Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Bored with modern rifles...........

Getting kind of bored with modern rifles and fretting to take a group from 3/4" to 1/2". Seems like just about any quality modern bolt rifle will turn in a 1" 3 shot group with a decent scope and ammo and with a little reloading often pretty easy to shrink that. Seems I spend considerable time getting set up to shoot 400 yards and usually shoot my deer at under 200. So with that in mind I'm considering taking a step or two back and trying some single shot rifles with open/peep sights.

I have an itch for something like a Winchester 1885 Traditional hunter in a classic caliber like 38-55. 45-70 seems to be the standard but it would be nice to have something a bit smaller and more economical as well as less punishing to shoot. A Sharps is not off the table but I think I'd rather have something of reasonable weight where I could actually pack it for a deer in the fall as well as have fun plinking with it during the spring and summer. Some of the 1885's, Rolling Blocks and Sharps etc. I have seen have been chambered in 45Colt or 44-40 - those may be fun. I don't think I want to go the BP route but it would be nice to keep as an option.

Cost is a hurdle in this possible effort. There does not seem to be many options to test the waters economically. So I'm asking around before I jump in the deep end.

Anyone else been down this road? What did you discover? Pitfalls? Worth doing or am I nuts?

It is entirely possible that it's the middle of winter and I'm bored and daydreaming about guns again.............

Have lever rifles been a thought? I have/shoot a Henry steel in .45 Colt, 20" barrel. Just an option. Good luck in your quest.

Do you enjoy projects with hands on things? If so there are re-stocking projects to be had or a MZ kit from Jim Chambers or (easier) Jim Kibler. You can even rust blue a beater pretty easily at home as a project. Another option with your itch for a single shot would be to get a Ruger, Handi, or Contender and work up cast bullet loads that are cheap for plinking and still effective for deer, like a .30-30 or .25-35.

That's the joy of an interest in firearms; there are so many avenues to explore to keep our passion going. I started with the usual Deer-hunting rifles, then long range, then ARs, followed by BPCR, leverguns, African doubles, handguns, etc. There's always something new to keep us fired up. Go for it!

Highwalls work well either way and my basis is having two, one with each chamber you listed. How much abuse you want to tolerate is your call. Took my .45-70 version out awhile back with a friend and he named it Thumper....even after he put 5 in about 2" or so. I gave it a whirl with the Marbles style tang sight and plunked 5 into 1.5" with an elbow rest. Oh yeah, it was BP and 530 gr of lead. It weighs about 9# due to the barrel dims, but that is no hangup for me. I have the option of lighter bullets and smokeless but I'm not into that girlie stuff these days.

The .38-55 is configured for Schuetzen style and flings 300 gr lead with BP as well. Total pussycat that I can put 10 in about 8" at 100, standing on my hind legs. 30:1 alloy is my favorite with both guns and would put the splat on any critter inside 200 yards w/o a doubt.

Have a third iteration that is a .40-.38-55 muzzle loading cartridge gun, built in the spirit of Harry Pope's style of guns. It can shoot better than you or me.

Your call, they both work.

Have a friend who suffered from your identical symptoms....at the depth of his depression he discovered a Martini single shot at a show in Reno, in .303 Brit, of uncertain parentage, and questionable care by the former owner(s). For 350 bucks, and a winters tinkering and polishing, and sight fabrication, he now has an acceptably accurate, well balanced, somewhat attractive hunting rifle.

A High Wall in any caliber larger than .22 Hornet will suffice for under-200 yard deer shooting (although I would be leery of the BP pistol cartridges out beyond 100 yards, mainly because of rainbow-like trajectories). Original High Wall or modern repro- they're all good. Don't pass up a Ruger #1 in one of its more "tame" chamberings. (You don't need a .300/.270/.257magnum for close-in deer killing.) In your shoes I would feel fat dumb and happy with a HW in .38-55.

Turning 60 this year. Been shooting mostly 700s and semi custom 700s all my life. I still like them, but find them a bit uninspiring.

