Favorite Rifle?...and Why!

[2008f450]

My favorite is my Remington 700 in .300WM. Can go light weight bullet for smaller game and step up to the 180-200 stuff for the big critters. When I do my part they dont go far.

[Troublco]

My favorite hunting rifle is my Remington 700 BDL in .308. It was given to me by my cousin's wife after he passed following a motorcycle accident. It's special because he and I were closer than either of us were to our siblings; and I have used it almost exclusively since then to take antelope, deer, and elk. When I got it, it had a Springfield Armory 6x40 scope with the rangefinding reticle for 7.62. It just so happens that my favorite hunting load (using a Sierra 165gr. Game King hollow point) works perfectly with the reticle; so it's stayed put. I've had a sako-style extractor put on it, but otherwise it is as it was. I can only recall two instances that a second shot was necessary, and on both the second shot was it. I know exactly what that gun will do, every time. I've almost restocked it now a couple times, but I haven't quite been able to do it yet. Maybe one of these days.

[aceinbrighton]

my favorite is the savage with the accutrigger. i own 2 one in 17 and the other in 30.06. The accutrigger is the best. however its not for everyone you will either love it or hate it. There seems to be no middle ground on this subject.

[K31Fan]

Well, it all depends. Sometimes I like using my single shot breach loader 10/22. But most of the time I hunt with my Glock 26! More of the thrill of the chase type of thing. Ya' know, I see the deer, deer sees me, high noon type of stand-off for about three seconds. Then my be-speckled friend bolts into the brush with me chasing clumsily after him, and firing willy nilly into the bushes!

[Larry Ashcraft]

It's a toss up between two 1903 Springfields.

The first, my dad bought in 1946 for $12, a Rock Island double heat treat rifle. He sporterized it in the 1950s with shortened and turned-down barrel and a Herters birdseye maple stock. He gave it to me about 40 years ago. I replaced the barrel a few years ago with a medium contour 26" stainless barrel blank in .277 caliber (the blank came from a shop in Raton, I don't remember the name), and had it chambered to 270 Ackley Improved. It's a fine shooter, but way too heavy to carry very far.

The second, I built in the early eighties. (Don't get your panties in a twist, I used a new, never-barreled action I got from Sarco for $100.) It has a French walnut stock, with euro style comb and schnabel fore-end, a Douglas air-gauged barrel in light sporter contour, and is chambered in 25-06. The trigger is a stock military one, but I shoot it so well I figure why mess with success. I've killed several pronghorn and a bunch of coyotes with it.

[theGinsue]

I use a Ruger M77 MkII - Left-handed bolt .30-06.

It's blued with a wood stock, and I'd really prefer stainless with a synthetic stock due to the weather elements I typically encounter during hunting season, but as a lefty, my options are limited.

Why do I like the gun I use?

First off, because it is a left-handed bolt versus having to adjust to using a right-handed gun.

Secondly, I like that the M77 allows my to put 1 rnd in the chamger and 4 in the (non-detachable) magazine. Some rifles don't allow this. I wish there was a mod option for this rifle that would accept detachable magazines so I could have a few loaded up and ready instead of carrying around ammo in the factory or plastic aftermarket boxes which I then need to load - possibly when time really matters.

Lastly, I perfer the .30-06 cartridge because it is probably the most versatile cartridge for hunting a variety of big game in North America. For elk and deer, the 180gr round is sufficient at dropping the animal quickly - with a well placed shot. While there are many different cartridges out there, some might be too big for one type of game, while another would be too small for other types of animals. With the .30-06 I can hunt antelope (pronghorn), black bear, mule deer, moose, and elk - all with the same gun (also bighorn sheep, mtn goats, mtn lions, bison, etc. etc.).

[spittoon]

why it has killed more elk and deer than i can count . it was first rifle i bought out of the services from my buddys uncle. he original bought it shot a 5 point bull and did not like the meat what was he thinking . my buddy called it the 30 ot suck and he had a 300 bar.witch can not even come close and my freezer is fullthank the sweet 30-06 and the grace of god

[970TJ]

For elk I use my trusty Ruger M77 in .300 WM. I like the .300 because of the load data thats out there; it can be loaded for most any of the larger game. But my favorite rifles are my older Remingtons and Rugers. My dad handed down a few Remington 600's and 660's in in .222, .308, and .243, all with less than 200 rnds down the pipe. He also just gave me his Ruger M77 flat bolt in .220 swift. He bought them all new in the late 60's and early 70's and all have vintage Leuplod glass on them. God love the old man!

[gcrookston]

Hard for me to pick a favorite. I culled all the non-performers a few years ago.

The one I've hauled around most and shot the least is this one:

Pre-64 Model 70 in .264 WM.

[raymill]

Savage 110 .270 w/ accutrigger very accurate and Jeff Cooper approved.