Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Time to thin the herd

Which to keep?

The .22 LRs stay, as they all have sentimental value. Same, same for the old double barrel 12. There are also a few that are going (private inquiries to known interested parties have already been made). But of the rest below, which, if any, should go?

Remington 700LS, .221 Fireball, 2004 limited run.
I really like the little Fireball. It's a quiet, effective round, and the lightweight 700 is a good rifle. It's shown good accuracy, and I think is capable of much better. Still, she's only a 300-350 yard varminter and not anymore.

Remington 700VLS, .22-250, HB varminter, pre J-lock
The newest in the collection, and a sweet rifle. The action is slick and tight, and the first groups show phenomenal accuracy potential (1.5" groups at 250 yards). She's a beast to carry, and much overkill until shots start reaching 300 or better, but past that the .22-250 has few peers. And, as I will soon be in Carolina, she can do light double duty for deer. Great factory load options, too. But, the .22-250 is overkill for what I normally do for varmints.

Winchester M70, pre-64, .270 Ackley Improved
Another one they don't make any longer, and I'm probably nuts to even consider selling a pre-64 Win. 70 and the last one on the list. It's a heavy b!tch, and I don't reload, but .270 factory fodder works fine and is available everywhere. It's one of the most classic NA calibers and rifles ever (aside from the AI job done a very long time ago and well). I haven't worked with her much yet, and she and I have a rocky relationship (see earlier posts), but I think some great things are possible with this rifle. That said, the .270 is overkill for 90%+ of what I do for deer hunting (heck, for that matter, so is the 7x57 and the .300 Savage - shots in the dozens of yards, not hundreds).

Ruger #1RSI, 7x57
A beautiful rifle. Fantastic wood. Handles wonderfully, shoots well, and I just really dig it. But, they still make them, I can get another, and if I keep this one, I have a hard time keeping the M70 or the next one. Either is a great deer/bear rifle, and only one might make the cut.

Savage 99EG, 1948-49 vintage, .300 Savage
Not a collector's special (Redfield peep, in apeture, and sling studs), but a safe/closet queen of 95%+ condition otherwise, shot and carried very, very little. Stith mount and Weaver K2.5 ready to go on-board after a certain machinist gets a look at the Stith. A more classic Eastern deer rifle there never has been, and it shows good to very good accuracy potential. I've long, long wanted one of these, since my grandfather and uncle have one, and they don't make these anymore. Still, she's a heavy b!tch, and I do like my single-shots. If this stays, the Ruger and/or the M70 might have to go.

Here's a thought, loose the pre 64, the ruger and the savage and get yourself a nice 25 caliber, maybe a 257 weatherby. I would keep the small stuff especially if it shoots good.

That's a thought, but I am not looking to add anything new right now; just thin out what I've got.

Lose the Ruger and the .22-250 ... I know how much you like your fireball ... and the pre-64win and savage99 are just too nice and sweet to let go of ...

I think you should PM me with prices on Winchester M70, pre-64, .270 Ackley Improved and Ruger #1RSI, 7x57� just trying to do my part with the thinning thing and all�

VA,

Personally, lately I thought about the same thing. Went to my local dealer to talk trade, or him just buying them or consignment. There was no scenario that really got me going enough to get rid of any gun, even though it was a gun I don't particularly like. The financial loss was just too great to justify, in that nothing seemed fair to me. I dont have anything hard to find. The ONLY way I was going to come out decent would be to run across an individual wanting what I had new, but willing to save $50-100 for a well cared for used gun. Your collection is a little more eclectic and you may do better, I have just found that I ALWAYS come away feeling like I got raped when I get rid of a gun. When I buy one I buy it with keeping it for life in mind.

Good Luck.

Are you recovered from the bar? You were absent for a while.

You can PM me the price on the savage and the 22-250

Recovered from the bar. Not nearly as bad as folks make it out to be, IMHO. We shall see...

NC bar next year anyway, regardless.

Right now, trying to find gainful employment in NC, deal with a severe downsizing at an already small firm that I'm currently with (read "financial problems"), keep the student loan wolves at bay, go get my daughter soon for a month or so...

I'm not going to do the "shop" route, sales here only, and not going to try to make a killing, but not going to get bent over either.

Some stuff is going already, and those above are the last up for consideration as to what might leave.

