How many have you had?

S

Sure Shot Mc Gee

New member
In killing time while in her SUV today. I being her driver while she was returning a couple Christmas presents for the need of a bigger size for me or a smaller size or color for her. I thought back to a time when I first started deer hunting and those first deer rifles I was loaned. But since then I have indeed bought a few on my dime and each one came to mind. {Not in sequence of course.} But all did come to mind eventually. (I hope?) {being 69 I can't count on that happening everyday.}_:o
30-30s 300 Savages 32 Specials 25-06s 270s 30-06s 7.65mm B/mauser and the list goes on. My question:

How many hunting rifles have you fellows gone thru until you got to your favorite? (caliber & brand any and all info would be nice to know.)
Appreciate your commenting & H/N-Y to all.
 
I have a number of guns....I'm constantly buying selling trading....I have since being a teenager....I hunt with many that I collect....I like those made in the USA..and most of them are no longer being manufactured....Most will be passed on to my kids and Gkids....

The one I use the most is a Remington 760 carbine..308 cal....
I also hunt with a pre 64 Win 88..308 cal....
Bad weather..a stainless Winchester model 70 FW..300 mag
 
This kind of surprises me but I've only hunted with 5 big game rifles. I started with a Savage Model 99 in 300 Savage, moved on to a Remington 700 BDL in 30-06, then got a Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker in 300 Winchester Magnum. I hunted with the Browning the longest but replaced it with 2 rifles over the last 3-4 years, a Weatherby Vanguard S2 in 243 Winchester and a Ruger M77 Mark II rebarrelled with a Shilen barrel in 7WSM. I still own the Savage, it belonged to my father and grandfather. I'll never forgive myself for selling the BDL, that gun flat out shot special and I tagged a lot of deer with it.
 
First hunt ever (deer/hog), I was loaned a Winchester 88 in .243. After that, I borrowed a Savage 99 in .243, a Winchester 94 in 30-30, later a Marlin 30-30, and a Remington 870 Wingmaster 12 ga when I tried duck hunting (and fell in love with it.)

I finally bought my first rifle, a Remington 700 BDL in .308 used and was gifted a Mossberg 500 12 ga to answer the duck affliction. Still have both and added a lot more.
 
I worked the whole summer to earn my first one. A Winchester 94 30-30. Hunted with that for 7 years, then started buying different rifles. A Ruger 77 in 338 win mag for long shots on elk and bear. A Rem 742 BDL in 30-06. A 243 win Rem 700. Couple muzzle loaders. A Weatherby Vanguard in 7-08, for my daughter. A Rossi three barrel matched set in 22, 243, and 20 ga, for my son. Another 243 for me, win mod 70. Rifled 12 ga. barrel TC Encore. And my latest is a Mossberg 100 ATR, 30-06. All mixed amongst many handguns and shotguns and 22's. Oops almost forgot, inherited dads Rem 740 in 30-06. I think that's all of them?
 
Dad bought me a Remmy 788 when I was 14 ..... sold when I joined the Army at 18 ..... I borrowed a BIL's .30-06 for a season when I got out ........and then inherited my Grandfather's Remington 721 in .270WIN ...... I have taken a couple of deer with other rifles (one with Mom's 30-30 and one with a borrowed A-Bolt in 7-08), but G-Pa's "Ol' Betsy" is MY gun.
 
here goes

I hunted for years with an heirloom Win M88/.308. Maybe twenty some plus. Then I bought a Ruger .44 carbine, old model, as a light woods runner/and a Rem 700 .270 so as to retire the M88. (that's 3) Bought and traded a pair of M94's in the process (that's 5). Went along like that for about another 10 yr, When my Dad died, I ended up with his Savage .243 too. (6)

As pay and circumstances allowed, I've steadily added, and have not sold or traded many since. I'm going to call it 12 working rifles that I've hunt on and off with year to year for deer, which is the only "big" game I can get on easily. I see hogs at some point in the future. I may go 2-3 years and not hunt a rifle. Then dust it off, check zero, and hunt it for a couple of seasons. I have always kept a varmint rig or two around, but did not include them in the count.

I've also pulled a few "stunts"....AK clone, PSL, Marlin '94 .357, and a few handgun hunts for deer, ....just to say I have.
 
I think the current count is only 8 rifles, but I try to sell or trade as little as possible.
Two of them went away. One was rebarreled from a useless cartridge to a more utilitarian cartridge (to replace a cartridge I liked, but it was stuck in a rifle I hated ...and sold). And one is currently transforming from a diminutive chambering I don't really care for, into a big bore I think I'll love.

I think I got lucky. As much as I complain about the weight of my Ruger 77 Mk II in .270 Winchester, it's still my favorite big game rifle - and the first centerfire rifle I ever bought.
I can hem and haw in front of the safe, all day long, trying to decide what other rifle might make a good backup; but the .270 is always the first on the "go" list. It takes a lot of effort to get the job done, should I have to talk myself into leaving the .270 at home.

It always does what I ask of it, without giving me any trouble.


The only rifle I ever borrowed for big game was a Winchester M70 Featherweight in .270 Win. I filled my first antelope tag with it, having practiced with it for a deer hunt about 8 years earlier. I made an amazing called shot on with the first trigger pull, but I'd never try that shot again with a borrowed rifle (and the owner's handloads). Hell... I probably wouldn't try that shot again, even with my own rifles.
 
not too many

My first was a Remington 7400 in 243. We were hunting with dogs and deer were often running.
Second was a Ruger 77 in 243. This is the first I bought. We had switched to still hunting and I was out of college and had a job. Sold it to my dad.
Third and current was a Winchester 70 featherweight in .270 win.
I had a bunch more but these were my number 1 weapons.
Got a contender 45-70 16" barrel with a 3-9x50 leapold that is my current knock around gun.
 
