Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Your 'go to' big game rifle ??

better get your eyes checked Mark, while the side of the stock that is showing is in decent shape there's a yellow gouge on the other side, and I'm in bad need of metal refinishing.

but I kind of like it the way it is, pretty is as pretty does for me.

as an aside the stock is only a couple of years old ridin on that mare, the other was still serviceable but I had to scratch the McMillan itch to see what all the fuss was about.

worth every penny.

Up until recently it's been a Marlin 336C in .30-30 for close-range work and a Remington 7600 in .280 Remington for reaching out. There are some new kids in the park, though: Marlins in 444 and .45-70, Savages in .25-06 and 7mm Rem Mag. And there is prolly another Savage inbound in 270 WSM at some point in the future. There is also an old Remington 760 in .30-06 that will occupy a special place of honor in my collection. For calling I reach for a T/C .17 Remington (I have 2) or a Tikka .223.

That's a good lookin' rifle.

Shaun, yes thats olive on the edge. Thanks for all the posts guys, some great looking rigs, keep them coming!

Mine's a Ruger MKII SS/Laminate inn 338 Win Mag. Started with a Simmons Aetec 3-10X40 and now has a Leupold 3-9X40.



I have noticed alot of 'go to' rifles are of the .338 flavor...

Mine is a plain Tikka T3 in 300 WSM with a Leupy 2 1/2-8x36 with B&C reticle.
Action is smooth, trigger is perfect, TSX is accurate.

1ak and the rest of ya, I was just jacking around and really didn't mean for anyone to take me serious, sorry if I offended anyone.

Sure didn't mean to! (sometimes words on puters don't just come out right)

Dober

Pointer, that is a great pic!

And yes, the 338 is an excellent go to rig!

Dober

Stroker-that rig is one of the coolest and has some true style by my way of thinking!

Thx for sharing

Dober

No offense taken Dober.

It just made me chuckle inside, you don't know how many times when I was guiding on changeover day when you can't actually hunt it is pretty common to do some sighting in and admire the rifles the clients brought with them. Saw some neat tools over the years, optics, rifles etc.

And of course as a courtesy they'd want to see what we were using.

got many a raised eyebrow and lecture about proper firearm maintenance (too little, too late, sigh)

my ole .338 long ago was outa the running for any beauty contests in rifles, well until trigger squeezing time anyway, then she's Miss Congeniality ( i like her)

in fact the pic that I posted of her is titled in my photobucket account ($2000 saddle on a $40 mule) in reference to the McMillan

agreed while some pretty rifles shown Stroker's has the right combo of beauty and weather.

it's like a pair of jeans or jean jacket or boots, how can it be your favorite till it's got some good wear on it?

I resemble this comment.

For general hunting, I have two 'go-to' rifles.

One of them is a 300 Win. Mag. that was built on a Model 70 action with a McMillan stock, a light 24" Kreiger bbl., and a Leica 3.5-10x scope on top. I've used this rifle extensively since 2001, and the only ammo I use in it is my own 180 gr. Nosler Partition handload at just under 3100 fps. I have this gun zeroed for 250 yds., and whatever has taken a 180 Partition from it has been on the ground very quickly, and mostly on the spot.

The other one is a 338 Win. Mag. that's built pretty much the same as that 300, but it carries a Leupold Vari-X III 2.5-8x on top with Leupold's standard Duplex reticle, plus a single 400 yd. stadia wire that was installed by Premier Reticles. I've hunted with this rifle a great deal over the last five years, and it's one of those rifles that shoots just about any load well. It's not only the most accurate and least fussy 338 Win. Mag. I've ever owned over the last 28 years, but it's also the fastest, so I've come to shoot it very sparingly. It never changes zero, and the first shot out of a clean barrel always goes exactly where it should every time.

The ammo it like best is Federal's 225 gr. Barnes TSX load, which clocks 2850 fps. out of my rifle, and it produces sub-1/2MOA groups out to 300 yds. Not only is it fast, and not only does it shoot, but Federal tests this stuff at -50 degrees and at +150 degrees, so it's safe at all temperatures levels anyone would ever hunt under. So this is the only ammo I use in my 338 Win. Mag. any more, and it's the only rifle and ammo I'm using for all my hunting this year as well as next, except for a bit I'll do with my 416 Rem.

I've found out that 'go-to' rifles are as much about the scope and the ammo as they are about the rifle itself. True go-to rifles are really go-to SYSTEMS........

AD

Truer words were never spoken.

My "go to" big game rifle is a Beretta Mato synthetic in 30-06. It wears a Burris 3X-10X-40 Signature Select rifle scope with the Ballistic Plex reticle. The primary load is a 180 gr. Scirroco or Accubond at 2700 fps. I may try the TSX or TTSX in the future. I am also thinking of playing with some of the 165 gr. loads.

Mark,
I'm sure some on here are closet queens, but most here probably take care of their stuff.

A buddy of mine has an 870 slug gun that I demanded to work over; it had a nice auburn hue. I have the same thing, have used it longer and shot a hell of a lot more deer with it, but you'd never guess by looking at the two. He does probably fire his more, shooting out of a moving truck and all (yeah, he does with frequency) . I say probably 'cause despite being one of my best buds I don't hunt with him.

Carmen Electra or (fill in the blank) might not look too bad either, but still fit the "go to" category!

No sweat Mark, I know what you mean though. A rifle without scratches is just, well...too new.

Dober- Thanks! That was my first buck pronghorn taken this past year in WY. The .338 was plenty...

AD- I like the 'system' angle! A bit smaller scope with some sort of stadia/dot system and I think I'll have it licked! So far a 210gr Partition starting out at around 2950fps has always worked and worked well. Haven't had an animal 'catch' one yet...

Pointer-I've used my 340 on a doz or so lopes, it's always worked for me....

Stick some dotz in that scope and or get a scope with dotz on it and you can and will be able to kill on demand to 500.

Dober

My good ol' Sav 99 EG in 300 Sav. Stith mounts and Weaver K2.5.