Although we liked different rifles and calibers and accumulated more than we ever needed, we always bought a rifle to hunt with. I am sure many of you will say both, but when you decide to buy a new rifle or build one is it for a specific hunt or more because you enjoy building a rifle, having a large variety of rifles, shooting them at the range, and playing with a variety of loads, etc. I could be wrong, but from reading here, it seems far more people are into the specifics of the rifle, bullet, etc than hunting with them. We probably hunted a minimum of once every month, somewhere, something, maybe just birds, rabbits, even squirrels, and pasture poodles. Admittedly we lived in the country, in the west, owned our own business which gave us flexible hours and it was definitely easier and cheaper to hunt thirty years ago. But I think I would have labeled us as hunting nuts not rifle nuts lol
Why do you buy a rifle
- Thread starter Europe
- Start date
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 36,960
- 5,173
I've always bought rifles with the knowledge that they had to hunt. However, that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate well-built rifles. A major part of the joy of shooting, for me, has been working up a load that allows me to wring out all the accuracy possible from a rifle. Having said that, I don't always use my most accurate load for the hunt. I'm more focused on terminal ballistics and humane death of the animal pursued. Thus, integrity of the bullet at terminal velocity, accuracy and mass delivered have always been important in choosing my load. Still, I will have a bragging load for each rifle with targets to show for the work.
A
Anonymous
Guest
I enjoy rifles as both a means to hunt and as a mechanical artifact.
That said- all of my rifles are hunting rifles and were purchased, assembled or modified with that exact goal in mind. I'm also interested in the subject of terminal ballistics, mostly as a practical concern to achieve the best possible results in the field. Some folks shoot quite a lot and hunt very little...I hunt a lot and shoot comparatively little. We're (more or less) subsistence hunters and hunt most of the year for something or other.
I do enjoy working with various rifles out of curiosity, but there's a practical limit to that. I also largely quit hand loading, since I can buy better ammunition off the shelf and I don't shoot nearly enough to realize economic efficiency. I will likely take that up again at some point later in life when I have more free time. Professional and academic pursuits really eat into my time currently and I'd rather spend my free time hunting than just about anything else.
That said- all of my rifles are hunting rifles and were purchased, assembled or modified with that exact goal in mind. I'm also interested in the subject of terminal ballistics, mostly as a practical concern to achieve the best possible results in the field. Some folks shoot quite a lot and hunt very little...I hunt a lot and shoot comparatively little. We're (more or less) subsistence hunters and hunt most of the year for something or other.
I do enjoy working with various rifles out of curiosity, but there's a practical limit to that. I also largely quit hand loading, since I can buy better ammunition off the shelf and I don't shoot nearly enough to realize economic efficiency. I will likely take that up again at some point later in life when I have more free time. Professional and academic pursuits really eat into my time currently and I'd rather spend my free time hunting than just about anything else.
While I consider myself a rifle nut, or loonie, I have to admit that I am a hunting nut first. The primary need for a rifle in the beginning was for hunting and putting meat in the freezer for me and my extended family. I also hunt with archery equipment.
As time progressed, and my exposure to rifles and cartridges expanded, my interest in learning more about rifles and cartridges grew, and I was exposed to hand loading by a friend, and I found that I wanted to use more different rifles and cartridges, in order to learn about them firsthand. I still have every hunting and shooting magazine that I have bought over the past 24 years (much to my wife's wonder), but I do enjoy going back to review articles when discussing the merits of any particular cartridge or rifle. But this knowledge also led to my ability to earn a living in the hunting and shooting sports industry for a few years, where I learned even more. I may not still own every rifle and cartridge that I have used and experimented with, but this more about economics, as many will probably attest to, we part with some in order to acquire others. This is another thing that most of us enjoy; the ability to continue learning more about our passions and pastimes, where the hobby does help in sustaining itself. (It would be nice to still have many of those firearms still, but space is also a consideration that may have to be taken into account, as it was in mine; I do not have enough room for the numerous safes I would require the safely store the 100+ plus firearms that I have gone through over the past 30+ years).
Being a left handed shooter has its own challenges. I also have this affliction of desiring cartridges that are not the most common that most have or use (I.e. 250 Savage, 280 Rem, 338-06, 376 Steyr and 416 Taylor) Most of the rifles and cartridges that I have to keep are either single shots, lever actions or left handed custom rifles as a result. But it does not stop me from still acquiring right handed rifles or particular clamberings in order to gain more varied experience, or to acquire a particularly desired firearm, such as my new Ruger RSI in 250 Savage. I still want to play with the 221 Fireball and to build a Highwall chambered in the 225 Winchester. And maybe try a 240 Wby at some point.
In the end, I have like most of us here, developed my own opinions, and they are just that, my own opinions, on a variety of rifles and cartridges, and scopes for those firearms, for varied hunting environments and targeted species to be harvested. I hope that my shared experiences and knowledge is helpful to those that are seeking input on various rifles, cartridges and scopes that will help them make their own purchase decisions that will lead to their desired results.
Through all of this, I have found what I do like, and what I do not. And what works where. But I will be the first to admit that there is much that I do not know, or have experienced yet, and appreciate all of the knowledge and experiences that so many others on this forum are also willing to share. Keep up the great networking and sharing everybody, it's why we are here!
As time progressed, and my exposure to rifles and cartridges expanded, my interest in learning more about rifles and cartridges grew, and I was exposed to hand loading by a friend, and I found that I wanted to use more different rifles and cartridges, in order to learn about them firsthand. I still have every hunting and shooting magazine that I have bought over the past 24 years (much to my wife's wonder), but I do enjoy going back to review articles when discussing the merits of any particular cartridge or rifle. But this knowledge also led to my ability to earn a living in the hunting and shooting sports industry for a few years, where I learned even more. I may not still own every rifle and cartridge that I have used and experimented with, but this more about economics, as many will probably attest to, we part with some in order to acquire others. This is another thing that most of us enjoy; the ability to continue learning more about our passions and pastimes, where the hobby does help in sustaining itself. (It would be nice to still have many of those firearms still, but space is also a consideration that may have to be taken into account, as it was in mine; I do not have enough room for the numerous safes I would require the safely store the 100+ plus firearms that I have gone through over the past 30+ years).
Being a left handed shooter has its own challenges. I also have this affliction of desiring cartridges that are not the most common that most have or use (I.e. 250 Savage, 280 Rem, 338-06, 376 Steyr and 416 Taylor) Most of the rifles and cartridges that I have to keep are either single shots, lever actions or left handed custom rifles as a result. But it does not stop me from still acquiring right handed rifles or particular clamberings in order to gain more varied experience, or to acquire a particularly desired firearm, such as my new Ruger RSI in 250 Savage. I still want to play with the 221 Fireball and to build a Highwall chambered in the 225 Winchester. And maybe try a 240 Wby at some point.
In the end, I have like most of us here, developed my own opinions, and they are just that, my own opinions, on a variety of rifles and cartridges, and scopes for those firearms, for varied hunting environments and targeted species to be harvested. I hope that my shared experiences and knowledge is helpful to those that are seeking input on various rifles, cartridges and scopes that will help them make their own purchase decisions that will lead to their desired results.
Through all of this, I have found what I do like, and what I do not. And what works where. But I will be the first to admit that there is much that I do not know, or have experienced yet, and appreciate all of the knowledge and experiences that so many others on this forum are also willing to share. Keep up the great networking and sharing everybody, it's why we are here!
Africa Huntress
Handloader
- Feb 14, 2012
- 461
- 2
April, our family is in both camps, plus a third.
My father collects old winchester lever;s and has all the weatherby caliber rifles. ( not all the rifles weatherby makes or ever made, just one of each of the "Weatherby" calibers. He does not hunt with these rifles, and therefore has a third group of rifles he uses to hunt with. He would be considered a collector and hunter I guess
My mum is definitely like Dr Mike, every rifle she buys is bought for a hunt. where she might be a little different than Dr mike is she has a hunting load and usually animal specific load dialed in for the hunt/animal and then she never deviates from that combination.
I am like my mum, but my sisters, borrow rifles from me or mum and use whatever load we have worked up for the rifle/hunt.
So instead of being a family of rifle nuts or hunting nuts, we are just nuts
Like Hodgeman, I really dont have time to "play" with a rifle AND hunt. So I choose to hunt
Gil, I have to be honest and say unlike yourself, I never caught the rifle, load, "bug", if you will. If I have a rifle and load that has worked for me in the past on a specific hunt, that is what I will use again and again and again (-; And some of the problem is what I mentioned above, because of work, I dont have the tine to do both and I prefer to hunt.
Best Regards
Jamila
My father collects old winchester lever;s and has all the weatherby caliber rifles. ( not all the rifles weatherby makes or ever made, just one of each of the "Weatherby" calibers. He does not hunt with these rifles, and therefore has a third group of rifles he uses to hunt with. He would be considered a collector and hunter I guess
My mum is definitely like Dr Mike, every rifle she buys is bought for a hunt. where she might be a little different than Dr mike is she has a hunting load and usually animal specific load dialed in for the hunt/animal and then she never deviates from that combination.
I am like my mum, but my sisters, borrow rifles from me or mum and use whatever load we have worked up for the rifle/hunt.
So instead of being a family of rifle nuts or hunting nuts, we are just nuts
Like Hodgeman, I really dont have time to "play" with a rifle AND hunt. So I choose to hunt
Gil, I have to be honest and say unlike yourself, I never caught the rifle, load, "bug", if you will. If I have a rifle and load that has worked for me in the past on a specific hunt, that is what I will use again and again and again (-; And some of the problem is what I mentioned above, because of work, I dont have the tine to do both and I prefer to hunt.
Best Regards
Jamila
ramiroh146
Beginner
- Dec 23, 2016
- 22
- 0
I think we mostly buy rifles to hunt and self-defense.
Sent from my LG-H343 using Tapatalk
Sent from my LG-H343 using Tapatalk
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Ammo Smith
- Mar 11, 2013
- 7,213
- 742
April you do come up with some good ones.
Growing up around guns and hunting my main purpose was for hunting. As I got older I found they could be fun to shoot But the main reason for owning or buying one is for hunting.
Growing up around guns and hunting my main purpose was for hunting. As I got older I found they could be fun to shoot But the main reason for owning or buying one is for hunting.
I started hunting as young as I possibly could with my dad and that is what I would rather do then anything else. As a matter of fact, when I got married I told my wife I will be pretty flexible about most things as long as you don't complain about my hunting. She did drop a few hints this year that it might be a little much but our kids finally are big enough where she can handle them by herself for extended periods. Since they are only 13 months apart I tried to not overwhelm her for the first 4-5 years and gave up a lot of hunting time because of it but that was my choice. Now I have some catching up to do :mrgreen: .
I also got into building my own rifles in 1992. I did get into muzzleloaders for quite a few years (late '90's through early 2000's) when that was my primary elk hunting but since they closed that season due to wolf predation I've got back into rifles pretty heavily. I build about 5 rifles a year now for myself and usually hunt big game with one of those 5. Some years I'll hunt with a rifle from previous years but quite often I spend the spring and summer with a new rifle in preparation for hunting season. Typically I'll shoot 2-300 rounds through it out to 950yds or so getting ready. Guns built with really good barrels tend to require very little load development. I can't remember the last time I burned 50 round to find a load for a rifle I built. Most all of them will shoot in the .2's or .3's with no more than 20-30 rounds though them. That leaves a lot of long range practice ammo. I'm in the gun industry now so I can justify a lot of what I do much easier now :lol: .
