Ten Top Deer Rifles of All Time?
- Thread starter roysclockgun
- Start date
Oldtrader3
Ammo Smith
- Nov 6, 2009
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Actually, the .340 WM is the only Mark V that I have ever wanted. Now there are other cartridges (RUM, Lapua) that do the same thing. I bought the Mark V used from somebody who never dared fire it, I got a better deal that way.
I kind of miss the diversity of rifles, shotguns and pistols that I owned 15-20 years ago but the collection is pared down for retirement and meets every need that I have with good caliber coverage.
I kind of miss the diversity of rifles, shotguns and pistols that I owned 15-20 years ago but the collection is pared down for retirement and meets every need that I have with good caliber coverage.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 36,924
- 5,115
Bill, I'm yanking your chain. However, I would have enjoyed clam hunting with you yesterday. You are correct that the 700 and the 70 will rank near the top in any survey simply because of longevity. The design is good, and these rifles are accessible to those who want to shoot, so they will predominate in the long run. It is interesting to see the newer designs coming online. I was always interested in the Voere and Remington efforts at electronic ignition. I had wondered if these efforts would catch on. However, extended lock-up and inability to hand load doomed them. Nevertheless, I do enjoy seeing the new and novel become available. I just don't have them in my safe.
Oldtrader3
Ammo Smith
- Nov 6, 2009
- 8,406
- 5
Merry Christmas to all and keep your powder dry, this discussion has barely started.
I think that you have to consider the rifles that changed the American (and world) hunting scene for consideration as the 10 top deer rifles of all time and the caliber that drove it. Starting with:
-1894 Winchester (.30-30) the first all smokeless line since 1902.
-Model 1898 Mauser Sporter (7mm Mauser) The first machine built bolt action.
-Model 1902 (1952) Mannlicher Schoenauer (6.5x54) and its magazine and slick design.
-Model 99 Savage Lever (.300 Sav, .250 Sav) also for its ingenious magazine.
-Brevex Magnum Mauser (.300 H&H and .375 H&H). The first long magnum actioned rifle.
-Model 70 Winchester (.270 Winchester) the first affordable magnum, full length magazine.
-Winchester Model 100 (.284 Win) the first full powered semi-auto rifle.
-Remington 721, 722, 700 line (.280 Rem) the everyman's rifle.
-Ruger Number One, the first consumer made single shot centerfire.
-Mauser Model 1903, replaceable and interchangeable barrelled rifles.
I think that you have to consider the rifles that changed the American (and world) hunting scene for consideration as the 10 top deer rifles of all time and the caliber that drove it. Starting with:
-1894 Winchester (.30-30) the first all smokeless line since 1902.
-Model 1898 Mauser Sporter (7mm Mauser) The first machine built bolt action.
-Model 1902 (1952) Mannlicher Schoenauer (6.5x54) and its magazine and slick design.
-Model 99 Savage Lever (.300 Sav, .250 Sav) also for its ingenious magazine.
-Brevex Magnum Mauser (.300 H&H and .375 H&H). The first long magnum actioned rifle.
-Model 70 Winchester (.270 Winchester) the first affordable magnum, full length magazine.
-Winchester Model 100 (.284 Win) the first full powered semi-auto rifle.
-Remington 721, 722, 700 line (.280 Rem) the everyman's rifle.
-Ruger Number One, the first consumer made single shot centerfire.
-Mauser Model 1903, replaceable and interchangeable barrelled rifles.
Charlie
In my post I used as part of my criteria that "someone", maybe even more than one had used the rifle for the taking of game. Fit, precision, complexity of internal components while exciting to some, (engineers) should not really be a criteria for selection. How many Brevex Magnum Mausers, or Mannilicher Shoenauers, have you seen in the hands of hunters of deer?. What is a Model 100, have you ever seen one? While marvels of engineering, few deer hunters have probably even seen any of these three. Even old guys like you and me. !!!!!!
Enjoy the rain and have a great Christmas.
In my post I used as part of my criteria that "someone", maybe even more than one had used the rifle for the taking of game. Fit, precision, complexity of internal components while exciting to some, (engineers) should not really be a criteria for selection. How many Brevex Magnum Mausers, or Mannilicher Shoenauers, have you seen in the hands of hunters of deer?. What is a Model 100, have you ever seen one? While marvels of engineering, few deer hunters have probably even seen any of these three. Even old guys like you and me. !!!!!!
