Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Picture thread: Your Most Used

My most used rifle since about 2008



My most used rifle since about 1990-2008

Most used is a Tikka T3x 270




It used to be a Win mod 70 300WSM for a lot of years when I was younger. This pic is about 25 years old.

For all you people who post without details… I hope you slightly step on a sea urchin next time you’re on a beach vacation…

Todd

Most used?
The one I've used for the most number of years is my Savage 99 in 308 Win.





It is currently sporting a Bushnell Banner 3-9X40mm.

I've had it since 2003. It comes out for the KY Rifle Opener. I hunt with it during the first week until I have my buck tag filled and then it goes back in the case. It only takes bucks. It is responsible for 2 of the camp records.

I hunt with a Hornady 165 grain IL SP over H4895 downloaded slightly so it's more like a hot 300 Savage.

Most Deer?

The rifle that has taken the most number of deer is my Ruger Hawkeye All-Weather in 30-06



It has a Bushnell Elite 3-9X40mm on it.

https://genesis9.angzva.com/wp-content/uploads/wppa-source/album-286/18-20221114_113104.JPG

My current load is Hornady 150 grain IL SP over H4895.

No favorite guns here I killed deer with 7 different guns in 6 different calibers.

I've had a few most used/favorites but the current one is my Cooper M52 Timberlite in 280AI. It has a Leupold 3.5-10 on it. Shoots the Nosler Trophy Grade 140 AB ammo extremely well. First 2 deer with it below -

The CZ 600 LUX in .223 is sure getting a lot of use since it hit the stable....

I used to be musical rifles guy too and eventually got tired of all the monkeying around. The way public land seasons go I spend way more days afield with a bow than a rifle, it just doesn't make sense to put the effort into using different rifles.

My 2 most used hunting rifles are both Mausers. One I built myself and it was the 1st rifle I ever built which I did when I was 12. It's now on it's 3rd barrel. It's a 270 Winchester and it always has been, with both of the other 2 barrels I shot the throats out of.
The other is also a Mauser in 375H&H which I got when I was 22 years old. It's now on it's 2nd barrel. If I were to count big game kills in my whole life with probably 75-85 different rifles and handguns combined, these 2 rifles were probably used to kill close to half of them all. So 2 rifles used for 50% of the kills and maybe 80 other rifles and handguns used to kill the other 50%.
Thinking back, the gun that would be in 3rd place for my highest number of deer and elk kills is my S&W M29 44 magnum revolver. I think I have killed 12-13 elk with it, but I lost count of how many deer I have killed with that gun, and I'd lost count probably 40 years ago.

But I don't have any pictures any of the 3 right now. I know I have an old paper picture of my 1st 270 somewhere, but I don't own a scanner so I can't post it. I don't think I ever have taken a pic of my 44 or my 375 however.

Most of my life I didn't own a camera, and the guns I have taken pictures of were always of guns I made, so I could show my work. But most of my own guns I never thought to take pictures of.

My 1st rifle build (the 1st 270) was done when I was 12-13 years old, and for the work of a young boy it's not bad, but not what I'd show today to advertise my work.

Factory made guns are just factory made guns, (no different then the same model owned by anyone else) so taking pictures of them never seemed important to me.

🙋‍♂️ I’m guilty, as well!!!

If ya only have “one” hunting rifle……..life is greatly simplified! 😉 memtb

1957 Model 70, 270. Year I was born.


Jarrett 280AI. It doesn't miss.

It took me quite a few years to lose my inhibitions and become an official gun slut. I use enough different stuff now that it keeps my kills per rifle ratio somewhat low. Before this, I used a Winchester FW .30-06 exclusively for big game for many years. I rebarreled it to .257 Roberts AI and had the stock refinished and a crack repaired. I killed a few head with it but wasn't happy with the accuracy of the new barrel. McGowen took it back in and rebarreled to .25-06 and it has shot like it should. In its three configurations (.30-06, .257 AI and .25-06) it has filled a lot of tags and seen a lot of miles. Will likely be my daughter's main rifle as she took a real liking to it this year. The 101 LRX seems to be hammer.

Awesome Picture! I love seeing the kids participating and using the family guns.

My favorite and most used as it was the only centerfire I owned for over 20 years is this old BDL in .270. My parents bought it used and gifted it to me when I was 18. The rifle lived in a gun rack in a jeep down in Mexico for 10 years prior to my dad buying it. It has quite a bit of bluing wear and finish rubbed off the stock from the gun rack. There have been more animals taken with it over the past 40 years than I can remember. I use a bunch of others now but if I get to go on any special hunts it gets the nod. I really need to re-barrel it but it still shoots plenty good to bring home meat.

Most used and favorite. 30-06 been around the block. Could have gotten away with just using this rifle for all my hunting but the 'Fire put me on an expensive quest which I am still on.

The rifles in this post are awesome and have obviously been used with great success! Thanks all.

About 20 years ago I fell hard for the then newly introduced Remington 700 CDL. I'd always liked Remington 700's and the thinner, leaner stock on the CDL really appealed to me. I ended up with a pair of them in 25-06 and 30-06, each set up with a 6x Leupold eventually. Between the two of them they've taken grizzly, black bear, elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, wolf, coyote and rockchucks. Both have been pillar bedded with the barrels free floated. The 30-06 has a Timney trigger. Other than that they're mostly as Remington built them.

The 30-06 with my 2023 Oregon cow elk. Used a handloaded 178 grain ELD-X at 405 yards:


The Brooks Range grizzly. Rifle had an old 2-7x Redfield on it then. Several 200 grain Nosler Partitions at 40 yards and closer:


2021 Washington buck. 180 grain Berger Elite Hunter at about 350 yards:


2018 muley with the 25-06 and the 42mm objective version of the 6x Leupold. 115 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip at 3150 fps. Roughly 355 yards:


2008 I think? Early buck with the 25-06 and the 115 gr Berger VLD at 3190 fps at about 140 yards.


And so many more! These have been great rifles for me. Easily sub MOA. They work fine even being hunted for a week in rain and snow every day. I still love the way they feel and I like the way they look. They've done well for me.

Regards, Guy

Don’t have a “most used” but have shot a few with this one. CZ 550 FS 9.3x62.

Another “most used” that the boy claimed. Then he got one of his own.
97’ vintage Sendero .300 Wby.

No pictures of the full rifle. It just makes it in the background. 700 BDL 6mm Remington.





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