Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters I am bored with my toys so?

I am bored with my guns. The back story is that I had cancer last summer so now I see guns as something that are replaceable. I haven't hunted in a few years, although I might go to Texas next year. I did receive a bunch of reloading gear from great-uncle. The rifles I am keeping are a Ruger 257 Roberts and a Marlin 336 Texan in 30-30. I recently cleaned my gun vault and found 17 boxes of Roberts and 10 boxes of 30-30 ammo. The rifles I am selling are a 7600 in 300 Savage, 7600 carbine in 35 Rem, Winny 94 Trapper in 30-30 and a TC G2 rifle in 30-30. A friend said to keep the TC and get a different barrel for it, something that is odd and something to reload.

My question: looking for ideas on a good TC caliber. Not sure yet if I'll keep it yet, but want ideas. I thought about EABCO's 6.5BRM barrel. If I don't keep it, what would some good choices to look at for reloading? I have thought about an 1886 in 33 Winchester, but a Springfield M1A has caught my eye.

Just looking for ideas. Not sure what to get but am open to any ideas. Yes, I am that bored.

Dale

I don't see a varmint caliber in there. .219 Zipper?

How about a .223 or even a .22 Hornet for the Contender? If you are looking for a deer caliber, a 7-30 Waters or a 6.8 would be handy.

I'm guessing Pennsylvania? How about a nice muzzle loader? Or something that will keep you busy like a Mauser project?

7TCU or 7-30 Waters.Both are stupid accurate in my G2 Contender.

My recommendation would be short carbine bbl in 6.5 Grendel.
I get excellent accuracy from mine using 7.62X39 brass (RP for small primer pockets) With this you can enjoy the best of both worlds, varmints and medium to all but the largest of game.

A .17 Mashburn Bee would be cool, and a challenge.

I'd go .22lr and .223 bolt guns just to be different. Then I'd shoot them as much as I could afford.

You need to go to the correct thread and go to the bathroom and view the PTA pics. That oughta warm up your loins.

I am not against selling the G2 to either so rifle options are wide open. Just looking for something fun, reloadable, and if its pointless it doesn't matter. Dale

25-20

Smart man,

fun round too.

.327 Federal maybe even.

Geno

6.5 Grendel or maybe 6X45 for cheap brass and bullets.

If you have access to a range where you can air it out a bit, there are all kinds of neat things you could try: long-range .22s and muzzleloaders like a Whitworth, fast-twist .22 centerfires, or maybe a Sharps.

Have you considered a nice bow? My older son shoots 3D targets in the off-season and loves it. I went along on a shoot and everybody seemed to be having a blast.

Can't believe it...read the last post on the first page of this thread, thought ".25-20" as I was clicking for page 2, and there it it.

I think a 256 Win on the Contender would be a hoot!

That said, if I were that bored with stuff, I'd sell it and take what I was keeping on a trip. Take that 257 for a hunt for species you've never hunted or for one you have in a place/type of country you haven't.

Superb suggestion!

The 25-35 Winchester has caught my eye.

There are a lot of somewhat interesting things you can do with a TC G2, it just depends on how creative you want to get. You can stay mainstream with factory cartridges like .30-30 and .223, get sorta geeky with older stuff like .25-20 and .38-40, or go sort of deep end nuts with wildcats.

The ONLY thing I have against the TC carbine set up is eye relief. Unless you go with a 6 hole base, for me the scopes have to be set too far back. Most of those are steel and pretty heavy which also makes me unhappy.

Also a good one.

It's a shame that TC has lost it's soul since S&W took over, but fortunately there are lots of good choices in the aftermarket. Funny how the new management decided that there wasn't money to be made with the Custom Shop, but a half dozen or so other outfits do well filling the gap they left.

Dale, lots of questions, and as you say, the field is pretty wide open. FWIW, to shoot a lot and be fun, you can't go wrong with a .22 CF, like the .223. For even more fun on the cheap, and to help learn to shoot in the wind and allow for it, the .22 Hornet would be a real challenge at distance. From there on up, it's all a matter of personal preference, and surely there's SOME caliber that will peak your interest? Sometimes an about face from what you're used to can provide a good spark to ignite your passions again, like maybe going to a .45/70. Getting into casting your own bullets for it can get to be a pursuit all on its own, too. Lubes, sizing, bullet weights and designs, performance at long range - all this can add a LOT of spice to your shooting, and if you ever get to shoot with the sun behind you, you can actually see those silvery bullet bases as they arc toward the target, and THAT adds a neat aspect to your shooting and understanding of ballistics that few other pursuits can match. We ALL do better when we're drawn a picture, or see a graphic example of the theories that are written out on paper and mulled over in the mind.

The key here is that there IS no "wrong" answer. I know guys who've killed many deer with the .22 LR, and up to the heavy loaded .45/70 and some .338 WM's. All eat venison, and regularly so. They just have to hunt differently when they use the itty bitty calibers.

With the cost of .22 LR's having skyrocketed, going to a RF won't save much money, and if you cast your own bullets, you can shoot .38 Spec. and quite a few other calibers cheaper than .22 LR now - not entirely a bad deal. Some barrels are available for your Contender in .38 Spec., and a better plinker you'll not find. The long barrels are a lot quieter than pistol barrels, too, and in particular the revolvers with their barrel/cylinder gaps. For the Contender, go to edstcs.com and see if there's not some barrels there (note the plural!) that pique your interest.

And FWIW, I've noted that when a man gets bored with his shooting, it's usually a good idea to get into something different, and long range rifle shooting is one of the most interesting and challenging pursuits ever. You never really master it. You just go and play the game and see how you do that particular day, with whatever winds exist for that time.

And like you, I had a recent face-to-face with my own mortality, and it DOES change a man's perspective. Nothing quite like finally realizing we're not REALLY 10 ft. tall, bullet proof and immortal! It makes a man think, and it's really hard to find thoughts today that are really appropriate to that, but if I may, let me recommend:

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-C-Le...amp;keywords=cs+lewis+signature+classics

He was an atheist and set out to PROVE his stance was right, but instead, he got converted. Dealing with one's own mortality ain't no small thing! It calls for sobriety and serious consideration, and that merits some legitimate exploration. Lewis is the best you can do in that regard, though G.K. Chesterton is a mighty force in that regard as well, but he writes short essays mostly, and doesn't have time or space to get into things to the depth that Lewis does. And the best part is they're both so enjoyably readable. They don't care what the Truth is, they just want the REAL thing, and that alone is rare these days. Just a FWIW for your consideration .... and enjoyment, to boot. Good luck. I wish you well.