Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles "Classic" hunting rifle questions

I like this one;

A '54 Winchester Super Grade in .257 Roberts.




donsm70

Hell of a gnu critter there too!

Your 1903 is an awesome rifle. The only downfall to those and my favorite's (m1917) is their heft. Built strong as a tank, but a little on the heavy side... Here's my 1917 for chits and giggles. Damn sure not as nice as most of these posted, but I really enjoy hunting with the old girl:




This is my no frills, get er done in any kind of weather rifle...

Me too.

Oooohhhhhh...dats about as classic as an American rifle gets!

I enjoy hunting with what I consider classic rifles. I can find myself on a deer stand with anything from a 94 Winchester made in 1897 to a Husqvarna in 30/06. With Marlin Texans, several Remington 141's and a 14, Savage 99's, Winchester 88's and 100's likely to show up too.

My current favorite is this 1903 Springfield that some guy, probably named Bubba, did a fair job on. It hasn't been drilled and tapped for scope mounts and I don't plan on drilling it. Seems to shoot just fine with the receiver sight if I limit my shots to 100 yards.

There are a bunch of good classics out there and they have many years of service left in them. To my way of thinking, I get much more enjoyment out of hunting with a "classic" than I do hunting with one of my fiberglass and stainless, modern, wonder rifles.

For a turn key classic its tough to beat a pre-64. I have been down the mauser road, but I feel by the time you add a trigger and safety you are money well ahead by just getting a M70. If I wanted a ready to go mauser, I'd go FN commercial like the Browning Safari or FN supreme. The husky's are the best bargain going, everyone Ive owned was super accurate with no fuss.

For rifles other than bolt, the Rem 14, 141, 760 are very "classic" imo. Ive just never been a gig level guy, but if it has 35 Rem on the barrel its good to go. The win 71 is about as classic as it gets, but pricey.

Now that's a classic. Very nice.

That 1917 is very nice. You're right though they do get kind of heavy. A little heavier every year infact.

My idea of "Classic" rifles.

Allow me, if you will, to make a humble suggestion...while there are many rifles that could be considered classics, I prefer rifles built back in the days when surplus military actions were cheap and plentiful. My preference would be a Mauser 98, but I've seen some very nice Springfields, Enfeilds, P17's and others. Here is the closest I have to fitting the bill...



Century Arms M98 I restocked in a NOS Fajen. First rifle I bought myself(I was 19) and the first rifle stock I did(not that I've done all that many). Killed my biggest whitetail buck with that rifle in 1996 when I was 21.

Good looking stock.

Well I feel no shame is saying that the pre-64 M70's are all that much. Nice rifles but my preference is something built on a proper 98 Mauser. My choice for doing a build is the J.C. Higgins M50 or 51 made for Sears using genuine FN Mauser actions, chrome lined barrels by High Standard. Every one I've shot has been accurate and the only changes I'd make would be to slim the somewhat clubby stock down some and add a Timney trigger. They come in 30-06 and .270 Win.
I did one build using an M50 rebarreling to 7x57 and a more European style stock. it's one of my favorite rifles. All my custom and semi-customs have been built on Mayser actions, some commercial and some military. The companion piece for the 7x57 is a .35 Whelen based on an Oberndorf military action and is tied for favorite rifle with the 7x57.
I have owned a few pre-64 M70s and they've all gone down the road. I don't miss them.
Paul B.

Classic rifles come in a wide variety.

Remington Model 8 25 Rem.


Winchester 1902 22 S and L single shot


Some domestic like the 64 and 71 Winchesters




Some foreign (from back to front WR Pape 256 Mannlicher, Husqvarna 46 9.3x57, Genschow 10.75x57.


And some sold in a momentary lapse in judgement - a Sedgley Springfield in 375 Whelen.

Think I paid about $40 for it on Ebay. It was a lot of work but, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Love the look of a vintage stock on a Mauser, someday I'll send it out and get it checkered.

Mart,some cool stuff there!

Thanks. Not much for standard stuff in my collection, or I guess I should say, accumulation. Collection implies some forethought.

1903 Mannlicher Schoenauer 6.5x54 built by Josef Mischitz,engraved by Albin Obiltschnig. [img:center][/img] [img:center][/img]

Now show your real cools ones with the bolt handles switched over to the other side...

Day-um!