As I start to segue into the Golden Years, my thoughts turn more and more to the fabled bucket list. We are not granted an infinite number of days on this mortal coil, and if you're like me, there remain some guns/pursuits that remain unfulfilled. If you care to share them, perhaps someone who reads this may be able to help you achieve one or two, and vice-versa. Anyway, it's fun to dream!

Here's mine, in no particular priority:
1) Pope-barreled single shot (Ballard, Stevens, Winchester), .22, .32-40.
2) 1903 Springfield NRA Sporter
3) Niedner-barreled anything (extra points for a Tom Shelhamer stock)
4) Savage 1895
5) Savage 1899 A,B,C .32-40
6) Savage M1899 .250-3000
7) Sharps-Borschardt barreled in a 1930's .22 wildcat
8) Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903 6.5x54 (I owned 8mm's and a .257 Roberts but never a 6.5x54)
9) Stevens 417 Walnut Hill
10) The chance to put an animal larger than a deer in my sights. I better get cracking on that as physical limitations are rapidly closing that door.
11) M1841 Mississippi Rifle
12) Double rifle chambered in .30-40 or .303 British. I always said that such would be the ideal deer rifle for the conditions in which I hunt.

I'd offer to take you bear hunting next fall. If we're selective we'll get you one a tiny bit bigger than a small Florida deer. You can pick the level of difficulty. Otherwise I'm no help to you on your list, but those look like worthwhile goals.

All I can think of at this point is-

A double rifle in .375 Winchester regulated for 75 yards.

A "T" in 22HP with a Nice stith set up, Id settle for a "G"! A 25-35 Carbine 1899! Loggahs 1895 Winchester in 405, with the climbing Lyman peep and XXX walnut stock! Or a double rifle in about any Cal. I did own a cape gun at one time!

I did this not too long ago:

An original, marked as such, 99 in 270 Titus. I mean one built by Bliss Titus.

An 1899 A,B, and C in 32-40, 38-55, 25-35, and a 250-3000, preferably a first year production, for the 250.

A Martini Cadet in something interesting.

A Rigby in 275.

Is it Don that has the 45-70 converted side by side. I like that one too.

Get my 68 Cuda convertible restored.

Used to really want to hunt Africa, not so sure anymore.

I don't know if there's any guns that would make my bucket list. Okay.. maybe a factory engraved 1899C with stippled receiver. Yeah.. okay, that one makes the bucket list.

My bucket list is:

303 99R
22 HP 99F
22 HP 99EG
22 HP 99G
243 99RS
358 99RS
250-3000 99T
32-40 1899B

I have to stop. This list is getting to long.

Holy smokes you should take up unicorn hunting, you'd probably have better luck!

I'm not really a wishlist guy. Nor a bucket list guy.
If I desire something, I get it.
Now the list of potential desires is long, only question is which one is available first.

Ergo, a bucket list!

I know where 4 of the 8 are on the list. Its coming up with the cash.

Thats LBK that has the 45-70 double!

Maybe you should guide unicorn hunts for gun money!

Roy, I got 6 out of 8 of your wish list ! The R,s in winchester calibers have eluded me so far !!!!

Don,I'll take this one.Ed [img:center][/img]

You have 303 99R ? Send Pic's I would love to see it. It at the top of my list!

Maybe we should start a "If I could have any one of Don's guns before I die" thread.

Its either a R or RS ,cant remember off the top of my head, ill see if my photographer is "not on strike" !

My bucket list includes all forms of hunting, except two. I have no interest in hunting in a cage (high fence) or remote rifle (computer controlled over some remote watering hole in Zimbabwe)

Sorry LBK, didn't mean to slight you on that 45-70. It's beyond my bucket list, it's well into my Lust List, Joe.

When I saw this I thought I had passed a change to get this one from your list about a year ago... but I see the .303 you want is 'British' - the one I was offered was in .303 'Savage'. It was custom ordered from an European maker in the 1960's by a collector who had a lot of Savage's, he passed away before the rifle was done and it had not been shot outside of the factory until my friend acquired it, nice looking double, completely cased with accessories... but .303 Savage & not British, so I guess you wouldn't have wanted it...

I wanted it but the price was to high for me, it would have the the most expensive rifle I ever bought and the only thing Savage about it was the caliber, still it was a neat rifle.

#1 my 1969 firebird totally restored (which left me, unrestored, after college when I had to enter the real world!).
#2 any 1895 in really good shape (unlike 2 current specimens - which are "OK").
#3 enough $$$ to have a nice bucket list!