Enjoy the rain and have a great Christmas.
Oldtrader3
Ammo Smith
- Nov 6, 2009
- 8,406
- 5
Actually Bill, I have shot all of these. Taken game with eight of them and owned seven of the ten (including the Mannlicher). If I had my way, I would have owned all of them at one time or another, just not enough time and money to do all the things that I wanted to do. Surprisingly, one of the few that who have not owned (Savage 99) which is the one which most here who have been eastern whitetail hunters probably have owned. I do not much care about semi autos and so the Model 100 does nothing for me but the Winchester 88 is almost the same mechanism.
These arm designs made the world what it is today and without any of them, the world would have been a different place. We all have a differing view of the world. :mrgreen:
These arm designs made the world what it is today and without any of them, the world would have been a different place. We all have a differing view of the world. :mrgreen:
Oldtrader3":2l3jliw6 said:
Maybe gasoline on a dead horse, but heck, we're all a little bored. Good time for a friendly discussion.
A fine rifle, The No 1, but the Rem Rolling block, Winchester "ballard" and Martini henry all preceded it by far. Although military contract rifles originally, they were all produced in sporting models strictly for commercial sale. Still kick myself for passing at auction on a matched triple set of turn of the century Rem. Rolling blocks in 25-35WCF, 30-40 Krag and 405 win. Went far too cheap. Probably many other single shot sporters in that time period, but I couldn't name them all, not my Forte'.
I'm also surprised nobody mentioned Teddy's Win. M95 on their lists. I considered it, but went for the Rem Mod 8/81 since we were talking deer rifles and I think of the M95 as more of a western gun.
Oldtrader3
Ammo Smith
- Nov 6, 2009
- 8,406
- 5
I agree Polaris, I would liked to have a Rolling Block, a Ballard or even a Farquarson single shot. I just never was into black powder and paper cartridges and I could not afford a Farquarson. Ruger was the best that I could do at the time. I liked to Number One because the one I had was a 22 inch barrel which makes a fine and short jump shooting, single shot rifle for running whitetail at 20 yards chambered in .308 Win with a 180 grain Hornady round nose. Then after six years in Georgia and Texas, I moved west and that changed.
I also owned a bunch of different models of lever action, mostly Model 1892 and 1894 varients, as well for whitetail hunting with calibers from .25-35 to .45-70. Plus, there were still even a bunch of .30-40 Krags being used for whitetail rifles when I was a kid in Maine in addition to the thousands of Model 94's. Leaving out Win rounds makes it complicated, when most of what you have owned is Winchester.
I also owned a bunch of different models of lever action, mostly Model 1892 and 1894 varients, as well for whitetail hunting with calibers from .25-35 to .45-70. Plus, there were still even a bunch of .30-40 Krags being used for whitetail rifles when I was a kid in Maine in addition to the thousands of Model 94's. Leaving out Win rounds makes it complicated, when most of what you have owned is Winchester.
Oldtrader3
Ammo Smith
- Nov 6, 2009
- 8,406
- 5
They were, I bought my Number one in late 1967, I think, XXX serial number. Winchester hit rock bottom selling only <18,000 Model 70's in 1967. The Remington 700 was going well and the Model 600 was still selling well. The surplus single shots (Martini's, Ballard's, Rolling Block's et al) were pretty hard to find by then except a few offered in rimfire occasionally.
In that era, there were a lot of military conversions in '98 Mausers and '03-A3's with low priced Fajen stocks floating around for not much money. I bought a restocked Sear's Springfield '03-A3 for less than $100 bucks than and a Rem standard 870 for $82. new, same as a Ruger Blackhawk.
In that era, there were a lot of military conversions in '98 Mausers and '03-A3's with low priced Fajen stocks floating around for not much money. I bought a restocked Sear's Springfield '03-A3 for less than $100 bucks than and a Rem standard 870 for $82. new, same as a Ruger Blackhawk.
Elkman":31jg5w0l said:
Yes,,,it's all about time, and numbers.
Even though over time it has gotten more diverse, or broken down into niche markets, as far as the firearms/ hunting industries goes.
