WHAT BOLT RIFLE DO YOU MISS MOST?

[shouldazagged]

I generally preferred lever guns, but one bolt rifle was a great favorite. It was nothing fancy, just a sporter-weight Remington 700 ADL in .243 Winchester. But I loved it for varmints and deer, and it threaded needles with handloads. Sold it near the end of my drinking career, and still miss it though I haven't been able to hunt in years.

 

[msinc]

I didn't lose it, I sold it...but it is gone nevertheless. 1991 I barreled my first action. It was my own personal rifle and so that made it almost an experiment to me. She was a Remington 700 308 heavy barrel that probably should have stayed the way it was. There was nothing wrong with the way it shot, but I wanted to see just how accurate of a rifle I could "build."
I got a 40X trigger, an H.S. Precision Police stock, a Leupold Mark4 M1 10X Premier Reticles mil-dot scope {which was about as state of the art sniper as it got back then} and from Brownell's a Harris McMillan polygonal rifled, fluted barrel.
I put this thing together and the first 10 rounds out of the pipe went into the same hole at 100 yards. My friends and I could not believe how fantastic this rifle shot. We enjoyed it for about three years. Several of the local deputies I know even used it to shoot in sniper and police competitions.....and then I let a buddy talk me out of it.
There have been many other rifles since and many that cost or were worth more, better calibers, scopes, stocks and barrels, but none have replaced that one. I bought it used and it had a "U.S." stamped receiver.

 

[stu1ritter]

In 1957 I bought a BSA Royal in .222 Remington Magnum. I don't remember which scope I put on but it was in the 10-12X range. I disposed of the rifle when I went into military service in 1959. It was one very beautiful rifle.

Stu

 

[Cal44]

I have a Remington bolt action 22 when I was a kid.

My mom sold it off when I was away at college.

 

[BAM-BAM]

A Flaigs's custom built; Mauser action, mannlicher stock in 7x57...... a LGS/shop had it in Harrisburg.... I was young and dumb........ didn't know what it was or anything about the caliber..... the gunsmith tried to get me to buy it... research pre- internet was so slow...... went back the next weekend and it was gone!!!!!

 

[BAM-BAM]

A Flaigs's custom built; Mauser action, mannlicher stock in 7x57...... a LGS/shop had it in Harrisburg.... I was young and dumb (mid-80s)........ didn't know what it was or anything about the caliber..... the gunsmith tried to get me to buy it... research pre- internet was so slow...... went back the next weekend and it was gone!!!!!

 

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

When I was young and dumb (in my early 20's) I worked in a gunshop with a gunsmith and a range, I was in heaven. I bought, sold and traded far more than my share of guns. Some I don't remember, some I never shot and a few I regret.

The ONE that I REALLY regret letting go was an Interarms MKX Whitworth Express rifle in 375 H&H. It was a CLASSIC British style safari rifle, Mauser action, beautiful hand rubbed walnut stock, quarter rib with express sights, barrel band sling swivel. Absolutely perfect.

I foolishly traded it away a few years later, even made a decent profit on it. But I can't replace that rifle today for less than 5 times what I originally paid for it. That one will haunt me until I do replace it, someday.

Just thinking about it tonight pisses me off, lol.

TRE

Came about as close as you could get to buying that very same rifle. The magazine advertisements as I recall, were photographically astonishing. I went to a large gun shop, I think it may have been Leslie Edelman's, not sure though, and I handled the rifle, but I didn't have the what all to make the deal. Yeah, another regret. What ever happened to the brand name company? Did INTERARMS actually produce them, I don't believe they did. They were primarily middle men in the gun biz. I don't recall? But those Whitworth rifles were from my observation, at the time, pretty fine business pieces for big game. By the way, the .375 H&H and .458 kill on both ends of the rifle. Ask my rotator cuff.

Cheers;
Lefty

 

[TRE]

Came about as close as you could get to buying that very same rifle. The magazine advertisements as I recall, were photographically astonishing. I went to a large gun shop, I think it may have been Leslie Edelman's, not sure though, and I handled the rifle, but I didn't have the what all to make the deal. Yeah, another regret. What ever happened to the brand name company? Did INTERARMS actually produce them, I don't believe they did. They were primarily middle men in the gun biz. I don't recall? But those Whitworth rifles were from my observation, at the time, pretty fine business pieces for big game. By the way, the .375 H&H and .458 kill on both ends of the rifle. Ask my rotator cuff.

Cheers;
Lefty

Lefty,

Interarms was in fact the middleman/importer, they didn't make the Mark X. I believe, if memory serves, that they were made in
Czechoslovakia or one of the Eastern Block countries and imported after the wall fell. It was a spectacular rifle, a proper express rifle in every way. I have been able to find other Mark Xs in lesser calibers (7mm, 30/06, etc) and even a couple of 375s & 458s on Gunbroker etc. But I have never been able to find the Whitworth Express model for a price I could part with. The other Mark X 375s I've found don't have the express sights and other "safari rifle" features. The stock on the example I had was stunning hand rubbed walnut, the ones I've seen for sale lately have had more of a gloss type finish, sort of Weatherbyish.

I WILL have another someday, it is #2 or #3 on my gun "bucket list" (behind a S&W model 52 and a Registered Magnum), just have to find the right deal when I have the right funds.

And yes they do kick a bit, but in my young dumb days I enjoyed shooting that rifle with a 300gr bullet at max+ velocity. It certainly got your attention.

TRE

 

[Otreb]

I had a mossberg 800b in .243win, my first hunting rifle. Like a fool, I sold it off for some reason. It was very accurate, great functioning rifle, but cheap wood with pressed checkering and clunky action.....but it would sure shoot.

 

[Mule Packer]

Actually, I had two such rifles, both accurate as all get out. And, believe it or not, neither one was what you would call fancy or exotic. Both would probably be considered a proverbial "plain Jane" of firearms.

One was a Ruger M77 Bicentennial model in .30-06. It was my favorite deer and elk rifle. My youngest son, Paul, always loved that rifle and I promised him that when it was time for me to cross over that eternal bridge, he could have it.

Then, one day, I figured...why the heck should I let him wait for that rifle? Who knows?...I could be around for another 50 years! Let him enjoy it now. So, when he was old enough to leave the nest, I let him keep that rifle to use for the next elk hunt and for all the other hunts in his life where he needed a good, solid, accurate rifle.

Then, I acquired a Ruger Hawkeye Compact in .243 to replace my aught six. Inasmuch as I was getting older and had had some shoulder surgery done, I was looking for a nice little deer rifle that didn't have as much recoil.

The .243 was perfect and shot like a dream...with factory ammo to boot! Also, I found that its smaller size made it a perfect saddle gun.

Then, Paul's son, Brig, finally became old enough for his first deer hunt. He passed his Hunter Safety course with flying colors and was looking forward to the Coues deer season there in Arizona. I figured that little .243 Hawkeye Compact would be perfect for him, so I let him use that for his first hunt. As luck would have it, he dropped a nice little buck at over 200 yards with a perfect shot to the "boiler room."

He called me that night and said, "Grandpa, I hope you don't mind, but you're never going to see that rifle again."

So, there you have it. Yep, I lost two of my very favorite deer rifles, but, truth be told...I really don't mind a bit. In fact, I'm glad that two of my favorite people own those guns now and, even more importantly, use those guns.

Paul and Brig with what was formerly my .243 Ruger Hawkeye Compact.