Favourite Rifles, Cartridges

[IdahoCTD]

My favorite right now is probably my 300wsm but that can change at the drop of a hat or when I build the next one.

 

[1100 Remington Man]

.22 rimfire Marlin 39A with small ivory front sight and Williams Peep sight
6mm Rem Remington 700 BDL Weaver 3x9 40mm. Coyotes Deer Antelope
.264 Win Mag Model 70 XTR Leupold 4.5x14 40mm CDS Deer Antelope
300 H&H Mag Model 70 prewar. Leupold 3.5x10 40mm CDS Elk Black Bear
I have others but I use these most.

 

[AFG270]

AFG270, very cool!!! There is obviously some family history with that rifle. Any good stories to share?

Lefty, if only my Great Grandfather’s Trapdoor Springfield could talk, because he never did much. Can’t say I would blame him after all the killing he saw. He served for 40 years in the regular Army after graduating from West Point in 1873. He was assigned to the 19th Infantry and in 1876 they were camped about 100 miles south of the Little Bighorn River. According to family members they were on their way to meet up with Custer, not sure if that is true but lucky for him (and the rest of my family) they did not.

The Trapdoor Springfield is a very cool rifle, although I would not want to have used it in battle. Having shot the rifle several years ago, (my dad had a lot of the original 500 gr lead bullet 45-70 ammo with 70 gr. of black powder) the cases did get stuck in the chamber after firing. Not something you would want when under attack by man or animal.

My son has his sword that he is wearing in the photo, not sure whatever happened to his sidearm. There is a picture of my Great Grandfather holding this rifle, but it disappear a few years ago when my father passed away.

Thanks for asking.

 

[35 Whelen]

Very early favorite rifle for me,was this Custom Mauser, with the Manlicher stock in the legendary Swede 6.5x55. It actually had a handsome piece of Black Walnut , but unfortunately ,photo is too dark, to see it! Timmy featherweight with/safety. Buck was actually my first one over 200lbs,(there has been 16 more over 200lbs, since him, and bunch of others I thought were over 200, that were in the 190's ;-( lol.
Shot him in 1973! He is still hanging in the Lodge to this day.

That little gun ,taught me a lot about what a Norma
139 gr bullet was capable of. I won a lot of turkeys
With it. It actually wound up down in NZ, with me, and it was as good On Red Stag, as it was on big Whitetails!
The 6.5 is a fantastic gun, on Caribou and Dahl Sheep, and had been known to level more than one of our big Alaskan wolves. :wink:
Back in 1994 in Alaska, I was alone in Caribou Camp on Chulitna Stream" in between hunters".
Well this time my .338WM, was up at the airplane on the wing strut. About a quarter mile from camp.
As luck would have it, I just happened to be out behind the camp, fleshing a bear hide , That one of the hunters had shot on our last hunt, and for some reason, I looked up ,out on the hills, right up behind the tent Camp, and there was a rather large Bull Moose ,headed straight towards the camp! He was sporting a handsome set of handlebars above his head, but the only gun there was "The little Sweede", :shock: Well after further studying of his headgear, as he got closer, I decided to "Try him" with the .264 and a 139gr
Norma bullet. And once again, that little Norma bullet did its job! It knocked him right into his "keester"with one well placed shot! He actually turned out to sport a nicely webed 63" spread....( I thought he was over 65" :mrgreen So it was also a "moose gun"..... I Should have never let loose of it as it was certainly a "lucky gun".
I used my little Minox camera, with a cool little screw in adaptor ( Orvis used to sell)on top of a spruce pole to take this picture after he got mixed up with the sweede!

 

[Blkram]

If only rifles could share their stories!

 

[elkhunternm]

Interesting thread.

Have 4-.270's. Three are .270 Win and one .270 Wby.
Have 4-.30's. Two .30/06,one .300 H&H and one .300 Wby.
Have 3-7mm's. Two 7x57's and a 7mm Dakota. With a .275 Rigby (7x57) being made.
Have 4-.375's. Three .375 H&H and one .375 RUM.
Have 2-.35's. One is a .358 NM and a 9x57. Have a .35 Whelen being made also.

 

[PJGunner]

"The Ruger #1's in my eyes are every bit as classic and sensational as the Winchester Model 70 controlled round feed. I highly suggest that you all shoot one at least once in your life and you will feel the pull towards buying one too!"

You won't get an argument from me. I have 20 ranging from .22 Hornet to .416 Rigby and 45-70 on the large hole side. I I was forced to get rid of them and allowed to keep one or two, probably the #1A in 7x57 and a #1S in .300 win. Mag. Yes, I do hunt them.

My preference in bolt actions tends to run on guns based on the M98 action and my customs are built on those. Again, if forced to dispose most and keep a few? The FN Mauser 7x57 custom, a 30-06 custom on the FN action and my .35 Whelen on an Oberndorf Mauser action. There are a few I would miss like my Ruger M77 RSI in .308 Win. or the 7x57 Winchester M70 FWT but most could go and I wouldn't lose too much sleep.
Paul B.

 

[Teknys]

For the last 15 years or so my favorites have been my Sako 75s or 85s. In 270WSM, 300WSM and a 243W. They have had the most miles on them this last decade. I'm playing around with a built Savage Stainless in 6.5x284 Norma this last year and really liking it. For me - what is interesting to me at the time is what I've been spending time with. That 6.5 for next few years is going to get a work out.