I tend to collect rifles as well. I rarely sell anything I build and consider it a piggy bank of sorts. I know when we build a new house it will have to have a gun vault. I have told myself I will spend less on rifles and more on hunting trips in the coming years. The problem is I find ways to justify a few more that I NEED. Like this year I got more into backpacking and found myself needing lighter stuff. Well that means I need a lighter rifle or 3 :grin: .
I also got into building my own rifles in 1992. I did get into muzzleloaders for quite a few years (late '90's through early 2000's) when that was my primary elk hunting but since they closed that season due to wolf predation I've got back into rifles pretty heavily. I build about 5 rifles a year now for myself and usually hunt big game with one of those 5. Some years I'll hunt with a rifle from previous years but quite often I spend the spring and summer with a new rifle in preparation for hunting season. Typically I'll shoot 2-300 rounds through it out to 950yds or so getting ready. Guns built with really good barrels tend to require very little load development. I can't remember the last time I burned 50 round to find a load for a rifle I built. Most all of them will shoot in the .2's or .3's with no more than 20-30 rounds though them. That leaves a lot of long range practice ammo. I'm in the gun industry now so I can justify a lot of what I do much easier now :lol: .
I tend to collect rifles as well. I rarely sell anything I build and consider it a piggy bank of sorts. I know when we build a new house it will have to have a gun vault. I have told myself I will spend less on rifles and more on hunting trips in the coming years. The problem is I find ways to justify a few more that I NEED. Like this year I got more into backpacking and found myself needing lighter stuff. Well that means I need a lighter rifle or 3 :grin: .
lefty315
Handloader
- Sep 29, 2004
- 912
- 350
Ultimately there is not a rifle that I own that hasn't been hunted with or won't eventually go hunting. I've bought rifles that can cover anything I'll ever encounter while hunting, caliber wise, and duplicated the effort a couple of times over. Mostly I've bought rifles based on the interest in a particular cartridge or something historical in nature with the rifle, cartridge or both.
Take my model 71 in .348 Winchester. My grandfather bought one when he got to Alaska and used it for years on everything he shot. He sold it to a friend of his, who still hunts with it today, when he moved back down to Montana. The chance came a few years ago to pick one up exactly like his, with a peep sight so I bought it. I've hunted with it for whitetail and spring bear and took a nice buck with it. I'd really like to get a bear with it eventually.
I have 3 Ruger No 1's, 2 in 7x57 and 1 in 6.5x55. Why? Because there is just something very cool about the gun. The calibers? The 7x57 is the first rifle ever given to me and the history and capability of the cartridge have always been of interest to me. The 6.5 for the same reasons. There just seems to be something romantic about packing a No1 on a hunt.
I like the sporterized 03's and Mausers, partially because of the cartridge history in the various calibers they were initially chambered in. And it's interesting to hunt with something that would've graced thousands of deer, elk, sheep, bear camps and safaris for 100 years.
Take my model 71 in .348 Winchester. My grandfather bought one when he got to Alaska and used it for years on everything he shot. He sold it to a friend of his, who still hunts with it today, when he moved back down to Montana. The chance came a few years ago to pick one up exactly like his, with a peep sight so I bought it. I've hunted with it for whitetail and spring bear and took a nice buck with it. I'd really like to get a bear with it eventually.
I have 3 Ruger No 1's, 2 in 7x57 and 1 in 6.5x55. Why? Because there is just something very cool about the gun. The calibers? The 7x57 is the first rifle ever given to me and the history and capability of the cartridge have always been of interest to me. The 6.5 for the same reasons. There just seems to be something romantic about packing a No1 on a hunt.
I like the sporterized 03's and Mausers, partially because of the cartridge history in the various calibers they were initially chambered in. And it's interesting to hunt with something that would've graced thousands of deer, elk, sheep, bear camps and safaris for 100 years.
