Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Most underrated Rifle and caliber

That has not been my experience over several African safaris from 1993 onward. Several of the PHs I've hunted with used the .458 as their backup, some with experience as far back as the "bad factory ammo" days--which they fixed by handloading. Those PHs uses a variety of rounds for dangerous-game backup, from the .375 H&H to .500 Nitro Express, but the .458 more often than any other.

Might also nominate the Remington 700 as the most underrated rifle. It recently got bad-mouthed for bolt handles breaking off, by somebody who'd never actually seen that happen--but read about it on the Internet. I mentioned that I've fired at least 20,000 rounds from various 700s, according to my handloading/hunting notes, and seen another 80,000 or so fired by other people. Have yet to see a bolt handle come off, or an extractor break.

Though must admit that one of those rifles is actually a Remington 722, my grandmother's .257 Roberts, made in 1953. Inherited it after it roamed around the family for a while--six members of which used it on big game and various varmints. Since I got it Eileen and I have put over 1000 rounds through it, but don't know how much the others shot it. It still shoots very well, and I killed a pronghorn with it at 350 yards not too long ago.

But have used various 700s much harder, including a heavy-barreled .223 that's the most accurate mass-produced factory rifle I've ever owned--and my second 700, a .270 Winchester ADL that after epoxy-bedding would group three shots into 1-1/4", at 300 yards.

Oh, and never had any trouble with the original Walker trigger either. There are real reason there have been over 5 million 700s produced....

Hard to argue with the 700, & I'll go a little further & say specifically the KS series from around '85-2000'ish.

Every single one in several calibers I've either seen or owned has been an absolute hammer, accuracy wise.

With stocks just made for my taste with the best tuned factory (CS) triggers I've uver used in a hunting rifle.

Also the early Ti series, IMO.

Also gotta call out for the early (pre safety) Marlin 1895's.

As for cartridges, definitely the 7-08, which runs right with the new darling 6.5 Creed, with good BC bullets.

Also, the 45-70 in handloads with modern bullets from 300p-400 gr with modern powders in modern rifles like the Marlin 1895 & Ruger #1, within it's range limitations. An absolute hammer on game.

MM

I had the handle come off of a mid 70's .221 Fireball pistol. Does that count ?? As I recall that is a 600 action and not a 700. I did send the bolt back to Remington and it appears they soldered it back on or replaced it.

kwg

On my most recent buffalo hunt the PH carried a lovely M70 .458 WM. A lot of miles on it, but well cared for. He hand loaded Barnes solids for it.

1980s Winchester 70 XTR featherweight Winlite in 270, 280, 30-06 etc. I have not owned one that was not accurate. They have excellent early McMillan stocks in Winchester Featherweight pattern. They have the older/better Winchestet trigger. They are lightweight and well balanced. Most people don't even know what they are aside from a Winchester 70 with a synthetic stock.

All this 243 talk has reminded me that in Australia it was the 243 that showed me how lousy my 338 was as a culling rifle. Like the 223, the 243 seems to have two large camps. Those who swear they will never use it and it will be the worst decision of anyone’s life if they do decide to use it on big game, and those that happily use it on big game all the time.

Marlin XS7 (short action) and XL7 (long action). I had the XL7 in 25-06. It was accurate, had a comfortable, well-shaped synthetic stock, and it was cheap. It never should have been discontinued.

The 25-06 is dying off, as are all of the quarterbores, but it could do anything up to and including elk with good bullets.

Any of the 358’s. Especially the 358 Norma.

Also a blanket on anything Remington introduces with the exception of the 7mm Rem Mag. That was about the only thing that they successfully promoted. Not sure how and why but Remington has a laundry list of great cartridges that they absolutely screwed up. Just look at the 280 Remington or 7mm-06 or 7mm express. You could literally pick from the ones they screwed up and have a complete three gun battery for everything. 6mm, 280 and 416 mag. Done. I’d throw in a 350 Rem mag because it’s a great neglected one for short tight cover.

I will nominate the .450 Marlin.
My .450 sends a good heavy " ball' with some authority....and when chambered in rifle like the Browning BLR a guy now has the flexability of a box/ clip type magazine.
None of the 45/70's bullet limitations either and now we can seat " pointy bullets" with no crimping( for me)
The brass stands up, it is a superior cartridge case, imo.
I just don't have the drift and drop of the Ole Gov't round at 800 yards and beyond , either .
You just have to have " faith".

I nominate the cartridge that you shoot and hunt with most. Your go to rifle. The one you have absolute confidence in and just know like the back of your hand. To me that is the one.

I wish they would have put a normal sized belt on it so a guy could make his own brass out of other standard belted mag cases in a pinch.

Agreed. A model 700 is my favourite rifle action. It is consistently special when it comes to accuracy and the walker trigger is fully adjustable, which is very uncommon.

Frank Barnes did in 1962 with the 458x2 American. It is a dandy using any belted magnum brass as a donor. Works great in bolt guns and tube feed lever guns, including the Winchester 94 Big Bores.

8mm Mauser

Yup, but managed to get lots of brass, some new, some older. Enough for me, luckily

NATO

20 years ago I was big into the 450 Marlin. Now I use that Government round instead. Same gun and same ballistics if I choose

The 30/06 is good in every category,
It delivers better performance than the .308 wcf evertime, in everthing.
The short action lunacy, means so little to me, unless it is a straightwall.
C'mon , it's a 30 + 6, the perfect catridge blend of all time, and owning and using one is an act of real Patrotism.
There, I think I spread it on nicely, folks

if you want to go old skool, then the 1898 Springfield Armory in 30-40 Krag, a true American Hero.

short action will only cycle the cartridge about .002 seconds faster than a long action. i used to five or six different rifles in '06. now i own two, Arisaka Type 99 and my dad's (RIP) Rem m760 in '06. i had a Rem m760 in 308 Win that i killed deer and a black bear (396lbs), but i sold that one too.