Rifles that Need to be Hunted (or loads developed for) in 2025

[Blkram]

Blkram, I keep eyeballing the 22 Hornet Low Wall when they pop up. I don’t have a 22 cal centerfire in the safe.

My brain kept coming back to this thread last night when I couldn’t sleep. I realised I have quite a few more unfired rifles in the safe including a beautiful #1 B in 6.5 Creed. I really need to finish my house remodel so I can go shoot some.

A friend has a Low Wall in 22 Hornet, with really pretty wood. Had my eye on it for a while now...if he should ever decide to sell it, it may become that 221 Fireball I have been thinking about for 30 years.

Best of luck on your remodel...then you can get to those rifles that are waiting for your attention.

 

[Blkram]

This is a hard one, but some that need attention are:

Winchester 70 in 7mm Rem Mag
Browning 1895 in 30-06
Ruger #1AB in 30-06
Ruger #1B in .280 Rem
Remington 81 in .300 Sav
Remington 141 in .35 Rem
Marlin 336 in 30-30
Springfield M1 in 30-06
Muzzleloaders (3) in .50
S&W in .41 Mag (has not been shot since scope was mounted 3 years ago)

I seem to always migrate to my favorites

Always a challenge, to take out another rifle when you have those favourites calling out to you when you open the safe to grab a rifle to take hunting...

But one of those neglected rifles just may become one of the new favourites if given the chance!

I shot my first deer with my grandfather's Marlin 336 in 30-30...will always have a place as a favourite rifle make and model.
I briefly owned a Rem 141 in 35 Rem with really pretty wood...shot nice...just didn't grab my fancy like the Marlin 336 CS I got for wife has.
I also have owned a S&W in 41 Rem Mag...just like my NMBH's better.

 

[Blkram]

Tikka T3x Stainless Hunter in 6.5x55
Weatherby Mark V Accumark in 257 Weatherby
Sig P220 Hunter in 10mm

Those three are up to deer hunt this year and none have gone hunting yet or a load developed. Also wouldn't mind working up a load in my Marlin 336 in 35 Rem with the RCBS 200gr FN bullets I cast a few years back. So many choices...

It has been written by a gun writer that the 6.5x55 may be the best whitetail cartridge out there...led me to get my first Swede back in 1994. I have spent more time handloading for it, and shooting it than any other centerfire cartridge since. A great cartridge; easy to load for, accurate, and fun to shoot with mild recoil. Also fun to hunt with!
I have taken whitetail with it, but also stones sheep, moose, caribou and elk.

As mentioned in my opening post, I am looking forward to shooting and hunting with my newest to me Swede...a bucket list factory LH mannlicher stocked rifle!

 

[GregoryB.]

Now I found a beautiful Ruger 77 RSI walnut/stainless in 275 Rigby in back of the safe. The guy sold it to me because he couldn’t bring himself to fire it. I need to work up a load for it with 140gr NBT’s.

 

[hunter24605]

I have really neglected a rifle I got from a buddy 4-5 years ago. It's a SC made M70-Fwt that started life as a 30-06 and he had it re-barreled to 6.5-06. I've never sent a bullet out the muzzle! I want to use the 6-ARC for coyote, I shot one with it a while back, but it disappeared into a bunch of felled tree tops following Helene. I'm working on an SBR Grendel (12"). Light and quick handling for opportunity shots from inside the UTV for nighttime hogs. I also have a Savage 110 30-06 collecting dust for several years that's only had a few shots to zero the scope and no more. My others work through the rotation pretty regularly.

 

[Joec7651]

I have 4 that haven’t been fired yet. A 308 win that just got a new McGowen barrel, Timney trigger, and a PT&G bolt head. This one has been hunted with and taken deer, but hasn’t been shot since the new barrel.

2 new AR’s, both are 16” nitrided barrels. One has a carbine length gas system and the other is mid length. I added Timney triggers to them as well.

Last is a new Vanguard Sporter in 270 Win that hasn’t been fired yet. As you all may have read it’s waiting on rings and base.

 

[Blkram]

I have really neglected a rifle I got from a buddy 4-5 years ago. It's a SC made M70-Fwt that started life as a 30-06 and he had it re-barreled to 6.5-06. I've never sent a bullet out the muzzle! I want to use the 6-ARC for coyote, I shot one with it a while back, but it disappeared into a bunch of felled tree tops following Helene. I'm working on an SBR Grendel (12"). Light and quick handling for opportunity shots from inside the UTV for nighttime hogs. I also have a Savage 110 30-06 collecting dust for several years that's only had a few shots to zero the scope and no more. My others work through the rotation pretty regularly.

Love to hear how you make out with that 6.5-06!

 

[Thebear_78]

I’ve got a couple new ones that need to get loads worked out and taken hunting. I’m pretty excited to get them working.

Seekins element in 7prc with 4-22 vortex LHT.

Another is a weatherby backcountry 2.0 in 338 RPM wearing a 2.5-10x32 NXS

I also have a 45cal suppressor in NFA timeout and a 1854 44 mag and a marlin magpul trapper waiting for the supressor.

