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Here is my upper midwestguns. Winchester 100 308. Savage e99 savage 300. Remington7600 35 whelen Remington 74030 06. Ruger 77 250 savage ruger 44 carbine Ithaca deerslayer II 20 gauge. Sweetsixteen a5

The gun guru staff writer for Field & Stream in their best of the best write up last year picked the Savage M99 as the best whitetail rifle. I was looking for a .308, but when a mint .300 Savage M99F showed up at a collector gun show, I grabbed that one instead. It does not recoil as much as the .308's and does the same thing in the deer woods. I never thought much about them until I bought this one, but I really like it. That round bottom on the receiver makes it a really comfortable one handed rambling rifle. That one would be my pick from your list, but I could make do with the Ruger M77 as well. I went through the semi-auto phase with a M100 and M742 and dad with a one shot Browning BAR and I'm never going back.

I've got a rack of deer guns that pretty well covers all the bases.

After 40 years, I still can't find anything better inside 50 yards than my 12 GA Rem 1100 with rifle sights and a slug barrel. That's not to say that's the best deer rifle I've got, but inside 50 yards, anything goes.

For my treestand work, I take a Savage 99 in 308 WIN. I download it so the 165 grain bullet is running about as fast as a hot 300 Savage load.

For general work, I prefer my Ruger all-weather Hawkeye in 30-06. For the most efficient, consistent performance, I have to say this is my #1 rifle

The rifle with which I' ve taken the most deer is a Remington 7600 in 35 Whelen.

Honorable mentions go to
8X57 K98 Mauser
25-06 Custom Mauser

I went through a semi-auto phase early on as well. I have a retired Remington 742 in 30-06 that I used for the first 20 years.

If I had to pick my least favorite, it would be my Marlin 336 in 30-30. I had a hard time finding a load that consistently bring them down without a lot of running.


If you're looking for eye candy, here are highlight pics of my deer battery:

The Deer Battery

When I started deer hunting in the mid 1960's a Winchester M/88 .308 was my choice, killed my best whitetail buck with that rifle in 1974. My choice for deer hunting for the last several years has been a pre'64 M/70, I have a .35 Whelen which is my go to rifle. In the last couple of years I have added a couple of Featherweights, a .30-06 and a custom .257 Roberts.

The two that always accompany me on a hunt in a rifle zone are a Rem 700 in 300 Savage and a Savage 16 in 7mm/08. I've been shooting them for almost two decades so have been on a few hunts. I don't always use them but they are my reliables.

I'll usually haul something else into the woods, last year it was a Savage 1899 in 38/55 and a Savage 10 I rebarreled to 250 Savage. I didn't shoot anything with either of them so they might get the nod again this year. Or, it may be a 35 Remington year by taking a Marlin 336 rifle with half mag and a Standard Arms Model G. One of the Remington Model 8s or 81s might go with too.

In the shotgun zone it currently looks like it will be the 12 ga Mossberg 930 and the 20 ga H&R Ultra Slug again. Both are very accurate and fit different niches in my hunting style. A 50 cal Knight muzzle loader I just picked up might go out during the shotgun season or it may get used during muzzleloader season if I still have an open tag.

I've used many cartridges fron 223 Rem up to 458 Win mag on deer just because I wanted to. They all work and it gives me some perspective on how a given firearm or action type handles and fits my wants and needs. I have found some very nice rifles are not as user friendly for me while others I did not care for are pretty well laid out.

Is that one of those BDL's that came out a while before the 2003 Classics?

My northeastern deer arsenal:
pre-war Savage 99 featherweight takedown in 30/30, (my first rifle, still use occasionally)
Savage 99F in .308, (because I couldn't find a nice one in 300 Savage at the time I was looking)
Rem 700 Classic in 300 Savage, (my newest and heaviest deer rifle, and a real sweetheart)
Kimber Montana in .308. (Most used, great rifle)

Maybe a little biased toward short action 30 caliber stuff, but they work.

I like Sakos, they have a good feel, perfect weight for me. I have a 99 in 308, going to try it this year. I’ve never owned a 99 before.

Whatever floats our boat when we go into the vault.

Out west, mine are a sporterized 1903 Springfield, a Tikka .300 mag or a .257 Wthby Vanguard. My son likes a .270 Howa for about everything except varmints.

Last deer I kilt was with an extrememly wore out 1894 Win. in 25/35 ctg. Shot real good when it would go off!!! Just had to snap on her twice to get it to go boom!

