Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles What were the 10 best years for each rifle maker?

The following questions are in terms of what is important to “you”. Opinions are going to go in every direction but that will be cool because of the rationale. And you don’t have to answer for each maker, and you can certainly add a maker of your own.

1. What 10 year time time period was the best for each of the following rifle makers? Add in case I missed a big one.

Winchester
Remington
Savage
Browning
Sako
Weatherby
Ruger

2. What company makes the best production rifle today?


Me:

1.

Winchester. 1950-1960. By this time, all M70s were drilled and tapped.

Remington. 1960-1970. Some quality guns were made during this timeframe.

Savage. 1930-1940.

Browning. 1960-1970. Not including the salt guns.

Sako. IDK

Weatherby. IDK

Ruger. I really think highly of this rifle maker, but I have to think on this one more.

2. Tikka. They changed the standard of accuracy. They really did.

Ruger 1990-2000

They produced an old school (by today's standards) wood and blue rifle that came with rings for a reasonable price. The MKII had CRF, wing safety and IME was accurate, certainly enough for the hunting and ranges we were shooting at back then.

I'm biased tho - that also overlaps my formative years as a kid learning to hunt and shoot and I did so with a M77 MKII in 30-06 purchased from Nickolai's Sporting Goods for about 368 bucks out the door. Was a pile of chore/allowance and birthday money.

Edward Maynard

1850-1860

He's a cousin.

I certainly agree with the winchester with maybe a slight change to 1948-58....

For Sako, I personally like from around 1985-95...

For Remington - I like the 62-68 when it comes to 700's... for an 870 anything from the same era

Weatherby, Hard to say, the german made guns are nice but they have always produced some really nice guns (atleast all the ones I have owned) even the Japan made guns... I am referring to Mark V's nothing else

Weatherby ---- right now

Savage you and I agree Jeff. I tend to gravitate to the 1927-1940 guns.

Absolutely. Stopped in there shop last summer and was able to fondle all their current production rifles. Really nice stuff

Winchester starting in 1992 with the M70 Classics right up until they introduced the WSM.

Good question RAS. I agree with you about the Winchester model 70, for sure. And also Remington as well. I like the older Remingtons, much better than the newer ones. In the 60's and 70's, they still produced the 788's, but discontinued the 722 in 1962, when they brought out the 700. The 700 was the beginning of the new generation of rifles for Remington, and they also later discontinued the 788 (in 1983), which was a cool little rifle (especially the 30-30's). They had some bad years, like when they started putting the J locks in, in the 90's. Stupid!!!

Sako:
Hopefully the haters aren't going to get mad, but I prefer the older Sako's over the newer ones too. Sako did some really stupid things with the newer rifles, like put the ejectors in the wrong place (6 o'clock position). Any of those are absolute garbage. 9 times out of 10 it will throw the spent brass up into the scope tube or turret. Even my 1980's AII is better in that regard. Some believe the pre Garcia Sako is the best of the bunch though.

Ruger:
The model 77 Hawkeye really was about the best iteration of that m77 rifle. The first one (tanger) was good, with its adjustable trigger and tang safety. It's almost a toss up between it and the Hawkeye. The Hawkeye was introduced in 2006, and it is a great rifle. Often shooting much better than the older M77 mk2, and having a much nicer trigger (LC6) and stock design. So, I'd say 2006-2016 for that one.

Tikka:
The T3x, IF I had to pick one. From 2016 to present. There were some good upgrades done to the T3x model. For example, the aluminum recoil lug (stupid engineering on Tikka's part) to a steel recoil lug, aluminum bolt shroud, and a much more ergonomic stock with a better recoil pad. The smaller ejection port on the T3 is a non issue, but was also opened up on the T3x.

"SAKO", come on "SAKO". How do you feel about them? You like the ones with schidt azz poor designed ejector location?

Good conversation. For my humble opinion for what its worth.

Winchester- last 10 years before the '64 redesign. Honorable mention to the 90s SS, USA Classics

Remington- harder for me to nail down... for best balance I would say 1990-2000

Ruger- as much as I would like to say the 90s MK IIs, all my Hawkeyes have shot better out of the box. Early SS Hawkeyes with the matte finish sucked and scuffed when you looked at them wrong. The new polished stainless guns are nice. For Ruger I'd have to say from 10yrs back now.

The rest I dont have a dog in the fight. I do know I like the old Savage 99s but don't care much for their current products, but thats just personal preference.

Winchester: 1886 to 1896. Four of the best lever gun designs ever in that span. And it was still Oliver Winchester's old company AKA the real Winchester!

I forgot to add Marlin:

To me, is the 10 years before they added the idiot button.

I have to pass on the Winchesters as I’ve never owned one. Ruger 1990-2000. Remington I would choose the 1974 to the j lock period because I prefer the actions with the milled slot on the bolt to take out side play without the lawyer lock. They are also glass smooth and will rebarrel my AWR this year changing out the lock for one of Hollands.

Winchester 70 Classics from 1992-2000. that's only 8 years, but after 2000 they started to decline. While I prefer the trigger on the older guns the FN Winchesters that were made in the South Carolina factory from 2008 until they moved production to Portugal are pretty nice too.

Marlin lever guns made in the 1970's. That is before the crossbolt safety and when they were using trim fore ends. Many of the older rifles and all the newer ones leave way too much wood there.

Remington 700: Anything made before they changed the safety so it no longer locked the bolt handle. I'm thinking that was around 1982.

Remington 1962-1990, the others don’t matter.

For Marlin I'm choosing the 1970's

Brno. Roughly 1950- 1960, give or take a year.

Yes the trim forends made all the difference in the world. That's the main reason I chose the 70's. No Marlin I like more than one with a gold trigger and a slim forend

I have Remington rifles from 1960's to 2005 and they all shoot and function great, also have Winchester's from early 50's to 1990's and they also shoot and function great.