Having a custom FN98 custom built this year in 275Rigby to rectify that boredom. Will be a Rigby Highlander clone with upgrades.

Have a Winchester1895 in 30/40 Krag, Even has a peep sight.

I shot a bison with one last year.

Lefty

I've found that I enjoy single shots and lever guns more and more. They're kinda old school, but you can hunt with them just as easily as a modern bolt action. Emphasis on hunting. Fun at the range and interesting calibers can be had in most. I'm infatuated with Savage 99's at the moment, maybe something like that would help with the boredom. I have more single shots and lever guns the bolt actions at the moment, blue steel and walnut also helps. It's hard to tell what you have when everything is plastic and stainless steel and looks the same.

This happens to me a lot.

1) It's January. If you have doubts, put on the back burner until spring.
2) If cost is an issue, then it may be a bum idea.

What I mean from that last one, is that I get a lot of wild-hare ideas, but when I start checking prices, it usually sobers me up.

Idea: what about a el-cheapo solution? Lord knows I've done that before.

What I mean is there are plenty of single-shot rifles out there. Maybe they're not as sentimental as what you mentioned, but the idea ends up being the same. There is a single-shot Traditions 44 Mag on Gunbroker right now for under $90. Sometimes you can have quite an adventure starting with the bottom of the barrel.

I have done the whole gamut, single, shots, open sights, MZ, and AR's. I have returned to the boring modern bolt action rifles. They are used for my social, relaxed, enjoyable, stress free rifle hunts. I enjoy going to range and working up loads, banging LR steel. I find it very therapeutic and great stress reliever. That is, when I have time.

I use traditional archery equipment, so I get all the challenge I need there.

I picked up a Swedish roller last summer. Having a blast playing with. Mounted a Lyman #2 on back and a Swiss diopter on front. It is about .050 in length from being our 50\70. Use 50 Alaskan brass trimmed to length and you are good to go. So far have used BP sub under the 450gr Lee cast. Might gravitate to Holy Black soon. It was made in 1871 and is in wonderful shape. 300 dollar range. The stuff that can keep you from going crazy this time of year.

Owned the 38-55 Traditional Hunter for awhile and was tremendously impressed with it. Never shot anything but cast and it grouped beautifully. I did put a Shaver soule on it. Won our informal buffalo match with it against some fine shooters. Let a friend have it when we stopped doing the buff matches.

It is a beautiful rifle and superbly accurate. There are many options out there, but you won't regret getting the TH if you go that route!

centershot,

As far as I can remember, have had something like the same affliction ever since I was around 8 years old--except that I haven't gotten bored with modern rifles.

My collection includes "traditional" muzzleloaders, and cartridge rifles made from over 150 years ago to last year. Have gone through periods of collecting (and hunting with) Winchester single-shots (mostly original), Savage 99s (including one 1895), both old Marlin and Winchester lever-actions, pre-'64 Model 70s, Ruger No.1s, drillings, etc. Among other stuff, have done an all iron-sight African safari, and used a pre-'64 70 .270 to take a bull caribou at 350 yards--with an equally old Lyman aperture sight and the factory front bead. My guess is that boredom with modern rifles requires a regular treatment with older stuff to appreciate the history of sporting rifles!

I have a 1873 made in 1884. It’s a 38-40, fun to kill pigs with. Savage 99’s are fun too.

Love taking deer with my 1886 Win, 33 WCF..Tats a thumper of a round.

One thing to consider is your eyesight. I have one of the Low Wall .44s and it's a bit of a struggle for me to shoot it well with the irons. Depending on the day, a +1.5 or +2.0 works. I also replaced the bead with a Skinner blade, easier for me to get a clear sight picture with.

These little Brownings aren't drilled for mounts, but I just found a Skinner dovetail adapter that will let me mount a tiny red dot or See All in place of the rear leaf. No permanent mods to the pricey little rifle required.

The High Walls in .38/55 are still to be had, but pretty expensive. Low Walls like mine are a bit less and usually have really nice, sometimes stunning wood. Since the sights are the limitation for me and it weighs a lot less, I'm sticking with the .44. Out West, the .38/55 might be better, or if you can find one (good luck!) one of the Browning .30/30s.

If you want to try out the concept on the cheap, pick up one of the Henry Single Shots. It's a break-action (kipplauf), but is pretty nice looking and comes in .30/30, .44, and .45/70, I'll bet that .45/70 is pretty sporty on the back end. Other than the heavy trigger, easily fixed with a spring, I've not heard any complaints from owners, and I like my .308 a lot. Nice wood, blued steel, $400.

Get yourself a '74 Shiloh Sharps rifle and learn to cast bullets, both paper patch and grease groove, the most satisfaction I've ever had with a sporting arm, nothing more fun than when you cast, load and shoot a black powder powered 1.5" three shot group on 500 yard steel with buckhorn ladder barrel sights and a copper penny blade front sight, everything has to perfectly align at those times of course, but what a blast!

Quigley, is that you?

When I'm lucky ; ]

I just had a High Wall built in 38-55 and couldn't be happier with it. I shot a deer with it and she folded like a cheap suit.

I've kind of gone toward older guns myself, the "newest" rifle I used last year was a Remington 740 in 300 Savage. It was meant to be my bad weather gun. My primary rifles were a pair of Savage 1899s in 25/35 and 38/55 along with a Standard Arms Model G in 35 Rem. Alas, they went unblooded this year.

The last few years have seen me using and taking deer with both original and Uberti Winchester 1876s in 45/60, Savage 1899/99s in 22 Savage, 250, 303, 30/30, and 300 Savage, Savage 1920 in 250/3000, a Winchester 1907, Krag 1894 and 1896 in 30/40, Springfield 1868 in 50/70, Uberti Remington Rolling Block in 45/70, and Remington 8/81 in 25, 30, 32, and 35 Rem cartridges.

In the wings I have a Wincheter 1910, repro Winchester 92 in 45 Colt, and a pre-charger bridge SMLE to take out. I have some WWII and earlier Arisakas, SMLEs, 98s, Mosins, and 1903s I would like to get out also. It was much easier to fill these itches back when tags were more liberal but now it is going to take longer with a one or maybe two deer limit in most areas I hunt.

You need to check in on the Loony thread.

I enjoy my lever guns including my Shiloh Sharps when I'm bored with shooting .3 inch groups with my bolt guns...

Been interesting reading through this thread. It appears that I'm not alone in wanting/needing to change it up once in a while. The more I read and look around the more the Winchester 1885 Traditional Hunter in 38-55 seems like what I'm after. In no big hurry and would actually like to see one in person before dropping that kind of $ sight unseen. I have seen the 1885's in modern calibers around so I have a pretty good idea what it would (will?) be like. Fun to ponder anyway.

I don't have any "new' rifles. Right now I am tinkering with a 1907 Winchester 94 in 38-55. I put a globe sight on the front this week and a Lyman tang sight arrived yesterday.Waiting for some .381 bullets powder coated from Penn Bullets now. Also have a 1901 or so Marlin 94 in 38-40, 1964 Winchester 88 in.308, M1 Garand, 1974 TC Hawkin.

Elk rifle is a1952 Model 70 in.06.Pronghorn is a Swede Mauser in 6.5 or a old sportarized mauser in.243. Shotgun is Fox Sterling worth SXS era,1911.Wife has newer Franchi though.

Ok! I posted these at Gunners request! I’ll let him explain them!!! 😊

#1

#2

#3

All I own are old wore out rifles and shotguns. I’ve posted their pics here before. I’m sure you would all be bored looking at them again. So I’ll refrain posting them. The newest rifles I own are all custom built flint and percussion traditional muzzleloaders. I was out chasing pigs with my model 1792 contract rifle tonight.

Thank You again for posting the pics KW.

All target pics shot with a Shiloh Sharps 45-110 and paper patch ammo I cast, wrapped and loaded myself, the rifle wears a buckhorn ladder barrel sight and one of Sharpsguys copper penny blade front sights.

Photo #1 5 rounds on a 400 yard gong shooting between the massive cross winds gust I had that day on the farm.

Photo #2 3 rounds on 500 yard steel checking bullet spin and wind drift, BIG crosswinds that day, 20 mph with gusts to 30 or more, hell of a test.

Photo #3 3 rounds into an inch and a half on 500 yard steel when all the stars align, absolutely NO wind that day, this is exceedingly rare with a rifle laying in your hand on top of a front rest, buttstock held against shoulder with rest of body slumped over a tall shooting table out in the pasture, when it happens, and has a half dozen times, it's beyond cool to see what these old Buffalo rifles were AND are capable of doing.

To the OP, these old/older style rifles are a hell of a lot of fun, particularly with cast lead bullets and black powder.

No one here with a brain would be bored KW, you have some damn cool wares, BTW, didn't you just get through shooting a nilgai bull in excess of 200 yards with an 1895 405 Winchester more than 100 years old?

Went through this awhile back. Fixed the itch with a couple of older Win lever guns and receiver sights.
Bob

M94 and a Redfield in .30-30. A little restoration work was done



M71 with a bolt peep



M64 IN .32 Special and a steel Lyman

RGK you're killing it!!!

Damn nice lever guns RGK.

Not quite 200, more like 125-130 yards, offhand at dusk. 1895 in .30 US Army mfg in 1915.

+1!!!! Very nice!!!

That's what I'm talking about KW, you do that too many more times you'll be down at Lowes buying another deep freezer! Congrats.

Got this cow with my 1895 in .35 WCF season before last.



And this little bull the season before the cow with same rifle.



Y’all know I like 1895’s. 😊

Good stuff Sir, and a semi load of good nutrition!

Thanks Gunner! I am an elkaholic. I do like eatin’ em!!!

Welcome, and lordy damn I do.

Looks like a Lyman 21 on that '95...kinda rare, and very nice (I like the elk, too!).
Bob

Beautiful lever guns RGK. Those rifles have always been classy, but in today’s world of plastic and stainless, they’re a beautifully refreshing break from the new norm.

I love your ‘95’s Woodie. I just returned a buddies first year ‘95 today. I don’t own one, but would like to own a carbine someday in .30 Govt.

Ah, man. Now you have me plotting for a Sharps....

Don't think I'll do anything to this one, except shooting it. Definitely more fun than a plastic stocked, stainless Creedmoor.
Bob

Yes it does, RGK. I also put one of the Providence tool 21’s on my old Browning 95 in 30 Govt 1906

.25-20...more fun that a barrel of monkeys.



Don't be makin' fun of Gramps first gun, it might hurt you, even over a hundred years since he bought it.

Welcome to the Dark Side Friend.

Cool old rifles Men, Dan, I was able to bust a wide 6pt buck at 30 yards this year on the last day of a Christmas modern gun hunt with a 150 year old original sharps Buffalo rifle in 45-110, hit him dead in the chest from the ground, bullet exited ham, DRT, had a damn go-pro strapped to the top of my head, got it on film, I load the old rifle with a 514gr paper patch from a Mos mould Sharpsguy gave me, load it just like the Sharps Rifle Factory loaded the 45-110 ammo they sent out to the Buffalo Hunters, 100 grains of 1F still works.

You should shoot a buffalo with it....

I will Buddy, next Buffalo hunt that comes up, it will get the job.

Digital Dan suggested I post over here from the "bored with modern rifles" thread. I don't consider myself a rifle looney as I am not into the intracacies of Handloading and am more of a "shooter" type. My primary focus has been shotgunning with rifles coming into play in the last 20 years or so. I do seem drawn to oddities of both rifle and cartridge so maybe I am more a junior Looney or a Looney in training.

I gravitate towards Remington Model 8 and 81 rifles along with their competition. I have Winchester 1905, 1907, and 1910 rifles with the 1910 coming up for hunting soon. My favorite is a Standard Arms Model G in 35 Rem that is currently waiting parts to fix an issue. Lucky it is one of the few areas one can still find parts.

I also like Savage 1899/99 rifles and have a couple handfuls in all the Savage cartridges, 25/30, 38/55, 30/30, and 358. I am not much into Winchester rifles but I do have an original 1886 in 45/60 as well as a repro 1886 in 45/60 and a repro 1892 in 45 Colt. I am down to two Marlin lever actions, a 39 and a 36 rifle in 35 Rem.

The old bolt rifles I have are primarily military rifles both original and Bubba'd. I do have a Savage 1920 in 250/3000 that is kind of neat. I am down to 3 pre-'64 M-70s in 308, 30/06, and 300 H&H.

My "custom" and walk about varmint rifle is a Savage 99 TD that I had rebarreled to 219 Zipper. It is unblooded so far but it is a neat gun to shoot. By other walk abouts are Rem 700 in 223 and 22/250.

My large bores are a pair of 375 H&H, one Savage and the other an Interarms Mark X. I also have a CZ 550 in 416 Rigby. The 45/60s and a repro Rolling Block in 45/70 finish the big bores.

Looking in the cupboard I see I have 67 cartridges I shoot and have dies for, three die sets I don't have a gun chambered for - yet- and two cartridges I don't have dies for. I probably won't get dies for the 6mm Lee/Navy but I am looking for some 32 S&W dies for cheap. If 32 S&W Long dies will work then I am down to two dies and one one cartridge I can't use.

As for more modern guns, I have 4 AR-15, 1 AR-10, an SKS, and an M-1A. Except for the SKS, they are all recent acquires in the last decade. I was never into them but won one in a drawing and discovered how fun they can be.

That's my tale so far, I might add or subtract from it as time marches forward.

You're a Loony, 100% certified.

Surprised that buck didn't just turn into red mist, hooves to horns.

Cast bullet shooter par excellence:

Oh that’s very pretty!!!!!!

Tomorrow's classics will be anything with a wood stock on it.

Pretty much the truth, today!

Those Win 1895s are ugly, butt I'd love to have one😀

Centershot,

I hunt mostly in eastern Washington, which is similar to Idaho in terrain and types of game (certainly not the same quality as Idaho). I also have gone through some fatigue with the way the bolt action market has gone. I guess for no other reason besides defiance, I have also acquired some single shots and replaced the scope off of a pre-64 M70 with an aperture sight. I have an 1885 Traditional Hunter in 45-70 and a Ruger No. 1-S in 30-06 (kind of want the same rifle in 35 whelen).

At first, I bought the 1885. Then I decided that I wanted something that shot a bit flatter, so I went to the Ruger in 30-06. I like it, but also wanted the option to have faster follow-ups, so I replaced the scope on my M70.

I like leverguns. Old , new or otherwise. Most fit a saddle scabbard really well, less interfering when horseback.
I am pretty dulled by all the tactical and long range chat these days. It takes little talent to use a lead sled, imo
Savage 99's, Win 95 & 94's, Browning BLR's always get a second look. I have a few Jack handles as well( syn/ stainless) but I use a takedown BLR for my hunting these days. One of three gets the pick. Just my way

Rugers to the left of me, CZ's to the right- stuck in the middle with you.

Mossberg?

There is always single shots that burn coal.

Winchester M52.

I'm a big fan of pre64 M70's or a custom build. My last two customs were for older cartridges the previously mentioned High Wall in 38-55 and a Manlicher stocked 6.5X55. No Creedmore's here.. One of my favorite M70's is a 300 Savage.

Would love me a Hepburn!