Although I've been shooting Model 70s for a long time, I really favor the old tang-safety Rugers above most anything. I really like them a lot. The three I've owned were all decent shooters (not great, but decent), and killed a lot of deer with them.

I don't like Ruger's three-position safety, so I went to Winchester when those went down the road. The M70s shoot better than the Rugers, but don't handle as well. I like them anyway.

I also like those danged old Marlin 336s, though they don't handle as well as a Winchester 94, they shoot better for me.

I wish I'd bought a 77R in either .300 Savage or .250 Savage when they were available, if I had done so, I'd probably still be using one. One of the shops I frequented in the early '80s had a rack full of each. I wish I was smarter then.

Old Sakos are awesome, especially the Foresters. Long actions are too heavy IMHO, but still great guns.

New Sakos ain't too shabby.

My .308s typically get loaded like .300s, and my '06s (currently fresh out) like .308s. Bambi hasn't complained so far.

I'll likely never know, being an old man on a fixed income! Barring "accidents", my Fieldcraft will be my last purchase; at least that's the current plan.

i'd buy a left-handed fieldcraft in an instant.

sure they'd cost about four times more than a ruger american.

but who cares about accuracy when ya can own quality stuff across the counter?

Comes a time when you have to go big or go home. Seems like now is the time for me to get what I want or hang it up.

Sorry about your "condition". My older son is right-handed, but decidedly left-eyed, but buys RH rifles, and has dealt with them so long he hardly notices. He does shoot LH bows.

I hunt WV and Eastern NC. My centerfire rifles are:
30-30 Marlin 336
270 Win Remington 700
30-06 Remington 700
308 Remington Model 7 Stainless
308 Browning Lever Action
I also have a Mossberg 500 that is my primary waterfowl gun, but I picked up a smooth bore slug barrel for it for very cheap but have yet to use it on a deer, same goes for buckshot.

I guess the bolt actions are perhaps the most practical, and I really do love 270s. But something about lever actions to me just feels better. Neither are incredibly accurate and have pretty poor triggers, but I love ‘em. Was really looking for a Savage 99 in 308 or 300 Sav but I came across the Browning for a good price and couldn’t pass it up. Now I’m just wishing that I would’ve bought a 4x scope instead of a 3-9x that it’s been wearing the last couple years.

my all time favorite deer rifle the last 15 years has been Ruger number 1`s ,and the last 10 years a custom Ruger no.1 s.s. in a 257 weatherby mag with a nightforce scope. but its kinda what ever a person wants to use.

My arsenal as currently configured include a 99 EG in .300 Savage that's killed one h3ll of a bunch of deer. For long range work, which I seldom do these days, I've got a Mauser in 30-06. The gun is way more accurate than I'll ever be able to shoot it. There's also a well worn Model 70 chambered for .270 that's killed a few deer too, as well as a 20 gauge Mossy 500 for the slug gun areas, and a C.V.A. .54 cal. Hawkins when we go old school. I'm getting the itch to try the AR too. Nothing fancy, but it definitely shoots minute of deer accurate.

My first deer rifle was a Remington model 688 in 6mm.
Next was a Savage model 110 in .270. Still shoots great.
I also have a RAR in .270. Probably will carry it this fall.
I have a .375 Ruger African Hawkeye, but it's more for elk, too big for deer.
Wife has a nice Winchester model 70 compact in 7mm-08.
With me being a lefty and financially challenged, that's about all I will manage I think. 😬

Savage 110 243
Ruger M77 MKII stainless 243
Ruger M77 MKII RSI 243
Ruger Hawkeye Ultralight stainless 7mm-08
Rem 7600 7mm-08
Savage 99 300 sav
Ruger 77 tanger 308
Rem 760 30-06
Win M70 stainless FW 30-06
Rem 660 350 mag

Dang............that's going to be a challenge.

This list would cover guns used since I was in grade school, and covers over 1/2 a century, and deer seasons in Nevada, California, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, Oklahoma , Nebraska, Virginia and Indiana. These are the ones I have actually killed deer with. There are a few others I hunted with, but didn't get to shoot.