Ken_L and TBaker, when the decisions are made as to what might go, I'll figure out a way to get good pics up, with prices, and they'll get posted. Thanks for the offer, though. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Just trying to do my part with thinning the herd... and beating the rush. LOL

I need to find a way of sneaking another gun safe into my house with out my wife noticing... hmmm

Known and appreciated. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Ken ... the secret to that is to wait until she's gone to bed, then go get it out the car and put it in the safe ......... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> ..................... at least that's what I do ..... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

The best trick I've seen yet is to get an empty rifle case and say that one of the rifles needs a little work from a local gunsmith. Out the door you go with the case, and to the shop. Come home without the case, and say that it will be a few days. Then, a few days later, back to the shop, the new rifle goes into the case, and home it comes.

No, I need a new safe because the two I have are full and I have some more rifles on the way... I know this is going to a little more difficult than just sneaking a new gun in the house!

Keep the Ruger 7X57 and the .221 Fireball.

The .270 AI isn't needed, the 7X57 can handle the work in a much more compact and better handling package.

The .221, even though only a 300 yard cartridge, will do for most of what you see in the East. Quieter equals better in farm country, and I've found that unless you like to set up a bench and camp out in one spot all day, a walking varminter is much more useful than a heavy varmint gun.

The Savage as you said doesn't get used much. You only bought it 'cause your kin had one and now that you have it you don't shoot it. Even not being a collector item it could bring a decent penny toward your financial goals. "...she's a heavy b!tch, and I do like my single-shots. " Keep the Ruger, it fills the same hunting role as the Savage.

LOL ... Ken, right you are ... a new rifle is one thing ... a new safe is a totally different ballgame !!!


VA and Ken ... right now, I have only 3 "complete" rifles in the safe ... along with one shotgun ... There are 4 other bbl'd actions just sitting there waiting for stocks and sights/optics ... You've seen my safe, and it's not large ... everything in there fits nicely now, and should continue to do so once the rifles are "completed" ... but after that, I'm gonna be in the same boat as Ken with needing a new safe/locker for the long guns ... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Keep the .221! If you have liked it with factory loads, wait until you try it with some reloads using 40 gr vmav pills and Lil'gun power. I'm set up to load for it. Get yourself 100 rounds of virgin brass, stop by and see if your gun likes the same load my CZ does and then load up the cases. One afternoon of "work"and you are set for varmints.
I have a load using the 60 gr NP that will kill a deer, but the accuracy is 1 1/2 MOA vs 1/2 MOA with the V Max load... need to try a 55 gr TBBC or maybe a Barnes bullet.
Good luck with the career transition.

VAnimrod,

Time for some tough love brother. You CANT get rid of the RSI. Separating twins is unnatural.

But if you do, My 8 yr old lefty would appreciate it has his "woods gun" (I resorted to trading labor for a B-78 High Wall 25-06 for his "plains gun).

But seriously, you love those RSI's ... they are still making them (today) but, you don't know what they will do tomorrow.

Decide what yardage you really need for varminting. If the Fireball is too short and the .22-250 is over kill, sell both and get a .222 / .223. I love my 700 Classic in .222. It's a great walking chuck gun. If you think you might use the .22 cal for deer hunting, then get the .223. They usually have a faster twist that will work better for deer appropriate bullets.
That takes it down by one rifle.

Now for the deer rifle.

The M-70 is a collector, but too heavy.
Sounds like the #1 has a lot of appeal to you, and it's hard to beat the 7X57 for what you need done.
The 99 also seems to suit your needs too.

I would sell the M-70.
and either:
Keep both the #1 and 99 or,
Sell all three and get a 700 classic in .300 Savage, .308 or 8X57, put a Leupy 2.5X8 on top, and stick it in a CDL stock. I'd even cut the barrel down to 21-22 inches.
That takes it down by another one or two rifles, and you'ld have some cash left over to boot.

Gaviidae;

This 7x57 is the sweetheart I got first. The potential donor 7x57 that would have eventually, somehow, have been a 9.3 is already slated for sale, and first-refusal offer to a known interested party has already been tendered.

2ndwind;

If the .221 stays, expect that I'll do just that. I already have about 100 rounds of brass. If she stays, I'll stick with 50-53 grain pills and maybe try to find a same POI load for the V-Maxs and the Barnes TSXs. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Teeder ... to your point about the varminter ... I'd tell VA he needs to do what Jamison did ... and get an LVSF in .223, have it punched out .223AI, and never look back... anything from 50 yards to 800 yards is toast ... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />