Favourite Rifles, Cartridges

[Blkram]

We all have our favourite rifles and cartridges, but are these the ones we use most?

My favourite cartridge has to be the 280 Remington, with the 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser playing a very close second.

My favourite rifle make and model over the years has been the left handed Remington Model 700 (the LSS version topping the list), but have to admit that the left handed Sako Model 85 is coming close to replacing the Remington. Love that smooth action! But due to the care and use, my Remington Classic in 6.5x55's action became so smooth that I could cycle the action with just my thumb and shoot again, without taking my hand off the grip of the rifle (benefit of shooting a right handed rifle, left handed). Some of my other Remington's are definitely getting smoother with use, but are not at the same point yet, but have not seen the rounds yet either.

I did finally build a left handed Remington Model 700 in 280 Rem on an XCR action with a LSS stock. I also kept the XCR stock for poor weather or rough hunts to keep the LSS stock in nicer shape longer. Love it! And it shoots the now discontinued Federal Premium 140 gr AccuBond load into 1/2" groups. Harvested a spike elk with it so far.

The rifles that I find that I have used the most over the years have been my custom left handed Sako AV in 7MM STW and the Browning. BLR in 358 Winchester. Both shoot very well, and are great to handle, carry and shoot. They have both accounted for lots of game over the years, and are rifles that I will never part with. But they both definitely have their pros and cons when it comes to the game hunted and where and how I am hunting.

What are yours?

 

[Thebear_78]

My favorite cartridges include 300 and 375 RUM, 9.3x62, 308, 270, and 243.

The rifle I use more than any other is easily my custom 300 RUM. 7lbs 11oz all up, impervious to weather and kills everything you point it at with ease. It's on its third paint job for the stock but the metal is still perfect thanks to the nitride finish.

It was the lone survivor after the 07 purge that claimed all my high dollar guns after my daughter was born. A lowly SPS in 300 rum. I lightened the action, had the barrel fluted and metal nitrided, dropped it in a high tech stock as a pair of twin RUMS. The 300 RUM has proven very accurate, flat shooting, and hard hitting. It has kept my family fed for 10 years now.

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[truck driver]

I guess my all time favorite is my Tang safety Ruger M77 chambered for the 30-06 It has killed a lot of deer and has been my go to rifle for years, up next is my Remington M725 custom 257 Roberts formally a 30-06 in it's past life and my new favorite Winchester M70 35Whelen/AI also formally a 30-06. As you can see I don't discriminate against manufactures and have owned several Remingtons and Winchesters. So stay and some go.

 

[Africa Huntress]

Gil, I think my list of not just favorite calibers, but actually rifles I use, keeps shrinking. I would be content if all I ever used from this point forward was a 6.5 Swede, 300 H & H, 375 H & H and the 450/400 N.E. Double

If your talking production rifles, I would probably be content with Sako, Blaser, and Holland and Holland

I got a Sako 85 Bavarian carbine in the 6.5 x 55 caliber for our last Caperaillie hunt and really enjoyed using it. It is a little light for a lot of game but it sure is a sweet handling rifle.

Best Regards

Jamila

 

[SJB358]

My P64 338 Win Mag is the top of the heap for me. Love carrying that rifle and just plain hunting with it.

 

[5shot]

My M70 Featherweight in (soon to be) 35 Whelen AI. Have always loved the look of a Featherweight, and really liking the 35 Whelen.

 

[DrMike]

My favourite cartridge is whichever one I'm working with at this present time. I truly like all cartridges. Some, I am prepared to let others shoot, though most I'm happy to work with. Favourite rifles? Winchester Model 70 does head the pack, though I've enjoyed most every rifle I've worked with.

 

[SJB358]

My favourite cartridge is whichever one I'm working with at this present time. I truly like all cartridges. Some, I am prepared to let others shoot, though most I'm happy to work with. Favourite rifles? Winchester Model 70 does head the pack, though I've enjoyed most every rifle I've worked with.

Whoa... have you gotten soft Doc... that 280 Remington has always came out without a problem!

You still need a P64 though buddy. Just sayin...

 

[DrMike]

Age, Scotty. Age. It's catching up to me. I'm down to two .280s, though one is promised elsewhere, you know. I'm guessing it will be one of the last rifles to be pried from my hands. Well, that and possibly a Model 94. Then, there's...

 

[SJB358]

Age, Scotty. Age. It's catching up to me. I'm down to two .280s, though one is promised elsewhere, you know. I'm guessing it will be one of the last rifles to be pried from my hands. Well, that and possibly a Model 94. Then, there's...

I hear you buddy. 7mms are NEVER bad no matter the launching platform. Model 70's just make them all that much more desirable.

