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I've seen lots of threads about which rifle to get youngsters but what about octagenarians? Have y'all in your 70s or 80s found a want for a different type of rifle? As in switching from bolts to levers or autos?

Well, I’m 72, and I have found (as my Dad did before me) that favorite rifles do put on weight as they age. His solution was a Ruger 77 Ultralight in 270 and a 2-7 Leupold scope. My solution is a Tikka T3 Lite Stainless in 260 and a Leupold VX5 3-15. Dad’s Ultralight 270 would loosen your tooth fillings with recoil, but he had no problem with that.

My Tikka has a 20” barrel, which makes it easier to handle in an enclosed deer blind. As an option, if you like the Ruger idea, is to find an Ultralight tang safety Model 77 and rebarrel it in 257 or 257 AI.

Just FYI, Dad killed his lifetime best buck at age 82, using a crossbow.

At 58, I'm pretty much done with anything bigger than a 30-06. I'm rediscovering the 308 right now and thinking of rediscovering the 243.


Okie John

Hard to argue with a 708 for young, old, and everyone in the middle.

Still using the same rifles I’ve been using for the last 40+ years, they do seem to be gaining a little weight though.

Not 70 yet, but lightweight is the way I'm going these days. My rifle is either on my shoulder, or more often carried Indian carry in the crook of my left arm. A 9-pounder gets shifted around on the 3/4 mile walk to where I usually hunt, but a 6 or 7-pounder stays in one place the whole time, and is easy to one-hand by the grip while using the other to part brush etc.

Still have a couple heavy ones, but they don't get out much. Even a .270 is a bit much for our scrawny deer.

Just use what you grew up with.

PB Jaeger by Steve Zihn, on [bleep]

I'm 61 and I don't shoot my 300 Wby as much anymore.

I’m 67, still shooting the same rifles.

First year Remington M700 Classic, 270 Win. exclusively since 1980, no need to change now.

It really is incredible what a .223 with a good bullet will do to a deer or pig.

You haven't worn out the barrel yet?

For performance vs recoil that is a very good cartridge.

Still under 70 here. I got one of the new lightweight box magazine fed bolt gun wonders last fall to see what there was to see. Familiarity breeds contempt in this case. Everything about it insults my senses. It feels junky, it looks like hell, it doesn't carry well, it's not really all that light, the magazine sucks, but I got it shooting decently under 1/2". It wouldn't break my heart if someone borrowed & never returned it. It may be a good 1st beater rifle for one of the grandkids.

I just picked up a new 700 LR from a seller on here. Nice rifle & it seems to shoot pretty good so far, but Remington's QC is in the crapper. The bolt almost binds & it leaves nasty long scratches on the brass, cause as yet undetermined. Hoping it all goes away with use. If it was test fired or at least the action cycled it must have been on a Friday at 4:55 PM. One of the newer M70s may be in my future. I still like nicely figured walnut & blued metal best of all, but am guilty of enjoying stainless & composite ownership if it's nicely done. Most of my shooting is at paper these days so weight isn't much of an issue.

My magnum calibers are gone except for 2, replacing them with .473 base cases. The newer beltless magnums are interesting & I may snag one some day, but nothing is really making my leg tingle. Wishing those 257 Roberts & 250/3000 700 Classics were still in the closet. A single shot or two might follow me home one day as well. No real use for black guns, but they're fun to ching steel with. I may have to get one if guv'nur Coonman says I cant have one. Just because M1As are way over budget anymore.

I am a bit older than the original poster but still using a rifle that I bought new in 1971. It has been re-barreled.

Admittedly I would love to try a Christensen Ridgeline.

74 here and pretty much grab the Roberts or the Swede on the way out the door.

I'll be 73 in January and still my .270 is usually my first thought to shoot deer or hogs. It just does it so well and sweetly. The recoil with my post 63 Model 70 is substantial because it's very light. But I don't care, it kills with aplumb. or is that an apple? LOL!

Not a bad plan

Not quite to 70 yet, but going back to my 700 ss sps in 7-08. Handloaded with nosler 120 gr BT at 2650 fps. Shoots little groups with light recoil and very effective for east coast whitetails. Might have it cut to 20” to make it a little easier in the stand or blind.

My FC 6mm has turned out to be one of the smartest purchases I've made. Very light, well-balanced, and accurate. Carries like a .22. Feeds so slick I have to look twice to make sure it's loaded. Have two loads for it using 95gr BTs and LRXs that hit the same place out to 200 (so far), at about .75 MOA. Have a bunch of other bullets to try as well, but going with these for now.

The remaining ones out there are worth looking for.