Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Which is your least favorite hunting rifle you own?

I have 7 hunting rifles and love most of them. However, my Rem 700 SPS Stainless .223 is my least favorite because the barrel is too long and the gun is too heavy for a .223 in my opinion. I like it and it shoots pretty well at 1-1 1/2 moa but really don't love it and have no emotional attachment to it. I never killed anything with it but did miss a coyote at 200 yards or so. I like the scope(Bushnell Elite 4200 42003x9x40) but if I absolutely had to sell one of my hunting rifles the .223 would be the one. So the question for you is which is your least favorite hunting rifle and why. Would you consider selling it if you got the right price and the process was painless?

Felt that way about all my Vanguards.....dunno why

Sounds like a real POS, take your scope off it and I'll be a good guy and take it off your hands for $50....




But I know what you mean...I have one and its a real shooter, but I just 'built' another with a 22 inch Bbl. Doesn't seem like much difference, but it is!

The heavy one.

Don't really have anything that falls in this category because if I don't like them they go down the road immediately.

I'm pretty ruthless with rifles I dislike.

Easy. A Remington 700 22-250 stainless/laminate. Shoots lights out, but it's very heavy and we only use to whack ground hogs off our veranda in our place in PA. Besides, I would never take a rifle hunting with a safety that won't lock the bolt...

I am not really talking about rifles you dislike. Which rifle do you like the least? I "like" my .223 and probably will keep it but it would be the one to go if I had to sell one.

I don't own any least favorite hunting rifles.

I think you're all retarded.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Dave

It is heresy to many but it would likely be any of my pre-64 Winchester M-70s. One 308, two 30/06, and one 300 H&H. One of the 30/06s would be the first to go as the stock had been shortened a bit to add a recoil pad and, more importantly, it does not like to put bullets close to each other. I keep it as I want to figure out what its problem is and as it was meant as a project gun these issues are not a big deal.

The H&H would be the last to go, there is a little sentimental feelings towards it. I would probably send off the other two 300 mags I have before this one but that is not a sure thing.

Failing that, the Howa 1500 Lightning in 7mm/08 I recently picked up is the next potential victim. It has a 20" barrel and was meant to replace a Savage 16 in the same caliber but plans may be changing. The short barrel has quite a bit of muzzle flash with my current handloads and even factory Remington loads throw enough flash to be seen through the scope. Accuracy is also not what I would like, it will toss two of three bullets close together but the third may end up a couple inches over. And it is not predictable which bullet will move nor in which direction though each individual load tends to go in a particular direction- just not the same.

Guess mine would be a 700 in 243 I bought last year at Walmart on Black Friday. After the rebate and selling the POS scope that came with it, I'm about $250 into the rifle. I bought it as a loaner/possible donor action. I don't think I've ever shot it. I have a hard time warming up to synthetics, especially Rem 700s.

If I didn't need it for our primitive season, my T/C Encore 35 Whelen would probably be the first to go.

I'm definitely in this camp...^^^^^^

Your 300 H&H sounds like a real POS. Post up some pics in the Winchester collectors forum and I'd probably gladly take it off your hands for the right price... Sounds like it's probably only worth $500.00 at best...

I tried hard to like a M70 Super Grade in 300 Win mag. Beautiful, and long, and heavy and pretty snappy for a heavy club. Not the gun to hunt where I live. It has a new home.

Don't have any rifles that I don't like.....those go away pretty fast. However there are a few that aren't as well liked as others.

Probably my least "favorite" rifle is a Ruger 77/22. It looks good, handles well and shoots pretty well keeping 5 shots inside 3/4" at 25 yards. However it is NOT as accurate as my 10/22 that has been my main squirrel rifle for more than 40 years. The 10/22 will keep 5 shots in under a half-inch at 25 yards, handles and looks just as good as the 77/22 and the semi-auto action is a definite advantage at times when multiple squirrels are scampering around a tree-top. I still like the 77/22 but if I ever decided to get rid of one of my rimfire rifles, this would be the one to go.