300 Savage. M99
270 Winchesters, M-70, 3 Mausers, Winchester M95,
270 Short Mag. Benelli R1
45 colt. Colt SAA and S&W M25
44 magnums. Super Blackhawk, 4 S&W M29s, Ruger Redhawk
30-30. marlin 336
35 Rem. Marlin 336
50 cal flintlocks
62 cal flintlock
58 Cal Caplock Hawken.
357 magnums. S&W M28 and M27
454 Casull. Freedom Arms
22-250. Ruger M77
243 Winchester. Ruger M77
257 Roberts. Mauser
25-06. Mauser
6.5X55. M96 Mauser
7X57. Custom Mauser
280. Remington M700
7MM. Rem mags. Ruger 77 Remington M700
303 Brit. Lithgow SMLE
30-40 Krag. 1896 US Krag
308s. FALs, M-14, Mossberg MVP
30-06s. M1 Garand, 3 Mausers, Browning BLR, Browning M95, Enfield 1917,
308 Norma. Custom 1903 Springfield.
300 H&Hs. Win M-70 and Mauser
300 Weatherby. Weatherby Mk5
300 Winchester. Ruger M77, Win M-70, Browning Mauser,
30-378 Weatherby. Ruger #1
7.62X39. AK47.
8X57s. 2 Mausers
338-06s. Custom Springfield and custom Mauser
338 Win Mag. Mauser
348 Winchester. Browning M71
9.3X74R. Ruger #1
375H&H. Mauser
458 Winchester. Ruger M77
45-70s. Winchester and Browning M1886s, Marlin M95s, Remington Rolling block
50-140. Sharps. Shiloh 1873
20 gauge slug. Winchester M12
Wood arrows. 1 Custom Longbow, 1 Ben Person Recurve.
Aluminum Arrow. Bear recurve

And I may have forgotten a few at the time of this writing.

No, it is one of the Classics. It just seems I've had it a lot longer than 15 years. I had a couple of 722s in 300 Savage before I bought the 700. I started with 81s long before that.

I just made a list of all the rifles, shotguns, bows, muzzleloaders and handguns I could remember that I've killed deer with. The list is almost as long as zihns and I ain't taking the time to type it all out.

22 Magnum, Marlin 783,

243 Winchester, Mossberg 800A,
243 Winchester, Remington 660,
300 Savage, Savage 99R
308 Winchester, Savage 99E
308 Winchester, Winchester 88
30-06 Springfield, Ruger M77RS,
30-06 Springfield, Win 70, Pre-war,
30-06 Springfield, Pre-64 Win 70 FW,
30-06 Springfield, Win 70 FW, SS, All Terrain,
30-06 Springfield, Kimber Montana 84L,
338 Winchester Mag, Win 70 SS Classic,
35 Whelen, Mauser 98,

20 gauge slug, Coast to Coast 267 Pump,
20 gauge Slug, Ithaca 37 Pump, FLT,
20 gauge Slug, Ithaca 37 Pump UFL
12 gauge slug, Ithaca 87 Pump FLT,
12 gauge slug, Remington 870, Express,

I have drug several others around at least once but don't recall getting any deer with them.

An interesting thread with me being a cornfield county Hoosier.

Legit centerfires taking deer for me in the past were in a TC Contender years back in both 44mag and 35 Rem plus a few with a S&W 29 and one with a 357 Python Hunter and one of my better bucks with a Remington XP-100 in 35 Rem. I've taken more with a handgun than with a slug gun. LOL

My "go to" firearm deer killer was my 54 caliber Renegade FFg powder and TC Maxi Hunter bullets. More than 40 got turned into steaks from shots from that old smokepole. About the same fell to my wood arrows.

Indiana is finally getting away from their ONLY centerfires that were "35 caliber minimum, 1.8" case length maximum" from years back where I took a 350 Mag and set the barrel back and chambered for a shortened case to meet those regs that I used for four deer. (Handguns had more liberal regulations.)

"243 caliber and up" now but still has a ridiculously short/ long case length maximums for legal rounds.......only on PRIVATE property, not state owned though. The old 357" min/1.8" max is still legal on all property.

For "High-Powered Rifles " it reads:

"The cartridge must have a minimum case length of 1.16 inches and a maximum case length of 3 inches" ("DUDE I can use my 500 Nitro" j/k )
"The cartridge must fire a bullet with a minimum diameter of .243 inches (same as 6 mm)"
"A hunter must not possess more than 10 of these cartridges while hunting deer"

For some time us hunters were not sure who was more confused.......us......or them. LOL

Such has been legal now a couple years but I was unable to hunt for a few years.

2018 is going to be my first official "real live, factory issue, centerfire rifle season". All my out of state hunting was with a longbow or recurve.

