Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters What are the popular rifles / calibers where you live?

Most of us have seen once-popular calibers fade into near obscurity over the years. But from what I've seen, this also happens to rifles, where certain makes/models gain traction for a few years and prices skyrocket, only to fade once the rush is over. And, strangely enough, some rifles are only popular in some parts of the country.

My question is, what calibers and rifles are popular where YOU live, right now?

In Nevada, it seems the .308 is looked down on by anyone who isn't "tactical" or getting started on long-range shooting, and even then the 6.5 Creedmoor is really gaining steam. The Ruger M77, which used to be available in very good used condition anywhere for $400, has shot up to $600+. Browning rifles are not showing up anywhere I can see locally (near Reno). Remington 700s are probably the most consistent sellers at reasonable prices. The 30-06 and 300 Win Mag are big in the shops, with a sprinkling of .270s and .243s. At the same time, Remington pumps and semi-autos are hard to get rid of for any price.

What's it like in your state?

I've seen the same. There seem to be a lot of Savages, Howas, and Tikas out there. (cheap rifles, at least at some point.)
Of course, I'm 40 miles from you...

Yep, I should have mentioned the Savages, which have increased in price significantly lately, even though they have the cheapest of the "cheap rifles" currently available in Walmart - the day of the $250 Model 110 is over!

Howas still seem to be the odd man out in Nevada, but Tikkas are gaining steam.

And Winchesters of any type (except for Model 94 30-30s, strangely enough), are few and far between.

Let see...

At the public, pay-as-you-go range nearby, it's AR City.

At the private Izzak Walton club I belong to, there are a lot more hunters and reloaders. 700s predominate, but you see all kinds of nicer stuff too, Melvins, Sakos and M70s. .270s, '06s, .308s, .243s, and 7mm Remingtons are all popular along with a bunch of .223s for varmints.

In the woods on the public land I hunt, Walmart 700s and Marlin 336s seem to be the most popular. Not much opportunity to talk about cartridges there, but in general, these guys seem like once a year deer hunters.

Bolt actions from .270 win up to .300 win mag.

Shotguns and slugs for the masses in CT- my guess 12 and 20 ga, for private land guys like me and those I let hunt on my land- 30-06 308 270 and 243 are the most common ones, I know one guy that hunts with a 35 Remington, I shoot a 7mm RM these days along with a 7 x 57 and a 6.5 x 55, never seen anybody else in my part of the State in the field with one of the chamberings I hunt with.

.264 win mag and 6.5-284 senderos and a few sakos of various calibers.

Remington 700's and 760/7600's are the most popular in this part of Pa. that I see. Also a lot of savage bolt actions. In calibers I would have to say 30-06,270,308,30-30 and 7mm-08. Quite a few 300 savages around too.

No idea

This.......I know the .35s are popular in my house

The 6.8 as well in the AR and in the boy's Contender get a lot of play too.

Lots of Savage,Remington and Ruger bolt actions. There are also a fair amount of Marlin lever guns out there as well. Winchester and Tikka bolt actions seem to be on the rise.

Popular cartridges would be .30-30, .270 Win., .30.06, .308, and .300 Win Mag.

I hear tacticool guys pontificating on Creedmoors and Lapuas. I see quite a few customized Savages for sale locally online, lots of plain jane Remington 700's and Rugers and of course Brownings are local favorites since he was born just over the mountains.

I know several guys that have built a 6.5-06 to take advantage of plentiful 30-06 brass.

I see a lot of Remington's around here, predominantly Model 700s, but then there are still a lot of 760's/7600's around, as well. When I was younger Winchester Model 70's were the next closest contestants. Now, in second place I'd have to say the cheaper iterations are 2nd most popular from Remington 783's to Savage Axis's, they are all over the woods.

12 gauge, .50 caliber with .429 sabots, Bow, 20 gauge

in that order

351 winchester

Where I live the hands down favorite rifles and chamberings are in order of preference;

Left handed Winchester 70 in 400 Whelen
Left handed Winchester 70 in 35 Whelen
Left handed Remington 700 KS Mountain rifle in 300 H&H
WR Pape 256 Mannlicher

I cannot speak for my neighbors, the people of my community or state but the OP specifically said where I live and I can say without hesitation these are the most popular where I live. I really have too much down time on night shift.

I work the gun counter at Cabela's. In bolt actions I would say .308, 30-06 .270, 300wm, 7mm rm, .243 and 22-250. Starting to get asked more and more for 6.5 CM but we never have any in stock. Savage Axis and RAR predominate with Tikka and Vanguards right behind. We sell quite a few Xbolts too. A whole lot of people that come into the store want the absolute cheapest rifle and scope they can find. Our Montana, Kimber, Sako, BDL and Model 70's languish. When I sell one of our higher end rifles it almost always is to someone that came in looking for exactly what they bought, which makes sense to me.

For the most part there's nothing fancy in our camp. Mostly bolt actions in standard calibers plus a few levers and pumps. When they used to have a guns for sale page on the Facebook it seemed like the young guys like the magnums and lots of Savage Axis's and Remington 783's.

The AR seems the most popular at the range. I've watched some of the AR shooters empty a 30 round clip at a paper plate at 50 yards and only hit it two or three times. That was with a scope. Not all of them use paper plates; some use zombie targets.

From what I see at the range (Westfield) its definitely AR's. Lots of .22's too. For big game it seems that 3006 and 308 is the caliber of choice in all sorts of actions.
Since rifles aren't allowed for deer hunting in MA, you see a lot of specialized slug guns, and interestingly a lot of guys using in-lines for that season.