Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Required rifles for Loony status.

Its a bit cold here(-40F downtown this morning) and I was thinking of what would be the requisite battery of rifles for a rifle loony. I am on the hunt for another Savage 99 300 Savage E model 50s manufacture and I was thinking did I have the right qualifiers. I know there are folks on here that would say TEEEKA in all calibers and be done with it but that doesn't show an appreciation of history or the reb requirements(black rifle) to make one a loony. However, if you have dies, brass and power to reload for more than 40 calibers, then you are automatically a rifle loony. Also if you have either more than 10 rifles in the same caliber or if you make your own rifles( ones that don't suck) you are a rifle loony. Or if you only own 1 high power rifle but its in a weird caliber like 7X64 or 9.3X57 then you are also a rifle loony. I have listed some elements below and you can cut them up the way you like. I am sitting by a hot wood stove burning green wood during the wood stove ban trying to speed up global warming so fire away.

Rimfire- at least one old Remington or Winchester rifle. one marlin or browning lever. and one 10/22.
One companion rifle like a Kimber, Savage 77/22, CZ' that is as big as a big game rifle.
Varmint- one to four small caliber rifles (17 hornet to 220 swift)
two or three bigger coyote or light deer rifles (243-6.5 caliber) rifles.
Light Duty big game- one to two (250-300 to 270 caliber rifles.)
Big Game-(7X57 to 338)
Three rifles with two loaners)
Cruiser rifles( 30-30 to 45-70) - probably leverguns that can come out of the truck or boat.
Big Gun- (350 Rem Mag to 458 Lott) Even if you don't plan to hunt Buf in Africa its always good to have a rifle that could if you won a trip.
Muzzleloader- 50-58 caliber rifle for the past.
Black rifle- an AR15 type rifle to piss off liberals.

A rifle loony should have at least 1 savage 99 of any denomination.
A rifle loony should have at least 1 old winchester lever gun(94s or 92s are given but others are acceptable)
A rifle loony should have at least 1 walking varmint rifle(L461 Vixen)
A rifle loony should have at least 1 varmint rifle(big heavy 22-250 or such)
A rifle loony should have at least 1 243 in some type and heavily resist 6.5 manbun.
A rifle loony should have at least 1 mauser sporter.
A rifle loony should have at least 1 custom rifle.
A rifle loony should have at least 1 remington 700.
A rifle loony should have at least 1 enfield.
A rifle loony should have at least 1 pre64 winchester model 70.

Whats a 'varmit'?

that's a varmint rifle needing a barrel set-back and a refreshed chamber....

OK...gotcha...that really IS looneyism!

I do not check all the boxes, but come close.

>>> What rifles and pistols shoot Rifle Loonies own ? MANY ! and sometimes more !

Guy in my shooting club was a plumber in his other life.
Called in by a widow for some issue that drew him into the crawlspace where he found the husbands stash.
Including a fully functional, unregistered BAR.
That may be loony. Or a 2A purist!
Twenty rifles the same make in different calibers or vice versa could just be a collector.

Based on your list, I guess I am very loony. And proud of it!

You're missing several check marks.

At least 3 AI cartridges are required and you must have at least 2 wildcats and 4 rifles that require bullet casting to load.

Keep in mind that being a rifle loony is but a subset of shooting loonyism. You didn't cover shotguns or handguns. Bad dog!

I'm not a rifle looney

I'm getting close.

I'm not sure one can have too many, but I am thinning the herd. I have almost all of the list except a lever action.. Might have to fix that.

Got it covered

Based on the prerequisites I am reading, I am only an “apprentice looney”.

Should hit “journeyman looney” by mid 2020....

Anything but a 6.5 Gaymoor, but I suppose that leaves me out as I don't care to own 700s...

I'm part Loony too!!

Jorge, there is more on the table than a Remington 700.

That list is lacking body and depth....call it Looney Lite.

Looneys can't be pigeonholed. A guy is into what he's into.

I think the .257 Roberts, 6.5x55 and 7x57 should be included in any Looney's battery and probably a 6.5 Creedmoor to keep up with modern times. And maybe a .250 Savage and a couple of more Euro cartridges like 7x64, 6.5x57 etc. And rifle wise, there should be at least one single shot rifle included.

Back when I was writing the back-page for RIFLE magazine, in the September 2004 issue the column was titled "You Might Be A Rifle Loony...." Among the possible symptoms were:

You've seriously debated the differences between the .270 Winchester and .280 Remington--and ended up owning both.

If the only thing better than the latest, newest In-Rifle is a really old rifle.

You spend serious money buying rifles you once owned as a kid.

On a long airplane flight, you pass up the latest paperback best-seller, taking AFRICAN RIFLES AND CARTRIDGES instead.

When cleaning out your shaving kit for the same trip, you discover an ejector assembly for a 98 Mauser.

You reach in your pocket for change, and amid the dimes and quarters find the recovered bullet from a bull elk.

Somebody asks for a good 7x57 load, and you can recite every one you've ever used.

On a Cape buffalo hunt, you take a lever-action .50-110 loaded with black powder and cast bullets, even when you own a perfectly good Winchester Model 70 .375 H&H.

You don't recognize 80 percent of the entertainers listed as getting divorced in PEOPLE magazine, but within three minutes can locate that dog-eared copy of a gun magazine that includes a profile of your favorite hunting cartridge.

Your gun safe is like Heaven: There's always room for one more.

You've owned 27 different models of the Savage 99, but are always on the lookout for more.

You buy 1000 rounds of brass at a gun show and have to buy a rifle to use it.

Your local firearms emporium has your phone number on speed-dial.

The bullet selection in your reloading room exceeds the variety available at the local shooting emporium.

In your mind, a foot-pound never has anything to do with rhythm.

You told your spouse that your latest purchase was an "investment," and either or both of you believed it.