Still tossing together a decent reloading table after selling the works 2 years back when I thought......."it's all over". (Dang.....that sure costs more now than it did in the 70s!!)

That said, the stars aligned for once and I picked up a 700 Classic in 7x57. Such nice shape I think I'm going to stick the barreled action in a 60s issue BDL stock so I don't ding the heck out of the original Finally found NOS brass (no thanks on the PPU......works, yeah......but I'm old!) thanks to a 'Fire member!!!

Still being picky on a scope. Old guys are like that..........yeah they are. Got time yet.

My first (we can shoot lots if you have places to hunt in different counties...........too hard to explain, lol, but ONE buck only) deer will be thusly a "milestone" for me but in more ways than one.

Crossing my fingers and determined to make that first deer a decent (not a trophy hunter per se' ) buck and if all comes to pass, I'll have a post here on the 'fire about that. (Important only to me.......but you guys got elected to share it anyway.)

Who am I kidding......I'll post my milestone deer no matter what.

Some awesome collections,gorgeous photos and a great thread for this soon-to-be 66 year old (day before gun season!) "newbie".



God Bless
Steve

That would take a long time to peck out on this phone.

I've had a bunch of favorites over the past 60 years of hunting. It is a lot easier to fall in love with a new rifle , the is no divorce or guilt involved . I was always a 270, 308, or 30-06 person with short affairs with the 257R, 250-3000, 7mm RM, 300 Sav and 300 WM. The past 12 yrs I've have a very serious relationship a 25-204, Sav99 in 375 Win, a 721 in 35 Whelen and just a few years ago acquired something I've lusted after for nearly as long as I've been hunting.

Sauer Drilling in 16/16/7x57R

Interesting comments and choices. BTW, I've gone through a couple of semi autos as well. But my current favorite for the desert bucks I hunt is a Springfield Armory M1A Squad Scout. Wears a 1.5-4X Leupold Scout Scope. A truly reliable .308 gas gun.
I killed my first buck in 1960 with a Remington 740 in 30'06. My second with a Marlin 336 in .35 Remington. I no longer have either rifle.
What I've "evolved to" are usually custom bolt action rifles. That's because I learned over the years that cartriages really don't vary a lot. But rifles do in how they shoot from field positions, and especially when one is in a hurry. The other thing I've learned is that it's a mistake to buy something that you've "fallen in love with" unless I've given myself a chance to be sure the rifle actually fills a need. I've gone through lots of rifles, too many to bother listing here. The ones that stayed are the ones that can be relied on to work as they should when I need them to. E

I don't admire semi auto or auto rifles for hunting.

You are the kind of folks that only stand up for yourself, and hurt the rest of us.

Pisses me off.

When was the last time you saw an auto rifle used in hunting.

I swear damn near ever poster that uses savage in their forum name seems about ignorant.

That said, my first rifle was a 788 in 243, still have it. If everything else went away and thats all I had left, I'd not miss a beat even to the brown bears.

Deer are easy to kill.

I've only hunted mountainous western states, and most often I'm on a mountain when shooting something. Mostly bolt guns in cals from 22 to 30. I got into casting about 7 years ago, and since, I've been trying to work my cast bullets into my hunting, particularly for deer, since I'm not trying to shoot trophies anymore. I've only got one deer tag this year, so it will get filled with a cast bullet in a handgun. Not sure which yet. I'll hunt with someone carrying a rifle who can take a longer shot, so I don't feel like I'm giving up opportunities at good animals. That has often been the argument I've had with myself in the past, that I'm handicapping myself by choosing marginal calibers or short-range affairs, and that I'm going to see the biggest animals of my life, all just out of range. I've proven it to myself that practically any firearm I'm carrying will be plenty if hunt intelligently and shoot straight. Deer are easy to kill. It is more fulfilling for me to do it certain ways over others as the seasons collect under my belt.

It'll get more interesting when my youngest two are finally old enough to hunt. I spend more time speculating and planning what they will carry then than what I'll carry next.

I have settled on:

Ruger M77 RSI 308 (tree climber rifle)
Pre 64 M70 Super Grade 30-06 restocked into a beater M70 stock pillars and beaded (cut over rifle)
FN Belgium Mauser 30.06 pillars and bedded with Timney (because it’s classic and old)

All shooting 150 TTSX with accurate loads.