As far as centerfire rifles one of my least favorites is a Savage 99EG in .300 Savage chambering. I LOVE the Savage 99....any Savage 99....and the .300 is the "classic" 99. The EG is the most common 99 so it is not a valuable collector rifle. The problem is the .300 Savage chambering. It is a fine deer round, but I also own a 99F in .308, an EG in .358, and an EG in .250-3000. Those rifles are the ones that get all the use and the .300 just sits in the gun room.

The .300 will likely stay as it is the "classic" 99, but another 99 will almost certainly go. It is a post-million 99F chambered in .243. I dislike the .243 chambering and I dislike the post-mil, tang safety 99's even more. Since I obtained a pre-mil 99F in .243 this gun is definitely at the bottom of my list of "favorite" rifles. This gun would probably be gone already except for the fact that I have a herd of grandchildren who are coming of deer hunting age. The .243's are for their use. If I find another reasonably priced 99 in .250-3000......the .243 will be gone with the wind.

The only other rifle I own that I don't like that well is a custom .270 in a Smith & Wesson 1500 action (same action as the Weatherby Vangaurd and Howa). This rifle looks great and shoot well (3/4" groups at 100 yards). It handles well and fits me like a glove but I am not a real fan of the 1500 action nor the .270 chambering. Both work just fine, but I much prefer something like the '98 Mauser action and there are multiple rounds I'd prefer over the .270 (although it is a fine round).

However, this rifle will likely never leave as it has personal value to me. When my father was alive he and I built a number of "custom" rifles. Usually he would do the metal work and action work and I would do the wood work. When he died at age 52 of a sudden heart attack this rifle was in the process of being built. He had completed the metal work and I had carved and fit the stock. After his death I completed the stock finishing and checkering and used this rifle to take a half-dozen deer. This was the last rifle we built together and I believe it will still be in my gun room when I die.

Have to agree, I won't keep a hunting rifle around I dislike.
I always come back full circle to my favorites I've had for 20 years or more.

the one that gets used the least is my 308 hoghunter suppressed. only because I used my .280AI first this year to take a nice bull elk, and my favorite 243 for a nice WT buck opening weekend. next year though I may take it antelope hunting in wyoming just because it's due to be bloodied.
the .223 ruger compact I used on goats this fall will go down the road as soon as I get it back from a LEO friend who wanted to try it out for his daughter this year. it works and is nice, but doesn't do any better than my other rifles.

Yep.

Right now I would send a Tikka T3 in 260 or a Ruger Hawkeye in 223 down the road before anything else. I like the two Tikkas I own and I like my Ruger 77s/Hawkeyes, but I just cannot love 'em. The Tikkas feel disposable and the Rugers are overbuilt, heavy, and unlike the Tikkas, very finicky.

hrkm, I for one thought your inquiry was very clear, especially in light of the fact you used the term "least favorite" in your title. Least favorite does not equal, "don't like".

My least favorite is my AR-15.

Remington 742 in 30.06. Clubby, heavy and ugly impressed checkering. Last time I hunted with it was about 1985, temperature dipped into the teens and the action froze shut on a chambered round. Passed on from my dad so I keep it.

A 30/06 custom job VZ24 action 26" duglas.Its in a beautifull Richards microfit stock and its accurate. However it weighs a ton and I never take it hunting.

What Bob said.. I have rifles I don't use much, but I like the for special jobs, or great memories.. Have a 70 .30-06 I have had for 20 years.. Never fired it..But it was my father in laws.. May sight it in and hunt hogs with it this spring.
Didn't make an out of state hunt this year, used to hunt 3-4 states each year.. Got to use a lot of rifles on a lot of game.. This year just hunted Wy.. Age must be catching up with me.

I'm with you on this one. I have a M70 Super Grade in 300 Win Mag that has a Bushnell Elite 3000 3-9 50mm scope. It's beautiful, but just too heavy and long to carry around in the woods near me. I won't sell it though. My late hunting buddy used that rifle to shoot a bull moose in Newfoundland when we went together in 2001. When he passed his widow said he would want me to have one of his guns. I have only shot it once to sight it in for 180 gr. just in case I ever decide to hunt with it. It's one of my sentimental favorites, but just not anything I would have picked out or am likely to use. It will ride the safe (and look good doing it) until my heirs try to figure out what to do with it.