Darkhorse
Handloader
- Mar 14, 2014
- 800
- 150
I buy rifles to hunt with. Being a Left hander, that has caused some problems over the years in rifle selection. I was first obsessed with hunting. Anything. So my first gun was a pump shotgun given to me by my dad. The first rifle I bought was a Marlin 30 30. But the rifle I dreamed about was a Remington Model 700 Lefthand and at that time the rave was the 7mm Magnum, so that's what I had to have.
In between I bought a lot of rifles and shotguns, all right hand, some auto's and a Browning O/U. But these were for the wife and kids so they saw limited use for me as that 7 mag. was a killer.
I took the 7 mag. elk hunting a few times then bought a LH .300 Win. Mag. I bought it specifically for elk but it saw a lot of whitetails go under also.
I had gotten into muzzleloading in 1976 with a TC right hand Renegade. Then I bought a LH Lyman flintlock in .54, but when I decided I wanted to hunt elk with a flintlock I decided I wanted top of the line components. So I built a .54 flintlock, then a .40 flintlock. I still have and hunt with both of them. They fit perfect and are dead nuts accurate.
My personal hunting guns must shoot. So I do what I have to so they will. Mostly this includes trigger and stock work. And I am really into finding a couple of perfect loads so I do my share of handloading and load development, which I love doing.
The end result is I have a gun case full of guns but only a few see much use. My Tikka T3 in .308 Left Hand right now fits the bill for where I hunt and unless I go to Africa or Alaska, which is not really a possibility anymore, I have all the rifles I need to hunt for the rest of my life.
Unless I want a new gun and there's no telling what will catch my interest.
In between I bought a lot of rifles and shotguns, all right hand, some auto's and a Browning O/U. But these were for the wife and kids so they saw limited use for me as that 7 mag. was a killer.
I took the 7 mag. elk hunting a few times then bought a LH .300 Win. Mag. I bought it specifically for elk but it saw a lot of whitetails go under also.
I had gotten into muzzleloading in 1976 with a TC right hand Renegade. Then I bought a LH Lyman flintlock in .54, but when I decided I wanted to hunt elk with a flintlock I decided I wanted top of the line components. So I built a .54 flintlock, then a .40 flintlock. I still have and hunt with both of them. They fit perfect and are dead nuts accurate.
My personal hunting guns must shoot. So I do what I have to so they will. Mostly this includes trigger and stock work. And I am really into finding a couple of perfect loads so I do my share of handloading and load development, which I love doing.
The end result is I have a gun case full of guns but only a few see much use. My Tikka T3 in .308 Left Hand right now fits the bill for where I hunt and unless I go to Africa or Alaska, which is not really a possibility anymore, I have all the rifles I need to hunt for the rest of my life.
Unless I want a new gun and there's no telling what will catch my interest.
cloverleaf
Handloader
- Sep 10, 2006
- 4,341
- 945
My situation was a little different. Grandpa held me up and taught me to shoot. Dad and my uncles did the same. Being a guy who has used wheelchair and crutches all my life, shooting rifles eventually put me on equal footing with others that baseball and riding a horse or bike did not. Dad set me up with a 4x weaver on my air rifle, that helped even things out when I couldn't get around. Things went from there. As you can imagine I learned to like the "long shot". Hunting was a holiday and shooting was a "social" event.
As a result when I buy a rifle I do so because I am thinking about the fun I can have shooting it or watching some one else shoot it well. I like hitting stuff a long ways away, when I hunt I want most of all to make a good shot (when I dont some one else does the tracking- and they feel bad if the animal is not found- as do I), I have a loaner rifle and a slug gun in the safe. Nothing fancy, but accurate.
I have favorite calibre's that are mostly that because of a good (or lucky) shot, and because I like to look. It takes longer to find a 250 savage than it does a 243. CL
As a result when I buy a rifle I do so because I am thinking about the fun I can have shooting it or watching some one else shoot it well. I like hitting stuff a long ways away, when I hunt I want most of all to make a good shot (when I dont some one else does the tracking- and they feel bad if the animal is not found- as do I), I have a loaner rifle and a slug gun in the safe. Nothing fancy, but accurate.