Went through a bunch of rifles to finally settle on these.

my AR-10 243 win. 24 inch barrel,built for me by Pete Noreen in Montana, I use for coyote hunting is a heck of a rifle fast and accurate.when callin coyotes sometimes 2 -3 coyotes come in and I have a possibility to get them all with a semi-auto ,by the time these coyotes locate a person and with a semi-auto no arm moment and gun is still loading itself fast and accurate. this AR would work just fine for deer too !

I bet it would. I need to get me a .243 AR.

I asked Pete Noreen build me a AR-10 243 with 24 inch barrel and a 1-10 twist so I can use around 70 grain bullets,i put a Nightforce scope 4.5x14 with a x-hair that lights up at dark for coyote callin at nite too. and off a good bench this rifle shoots 1 inch at 300 yards 3 shot groups,less than a 1/2 at 100 yards I am amazed how well this AR shoots,gun shoots 3400-3500 fps with 70 grain bullets very accurate. ya some will say they can do this or that better but when action is fast on a coyotes this gun delivers, I have left this AR outside for 2 days in 20 below weather and it never jams and shoots super accurate and fast ! nice thing about a 243 Winchester its a common cartridge and easy to find ammo out west,hardware store,grocery store, even in a bar,gas station ,rancher .just a simple cartridge that's got a lot more power and keeps a coyote down .and if you use the right bullets it doesn`t wreck the hide either and that helps pay for gas.

Hunting with modern center-fire rifles, cartridges, and scopes is just too damn easy!

Here is a few 700’s I hunt with.

. You need to enter the AR accuracy thread and post some targets!

I really have agreed on that for years. Given you have a deer say inside of 300 yards, and it stops long enough for a good shot, its almost a given its dead.

Last season I had one at about 300 a few times but the wind was so strong I couldn't get the rifle to stay still enough for my tastes. But for the most part 300 and in is a given. Heck if folks shoot much 500 and in is pretty dang chip shot easy too, truth be told. But most won't shoot enough to be reliable out there.

Though as we age, sometimes time is limited and its nice to go shoot a few deer and enjoy other things. Scoped rifles are really good for that part.

I usually shoot between 8 and 12 whitetails each year and use multiple rifles/cartridges/bullets to do so. In 2018 I shot deer with rifles chambered in 22-250 (x2), 243 (x2), 25WSSM (x2), 25-06, 260, 6.5 Creedmoor (x2), 308, 338 FED, and .50 caliber ML.

I keep a pair of 270s in CO, a Colt Light Rifle and a Remington 760, to shoot deer and elk.

I keep a pair of 308s, a 243, and a 223 in NH; a Winchester 100 in 308 and a trio of Marlin XS7s.

Where in the U.S. is it legal to hunt game with a fully automatic rifle?

Why are you opposed to using semi-automatic rifles for hunting? I find that Ruger 44 Carbines and Winchester 100s are excellent rifles to carry while still-hunting in heavy/tight cover as they provide instant follow up shots when you want to jump-shoot a deer.

all ya gotta read it seems, is if a posters name has savage in it, that answers more than enough.

if I were huntin the back east crab apple thickets..........

I'd be using this chopped 16" Marlin 45 Colt

Kinda whatever I feel like when I grab one from the safe. Have a 7x57 that has the nod the last few years. I have 3 now that I haven’t killed anything with. A rem 740 that was my grandpa’s, a m760 35 rem, and a Kimber 6.5 CM. We’ll see how that shakes out this fall.

I'm not much on pretty, but thats a pretty gun

I've owned and used about twenty five different rifles. I have sold off most of them and now down to eight. What I really like are stainless Tikka and (Rem 700 with after market triggers) in .308 Win or 30/06 with good recoil pads.

I bought a new M700 in 6.5 CM back in January when I first heard Remington was going belly up. I wanted to get one already on the shelf before the QC went completely to hell. Bought it to play around with at the range, but don't know if I'll ever hunt with it.

308 savage American classic
old mod 70 in 270

If you ever want to get rid of that sweet little 7x57, I'd do you a huge favor and give you a couple hundred for it.........

Despite the fact that I have other options, I always end up coming back to my old standby's. A well worn Mauser chambered for '06. This was my dad's moose rifle, and I almost feel like I'm cheating on it if I carry anything else. It's got a Timney trigger, a bedded stock, and an old Weaver 3x-9x Micro Trac on it and is way more accurate than I will ever be able to shoot it. My other go to gun is a 99EG that I bought off one of the origianl members of our deer camp in Pa. A great handload cooked up by our very own MILES58 has made this a real tack driver, even with the old Weaver K4 that tops it. I can't imagine a better combo for the northwoods of Minnesota.

