Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Do you cater the rifle to the hunt?

U bet. Went bison hunting a few years ago with ET and Doc Rocket in Wyoming. In my view, there was only ONE rifle to take, my 45-110 Sharps . I'd love to take my Model 71 on a moose hunt and one day, I'd love to tote my 405 Model 1895 to Africa. Around here, I shoot plenty of hogs with my 303 1895s and various iron sighted Savage 99s. That said a scope rifle's always the sensible choice when a high dollar trophy's in the offing.

I should qualify that post with this caveat.




I would say, 'seldom' do I take a wood stocked rifle in rainy wx. I've never had a RKW finished rifle to warp and I've hunted them in ALL kinds of wx.

I agree w/Gee, most of the time I carry a Syn stocked rifle in wet wx.

Jerry

I would certainly give it a try. At 70, I am lucky enough to still be able to use iron sights though I do better with aperture sights than opens.

All my rifles ( except one) I consider suitable have both scopes and iron sights though. I would add it is increasingly hard to get quality iron sights installed.

Some have additional receiver sight sets. Of those, a 98K in .35 Whelen or my dad's old M88 .308 would be my first choices for such a hunt.

The only rifle I have I would use for elk that isn't scoped is a Browning .45-70 Hi-Wall. I might take that as well.

Nope! For almost 30 years.....one rifle, one load, one zero, one scope ( well almost), for all hunting! Except for maybe.....waterfowl! Tho it will work for that....in a pinch. memtb

For 25 years, I shot everything with one rifle. Then loonyism took hold and I ended up with a suite of rifles suitable for everything from coyotes and badgers to dangerous game. I'm getting too old to play those games anymore, so I am back to shooting just the rifles that I like to shoot: a .257 AI, a .30-06 and a .338-06 Improved. I have a .404 Jeffery with a good set of express sights in the gun safe that I play with when I want to play rough, but I have yet to shoot any critters with it.

Still thinking about maybe adding one more between the .257 and the '06, though...

I wouldn't say I cater to the hunt in that sense. But I do love taking a couple
days of the season and carrying old classy rifles.

There's something special about walking through the timber and taking a seat
in front of a tree, looking down and seeing your pre war rifle in your lap.

To some degree. I can deer hunt with a rifle from mid Nov to the first of Jan so if I'm looking to fill the freezer with a doe I'll head to a Cedar swamp and use the M71. M94 38-55 or a double rifle in 500 BPE. If I'm paying money for a hunt or it's an out of state do it yourself hunt then a scoped rifle is going with me and usually there are two of them. I can use a low power scope faster and more accurately than iron sights

Part of the fun of being a gun nut but is using different rifles on different hunts.

^^^This^^^

I just run .25 - .28 ca, non-magnum cartridges in bolt action rifles with 22-25” barrels. I pick the rifle based on the conditions I expect, as I know they’ll all kill anything I plan on hunting.

To some extent, yes. For example, when I am deer hunting near my place in E. Washington I’ll gravitate to my Ruger .257R or .308 Win since I know I won’t likely be shooting out past 300 yards there. Different story for elk hunts in Colorado. There I’ll take 7mm and .300 Weatherbys with the optics for longer shooting if it presents itself. Too many rifles, not enough hunting!

I like variety, I use a different rifle every time I go. I take a Garand to the stand with me sometimes as well as a scoped rifle. If a dee or pig is up close I fire away with the Garand.

I've hunted elk with the iron-sighted Browning B92 .44 Mag Dad gave me. Also Marlins in .30-30, .375 Winchester and .45-70.

It isn't about the kill, it's about the experience.

M-1 garand. for me.

wish I had a .348 too

You betcha!

I like using different rifles. I hunt deer with a when hunting with a gang of guys when hunting alone I will take my 94 30/30 just to for fun. I enjoy the use of iron sites when deer when hunting in the woods.

Yes I do. Take that 348

I have a new to me 99 in 308. Itching to shoot something with it.

That is how I tend to do things. Each new season seems to bring on some new hardware, a mental review of the past season uncovering some equipment weaknesses that need addressing.

I still hunt with my M94 .30-30, though, its only concession to being completely OEM is a Williams FP receiver sight.