Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Guns that left you delightfully surprised

M96 Swedish Mauser, 6.5x55, made in 1915, still in military issue form. I figured it would be a nice rifle but was delightfully surprised at 1) how accurate it really was, it would group as well as most modern bolt actions and 2) just what a jewel of hand craftsmanship it was. Everything polished, super smooth action, light trigger - modern custom makers could learn a thing or two from the quality of this rifle.

I expected great things from the Taurus pt92. It is really just a rebadged Baretta. And it delivered.

I was not so sure, circa 2002, when my buddy picked up an old Witness in 38 Super. The first box of ammo cured any doubts. Fantastic Pistol!

Berett CX-4 Storm. I bought the 9 mm and liked it so much I got the 40 and 45...

Real glad to hear that, I just traded for a PT1911AR and haven't had a chance to try it out.
Past owner said the reported suspected weaknesses have been replaced with Wilson parts so I have high hopes for it.

Yugoslavian M57. Very smoothly machined and will group like a target pistol if you feed it good ammunition.

Interesting thread topic.

I have high hopes for every gun I buy or I wouldn't buy it so I'm not sure I have anything to add.

My little Henry lever action .22. I'm not surprised it's a good rifle, I'm surprised by how much darn fun I have with it! Handy little rifle that just works, shoots pretty darn good, and nearly always ends up going along when I head to the hills for some fun.

Taurus PT92 for me as well. Had to replace the locking block a few years back, after about 30K rounds through it, but that one part change was the only hiccup it's ever had.

Rem 788 in 243. Plain Jain looking rifle with a short stubby barrel and a birch stock that is almost orange colored. You would never look twice at it. It came with a cheap 3x9 scope but it shoots like a laser with any load I tried. At 100 yards groups are normally one ragged hole.
Since a couple of you mentioned the Swede 96 here I will include mine as well. Mine was made in 1917 and has all matching serial numbers. Very well made and is an outstanding shooter. Well worth the 130 bucks I paid for it.

I picked up an FV version on sale at Dicks early last year out of morbid curiosity. The whole time I was buying it I was thinking "this thing looks like a total piece of crap."

Every time I shoot it I like it a little more. Jump forward to last weekend, I was scoping out some food plots to see what spring work was needed. We put millet in one of them as a cover crop and it was covered up in dove, but I don't even know if dove is open. So I text my daughter and she says it's good to go till the 15th. The only thing I have with me is the 17 behind the truck seat, so I grab it and climb up in a box stand on the edge of the plot. About an hour later I've shot 10 rounds and have 10 doves, 8 of them head shots at 40-50 yards.

My RIA 1911 short barrel. Bought it on a "lark" for little money and am totally pleased with it. Shoots as well as any of my other 1911's, Colt & Remingtons. A real sleeper!

Thought I was gonna be the odd man out....

My Henry Frontier in 22WMR is the most accurate 22mag I've owned.....and I've owned a bunch of em including a 9422M and a CZ 452....

Remington 783 in 243win. Very accurate for a throw away rifle.

After several years of hunting deer, I purchased my first 30-30, Marlin 336C 1969 production. Accurate and bloodied it last fall.

Stevens 200 in 223 with a 3x9 scope, new on close-out for $200. - Couldn't pass it up at that price. Even with the poor trigger it still shot consistently under an inch.

The downside is that it was just too ugly to keep around.

drover

About 10 years ago I bought my first Tikka T3, used in a gun shop with a Leupold 3-9 on it for $450. 30-06. I sighted it in a 100 yards on 4 power on the scope dial. Since it was used, I thought it might be already sighted in. Took 3 shots. Thought I was in trouble because all I could see was one hole in the bull at 100 yards while on 4 power. Then I found out that all 3 shot holes were touching.

This is before Tikkas were known to be the lasers that they are known for now.

RAS

EAA Witness in .45 ACP. I got it from a pawn shop in like new condition for a very low price. It will handle any hand loaded ammo without a hiccup regardless of the bullet shape. It has never had a misfeed and is very accurate.

Another is a 581L Remington .22 bolt rifle in left hand. It shoots one ragged hole groups at 25 yards with almost any ammo and groups with preferred ammo look like one .38 special round went through the target.

I have several 10/22s but the first one I got was a gift from my Mom for Christmas. It's a deluxe sporter I added peep sights and can consistently shot nickel sized groups at 40 yards before my eyes went to crap with winchester power points. Also my SBE is the least picky shotgun I have ever owned, it patterns every shot size and load weight well, not the case most of the time with tight bored Italian guns. Was pleasantly surprised with that little finding.

I bought a heavy barrel Rem 700 in 223 at Walwart for not very much money. I didn't have high expectation for it but it surprised me. It shoots most store bought ammunition in 3/4" groups at 100 yds and If you load for it, 1/2" groups are pretty easy.

My grandson calls it "the Door", he explained that it is actually "The DOR", Death of Rodents....

Beretta Storm.

Tikka CTR.




Dave