what's your favorite "odd duck" rifle & why?

M

mdd

New member
I know its a vanilla topic but i can't sleep so indulge me as I wait on the sleep fairy to get here.
As for the rifle, I don't mean some one-off millionaire's rifle. Also it has to be one you own or owned in the past. Doesn't have to be special...just different. My favorite is my old skeleton stock ruger m77 mkii 223. There was a point in time when I hated the rifle because the accuracy was terrible past 100 yards. I was shooting 55 grain nosler ballistic tips at that time because I didn't know the twist rate. I finally got a load worked up for it with 40 grain hornady v-max that shoot ~0.75 moa. What makes it quirky is that it is a 1:12 twist 223 in a world of 1:7's, 1:8's, & 1:9's. I have faster rifles (204 & 22-250) but I've been shooting the 223 so well ever since finding the right load that I keep on using it.
 
The skeleton stock M77 Mk II rifles were made for 5 years or so right around 1987-1991, which was before the current craze for fast twist/heavy bullets for 223s. People complained that they kicked hard in any chambering, were impossible to glass bed, and the sling swivels squeaked. They did kick hard compared to a heavier rifle (Duh!), but they were actually pretty nice rifles in my opinion. I owned a 243 that shot very, very well, but it kicked harder than my 7X57 in a fiberglass stock.

The rifle I have a real problem ever getting rid of was my 375 H&H Whitworth Express rifle. Just the right weight, just the right stock shape, just the right chambering.
 
I have a h&r ultra rifle in 450 marlin with a laminated stock and heavy barrell. It sports a truglo 2x red dot sight and the thing just shoots. Its a blast shooting water bottles a 100yds with a big bore. Some of the bottles fly 30ft into the air. Sitting down at the bench with it is not for the faint of heart though but i actually like recoil. It gave a dramatic showing on a coyote earlier this year.
 
The M6 Springfield survivalist rifle.
Chambered in .22 LR top and 20 ga. bottom.
It was easy to throw into a pack and had a unique squeeze trigger. Not very heavy at all.

I am looking for another one.:D
 
fav

Chambered in .22 LR top and 20 ga. bottom.
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Are you sure about that? I was under the impression that there were only two variants of the M6; both had .410 barrels. The rifle barrel was 22LR, or .22 Hornet.
Yours must be a rarity. It seems that there would have to have been a redesign of the buttstock storage so as to accommodate the larger 20 gauge shells. A pic would be nice.

My favorite "odd duck" is a little Martini Cadet that I put together from parts/ Chambered for the .310 Cadet cartridge.
Pete
 
The reason I am looking for another is that one is long gone. Traded or sold for something I can't even remember.
IIRC there was no storage in the butt stock.
 
The first rifle I ever bought was a 77/22 stainless with the boat paddle stock. I bought it back around 1994, and still have it today.
 
My SIG SHRs. I note that everyone who has ever handled one of mine is impressed by the workmanship, the smoothness of the action, and the accuracy.
 
Generally the op is important to keeping a thread going but I don't have anything that can't be bought any day of the week on gunbroker. If sentimental value could be converted to dollars, some are priceless to me but that's not what this thread is about.
 
In a sea of plastic guns, there is but one of wood...and I enjoy it, despite multiple times where it has caused me physical harm.

IMAG0363.jpg
 
It's a BP percussion T/C Hawken Cougar. Started life with a .45 barrel and now has a .54 Green Mountain barrel. Nice brushed stainless furniture treated to look like pewter. Never seen another one but will snatch it up if I can afford it. Nice enough wood, pretty sure that's why I bought it. :rolleyes: Real crowd pleaser @ the range as well. :D
 
Odd duck? Well, I have a few of them. 30-40 Krag, Savage #99 in 300 Sav, Shilo Sharps "Quigley" in 45-120, Springfield trapdoor, and a McMillian in 50BMG to name a few.
 
1895 Winchester-Lee .236 (6mm) straight-pull sporting rifle. Using Ideal # 245495 100gr. cast bullets over TrailBoss...accurate & FUN!
 
I've had two that were sort of unusual. The Remington Model 81 was unconventional even then and I don't think anything similiar has ever been made. Some of the unusual features were the clip-fed single column magazine, the safety that worked just like an AK (externally, anyway) and a barrel like nothing else. Mine was in .35 Remington. Loading from the clip was next to impossible. L.L.Bean said he used one (a Model 8, I assume) in .25 Remington, long obsolete. He also said he didn't use the clips.

I also had a Martini target rifle in .22 rimfire. Don't see a lot of those anymore.
 
The oddest I have is this Swiss sniper.

k3155full3.jpg


The bi-pod looks awkward but when it's deployed it works very well. The receiver is rotated clockwise in the stock to allow ejection of fired cases.

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These should have a scope case, spare parts and numbered book for the rifle.

sniper01.jpg


Very effective muzzle devise.

sniper18.jpg


Several parts are not compatible with the standard K31.

sniper34.jpg



The scope mounting is integral with the receiver and scope body.

sniper30.jpg
 
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NDM-86, love the rifle, very accurate, repeatable scope mount, robust mechanism, and still light at 7.5 lbs scoped. A hoot to shoot.
Hate the near non-existance of spare hard parts, doubt they would be needed, but stuff happens so you never know.
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Well I guess its kind of an Odd Duck, but I like it, Its my Ruger M77 MK 2 Frontier, Mine has an extended Recoil Pad and a Leupold 3x9x40.
I get a whole lot of "Dang that thing is Short" or Can you hit anything with that short barrel ? But I killed my 5th Deer with it Friday Morning, a nice 10 point. So I guess this rifle is kind of an Odd Duck but a very effective one.:)
 
not odd.but found at a odd place, a farmers market. 1894 made in 1896 in 38-55. a takedown with shotgun butt in fantastic condition. eastbank.
 
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