I don’t have a picture of the marlin yet.

Last is a desert tech WLVRN in 308

I doubt this one will see any hunting but will be my truck/TEOTWAWKI RIFLE.

 

[wildcatter]

Well I suppose I have a couple that need bled, as well as a couple others that need to have some loads developed for. First off is the 223 barrel on my custom Remington Tomahawk after cutting the barrel from 24 to 19", truck gun. It was bled before I gave it better manners shortening it.

Then is the 257 AI I built this winter in a custom laminated Walnut stock, on a Savage Axis utilizing a custom one of SSS trigger. The fluted 26" HV barrel is now broke in, and needs load development. I have a good supply of 88 grain Bib HPBT's and plenty of H4350 or H4831 I need to finalize, then bleed it on some Ohio LR groundhogs!

Plus with the new 338/06 AI just completed and barrel broke in, and brass formed ready for load development. Then we'll see if we can bleed it this fall on a Mule Deer or maybe with some luck, and Elk?


But that all needs done and with a Brux 257 #4 Sporter barrel coming soon to accommodate the new 338/06 AI , I need to get the others ready so before fall I can get it chambered for the 257 AI cartridge and bleed it to. It's going to be a switch barrel for the 700 Blacktooth stocked 338/06 AI. Be nice to bleed them both, the 338 on an Elk, and the 257 on the Deer, or one or the other on a bear, hell pig, I just need to bleed em.

I got em all ready over the winter and spring, but they all are awaiting load development, that will start in a couple weeks!

 

[DrMike]

A sweet armory.

 

[clearwater]

Still working on loads for my friend's 33 Winchester. Got some round nose bullets now, so we can upgrade it from a two shooter.

 

[Aussie Wanderer]

So far my boys and and I have shot pigs, wild dogs, red deer and fallow with a 223, 6.5x55, 7mm08 and 7mmRM, 308.

Rifles that should get a run but for one reason or another haven’t, 260, 280ai and the 30/30 in the tighter bush.

 

[Blkram]

As an update in this thread, for those who haven't seen these updates in other threads:
1) I have acquired that LH 257 Roberts; a sweet custom LH Sako M591 w/ 22" Shilen barrel and a beautiful exhibition grade walnut stock.
Have verified the scope is sighted in and will be loading various loads with 115 gr Ballistics Tips tomorrow with Re-22, Re-17 and H-414 powders in Winchester brass and F210M primers.
2) I am also in the process of acquiring that Winchester 1885 Low Wall in 6.5x55 (NIB). Once here, I'll be mounting a Kahles 3-9x42 TDS scope, and then trying Nosler 140 gr AccuBond ammo in it, before working up a load with the same bullet to wring the maximum accuracy out of that rifle. Should be fun!

 

[longrangehunter]

@wildcatter
Nice rifles you have there! How do you like your Leica AmPlus?

 

[wildcatter]

@wildcatter
Nice rifles you have there! How do you like your Leica AmPlus?

Thank you! As for the scope, it's a Leica, hard to beat, great tracking, easy turret zeroing, for a true hunting scope the best Illumination available, perfect for total twilight use and the best zero stop I've used. As far as glas goes,,, typical Leica, you can get better but not for twice the price, and for three times the price, you'll have to look hard.

 

[longrangehunter]

Thank you! As for the scope, it's a Leica, hard to beat, great tracking, easy turret zeroing, for a true hunting scope the best Illumination available, perfect for total twilight use and the best zero stop I've used. As far as glas goes,,, typical Leica, you can get better but not for twice the price, and for three times the price, you'll have to look hard.

I have a 2.5-15x56 AmPlus 6 with their Christmas tree reticle and the single illuminated red dot. Great scope, and no I don’t think for the money you can get a better product! The field of view is better than anything out there! You can actually see the end of your barrel!

 

[longrangehunter]

I talked with Eric at BMP, he just needs to bed and assemble my 25/7 PRC built on a Borden Timberline Magnum LA, 24” Benchmark .257 1:7.5 twist CF Sendero lite, TT Diamond 2 stage, Hawkins BDL w/Watts extended box, in a MCS T Elite CF stock. I don’t remember what it was going to weigh …. But it should shoot extremely well once I get it going.

 

[Chuck R]

I put this together a couple years ago for our annual deer drives, but I've yet to kill a deer with it. A Rem 7600 re-bored to 358 Win (was a .243Win) that I had the barrel chopped down to 19", sights remounted, added synthetic furniture, and Cerakoted in burnt bronze. It wears a Leupold 1.5-5X VX3HD "Twilight Hunter":

Before:

After:

I've only got 1 load for it so far; Speer 180 HotCor at 2650FPS:

It has killed a few pigs though:

For our deer drives, it's getting to the point where we have less drivers every year, and more volunteers for blockers, but maybe this year I'll connect with it.

 

[DrMike]

Good looking piece. And in a great, under-estimated cartridge.

 

[JD338]

Nice looking rifle

JD338