 

[Thankful Otter]

"dah" (-;

 

[Anonymous]

My favorite rifle is easily my Nosler M48...we're now together for the 11th year. Some rifles just flat fit you and just plain work and this one does it for me. It's really to the point I'm hesitant to try anything else and while I love messing with various rifles, when it's killing time- this is what I reach for. I was entirely ambivalent about the cartridge when I bought it. I had zero use for a .300WSM, but the rifle only came in WSMs back then, so I picked the .300 from between the .270WSM and the .325WSM and went hunting. The cartridge has grown on me more than I thought it would- easy to load, not terribly punishing in recoil, and there's not a big game animal in N.America a 180gr at 2950 is really wrong for.

At this juncture, my favorite cartridge has got to be the 7-08 Remington. I came late to the 7-08 party, but I would pick one over any other under .30 big game cartridge out there- mild recoil, excellent accuracy and punches above its weight class. Hard to go wrong with a 7-08. If I lived in the L48, I'd have a really swanky one and use it for everything. It's also perfect for those new super lightweight mountain rifles like the Mountain Ascent and the Sako Carbonlight. The recoil in a 6 pound rifle is still pretty mild and a 20" barrel is plenty. I used my son's American to tip over a caribou this year- one and done at 250 yards.

 

[lefty315]

I would have to say my favorite cartridge is the 7x57, mostly because that was the first rifle I was given by my Grandfather. It's extremely versatile and loaded properly it'll handle most critters, short of brown bears, in this continent.

As far as favorite rifles....tough call, but I really like the two Kimbers I have. One in 300 WSM, the other 7mm-08. They are light weight, trim, accurate and seem to bale nice very well. I haven't actually hunted with the 7mm-08 yet but I have a sneaking suspicion it will become my go to gun during deer and antelope season for many years.

 

[Elkman]

As most here already know my favorite rifle is a post 64 Model 70 Winchester in 300 WM. I paid $150 for it used because its previous owner closed his eyes with every trigger pull. It still shoots under 1\2 inch MOA, and now wears a Chet Brown stock, Zeiss 4.5 X 14 X 44 Scope, rail, and a custom trigger. Its ugly as sin but a proven hunter and shooter.

 

[gerry]

Top of the list as many of you can guess is my LH Rem 700 35 Whelen. Really like both the gun and the cartridge.



Up second is my 260 Rem Savage 10 Predator Max 1. The gun is not my absolute favourite but it is very accurate and I like it. I really like the 260, it is an accurate mild recoiling cartridge that performs better than many people that haven't tried a small 6.5 mm cartridge would guess.



Coming up fast is my Sako 85 270 Win. I'm a big fan of Sako rifles and becoming big fan of the 270 Win after years of overlooking it.



My magnum LH Rem 700 comes next, the CDL action is by far the slickest of anything I own. Currently a 264 Win Mag which has done well but is getting to the end of it's life. In the next year or so I hope to get a new tube on it, something different than the 264 WM just because. Don't have a great picture of it right now it is in a SPS stock, the McMillan went on the Whelen.



Honourable mention goes to the 6.5x55, 270 Wby and 308 Norma mag.
The 280 Rem, 7x64 and 8x57 are cool too

 

[Blkram]

Really nice bunch of rifles in some great calibers!

Keep them coming.

 

[cloverleaf]

Well- those of you who know me.....can stop reading 250-3000 Savage in an FN Mauser. CL



It currently wears a VX-II.

This one is the most fun to shoot. 22Mag- currently wears a Bushnell 4-12x40 AO

 

[Cleveland48]

Even though I've been dedicated to the 6.5's since 2008 my favorite rifle is still the model 70 featherweight in 270 win.


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[mcseal2]

Definitely my 264 win mag in the custom model 70 tops my list. Her name is Maggie and she is my interior decorator, we have similar taste in antlered décor. It's in the pic with the big muley

The 300 win mag Rifles Inc lightweight 70 is a new addition I've only taken the one muley with so far. I think that one will be going on all the mountain hunts for as many years as I can go on them.

Past that I like a lot of coyote calibers. My favorite has to be the 243 just for the versatility. It kills them dead at long or short range, windy or not. If its not to windy to call it's not to windy for the 243. The 6mm is great too, but I can't get Nosler brass for it and hate how hard brass can be to find. I love my 204 Rugers also. The 45gr Hornady bullets do a great job of stomping coyotes without being hard on pelts. If I ever get a bobcat to come in while packing one I'll really appreciate that. I like that I can watch hits in the scope with them too, no recoil. I'm hoping that a year from now the 22 Nosler will be on that list of favorites too.

 

[Guy Miner]

IF I can include a rimfire... It's my .22 Marlin 39A. My all time favorite rifle. Hands down. Love that thing!



Barring that, and back to centerfire rifles... Wow. Tough call. I like several of them, but my favorite has got to be the Rem 700 CDL in .25-06, or.... Dang this is hard... maybe the one in .30-06? They're almost the same rifle. One is .25 cal, one is .30 cal. Both have served me well afield. And my Rem 700 in .308 served the taxpayers well...



Photo is of my favorite stump, taken during mule deer season, with the .25-06 leaning against it. A number of rifles have leaned against that rotting stump over the years... :grin:

Guy