Oh my, I wouldn't turn one down in .303 Savage! I would opt for .30-40 if I commissioned one though. I'm still kicking myself for turning one down in .30-06, from a guy who bought it in Germany when stationed there. It wasn't crazy expensive (just a little whacko expensive) and I could've afforded it at the time but there were hot rumors about the plant closing so I held back. Glad I did- the plant shut down a month later. But, in retrospect, a couple months of pork and beans would've been a fair tradeoff!

The rimless ejectors were an engineering marvel!

Money, so I can buy the Savage's I have to keep passing on.

1899CD oct bbl in any Winchester cal.
99 T in 250/3000
99 R in 358
99 EG 300 Savage GW

Actually, I am pretty good on Savages.

As others:

-Winchester 71 Deluxe Carbine in about 90% condition. That way, I use it.

-Pre-64 Model 70 Fwt in 358 Win

Joe, you did NOT slight me. Please don't feel that way. I am probably one of the few that do not have a bucket list. I never know what's next till I see it. I just make sure my wallet is ready.

like LBK I have no bucket list what I have is holes that should be filled also could fill many of the bucket list seen here if you guy's did not drive the prices of gun down so low that one could not get their money back on good Savages when you see a 308 99 one sale under $1500 and it don't sell in one hour it is a sick place to try to sell good guns also an EG 300 with a Stith for $750 is a give away it should be $1000 or more just the gun will bring $850 to $1000 just my sick thougs who here wants to sell me their 1899 Monarch in 22 H.P. for
$500 it's probably all you people would pay for a gun worth over $100,000 not sure you would pay the $500 to get the gun anyway

No bucket list but I suffer from the "buy it now" syndrome whenever I see a nice savage for sale. Actually there will be a few of mine coming up for sale at fair prices in the near future. They would fill spots in several bucket lists (but they are north of the border).
BillR

I was muzzeloader 4 cows above my house. Ended up blowing the herd outta the small bowl. As I worked over to the timber side of the bowl I heard a bugle. Out he stepped. WOW! I have seen this bull 2 or three times during September and perhaps twice last fall. But staring at him in the eye while he posture defiantly screaming at me about 300 yards away impressed me to the point that I am going to pursue him till it happens. What a nice bull!

Bill call me direct when you decide to sell I am sure that you could fill a few holes in my meager collection i even have a few bucks lying around

norm ----- do you need this 780 5123308

I had a 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am ; it could pass anything except a gas station

Here's a short bucket list from a 22 collector -

- Savage 1903 EF Grade
- very early Savage 29-A with the -A counter-stamped on the barrel and receiver
- Savage 29-A with a Chicopee Falls barrel address
- Savage 29-B with a Westfield barrel address, if they even exist (or proof they don't exist!)
- Front part of a Brayton Tubeless Scope (or complete set)
- Correct Steven's scope for a Visible loader and also one for a Gallery 80 and any that were specific for any model Savage
- Savage models 1909, 25 and 29 pumps with an added counter-stamp warning against use of Hi-Speed ammunition (and a Stevens Visible Loader with a similar stamp).
- Savage 1909 with the second style ejector (preferably with the above counter-stamp so it would fill two voids!)
- any odd, rare or just interesting sights, for almost anything
- Cooey Model 35 pump 22
- Westarms pump 22
- Sportco Model 93 pump 22

- almost forgot, a gallery counter for a model 1903, either on a gun or by itself

Faster horses
Younger women
Older whiskey
and More money!

Gene, what is a gallery counter if I may ask?

I do not think the Savage rifles were very popular for gallery operators due to the removable magazines, these could easily be dropped or taken and they would have need a lot of extras if they were busy because they are slower to load than the loading tubes used in conjunction with tube magazine rifles, which also would have been less expensive than magazines. They also had machines that would automatically fill the loading tubes, but I do not know when they may have been introduced. As far as the counters, all they had to do was inventory their ammunition, or take a count of empty magazines (unless some disappeared).

I have only seen one rifle that looks to have had one of these counters on it and I missed it by 1 day, I hope who ever bought it knew what the extra holes on the underside of the barrel and the inlet area and holes on the right side of the forearm were for - I am afraid someone may have gotten it and decided to fix it by putting on a different forearm and plugging the holes! It was an English pattern with the large hard rubber shotgun style butt plate and was British proofed.

I've wanted to learn to play the banjo for about 20 years.

I had one and gave up on it. I passed it on to my nephew, but somehow I don't think teenagers consider the banjo hip.