Older model Savage, solid wooden stock, chambered in .308 and with a common Bushnell 3-9x40 scope on top. Freakin' tack driver... I will NEVER get rid of it!
If I had to hazard a guess, it would be my old tang-safety Ruger 77 .270, but that was a long time ago, and the barrel got shot too hard for too long.
Now I shoot a M70 Winchester in the same .270 Winchester, a Classic SM (Synthetic Matte), restocked with a B&C stock, and topped with a Leupold Vari-XII 3-9. Pretty plain vanilla rifle, really. Never had a moment's issue out of the thing. Once I zeroed the scope, it's never moved. 130 Sierra ProHunter/59.5 H-4831SC, about as boring as it gets. It just kills stuff. No arguments, no fuss. I call it "Old Death", whatever I point it at, dies. The prior Ruger was the same way, though.
You can roll a turd in peanuts, dip it in chocolate, and it still ain't no damn Baby Ruth.
I've shot the more deer with this .270 Featherweight from 1956 than any other rifle I've ever owned. For next season I'm swapping the 4x scope for 2.5-8. I got a couple of new to me rifles this year which could easily become favorites, a Ruger No. 1 in 6.5 CM and a Kimber Montana in .257 Roberts, but I've been hunting with the Model 70 since around 1995. Many other rifles have come and gone in that time. This is the only one that's stayed.
Shoot that changes with the wind. The last couple weeks my newly acquired TC Hawken is the meat getter. It has batted a thousand since day one. Even survived the USPS shipping test. Box was pert near destroyed but seller had taken apart and wrapped each half twice with bubble wrap . It one of them old ones too from like 19 and 71.
Hanco: I am "tied" in choosing a "favorite" between my heavy barrel Remington 700 Sendero in 270 Winchester with Leupold 6.5x20 variable scope or my tried and true, classic, pre-64 Winchester Model 70 in caliber 270 Winchester with Leupold 3.5x10 variable scope. I have killed a LOT of Deer, with a LARGE number of different calibers, but I seem to so often choose using one of my 270's when Deer Hunting. Long live the 270 Winchester - 98 years old and still going strong - for a reason! Hold into the wind VarmintGuy
As much as I love my 400 Whelen, I suppose if I had to choose just one it would be my KS mountain rifle in 300 H&H. I shot a lot of mule deer and whitetails with it prior to moving to Alaska. Now that we’re back in deer country it will probably see more use again as a deer rifle. It brought a few caribou to ground and went sheep and goat camping a few times.
Chronographs, bore scopes and pattern boards have broke a lot of hearts.
1st may say some great pictures and great post on what hunting rifle and caliber/cartridge everyone prefered was a wonderful read on all posts. i have shot animals with smaller caliber bullets to bigger bullets but my favorite is still just a 25 caliber bullet ,as far as a rifle i still just use a single shot rifle i see no reason for a repeater for deer or antelope hunting. but i still like a fast cartridge so for the last 20 some years like i have posted before still using my old Ruger #1 Brux barrel 257 Weatherby mag. and last fall " 2022 " i used Hammer Hunter .257 bullet 103 gr. at 3680 FPS was a great combo last fall and very accurate too. but when with my young grandson hunting with me in my stand again this next fall " 2023 " and myself turning 70 i will be starting to use another single shot in another Ruger #1 257 Roberts less recoil for the both of us ,but still a accurate 25 caliber bullet. thanks for posting too, Pete53
At 17 I bought a combination deer & elk rifle in the very coo 7mm Remington Magnum caliber my hunting idol shot for almost everything. There are better elk cartridges out there but I can’t imagine a more effective deer rifle. With 150 grain NBTs or TTSX my old 1976 “200th year of American Liberty” tang safety Ruger shoots very small groups and it just drops deer small & large in their tracks from up close to way out there. It’s wearing a 6th scope this season a Zeiss V4 & I’m looking forward to trying it out this year.
Back in the 1950s I thought the 32 Winchester Special from a model 64 Win was my favorite. I now hunt with a 6.5 CM Kimber Hunter and am sticking with it.
BE STRONG IN THE LORD, AND IN HIS MIGHTY POWER. ~ Ephesians 6:10
Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. --Winston Churchill
For the first time in at least a decade, I’ve killed all of my deer with the same rifle for two consecutive seasons. I’m using my Kimber Classic Select in 257 Roberts. I’m not sold on the 100 grain Sierra GameKing, which seems a bit too fragile within a couple hundred yards or so, but no deer has gone far after being hit. Pigs are another story which I was surprised by. The low recoil, what seems like a relatively mild report, and the looks and feel of the rifle all come together to make a rifle that’s a joy to hunt with. I’m sure I’ll end up changing things up again, but for now the 257R is king. My elk rifle is a 338F Montana. That rifle gets the nod for the bigger stuff and also in steep terrain. Also have a 223Rem Montana that has killed several deer and pigs. The 70 grain Speer SMP out of the 223 has been flawless on deer. I’ve got some 117 Sierra GK for the 257 that I’ll load this season. Thinking the higher SD and lower MV will address my concerns about penetration and bullet frangibility of the 257R with the 100SGK.
For the first time in at least a decade, I’ve killed all of my deer with the same rifle for two consecutive seasons. I’m using my Kimber Classic Select in 257 Roberts. I’m not sold on the 100 grain Sierra GameKing, which seems a bit too fragile within a couple hundred yards or so, but no deer has gone far after being hit. Pigs are another story which I was surprised by. The low recoil, what seems like a relatively mild report, and the looks and feel of the rifle all come together to make a rifle that’s a joy to hunt with. I’m sure I’ll end up changing things up again, but for now the 257R is king.
Starting next year I'll be doing most of my deer hunting with the 257 Roberts in a Kimber Montana. I made some test loads with IMR 4350 and Barnes 101 gr. LRX bullets. Waiting for decent weather to test them out. I expect it will become a favorite, time will tell.