I have favorite calibre's that are mostly that because of a good (or lucky) shot, and because I like to look. It takes longer to find a 250 savage than it does a 243. CL
Good question.
I hunt quite a bit but many times locally its coyotes. In the winter I'm out 2-3 times a week, sometimes more. I'm lucky I own the farm I live on so many times its just out the back door for a couple hours. I don't take off on a whim for surrounding states to hunt like I did in my early twenties and sleep in the truck bed, although occasionally I do feel the urge.
But as you already know, I'm fascinated by the old, odd and wildcatted cartridges so I end up building, having built or buying rifles to scratch that itch. (Sounds like maybe Gil and I may have been separated at birth :grin: ) I really enjoy taking a new, to me at least, rifle and building up a load for it. Plus I just flat enjoy shooting.
I hunt quite a bit but many times locally its coyotes. In the winter I'm out 2-3 times a week, sometimes more. I'm lucky I own the farm I live on so many times its just out the back door for a couple hours. I don't take off on a whim for surrounding states to hunt like I did in my early twenties and sleep in the truck bed, although occasionally I do feel the urge.
But as you already know, I'm fascinated by the old, odd and wildcatted cartridges so I end up building, having built or buying rifles to scratch that itch. (Sounds like maybe Gil and I may have been separated at birth :grin: ) I really enjoy taking a new, to me at least, rifle and building up a load for it. Plus I just flat enjoy shooting.
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,525
- 4,786
Not all rifles are for hunting...
This Rem 700 in .308 Win was built specifically for my SWAT duties. It's also served as a match rifle, and I've used it hunting as well, but it certainly wasn't built for hunting game:
The AR-15 was purchased to ride in my patrol car with me, and for duties when the bolt action Remington would have been a poor choice:
And the Model 70 was built for competition, to 1,000 yards:
Guy
This Rem 700 in .308 Win was built specifically for my SWAT duties. It's also served as a match rifle, and I've used it hunting as well, but it certainly wasn't built for hunting game:
The AR-15 was purchased to ride in my patrol car with me, and for duties when the bolt action Remington would have been a poor choice:
And the Model 70 was built for competition, to 1,000 yards:
Guy
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,525
- 4,786
Other rifles of mine though, are purchased specifically for hunting, and sometimes because they offer some particularly interesting history or feature.
Frankly, I could do all my "big game" hunting with the .30-06 Rem 700 CDL which has been so successful this year. But what's the fun in that? :grin:
Guy
Frankly, I could do all my "big game" hunting with the .30-06 Rem 700 CDL which has been so successful this year. But what's the fun in that? :grin:
Guy
I really haven't bought very many rifles in several years. Used to be I bought them for hunting, several for game I probably will never hunt. Now if I buy one its a bargain (steal) and I gift it or trade it for something. I recently traded a Remington 600 that hasn't seen the light of day for 20 years for a Mashburn, that I will probably use as a primary, or backup for elk. I also picked up a Eddystone,for nothing that needed some work. I will probably gift or pass that on to someone else, in the not to distant future. I still have too many, I would prefer to pass them on to someone who will get joy out of using them rather than me looking at them in my gun safe. I have a rifle for every need + to many.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 36,960
- 5,173
April, you do ask some of the most interesting questions. They sure stimulate discussion, compelling people to give some thought to their answers. I definitely enjoy the responses to a great question.
Finaddictions
Beginner
- Mar 15, 2016
- 24
- 0
I've worked in the outdoor/shooting sports industry for 26 years, and I have to admit that I've gone through many iterations of why I buy different rifles. At first, because of economic considerations, I bought rifles with pretty specific duties. My first 25-06 was purchased because I needed a varmint rifle that I could shoot deer with as well. I loved that gun and I went through two barrels on it, and unfortunately sold it after changing it to a 280 on its third barrel. The 280, although a fantastic round, never captured the magic of the old 25-06. I still miss that rifle, which was built around a 700 Classic. It treated me extremely well in those years of being relegated to just a couple guns.
