YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

[steve99f]

That's a great thing GD, to hunt with a heirloom rifle.

[garddogg56]

Ya it is,my boys are already fighting over her

[Quick Steel]

I've always considered the Savage 99 to be truly classic design. Haven't seen one in years. It looks like you have a Schnabel forend. If it is, was that standard on the 99? I don't recall.

[Mumbleypeg]

My favorite is a lever action Marlin Model 1894 repeater chambered in 25-20 caliber. It has a walnut stock, 24 inch octagon barrel, a beautiful case hardened receiver, and adjustable Marble's buckhorn sights. My grandfather bought it used, from a friend who bought it new in the early 1900s. He gave it to my father after he returned from WWII, probably around 1946. Dad gave it to me in 1978.

No telling how many rounds gave been through it, but it's still a really sweet shooting rifle, negligible recoil, accurate, and great for small game and varmints. Only problem is ammo - a box of 50 is about $65-$75 if you can find it. Kinda takes the fun out of shooting it!

Ken

[CheckSix]

This is a difficult question for me to answer. I own 16 unique different rifle chamberings. This includes rimfire and centerfire cartridges. The "bookends" are .17HMR, up to 416 Rigby. I think from an all-around utility and usefulness perspective, I'd have to go with the 375H&H Magnum. It shoots my handloads great! Almost 1/2 moa and it will take any animal on the planet, with a properly placed shot. It is not hard to shoot with 270gr pills, if you have enough seat time with a lot of different cartridges. It has a fair amount of recoil but is not punishing, in my opinion. The 416 Rigby is a different story!

Here's the cool thing! The 270gr bullet out of the muzzle at 2750fps, is about the same trajectory as a .30-06 using 180gr bullets. So, at 100yds, you sight in 2" high and you'll be about 8" low at 300yds.

3-7-5 H & H for me!

[Quick Steel]

Say Dave, I mean Bawana, I'd love to see a photo of the 416 Rigby.

[Paladin]

Interesting thread. I grew up hunting mule deer in the Big Bend or Trans Pecos area of West Texas. This is open country so shots were long and since Dad always used a 30-06, so did I. Never gave any thought to any other caliber. My rifle was an old Remington model 30 S which I once saw written up in the American Rifleman as the ugliest rifle ever made. May be ugly but it always got the job done. I started with a peep sight but soon graduated to a Weaver K4, then to a Redfield Widefield in 6 power.
Years later, I hunted whitetail in central Texas, a much smaller deer so I bought me a Ruger #1 in 223 caliber. What a different shooting experience that was but I sure came to love it. Both those are still in my safe and there they will reside.
I'll post a photo of the old 30 S just for grins.
As to knives, early on various fixed blades then for 40 years or so, a Gerber Magnum folding hunter on my belt and an Eye Brand sodbuster in my pocket.

Ray

[tangoalpha]

download/file.php?mode=view&id=307718

Czech BRNO 601 in .308 with two of the knives I carry while hunting.

[CheckSix]

Say Dave, I mean Bawana, I'd love to see a photo of the 416 Rigby.

ok, here's the Punisher!

I'm going on the record and saying this is NOT my favorite rifle cartridge. Sighting it in off the bench, I have to use a PAST recoil pad. Standing and shooting offhand, is manageable. 400gr bullet at 2500fps, for 5500ft-lbs of muzzle energy. It is the minimum allowed caliber for Elephant and Rhino.

I got it for a Cape Buffalo hunt. Would be useful on a big bull Bison hunt too, although I'd probably just use the 3-7-5, as it is flatter shooting.

[Quick Steel]

Best I can tell the grain on the Rigby stock looks beautiful. The reason I asked to see your Rigby is because of an article about a Rigby .416 I read many years ago. The writer, a PH, was writing primarily about the cartridge but vividly described an incident I've always recalled, tho not many of the details.