Yep, I really appreciate Pre 64 M 70 ACTIONS. The rifles themselves.... ho hum.
Back in the 80s into the 90s I hit EVERY gun show within reasonable driving distance. Extremes were Tulsa, Ok C, and
FT. Worth Tx. I handled more Pre 64s than I can possibly remember. NOT ONE of them impressed in looks or feel.
I could have bought a truck load for $ 400.00 ea. (Wish Now I Had.... for Resale)

Other new rifles were $ 150.00-200.00.


I have owned or played with every cartridge that interests me from .223--,338 edit - .358 (Whelen) I'm very happy with my assortment and would love to own certain Brand Rifles, eg. "Colt Sauer", "Kleingunther", certain Sakos, etc.
I still want to play with a .416 RM. I have absolutely NO reason to own one but I'd like to play with one.

I haven't shot a charcoal burner since 2011 and have NO plans to do so. NO OFFENSE, diff personalities.

I ain't bored.


Jerry

There are many "roads less traveled" for we Loonies to take. Ain't it great?!!

kaywoodie, your definitely a hunter with good taste in rifles. very impressive. RGK, I'll be dreaming about that M64 winchester tonight, just beautiful.

Yes it is.

It is ALSO great that we ALL don't like the same thing. Ain't it ?

Jerry

Yep. How boring would that be?

There'd be nothing to argue about.

Jerry

Here's a fun one-
It's a special order Savage in 303 that was used in the silent movies. Story goes it was nickel plated so it would show up better in the old black and white films. Ended up making a display case setup for it. This would keep me interested while hunting.

That is pretty cool...

Makes me want to cerakote one that color

Jayzus, Roy. I forgot about that one. Thanks for sharing. How does it shoot?

About like a 30-30 I'd imagine.

Ya, probably.

Centershot,

Don't know what you are leaning toward but the WWII era stuff can still be found at affordable prices.

When the smoke cleared blowing North, there he lay, not a twitch, I walked the 30 over to him, already glass eyed!

Is it this one Gunner???

LOL, That's him KW, Thank you Sir. our buddy Sharpsguy told me how long the rifle was, I measured it against the top of that buck, the rifle liked a good three inches being as long as the deer, netting us over 51 inches of penetration, that buck was a 200 pound pig, an old and a spindly racked 6pt, he needed to be culled from the herd.

BTW KW, did you notice the forearm wear on that old Buffalo Rifle? it had to have traveled 10,000 miles on horseback to get that kind of wear across a saddle, not to mention the 1000's of rounds torquing off shooting sticks.

👍👍👍

I never could get the Sharps bug either. Now my late compadre had it bad. It was sad that he could not enjoy his several Sharps rifles in his later days.

For a big bore of the era I always leaned more toward them big St. Louis built mountain rifles! 😉

10-4, and yes, different strokes is what makes this sport so GREAT! damn, sad indeed on your old Bud, i'll dump my wares when I can't carry them in the woods to hunt, going to run the out of sight out of mind deal.

I found this opd photo from 2015 of my old childhood compadre and my oldest son,Postoak Cowboy here on the forum. Old friend lurked extensively on this forum, but never posted. He did post a bunch on the Sharps forum. He passed while I was at the Rocky Mtn National Rendezvous in July. I got to spend some good time with him before I left for the doins’.

Ok son has his Montana Roughrider Sharps in photo. ( Montana Roughrider always sounded to me like something you bought outta one of them little machines in a truckstop restroom) LOL! But ot is a very nice and well built rifle. 45 x 2 1/10" ctg.

The other three Sharps in the pic belonged to Compadre.



Photo made up in his old stone ranchhouse.

Cool stuff KW, bet your old Bud lived a hell of a life!

We got in a bunch of schidt together. We were both born in the same year. But I was born in January and he December. So we were almost a year apart. We met when we moved back to Austin in 1969.

Yeah, and as your Son and me were busy minding the grill, coolers and keeping the smoke lit, we'd git to hear about ALL of it, from both of you, what a fun weekend that would have been.

LOL. His mom was a hoot. She taught me how to gut and skin a deer!