Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Bolt guns of the 80's and 90's

I've got one in a 22-250 in the safe.

The older I get, the more I am drawn to blued steel and hand checkered walnut. I never owned any back in the day, but would like to get my hands on a couple.

I have a soft spot for the bolt action rifles I grew up with—700, 600, 660, 788, 77, 70, and so on. When I see a older bolt action sitting on the gun rack all by its lonesome surrounded by those scary black rifles more times than not I “rescue” it and bring the rifle home with me.

Wring it out, make it shoot well, then sometimes sell it, but often keep it.

I’m afraid I’m gonna end up with so many rifles I’m becoming the rifle loony version of the crazy cat lady......

In the end, as much as I like blued/ walnut, all my serious hunting rifles are SS/synthetic.

Here are three. The Ruger MKII .300WM on the left was factory, $395 at Sportsman's Warehouse on close out, 2001. Liked it so well I purchased a .270 Win take-off for a laminate MKII .30-06 I purchased used in 2010. When I cobbled together a .338WM on a naked Ruger MKII action, I bought another boat paddle from gunpartscorp.com for $70. Stuck a Limbsaver 1" pad on that one.

You folks have no idea. I think that I have between 50 -70 rifles from this period. I picked up a Mohawk 660 in 350 Remington yesterday for 450. It is a little earlier. One of the hidden gems are Weatherby Vanguard(Pre DLX) that are accurate and very nice rifles. They came with a target. Mine was and is half MOA.

If I ever run across a 660 in 6.5 RM at a decent price.......

My two favorite Walnut stocks are the Remington 700 Mountain Rifle stock and the Ruger 77 Hawkeye walnut. Have an unfired stainless 77 MKII
Zytel with sights in .243 that I removed from the factory boat paddle stock and put in a walnut Hawkeye stock.
A favorite combination!

Yes sir that happened to me....: I have a mixed bag of stainless synthetic and blues walnut guns. But my heart goes for the walnut wood but on rainy deer hunting days my stainless synthetics come out.

Just dropped my .308 boat paddle off at a shop to consign.
Neat rifle, but w my #1 kinda sorta behaving, and me liking my Steyr PH.......kind of a duplicate.
Have a beater 760 for timber duty as well.


Odd, I have two new rifles and three from the 60's. Only one from the 80/90 was the boat paddle.
Had plenty in the past, couple dozen over the years, but don't need more rifles.

Need more time, health.......and a camper so i can get out and use what I have.

Couple rigs I've had from the 80s...kinda miss both. 243 mtn rifle and 270 winlite.

I like the old Sako’s

I like the old 1950’s Savage 99’s too

Have done that a few times LOL, recently a Sako Forester.
Nobody paid any attention to it at the LGS.
But to avoid being a loony, have decided to let it go. Have another rifle in same (.243 win) that I'm deeper into.

Thanks for a great Thread with greater message!!! Blued steel & wood +++++1!

My stable pointedly reaching back into the interwar years with due representation from Winchester Model 54 and Remington Model 30 rifles! Honest, simple heavy duty guns. Due consideration & mention of the Remington pump series Models 14 & 141; the several fine lever guns as Savage & Marlins reflected above; of course the Winchesters! I could too easily start waxing nostalgic about S&W and Colts as well! For me, the 'sweet spot' in guns, the Twentieth Century with the high point perhaps fifties to early sixties! Such as myself 'coming of age' in USAF!

I can appreciate the 'new stuff' attraction and more power to those, many of whom more focused on 'techie' elements; "specs" absolute focus as a generational phenomenon. Myself, specs important; but the means rather than the end! Ultimately, as owning a classic car, appreciating the 'object' for itself, enjoying 'gettin' down the road. Smelling the roses... and the gun oil!

Guns nowadays trying to compete in an ever "new & improved" mindset market, requiring ever increasing hype & gismos where logic doesn't always follow. The 'quick fix' techie gadget assist for deferred acquiring attainable skills... Not the answer!

Just my take
Best! Happy Holidays & Keep Safe!
John

I'm kinda old school, set and forget scopes of duplex reticle.
Like em on fantastic plastic and older walnut rigs equally.
I rarely shoot past 300 around here (even on varmints).

Must say, real or imagined, late season hunts the wood stocks feel better on my hands/cheek.

Used to see ADL's and Sportsman 78's as cheapies. They were.

Now, compared to today's stuff, they are pretty nice.

Those ADL's used nicer walnut than many better guns get today.


Favorite deer rifle is a 660 308.

After it got a shortened Brown Precision with a Decelerator.

Yeah, I had a Mohawk .243, the ol lady liked it.
As a kid had a 660 in .222

Been thinking a reg 600 in rib..........just to be goofy LOL.

The old Kleinguenther K-15’s are nice too!

This is my best looking rifles, the left is an Iver Henriksen marked 25 Niedner and a C grade 700, 7 mag.

Kleinguenther k14's weren't so bad either I do have one in a 25/06r and one in a 308 win