My least favorite would be a Browning lever action in 284 Winchester. Not a thing wrong with it, I just never take it hunting. I always pick up something else.

At the moment, my least favorite is a Stainless Marlin XL7 30-06. Been a huge pain from the beginning. That stupid trigger bothered me, so I removed that blade. Trigger is much better now. What I can't fix is the feeding issue. The cartridge is fed at such a bad angle that the bolt won't feed smoothly. I slide it forward most of the way then have to bring it back till the cartridge realigns with the chamber, then close the bolt.

I'm still tinkering with it, but I think it may go down the road soon.

Amen brother!

And Happy Thanksgiving to you too Dave.

Got the same one for a loaner also. Sold the youth stock and the scope, put a SPS stock with the hogue type inserts and nicer scope. Its now one of my favorites for hogs and coyotes.


My least favorite was a Savage Axis. Was a great shooter I just never warmed up to it.

harkm have that barrel cut to 20" and I bet ya like it then.

I've got to say it's probably my CZ 527 in .223, I bought it for a rifle to shoot a lot and stay in practice with...the barrel heats up too quickly for that, though. It's not a bad rifle for walking around and shooting ground hogs with, but I have other rifles I like better for that, plus that's a good job for rifles I'm going hunting big game with in the fall to get used to and practice with them.

Now I'm thinking that CZ might be for sale soon! Lol

+5 or 6 ...

And I disagree with BSA... I'd go at least $600 for H&H...

I might try that. Any idea if cutting it would make the rifle feel unbalanced? Also, after I cut it, will it be difficult to sell?

What Bob said.

I do not have safe space for rifles that I do not like or don't shoot well.

donsm70

Yes it does to me.. "Least favorite" is the equivalent of "I don't like it".

If you have a "least favorite" you have too much crap in the safe.

ditto otter6,except for the retarded part.

Model 94 30-30....

LOL. Does that apply to everything in your life Bob, or just rifles?

Headed out for an elk hunt. Check your ammo.



Happy Thanksgiving!

"Think I'll take the rifle I like the least today."

Seriously. You're all retards.





Travis

If I don't like it it goes....

Like many here, I am in Bob's camp......

I don't own 'a lot' of hunting rifles but one in particular hasn't seen the light of day in a few years.

It's a Sako 85 in 300 WSM with a Zeiss 3.5-0x44. It must weigh over 9lbs and it's just a toad all the way around compared to my favorites.


Keep thinking I'll restock it in an EDGE and rebarrel to a 6.5 or 270 WSM.

Sweet rifle(great action/barrel/trigger), just too heavy.

I've got an old Stevens 325 that was Dads,but I never knew him to use it..I thought it would make a good truck gun ,but it shot so low that I had to take the elevator plum out, and it still shoots really low..I've also got an old Winchester 190 that's the worst 22 I've ever had.

To me it doesnt make them overly muzzle light. The youth/compact models come with a 20" and to me make for a much "handier" rifle.
If you can find a wal mart that has the youth/compact 700 go lay hands on it see how it feels before having the work done. When I reach in the safe for a 243 its the 20" that comes out over my 24".

This fall has to be my Marlin 336-A in .35 Remington, It's a
a one inch shooter for 2 shots....the third shot just drives me crazy. Heck..this gun has a cut rifled barrel..pre-1955.

Doc

A Ruger 17 hornet. Came with a large bulge at the rear of the chamber at 4 o clock, a bad crown, tool marks in the muzzle and shot 3.5" groups with factory ammo.

$600 later, it'll shoot MOA over flags to 300. For a $1400 total investment, I could have had something much nicer. But.... It was a Christmas gift from my old lady so I had to make it loveable.

^^^^^^ This ^^^^^^

Had a Rem 700 BDL in .308 Win that was wicked accurate (possibly the most accurate rifle I've owned) but very hard on cases.