The PH was with his son, about 12 years old. Somehow he and his son got their backs to a tree in the midst of a water buffalo herd that were milling around unaware of their presence. Don't know why the buff didn't scent them. Anyway I recall him writing that he had 4 rounds of ammo versus a couple of hundred buffalo. After the danger had moved on he reassured his shaking son that the event was just a sort of routine, not uncommon, event. The PH was careful to mask his own shaking. The rest of the article was about the effectiveness of the .416. If a locomotive ever jumps the track in your neighborhood you'll have just the firearm to stop it.

[CheckSix]

It's a Ruger M77 MkII Magnum, standard issue when they were made. I'm told that mine has exceptional walnut.

[Colonel26]

My favorite rifle for deer hunting would have to be my near mint 57-58 Marlin 336 SC (short magazine tube) chambered in the most holy of calibers.....35 Remington.

For walking around shooting varmints and such a first year (1979) Marlin 1894c in 38 special/357. It's a tack driver and out to 100 yards capable of taking a deer. But I've never used it to deer hunt. Shooting 158gr 38 specials you can hear the big fat lead bullet whack the target over the sound of the round being fired.

For plinking a 1973 Marlin 39M 22s,l,lr (short barrel, straight stock). Load it up with CB shorts and it sounds like a BB gun. Real handy for shooting squirrels in the yard.

All pre safety of course. No need for a lawyer's wart on a lever action.

[steve99f]

I've always considered the Savage 99 to be truly classic design. Haven't seen one in years. It looks like you have a Schnabel forend. If it is, was that standard on the 99? I don't recall.

The most common model of 99 was the EG with the checkered schnable fore end and shotgun butt stock. Early on, pre war they were uncheckered. The post war models up to 1960 included the EG, F, and R. The F and R models did not have the schnable fore end. It can get confusing if you dive into the history of these.

[Quick Steel]

Thank you steve99f.

[americanedgetech]

This is NOT a "macho" BS post, and I am not implying that any other post here was so... I'll state my all time favorite rifle as the Finlandia National 49 or "FN 49" in 8mm Mauser.

It is heavy, large, and solid as a railroad tie. The 8mm Mauser cartridge will shoot thru Oak trees at 700 yards, and is as accurate as any .308 that "I" have shot. Maximum range I guess is around 1200/1300 yards with impact. 1500 yards, and you're still hitting targets. Not too shabby for an antique.
I used to pick these up for around $250.00 in good to very good condition in the late 80's. Today I see they are at least $1,500.00 in good condition. Much more for very good.

This all makes for one heck of a weapon but no so much of a varmint rifle.
I can tell you a story about a 300 yard ricochet off a 12"x12"x4" block of mild steel that left a burn across my exposed left cheek just under my eye but this is a family oriented forum.
Moral is... do NOT shoot at 4" steel plate unless you want to hear that round going thru the woods behind you.

[fergusontd]

Now that's a rifle!

ftd

[Quick Steel]

Good grief! What lives in those woods?

[steve99f]

Can you hunt with crew served weapons there Ferg? I like it.

[fergusontd]

Gotta have sumptin for shopping at the mall! ftd

[carrmillus]

Now that's a rifle!
PicsArt_09-21-09.39.36.jpg ftd

........I like it, but I don't think JOHN WAYNE could twirl that one!!!............ ..............

[americanedgetech]

Good grief! What lives in those woods?

Big foot!, He drives a 1937 Ford COE.

[americanedgetech]

Now that's a rifle!
PicsArt_09-21-09.39.36.jpg ftd

That's the Swedish anti tank gun right. 22mm Lundt or something like that?

AWESOME TOY! (I mean gun) WOW!!!!!

[FRJ]

BOY HOWDY!!

I'm on your side.

[CheckSix]

hahahahaha...!!! Now THAT's a rifle!

[fergusontd]

Good grief! What lives in those woods?

Big foot!, He drives a 1937 Ford COE.[/quote
Either Goober ot Cooter. ftd