A 1000 page book could be written on this subject really. Breaking it all down within the modern era,,,the major factors, which were the industrial revolution, to air travel, to WWII, women becoming a major work force, and post WWII economy.....All have shaped what is.
Oldtrader3
Ammo Smith
- Nov 6, 2009
- 8,406
- 5
I am sure that if you took a survey of the Top 10 Deer Rifles every ten year cycle, during the past 100 years, you would get some interesting variations in rifle and caliber choices but the deer were just as dead.
35 Whelen
Handloader
- Dec 22, 2011
- 2,160
- 237
:shock: Well here in the state of Maine of course the older Winchesters really had it sewn up until after the war.............. but after that here is the list. 1/10
Number ONE;
A Remington 742 in either 06/308 caliber toped off with a set of see thru mounts and the cheapest Tasco scope they could get . The scope was so high above the bore that you needed to literally hold your face almost OFF the stock to shoot it . This model of course had the standard 7-12 lb trigger pull, and the shorter the barrel the better . The only other gun they would consider; was a 760 pump. The theory was that they more "lead in the air" the better the chance of bringing home the bacon!
They also had somehow decided around here that shooting a set of open sights is "faster" than a scope and I have heard alot more than a few proclaim that that the always switched to open sight as soon as it started to get dark as it was far better than a scope.
There was quite a following locally that used "heavy" bullets in these guns as it "busted brush alot better" so I always wondered how much of a deer they really needed to see before they let fly???Maine at one time had one of the worst "hunter accident rates" in the nation. I am sure this type of thinking had alot to do with that fact. The common talk around the gas station in hunting season was that so and so had seen a flash of white and fired at it, or cusin Bill had heard a twig snap right after he saw some brown go into the jack firs and fired the whole clip in there???
We sold hundreds of boxes of shells to the public, and there was most certainly a direct corolation between the guys that wanted 180/200 and even 220 gr bullets, and the tough luck they were having with deer getting away wounded...............
There was a gunshop in Lincoln Maine that has since gone outta bussiness, that used to advertise they had 1500 guns in the shop and I would venture to guess that the racks in the back were holding about 60%/70% of that flavor of gun I listed above..... what a pile of iron in one place.
People have in the last 10-15 years moved away from them and that whole line of thinking but for almost fourty years Remingtons best customer for their automatics was the Maine woods. And that probably accounted for more stories of "big ones getting away" than all the others combined..........
there was no number two........................... in that era big green had it all..................
Number ONE;
A Remington 742 in either 06/308 caliber toped off with a set of see thru mounts and the cheapest Tasco scope they could get . The scope was so high above the bore that you needed to literally hold your face almost OFF the stock to shoot it . This model of course had the standard 7-12 lb trigger pull, and the shorter the barrel the better . The only other gun they would consider; was a 760 pump. The theory was that they more "lead in the air" the better the chance of bringing home the bacon!
They also had somehow decided around here that shooting a set of open sights is "faster" than a scope and I have heard alot more than a few proclaim that that the always switched to open sight as soon as it started to get dark as it was far better than a scope.
There was quite a following locally that used "heavy" bullets in these guns as it "busted brush alot better" so I always wondered how much of a deer they really needed to see before they let fly???Maine at one time had one of the worst "hunter accident rates" in the nation. I am sure this type of thinking had alot to do with that fact. The common talk around the gas station in hunting season was that so and so had seen a flash of white and fired at it, or cusin Bill had heard a twig snap right after he saw some brown go into the jack firs and fired the whole clip in there???
We sold hundreds of boxes of shells to the public, and there was most certainly a direct corolation between the guys that wanted 180/200 and even 220 gr bullets, and the tough luck they were having with deer getting away wounded...............
There was a gunshop in Lincoln Maine that has since gone outta bussiness, that used to advertise they had 1500 guns in the shop and I would venture to guess that the racks in the back were holding about 60%/70% of that flavor of gun I listed above..... what a pile of iron in one place.
People have in the last 10-15 years moved away from them and that whole line of thinking but for almost fourty years Remingtons best customer for their automatics was the Maine woods. And that probably accounted for more stories of "big ones getting away" than all the others combined..........
there was no number two........................... in that era big green had it all..................
