hunting trip. This is pouring rain and fog. We're out there in it for the long haul. My not so affordable rifle with the Purdy wood gets a soaking. They say the wood when it gets wet enough it can expand or swell. Prefer wood stocks.

"BUT" in the heavy pouring rain I like my plastic stocks much better. My plastic stock is a Russian 308.

I fought off the black plastic stocks for many decades. But some rifles with them makes sense. I have a maverick shotgun in plastic too.

I'm sorry but some guns with there wood stocks are very valuable to me and I can't replace them for the price I paid. There so Purdy I hate to hurt them. Plastic is good in some cases.

I was in my stand once and the snow fall began. I was hidden in the pines but still got covered with 3" of snow before I left. The rifle was soaking wet too. I dried it out after a good cleaning and oiled it up again.

They predict it's going to be cold yet clear. But that one dark cloud follows me. I like my wood grain but.....

 

[RIDE-RED 350r]

Old school...



I vote "BOTH!!!"

Is that a Winchester 54 I spy???

 

[gregintenn]

Is that a Winchester 54 I spy???

No sir. It is a 1920 Savage chambered in 250-3000. Also pictured with it is an 1899 Savage Saddle Ring Carbine chambered in 303 Savage.

The 1920 Savage is about 3 pounds lighter than a 54 Winchester. They were ahead of their time, being the first "lightweight sporter".

 

[model70hunter]

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.

I think the man has it right, Remingtons are tools and Winchesters are tools that become heirlooms.

I see you like it. I've had 3 or 4 in 338, I like it better than the 300 Win.

 

[jtcarm]

Nope, I'm right there with ya at age 55, although I don't own anything that fancy, just my ol Ruger M77 with the tang safety (which I love.). Plus customized 98 Mauser & 03 that belonged to my dad. Those Timney triggers are sweet. My Ruger #3 is pretty plain-jane as well.

I once bought an older Savage 110 for it's nicely-figured walnut and traded it later.

I was at a gun show about 20-some years ago with a pocket full of vacation pay from a job I had just left and found myself drooling over an M77 RSI .308 carbine with some with some beautiful figure. Oh, the ones that get away

 

[jaymoore]

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...

....

Reloder7 seems to be THE powder for the .375W. Bullets shouldn't be a bother. I've settled on the Hornady 220gr. But cases? Haven't checked lately, but they used to be a "seasonal item", produced once or twice a year.
My BB94 wears a Williams rear aperture sight and a red fiberoptic front bead. But no deer has seen fit to get in front of it yet...

And neither do I have a photo!

Just of the Browning .44 Model 92. Something "just right" about a light lever rifle for toting in the dense woods all day.

And an '03 in a super nice old sporter stock. Inletting is a work of art. Weirdly, a Winchester buttplate...

Not a thing touched on the '03's metal. Somebody just went to scads of trouble to hard bed it in some fancy-ish wood.

Modern cartridge era "old school". Probably just Post WWI.

 

[RIDE-RED 350r]

Jaymoore:

You have posted pics of 2 rifles high on my list of intent to buy!

Since getting my 94 BB, I have become infatuated with the Winchester 92 in 44mag. I know I can get a 94 Trapper in 44, but I want a 20"bbl and hear alot of talk about how nice the 92 action is. Very likely the next rifle I pursue.

The other that has recently gotten stuck in my brain-pan is a nicely sporterized 1903. A specimen like yours is spot on! I know that alot of collectors probably frown on sporterized 03's, but I want one not for collecting, but to have a little piece of history in a package that is geared toward deer hunting. I have seen some flat-out gorgeously done sporterized 03's and they speak to me.

Nice pair! REALLY like that 03!

As to the 375 Win components: The shop I got mine from had 1 box of factory ammo and 6 other loose rounds. He tossed in the 26 rds for free with the rifle! I couldn't have been happier with that considering what ammo gets bid up to on GB. So, I have 26 brass to get started with.

Bullet: I submitted a pre-order for bullets from Hawk Bullets that I expect to arrive any day now. Someone on another firearms forum I am on tipped me off to another small time bullet maker that I plan to try also. This fellow is very pleased with the bullets, which if I recall are almost identical to Hornady's 220 graniers and at $0.45 per bullet. That's a nice price from what I have been seeing. I can find that lead and post it up if you are interested.

 

[jaymoore]

...[.375W] Bullet: I submitted a pre-order for bullets from Hawk Bullets that I expect to arrive any day now. Someone on another firearms forum I am on tipped me off to another small time bullet maker that I plan to try also. This fellow is very pleased with the bullets, which if I recall are almost identical to Hornady's 220 graniers and at $0.45 per bullet. That's a nice price from what I have been seeing. I can find that lead and post it up if you are interested.

Thanks for the offer, but I stocked up some time back. Lots of cases still unfired. It's not a "fun" rifle to shoot, but should be way more than needed for deer. Need to find some wild hogs or something.

Have recently pared back the lever gun accumulation. The two '94 pre war carbines (a .25-35 and a .30WCF) had no provision for an aperture sight, so they went last. Just can't see that well anymore to risk a poor hit in less than ideal light. The .444 Marlin was just too much! It went away first.

 

[inspcalahan]

I follow these threads for the pictures alone..

 

[federali]

Growing Old with Guns

A strange thing happens when we age: while many youthful hunters might flock to the latest plastic wonder capable of taking game halfway across the county, older gents sometimes forsake their own classic rifles and suddenly want to hunt with a truly older rifle and chambering such as a .303 Savage, .280 Ross, .300 H&H, or .32 Spl. Has anyone tried to buy a Savage Model 99 lately?

I prefer classic lines on a rifle. I hate rifles where an attempt was made to design "raciness" into a rifle with ugly, pointy trigger-guards, plunging pistol grips, thumbhole stocks etc. Likewise, if someone feels their "deer" rifle needs a detachable 25-round magazine, perhaps some work on marksmanship fundamentals needs to be undertaken before taking to the field.