 

[preacher]

Deer in the woods, 30-30 leverguns, (peeps and scopes).
Deer in the openings, .257 Ackley(25-06),.280, .270, 6.5/284, 240WBY, 308/06
Deer in senderos/bean fields, 257WBY, 7mm mags, 300WMs

Favorite rifle- any Remington 700, but especially the Classic and Mountain rifle. 2nd=Mod 70 FWT
3rd= an old Belgium BAR 270. I have a soft spot for Ruger 77s too.

 

[Rigbymauser]

It´s difficult for me to say which is my favorit, but more of what I hold special. My old model 1893 Marlin in .30-30 is a gun and caliber I hold special. My first real centerfire cartridge was the .30-30 in a Win94 from the 70s. With an American leveraction rifle it´s where it all started for me.

 

[lefty315]

Now that is very neat!

 

[c. schutte]

I guess I'm a rifle slut, I like almost all of them for one reason or another. Most cartridges have something they do really well, even niche cartridges are well loved by me.

The most favorite would be a .270 Win Mannlicher Schoenauer with the 3/4 stock. Smoothest action I've ever handled, shoots just about every 150 grain bullet under an inch with some under 1/4". Easy to handle, easy to carry and because Jack O'Connor said so, everything the barrel points at just lies down and dies.

Love the 300 magnums because they are probably the best cross-over cartridge out there.

Really love the .340 wby in the accumark and can't say enough good things about it. Almost indestructible, .5" MOA out to 300+ yards, hits like a freight train and is easy to load for. Heavy yes and not as much fun to carry in my hands but, that was not it's specialty. Knocking a bull elk on his keister from across the canyon is.

Really starting to appreciate the 9.3x64. On paper looks like it might be the single best all around cartridge ever invented. Not sure I could win that argument but, it has an awful lot going for it; enough knock down for elk/moose out to 500 yards and has proven itself more than able in Africa for whatever the game is including the big 5.

 

[elkhunternm]

I guess I'm a rifle slut, I like almost all of them for one reason or another. Most cartridges have something they do really well, even niche cartridges are well loved by me.

The most favorite would be a .270 Win Mannlicher Schoenauer with the 3/4 stock. Smoothest action I've ever handled, shoots just about every 150 grain bullet under an inch with some under 1/4". Easy to handle, easy to carry and because Jack O'Connor said so, everything the barrel points too just lies down and dies.

Love the 300 magnums because they are probably the best cross-over cartridge out there.

Really love the .340 wby in the accumark and can't say enough good things about it. Almost indestructible, .5" MOA out to 300+ yards, hits like a freight train and is easy to load for. Heavy yes and not as much fun to carry in my hands but, that was not it's specialty. Knocking a bull elk on his keister from across the canyon is.

Really starting to appreciate the 9.3x64. On paper looks like it might be the single best all around cartridge ever invented. Not sure I could win that argument but, it has an awful lot going for it; enough knock down for elk/moose out to 500 yards and has proven itself more than able in Africa for whatever the game is including the big 5.

Birds of a feather. :lol:

 

[elkhunternm]

There is a .340 Wby at a LGS that I'm interested in,for now the price is too high.

 

[c. schutte]

There is a .340 Wby at a LGS that I'm interested in,for now the price is too high.

I've nothing but impressed with the one I use. After break in it really liked the 250 grain SP's from weatherby, just under .5" @100 yards. Scotty, Tom and a few others helped me learn to load and it now puts 240 grain N.F.'s down range 1.5" @ 300 yards.

Using 240 grain North Forks @ 300 yards

I'm lucky because it must be a good barrel. Factory ammo "250 grain" @ 3040-3050 fps and my hand loads @ 3027 fps. Being an accumark means I do not have to worry about humidity, rain or walking through brush.

It's got a 2lb. timney trigger, vias brake and Leupole VX7.

240 grain N.F.'s

 

[Anonymous]

I keep getting interested in a fast .33.... the .33 Nosler, the .340WBY, and there's still a smoking hot deal on a .338RUM in an XCRII down at the local hook and bullet.

 

[Africa Huntress]

Really starting to appreciate the 9.3x64. On paper looks like it might be the single best all around cartridge ever invented. Not sure I could win that argument but, it has an awful lot going for it; enough knock down for elk/moose out to 500 yards and has proven itself more than able in Africa for whatever the game is including the big 5.

You will get no argument from me

Best Regards

Jamila

p.s. Charles the next time Madonna comes to the U.S., would you please arrange to keep her there, so she can not return tot he U.K.

 

[elkhunternm]

Had two .340's before and liked them. Traded them off for different rifles and still have the brass and loaded ammo. Also have three boxes of .338" 210 gr Nosler Partition sitting on my shelf that are just waiting to be used on elk,kudu,eland or some other such creature.

Hopefully the price will come down enough that I can get the rifle.

The .340 Wby is a favorite of mine along with the .338 RUM.

 

[c. schutte]

Really starting to appreciate the 9.3x64. On paper looks like it might be the single best all around cartridge ever invented. Not sure I could win that argument but, it has an awful lot going for it; enough knock down for elk/moose out to 500 yards and has proven itself more than able in Africa for whatever the game is including the big 5.

You will get no argument from me
"it's going elk hunting in 2018"

Best Regards

Jamila

p.s. Charles the next time Madonna comes to the U.S., would you please arrange to keep her there, so she can not return tot he U.K.

She is only good at one thing; and she can do that one thing to herself as far as I am concerned. :shock:

 

[hunternyny]

sorry Jamila, we dont want her !!!!!!!!

Charles, that is great news. Is the Elk hunt in Colorado with an old friend perhaps? Best of luck!