Had a Handi-Rifle in .308 Win that would pop open on firing.

Had a Ruger American .30-06 that I couldn't get to shoot with factory ammo.

Had a Ruger #1 in .280 Rem that was a .5MOA shooter with multiple loads but much too pretty to elk hunt with.

In each case, "Had" is the operative word.

The Rem M700 and Handi-Rifle funded my first AR-15 with uppers in .300 Blackout and .223/5.56 Wylde. The Ruger American and Ruger #1 funded a Ruger Scout in .308 Win and a Ruger All-Weather Hawkeye in .280 Rem.

I agree. If my rifles don't ooze quality and shoot extremely well, I won't keep them. I tend to put all new rifles through a qualification of stay when I first get them. Then see if I get emotionally attached to them in some way. I have to have a "X" factor connection with all my rifles. If a rifle is a great shooter but too sterile for me to love, it won't be around long.

AMEN! I am too.

Remington799. Purchased a 22-250 to use as a donner action for a 260Rem, then I found out it was built on the 223 sized action not the 308 making that an impossible build. Without putting 1 round down range I sold it to a family member. Found out the bolt is loose so the fining pin doesn't make contact on every round. I offered to buy it back or replace it with an Axis. Nope, he said he would look for a smith to fix it.

Oh well. The thing that really made me mad was Remington wouldn't fix it. They told me to "call EAA as they were the importers" for that rifle. "It says Remington the side does that not mean anything to you folks any more?"

I own an 870 and love it. I'm sure there are a lot of good 700's out there but there are a lot of other good rifle manufactures with great customer service.

Savage Axis in 223. It has the worst stock I have ever used and as a result it will hit a barn wall if I am standing inside. I just don't think the rest of the quality is worth an aftermarket stock so it just takes up space in the safe.

Never met a rifle I did not like!

Same here. If I haven't killed it's intended quary with it within a year of purchase, I figure I didn't need it as badly as I thought and it goes down the road. But....

Remington 742 Carbine, chambered in .30-06. Currently has an ancient Weaver 4x on it. My Dad bought it for me when I became old enough to hunt (age 14 here in ND). By that time I was already shooting a 12ga (capably), so he thought he'd get me the same rifle that he was using (742 BDL, 30-06). He opted for the carbine, though, as he thought it would be lighter and easier for a kid to lug around.

And that is where his reasoning went off the rails. I was already lugging around a 8lbs Remington M11 shotgun, so weight wasn't an issue. Basically, he got me a gun that was LOUD, kicked like a mule and shot flames out the end of the barrel. All while delivering mediocre to poor accuracy. I DID kill my first deer with it, and much later, a couple others. But I never did like that gun. But, since it was a gift from Dad, I hold on to it. Dad is gone now, and I have his 742 as a complement to mine. Once it a while I think about taking his out (it's much more accurate than mine) and putting an animal on the ground with it. Unfortunately, I am in the depths of a loony binge and there's always something around that needs to be blooded first.

Kaiser Norton

Mine would have to be my compact TC Venture in 243. The only reason I keep it around is to save for my boys when they are old enough to hunt. It shoots well enough but it's a little heavy for a compact rifle. I'm not crazy about the trigger weight after adjustment and the bolt is a little short. I got it for a song, $180 out the door after rebate so I can't complain too much.

Is this a "trick question? I only have "one" hunting rifle! I have several that I play around with, but "only" one hunting rifle. memtb

Rem 700 in 243. A good 3 shot 100 gr. group out of it goes 1.5. Most go up to 2". I've had it about 40 years now, and it's killed sheep, moose, caribou and black bears.

Still, it ought to get better groups than that. One of these years I should try it with other bullet weights, especially some of the premiums. Maybe I will learn to like it better. Or I could try some hand loads.

One of these years....

Besides, it has a real pretty stock on it now - the first I ever built from a blank, back in 1979. I should maybe checker that thing sometime....It's out on loan for the winter right now, somewhere up the Noatak. I may even get it back come spring.

I love them all...I just love a couple more than the rest!!!