I hunt with 2-5 rifles each year and usually not the same ones year after year. My favorites are both custom Mausers-one a commercial 7x57 and one military action with a 257 Roberts barrel.
As I get older, I'm shifting to lighter recoiling, easier to carry rifles but I keep the 257 Wby tuned up for those LOONNNGGGGG shots.
 
I've killed deer with 21 different calibers, and I can honestly say that my favorite deer rifle is the one I grab on the way out the door
 
I've only ever really had three "hunting" rifles

Winchester Model 70 Supergrade .270 Winchester, first high powered rifle, Christmas present when I was about 12.

Ruger Hawkeye All-Weather .358 Winchester, first high powered rifle I bought.

Browning 1885 High Wall .30-06, been in the family about 25 years, bought it from my brother before he could take it to the pawn shop.


I had a Marlin 336 in .30-30 for a couple years, but never hunted with it and traded it to a family member.


The Winchester would be my favorite. Been shooting/hunting with it for close to 25 years...........a little heavy to pack around some times, but always gets the job done.
 
sporterized m/96 (swedish mauser) was the first rifle I hunted with, was my fathers only rifle for over 20 years and has taken every game in Sweden up to bear without hassle) today only roedeer and fox is on the menu (no we don't eat fox)
probably due a barrel swap because we have shot that rifle alot, will still stay in the family, my bro will probably turn it into a long range rig with a new stock and so on

I often loan his combo 16/222 aswell when I know pigs and moose aren't on the menu

He got a tikka and I got a tikka (both 308) now and i got an argo
 
I have several rifles in my "hunting bullpen" but among them is the first rifle I ever hunted with. A Ruger M77 tang safety in 6mm rem. Many other rifles have come and gone but that one will always stay since it was a hand-me-down from dad. The rifle I currently use the most is a Howa 1500 in .25-06
 
I have killed game with....

A marlin 81T in .22LR. Its a tube fed bolt action, that I topped with a burris fullfield II. First firearm I ever bought and I intend to keep it forever. Actually spent some time this afternoon beating up a spinner target at 75 yds with it today. If it hadn't been so windy I'm sure it would be good to 100.

A lyman great plains rifle, slow twist barrel in .54. I built it from one of their kits. Its my favorite gun for deer and has accounted for most of the deer I have killed in the time I've been hunting. Shoot a .530 hornady ball over 90 grains of FFg.

Mossberg 500 slug gun. Very nice trigger for what it cost. Built like a tank. I think its a great shotgun but I am not 100% sold on it for the way I hunt. Would really like to switch to a savage bolt action slug gun. Just don't care for the balance and feel of a pump gun for precision shooting(not that I take particularly long shots or anything).
 
I used a Smith and Wesson 1000 to harvest my first deer,( thats the only dang thing I hit with that shotgun) and in that next spring I found a Reminton 700 ADL, in 3006, and traded that 1000 for it, and until the third year My oldest deerhunted with me, it was the only centerfire that I could hold. I've traded sooo many rifles and bought a few, but that 3006 stayed comfortly, in my gun cabinet.

I gave that rifle to my oldest son and then set out to purchas a new one, which was the Vanguard in 7mm rem mag, then I traded a taxidermied bobcat straight up for the 110, .270 win I use now... it'll never be traded or sold, cause I have too much time and toil in it, and its not very valuable to any others but me... Three years, three deer down two of which nice bucks.:D
 
Shotgun only deer state here so all of my centerfire rifles have been more geared towards predators.

Savage 110 .22-250
Winchester 94 .30-30 Trapper
Mini 14 .223
Remington 742 .243
Another Winchester .30-30, this time a standard 20" carbine.
T/C Venture .243
(Seem to be missin one or two that I can't recall)

All except gun #1 are gone, sold off to build #1 into what I really need/want. Now it's this in .243:


It now wears a Redfield 3-9x scope and I'm gonna be changing the stock. Built this for a short, light and handy rifle and the current stock is just too dang heavy.
 
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First deer gun was a Winchester 38-40 borrowed from my cousin when i was 16. after the service I bought a Customized Garand in the tanker style. Now I have a 308 Garand, a Mod 4 Mark 1 SMLE .303, my grandfathers Remington 740 30-06, a Browning A Bolt in 7mmWSM and an inherited Mauser action 300 Win Mag.
 
I gave up hunting about 10 years ago,but for the 20 some years I did hunt it was a 30-06. Same rifle every year. Always worked.
 
I have only had a few rifles over 20 years of deer hunting. My go to for the bulk of it has been a Weatherby Vanguard VGX in .270 Win. That has always been my go to rifle and been rock solid at distance if I have done my part. I bought a savage trophy hunter in .308 and will hunt with it this year.

In southern Virginia we had to use 12GA with buckshot so my first deer was shot with a Winchester 1400. It also stove piped on me. I bought A Mossberg 590 and used that until I got into rifle country. The Mossberg doubles as a great HD gun. I also have an old sporterized O3A3 Smith Corona with the original sights that I have used on deer. She is a great stalking gun.
 
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