Eventually my economic situation relaxed, and my gun collection expanded. I became a true collector at one point trying to own every caliber the 700 Classic had been chambered in. I also collected Pre-64 Model 70's, and also bought guns just based on curiosity of what individual calibers might achieve.
I also went through a faze of trying to find a couple rifles that had the longest point blank range I could achieve. This pre-dated all the laser range finder technology. I messed with 7.82 Warbirds, 300 Rum's, and 30-378's. Interesting cartridges for sure, and I learned as much about reloading and shooting as anything else.
I've now come down to owning rifles for the pure joy of shooting. I truly find it relaxing to work up loads for each individual rifle and try to extract the most precision from each platform I can. I now buy rifles for either long range shooting, varminting or big game hunting, and just enjoy seeing what they will do. It's my most enjoyable pastime sitting down at my loading bench, taking on each new cartridge/platform to see what it might do.
With that said, fall is the most anticipated season around my home. I live to hunt, and more than 3/4's of my rifles are built up to hunt big game, with the end goal of all that load propagation, to have extremely accurate hunting loads I can trust to fairly distant targets. I shoot all year long, and shoot for distance as often as possible. It all comes down to the enjoyment of working up accurate loads, then shooting them a lot, often at longer ranges. This makes me all the more confident when those long anticipated fall hunts finally arrive. It makes my passion for hunting an all year affair.
Eventually my economic situation relaxed, and my gun collection expanded. I became a true collector at one point trying to own every caliber the 700 Classic had been chambered in. I also collected Pre-64 Model 70's, and also bought guns just based on curiosity of what individual calibers might achieve.
I also went through a faze of trying to find a couple rifles that had the longest point blank range I could achieve. This pre-dated all the laser range finder technology. I messed with 7.82 Warbirds, 300 Rum's, and 30-378's. Interesting cartridges for sure, and I learned as much about reloading and shooting as anything else.
I've now come down to owning rifles for the pure joy of shooting. I truly find it relaxing to work up loads for each individual rifle and try to extract the most precision from each platform I can. I now buy rifles for either long range shooting, varminting or big game hunting, and just enjoy seeing what they will do. It's my most enjoyable pastime sitting down at my loading bench, taking on each new cartridge/platform to see what it might do.
With that said, fall is the most anticipated season around my home. I live to hunt, and more than 3/4's of my rifles are built up to hunt big game, with the end goal of all that load propagation, to have extremely accurate hunting loads I can trust to fairly distant targets. I shoot all year long, and shoot for distance as often as possible. It all comes down to the enjoyment of working up accurate loads, then shooting them a lot, often at longer ranges. This makes me all the more confident when those long anticipated fall hunts finally arrive. It makes my passion for hunting an all year affair.
RaySendero
Beginner
- Jul 27, 2015
- 233
- 3
I don't always "Buy a Rifle", sometimes I build'em.
But either way, I always have a vision for a specific hunting situation or purpose.
But either way, I always have a vision for a specific hunting situation or purpose.
cloverleaf
Handloader
- Sep 10, 2006
- 4,341
- 945
Wait a minute.....who are we kidding? Sometimes a gun rack orphan just calls your name. What else can a guy do...? 
CL
CLWell, I buy all of them to hunt with. I like working with different cartridges and seeing how they perform. I've really come to like the P64 Model 70's, but honestly I like the Classics, Kimbers, or just any of them with a 3 Position safety and Mauser extractor.
Bill traded me a M600 350 Rem Mag this fall that's a pretty neat rifle. I can't seem to get enough of the .358's no matter what the platform they are chambered in.
But they are all had for hunting and like Bill, I've got too many rifles and not nearly enough tags.
Bill traded me a M600 350 Rem Mag this fall that's a pretty neat rifle. I can't seem to get enough of the .358's no matter what the platform they are chambered in.
But they are all had for hunting and like Bill, I've got too many rifles and not nearly enough tags.