I'll sell you the scope for a couple hundred. You can get the rest for about $800 with the red Pachmeyer and a Timney trigger.

^^^^^^^ This ^^^^^^^

For years I've considered a sporter weight .270 Win to be an excellent, hard to beat choice for deer hunting where ranges could get longish. Don't have one and never have. As of a few years ago I've had a .280 Rem - close enough. Might even take a deer with it one of these days. (Works great on antelope.)

Over the years I've used the following:
.257 Roberts
.280 Rem
7mm RM
.30-06
.300WM
.338 WM
.375 Win
.44 Mag
.45-70
.50 muzzleloader

For someone looking to get started the number of good choices is pretty vast. Colorado mandates a minimum caliber of .243" and recoil levels suggest some cartridges are inappropriate or at least less desirable from a comfort or shootability standpoint. Hard to go wrong with a .308 Win or .30-06 case capacity and bullets in the .243" to .308" bullet diameter.

Pure class

Normally I either grab my 25-06 or 7mm08. Both Steyrs and both shoot better than my eyes can see on most days.
If I sit in the swamp I grab a trusty old Marlin 44 lever gun. They normally don't go far when a 240gr hollow point thumps em. Maybe a little sideways.

Somehow I had a feelin' you wouldn't go for that..........

This year I'll be using:

M-94 32-40 WCF 170 gr cast bullet, 1751 fps.
'74 Sharps, 44-77 SBN, 475 gr paper patch bullet, 1350 fps.
'74 Sharps, 45-120 SS, 500 gr Government bullet, 1550 fps.
'86 Winchester, 40-65 WCF, 255 gr cast bullet, 1600 fps.
'86 Winchester 45-70 Gov, 500 gr cast bullet, 1237 fps.
58 cal Hawken, Adcock Custom, round ball, 1988 fps.

My old reliable 358 Winchester Ruger Hawkeye S/S for bad weather hunting, 200 gr TTSX's at 2700 fps.

Cant wait to get started.

I may give a Ruger 44 carbine a run on the east side. Otherwise it’ll be my old M70 in 280.

I typically prefer the Winchester levers, but that is a great looking rifle. Bet it shoots too!

I picked out a knot on an elm tree in the backyard, braced off a post on the back porch of the load shop and put 5 rounds into a silver dollar sized group 42 yards away with the old 1899 year model 94 Winchester in 32-40, it's little 170 gr hardcast flatnosed bullet leaves at a very mild 1751 fps over 22 grains H-335.

Holy Damn that thing is going to be fun to hunt with this year, don't believe a buck running in to the rattling antlers is gonna contain one.

Sounds fun already!

1873. 38-40. Close up gun. I’ve killed a couple pigs with it, but no deer.

This little stutzen that I picked up earlier this year will handle the bulk of my hunting this year. A 9X57 Mauser will likely do the rest.

Most excellent Hook! Is your 9mm a full stock also?

For the past 10 years or so I have used my little Winchester Compact Classic Model 70 in .308. I use 180 Nosler Partitions at a nice easy 2500 FPS for the Minnesota Woods that I hunt in. Scope is a nice older Bausch Elite 3 x 9 ( as nice or better than the VXII Leupolds). This is a nice, light, easy to carry (20 inch barrel) accurate rifle that is very easy to reload for. The Partitions usually result in "dead right there" if the hit is good. Most shots will be less than 200 yards.

No sir....I only wish.

I built it using a Venezuelan FN action, a nice, somewhat European looking stock, and a new barrel. Unlike the Steyr above, it has already drawn blood.

Nice buck, congrats. Cool Mauser, 26" barrel?

You bet it is, I've got all 50 of the new cases I got with the rifle loaded up and ready to go, wanted to use 4227, but dang, that H-335 came blasting in the silver dollar sized groups, couldn't deny it.

My first deer rifle was a 95 Mauser 7x57. Most deer I have taken were with a 98 Mauser, in 30-06. When scopes are a hindrance, I like my Savage 99 .300 with peep sight! I have others but prefer to carry my 98, because it fits so well and natural!

Do you hunt with American made ammo in your 98?

99's are my preference, but my dad's Marlin 336 is a heck of a shooter as well.

No, it's 24" The short foreend and the camera angle make it look longer.