YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

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Quick Steel
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YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by Quick Steel »

While I would like to keep this thread separate from the Gun & Gun Related thread, if a moderator prefers to move it there that's fine.

I would be interested in hearing from all you shooters about your favorite rifle and caliber. Such choices are always an individual matter; what is best for one will often be different for another. So if you can add a reason or two for your choice I think it would be interesting. Whether you are a hunter or just enjoy shooting kindly share your thoughts. Although you may have a battery of rifles for different purposes try to select just one, your favorite.

My favorite: A Tikka in .270 Winchester with a fixed 4x scope. Lightness, accuracy, minimal recoil; also I estimate that this caliber can efficiently handle anything short of the big bears. That opinion is based on reading some writers in the hunting fraternity. Today I think heavier calibers are more often chosen. I favor a fixed scope as being more durable; if I have to magnify something more than 4 times to shoot accurately I figure it is probably a shot I shouldn't be taking.
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by carrmillus »

..........reproduction original HENRY rifle-.44-40!!!......... ::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu:: ..........................
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by steve99f »

Didn't to think too hard for this one, and that's a good thing. :lol:

300 Savage covers everything I hunt, groundhogs on up. I reload so am not limited to factory ammo. I shoot that round in a Savage 99, one of a couple different submodels: F, R or T. Only have a picture of the R on this computer. The others look much the same. ::tu::
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by big monk »

Browning BAR .270 for me,with an older Japan made Nikon 3x9x40 scope**-- great flat shooter & scope does well early & late -- I never have shots over 100yds., so seldom ever move the power past 5 -- was shooting Federal Nosler Partition 130gr, but switching to Hornady Superformance 130gr.SST this year. Don't think it matters to the deer ::shrug:: , but I wanted to try something different** ___ good luck to all,Monk ::tu::
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by Mr. Chips »

Lots of .270 love here.
Me too.
My favorite deer rifle is a Ruger #1 in .270, a very accurate rifle.
I have had it a long time and it has accounted for about 20 deer, and several coyotes.

For moose and bears, a Ruger 77 in 30/06.
It has done a fine job on them.

When we lived in Northern BC, annual food gathering involved a moose, maybe a deer, and occasionally a black bear.

Here in Southern BC, it is pretty much been limited to a deer - which really is all we need at this point.

My go to knife in all of this, has been for the last 20 + years, a Camillus Yello-Jaket two bladed lock back 716. It has 18 deer notches and two moose.

Before that, my hunting knife was an LB 7 Uncle Henry Bear Paw, though in a pinch once, I did skin a moose with a Victorinox Tinker.
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by Quick Steel »

Mr. Chips: Thank you for including your choice of knife for hunting. I wish I had thought to include that in the opening of this thread. For general adventures in nature I carry the CS Bush Ranger [out of production].

I am finding all of the rifle/caliber choices very interesting from the Henry classic 44-40, to your Ruger 1. And I am saying nothing original in remarking that 30-06 is fine for the heavier animals.
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by philco »

My favorite rifle is a Browning semi auto in 7mm Remington Magnum caliber with a Burris 3x9 scope that I have owned since 1986. I like it because it's deadly accurate with plenty of punch yet the recoil is notably milder than bolt action guns of similar weight and caliber. I've taken a whitetail buck three out of the past four years with it and none of the deer required a second shot and none traveled more than a few yards after being hit. Simply put, I have a lot of confidence in this rifle.
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by danno50 »

Winchester Model of 1917 in 30.06 calibre. Old long barrelled tough rifle. For my money 30.06 is the most versatile calibre for what I do. With a 150 grain bullet it has very similar (close enough for me) ballistics to a .270. I can also get a 220 grain bullet for hunting moose in the bush (my favorite hunting). Mine has a 2.5 power fixed scope.
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by treefarmer »

This going to be an interesting thread!
My rifle of choice is a Remington 700 .243. Been shootin' this one since Father's Day, 1999. It has a 3X9X50 Redfield on top. It works well on Florida Panhandle deer, probably killed 40 deer with it since then.
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by deo-pa »

My favorite and one I'll never part with is a Winchester Model 1890 pump action .22 with an octagonal barrel and chambered for the .22 WRF cartridge. Purchased by my grandfather, passed to my father, and then to me. First gun I ever shot.

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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by fergusontd »

:D My Henry .22 lever action Frontier with octagonal barrel.
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by rangerbluedog »

Right now it's a Rock River Arms AR-15 chambered in 6.8 Remington SPC.
It's deer season ya know!
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by rangerbluedog »

danno50 wrote:Winchester Model of 1917 in 30.06 calibre. Old long barrelled tough rifle. For my money 30.06 is the most versatile calibre for what I do. With a 150 grain bullet it has very similar (close enough for me) ballistics to a .270. I can also get a 220 grain bullet for hunting moose in the bush (my favorite hunting). Mine has a 2.5 power fixed scope.
Dan
Danno, You can't go wrong with a .30-06! ::tu::
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by espn77 »

carrmillus wrote:..........reproduction original HENRY rifle-.44-40!!!......... ::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu:: ..........................
I'm with you. Any shell you could put in a pistol and rifle is cool. One day I hope to own a box of original 44-40 rim fire.
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by garddogg56 »

steve99f wrote:Didn't to think too hard for this one, and that's a good thing. :lol:

300 Savage covers everything I hunt, groundhogs on up. I reload so am not limited to factory ammo. I shoot that round in a Savage 99, one of a couple different submodels: F, R or T. Only have a picture of the R on this computer. The others look much the same. ::tu::
For me it is Grandpa's model 99 in a .300 savage,in Maine the woods are too thick for long shots so the 30-30 is king I started with a Marlin 336c,I love pre Winchesters but due to a broken wrist a curved grip is what I need ::shrug:: nothing like a short stroke Savage 99 with a rotary mag,fine checkering and blued steel.But my favorite is sharing it all with my Grandkids.Now as for knives I rotate several combinations one a fixed one a stockman ,a Olsen with a Camillus made L.L.Bean stockman ::super_happy::
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by steve99f »

That's a great thing GD, to hunt with a heirloom rifle.
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by garddogg56 »

Ya it is,my boys are already fighting over her ::facepalm::
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by 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.
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by 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! :x

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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by 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!
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by Quick Steel »

Say Dave, I mean Bawana, I'd love to see a photo of the 416 Rigby.
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by 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.

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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by tangoalpha »

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

Czech BRNO 601 in .308 with two of the knives I carry while hunting.
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by CheckSix »

Quick Steel wrote: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. :lol: 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.
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Re: YOUR FAVORITE RIFLE & CALIBER

Post by 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.
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