Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Do you still own/use your first big game rifle?

Yes, I still hunt with it . M70 30.06 got it in 1977, still has the Redfield 2-7 wide view scope that came on it.

Yes I still own it and use it. I'll never sell it. Purchased new by my parents for me when I was in high school. Blued, wood stocked ADL 700. It now resides in an ADL edge stock with TrigerTech trigger, burris xtb bases, APA low rings, and an NXS 2.5-10x32. It's very accurate and I really like the blue print/setup for an all around hunting rifle.

No, it's not my primary. Mainly because I like to hunt/use a lot of rifles, it's more gun than I need for most of my hunting, and it's not stainless. It could certainly work for everything I hunt and I need to use it more.

No.

It was a Savage 99C in .308 Win

It sucked.

Replaced it with a Model 70 Lightweight Carbine .308 Win.

It was SUPERB.

Yep. Rem 742 30-06 that I received for Christmas in '71. I refinished it about 5 years ago and retired it. It just got to be too heavy anymore. It killed a lot of deer for 45 years or so....and no, it never jammed.

Yep. Remington BDL in 270 Win. It’s retired now. Have moved on my 25’s.
GreggH

No. regretfully. Upon my exit from the Navy in 1986, I bought a 1903 Springfield that had been professionally sporterized. It was really nicely done with a simple yet very nice stock, complete with ebony fore end. It was not drilled and tapped but did have a nice set of sights on it. I didn't need a scope, I could see back then.
Sold it to pay out of pocket for a minor auto accident instead of turning it in on my insurance. Major mistake on my part. I learned that lesson...

No, it was stolen over 35 years ago.

Yes. I am younger, my 1st was a M77 MKII chambered in 260 Rem. Dad got it for me in 2003. That has been my primary deer gun ever since. Have others, just have a hard time not reaching for the 260. Have taken probably 25+ deer with it, no fuss. Also shot my largest buck with it which was a 129 1\2. Not big by many standards, but big for me. That one was taken at 80 yards, 11:30 on the last day of season. Was quartered hard away, slipped a 140 accubond right in front of the hindquarter and it traveled the length of the deer and exited. Deer only went 30 yards. My theory is "Why mess with what works?" Vut there is a very high chance I will take my 358 Win this year. May loan out the 260 just so it still gets used!

Yep. My grandfather bought me and my brother both Win 1894s in 30-30 when I was 9 and my brother was 10. Still have the rifle and still shoot it and take it into the field. The first rifle I ever bought for myself was a rem 700 ADL in 7mm Rem Mag that I bought with lawn mowing money at the age of 13 which would have been 1977. It is till my go to rifle and has taken a huge number of game animals in the USA, Canada and Africa.

I still own it, but I don’t use it. It’s a model 700 is 308, that I bought new in 1969.

This Model 94 was under the Christmas tree long ago when I was 13 years old. I'm 62 now and took it to Montana with me last year for my whitetail B-Tag. Our friend and host enacted a new ranch rule that only iron sighted lever actions could be used for our B-Tags. Only too happy to oblige!
Rex

Steve Redgewell: Indeed I do still have/own the "family Deer Rifle" from my youth.
I shot my first Mule Deer with the family Rifle in 1959 at age 12 with this Rifle (Wolf Canyon - Okanogan area taxington).
It is a slightly sporterized (stock only?) Winchester Model of 1917 in caliber 30/06.
Later that year I taught myself to reload ammo for it using a Lee Loader type tool.
Thank goodness I still have all my fingers and eyes.
Our family was poor and used the one Rifle for many years.
My father eventually gave it to me late in his life - I cherish that humble gun.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
P.S.: Just realized that the Mule Deer I harvested with that gun was 62 (sixty two) plus years ago.
Times flies.

1974 Remington 788 243 Winchester. Still have it. Haven't shot it in years.

Ron

I do! A mid-80's 70 Featherweight PF in .270Win. Haven't shot it in years.

Marlin 336 Centennial (coin thing in stock) 30-30, first rifle.

Weatherby Vanguard (before there was more than one model) 243
first rifor I bought.

Have them both, haven't been fired this century.

Late 60's Marlin 336 .35 and many of my friends shot deer with it over the years. It goes to camp every year. Quality.

Yes

Kind of... 1974 Remington 700 in 6mm Remington. New to me in 1974.

These days my youngest son uses it, though I still load for it and put a few shots through it now and then.

His bigger rifle is a 30-06 Model or 1917 "sporterized" by my Dad when he got home from WWII and a few more years in the late 1940's.

A good rifle, decently cared for, can last several generations.

Regards, Guy

marlin 336 /35 remington use it twice a year when we do our annual deer/bear hunt in ny & maine

Also a Marlin 336/35. Was a gift back in 1975? Shot my first deer with it. Still take it out occasionally.