Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Talk me out of another rifle

Howdy all, I'm new to the campfire (been reading, shadowing and taking notes for a whole bunch of years, but never bothered to register).

I've been waffling, and heavily on the fence about getting another rifle.

My main gun that I've owned and used for years is a well-traveled .35 Whelen in a Rem 700 action that a fella down in Texas made custom more years ago than I can recall. I love everything about that rifle except the lack of controlled round feed. I still have dreams of going after Alaskan peninsula browns one day - maybe, or musk ox.

I've had others, and dearly loved a .416 Rigby, built on a BRNO 602. Some years back, another fella liked that Rigby more than I did, and I sold it to him.

I've been happy with my Whelen for 10+ years now, and 250gr. Nosler partitions at 2600 fps seems to do just fine.

A few weeks back, my son and I discussed going on a Bison "hunt" in Ohio to put some meat in the freezer, and the thought of a bison has me missing my Rigby. Plus, my son wants my BigHorn Model 89 in .500SW for his college graduation. He wants to shoot a buffalo with that Model 89, so that'll be our rifle for this trip in a few weeks.

I've got 2 holes now in my safe, and I've been waffling on maybe getting a .375 HH - or even a .404 Jeffery to replace it. The .375 seems more sensible. I've never reloaded, but I'm not opposed to it - especially since ammo for the .35 Whelen seems to be getting more scarce every year.



Typically, I hunt whitetail deer, and maybe the occasional bison

You could kill Ohio bison with a 22.

Get a .375 H&H.

Seems like you got a few shekels in the coffer. Buy a bunch of guns. I look at my collection as more of a golf bag, there’s a rifle for every situation (sometimes five). I’m having a .35 whelen built on a M70 Classic Stainless right now. It’ll be redundant to other whelens, but I don’t care. You could go to a local butcher and get some dandy freezer beef, but shooting a bison in Ohio is just cooler. Dare to dream and make some cool mistakes.

The buffalo is mostly for my son - he's been trying to get a deer for 4 years now and hasn't ever gotten one. But between his ROTC and college schedule, I admit we haven't spend as much time in the woods in a while - just shooting at the range, and even that hasn't been as much the last year or so. At any rate, it'll get him a photo-op with the .500 and a buffalo, and it'll get me a ribeye.

Golf-bag I reckon is a fair assessment. I've got plenty smaller (if you count .30-06, .308, .243, and 6.5 CM smaller), but when I got rid of the Rigby, and now my son wants that .500 SW levergun - that puts the Whelen as my top-end gun, and I'm starting to feel "loudenboomer-ish" again.

I know I don't need it, but I reckon a .375 would fit the bill. And yeah, I was thinking to call someone and have one built like I wanted it. I was thinking Satterlee and having them build on one of their Titanium Mauser 98 actions.

Hell, I’ll get you started with a M70 .375 h&h in a tupperware stock. Hunt as is, or turn it into something over the top

Talk me out of another rifle?

You have come to the wrong place my friend.

We are a bunch of enablers.

[quote=Alexicacon] I love everything about that rifle except the lack of controlled round feed. I still have dreams of going after Alaskan peninsula browns one day - maybe, or musk ox. [quote]


I'm likely not telling you anything you don't know but you can still kill a brown bear and even a musk ox without CRF.

So...

You've got a golf bag of rifles to use and a son in college

If you were to leave your son one rifle... One Rifle

No, buy all you can!

[quote=nyrifleman]Talk me out of another rifle?

You have come to the wrong place my friend.

We are a bunch of enablers.
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That was my First Thot !!

Jerry

👍

I got to hold an authentic JH Rigby & Sons in .416 Rigby once. Serial number on the gun was 3. It was a moving experience. Both getting to hold it, and looking at the price sticker the store wanted for it. It was priced right to sell too ... if it were a 3 bedroom 2 bath house.

Hell no! Word might get back to my wife on what I've done and she will use those same words on me. Like nyrifleman said above, you've come to the wrong place. Our job is to talk you into it.

Welcome to the fire. I'll leave the rest of that greeting to someone else.

Don’t worry about needing CRF. Your PF 700 is really good and reliable. Actually easier to get to function perfectly than a CRF.

If you need 35 W ammo just send a PM. I have plenty and reasonably priced.

When I'm eyeing a new rifle I say to myself, would I rather have this new gun or that same amount of $ in ammo for my existing rifle. Most of the time buying more ammo wins.

Sending you a PM, sir. Or I thought I was - says I'm not a big enough member level yet -- Please send me a PM and I will see if it lets me respond to you.

Not that it gets you a ton over the Whelen, but a 9.3x62 is cooler than 375 and I'm guessing your Brown bear guide wouldn't sneeze at a 286 partition.

Very cool gift for your son. He'll remember that trip forever.

get a 375 H&H its more common to buy ammo for, otherwise get 338 Lapua that has gotten to be real popular easy to find ammo for , very accurate and this cartridge the 338 Lapua shoots a long ways out too.

The stamp "338 Lapua" on any barrel is a lie. What that rifle is actually chambered for is $10 bills!

Seriously though, guns are in a finite and unique category. How many things do you spend money on that will last multiple lifetimes? (Quality cast iron pans come to mind but you don't hold them and dream of far off places) A rifle can be an investment in a tool. For some that is all it is. Even at that it is expected to be used for years and years.
Some of my are guns are just tools but others keep me motivated.
By the 375 H&H