Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 1988 Halloween horror rifle poll...

We've had all kinds of "which rifle" polls over the years... but I love October and classic horror movies... so it's time for another.

In the penultimate scene of Halloween 4 (which is actually pretty awful and not a classic, but alas...), the sheriff, state troopers, and lots of rednecks from town unload on Michael Myers from about 10 yards away and blast him into a mine shaft.

So, if you found yourself living Haddonfield in 1988, and your buddies said "quick, grab a rifle and jump in the truck, we have to go get Michael Myers"... what are you grabbing from the safe?

There are only three rules: (1) it must be a rifle (no shotguns!); (2) it must be a rifle that you actually own and that existed in 1988; and (3) you can only choose one!


I would take along my JM stamped 336 in 30-30. I like the capacity, open sights, and rate of fire. Not a huge thumper, but at 10 yards, that's still a lot of energy. (My initial thought was a Win 670 in 9.3x62 with open sights -- rebored by JES from 30-06 -- that I've just finished rehabbing, built in the late 60s, but it wasn't a 9.3x62 in 1988... so I'm going to follow my own rules!)

My IMI Timberwolf pump in .44 mag.

In 1988 I had a British No. 4, .303 cal, with a new Lithgow barrel I'd had cut down to 20" and a half-length forend. A bit like a No. 5, but without the lightening cuts, uncomfortable butt "pad" and ineffective flash hider. 10 quick shots, and spare rounds in chargers to reload fast, it was a quick-handling little rifle with some firepower. I shot a lot of pigs with it, and I have little doubt it would do a similarly effective job for this scenario.

If it'll kill a lion, it *might* stop Michael Myers 😂😇

Probably my M1 Garand

Sporterized 03. Wish I had not sold it.

Thinking dangerous game reliability, so while I initially thought Remington 81 in 300 Savage, I’ll probably avoid the auto loader and go with the Marlin 1895 in 45-70.

Was in Bible College in '88, only had one rifle. A 1917 Enfield my uncle gave me as a teen. I had it sporterized, had a Tasco 4x with 4 Minute Dot ( I traded for it)! I did have some good loads for it, from 150gr Sierras to 200gr Sierra BT. I would have taken the 200gr!

You don't have to have owned it in 1988 to count, it just had to exist and you have to have owned it at some point. I.e., trying to avoid someone saying military machine gun or a more modern AR, etc.

You don't want to be signature guy in the movie whose gun jams or misfires at point blank range from the monster? 😂

M-1A, M-1 Garand, or a 7.62 AK.

M1 Carbine. 30 round magazine. Owned in 88, own it today.

I have no idea what would make the very the best Michael Myers’s stopper but that sounds about as good as any mentioned and a very cool rifle.

My No4 mk1 Lee-Enfield, wow, what a great rifle!

In '88 one could still probably find an M1A, MP5, or HK G3 w/sprinkle-settings for less than the cost of a new car, so, one of those.

But do you have one in the safe? The idea is what you'd grab from your own collection.

In 88 I didn't have a rifle except a 22 ( long story) I would have to grab the s&w 916 pump 12 ga .

It can be one you own now, it (the model/technology) just needs to have existed in 88.

Let me get this straight.

A gun I owned in 88' or a gun I now own but was available in 88'?

It just needs to be a gun you've actually owned and that existed (I.e., was possible for someone to own) in 1988. I was 2 in 1988, so I didn't own anything. But the Marlin 336 I chose existed and I currently own it.

I didn't think the criteria would be this confusing. They were just designed to keep people from choosing modern stuff that didn't exist in 1988 or stuff that a civilian couldn't havr access to now or then.