Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Unexpected Pleasure -Hunting Rifles You Like More Than You Thought You Would

I usually expected more out of rifles than they produced (especially Sakos). The exception has been Ruger Americans.

Steyr Mountain Rifle



308 Win.

Its a killer.


JAPPF,


GWB

I know they are slumming, but I really do like the two I have.

Hammerhead is talking about putting together a collection in a few different chamberings.

For what you have to give for them, they are pretty good rifles.

Bought a 6.5x55 CZ 550 a couple years ago mainly because it was a great deal which got me back in the Swede saddle again. I've been more than pleased with the ease of handling/balance and overall accuracy right out of the box.

A Winchester Model 70, was cruising a local gun board and found an add for a Model 70.. Traded a shotgun for it, shot it once and don't need it. $250.00... One bad picture, Horrid camo paint job and a butchered stock. Said I'll take it.. Pending a visual inspection. Turned out to be a "Black Shadow" model from about the end of New Haven production. Stock had a bondo job on the grip area, Entire rifle and a cheap Tasco 6X24X44 scope had a very poor camo job. Acetone and a lot of elbow grease, a new Featherweight stock from CDNN and a bedding job. New scope an older Sightron3.5X10X40 I had with no home. Loaded some 165's and some 180's, and it shot MOA.. SIL Active Marine was saying his dad had claimed his deer rifle after 6 years away so "Christmas Present" The look in his eyes was priceless as the adds say. He shot it MOA as well. I figured it would be a truck gun or loaner, turned out to be much much better.

Mine is my Ruger M77 stainless 358 Win. I'm not sure whether it is the rifle or the caliber or both, but it has become my favorite rifle. I installed a Leupold VXII 2-7x33 scope (IMHO, a perfect match for the rifle) and I've been really impressed with its accuracy using hand loads. Also, I was certain that I would not like the non-tang safety and the fact that the barrel was not bedded but, neither presented a problem. I hunt deer, hogs and elk (haven't got an elk yet but I've taken it several times). It works well at the ranges I'm most comfortable shooting.

Mine would be a Remington model 7 in 7mm~08 that the only reason I bought was for a "spare" deer rifle for my girlfriend to use.

At the time all I had was a Remington 700 in 30/06 and was really looking for a 243 of some sort for her when I found the 7mm~08.
The owner had put some no name scope on it so i slipped on a nikon I had and hit the range.
By the time I had it sighted in I was hooked and its become my most carried hunting rifle. Light, compact, and low recoil. Wish I had found one years ago.

Bought a Marlin XS7 in 243 for a friend a couple of years ago. $250 with a Swift scope up top. I worked up a load for it and was really impressed by the overall feel and accuracy of the rifle. Been hoping to find a similar deal on one for myself ever since.

Pre 64's got me. Love them now.

I have taken a shine to marlin lever actions after being conditioned to my bolt actions for decades. I have a waffle top Marlin 336A in 35 and a monte carlo stocked 336A 3030 now.

This A-bolt in .223. Sadly sold to a fellow forum member that also likes it. It had a 6x42mm Leupold on it that was perfect.
Bob

Geedub, What exactly does "JAPPF" mean?

I had no interest in, and certainly no need for, the 722 in .300 Savage that was in the classifieds here a few years back. Somehow, my fingers typed, "I'll take it", and I've been smitten ever since.








I find it to be pretty classy for a "plain" rifle. It points extremely well, and has enough heft to shoot well offhand, while not being burdensome to carry. Muzzle blast and recoil are nearly nil, and the 130 TSX's I use are hell on hogs. It could easily be "the gun" for me, if it were to come to that.







Thanks, 300jimmy - you made me a convert!

FC

Nuthin' special,





I'm Just Another Porker Perforating Fool.


GWB

About 15yrs ago I bought a used A-Bolt in 22/250 from a friend with the thought of flipping it for a profit. I tired it out and found it to be a very consistent and accurate shooter. I used it for yrs for deer with 70gr Speers and it shot them into 1" all the time. That rifle shot well, handled well and was a nice lightweight package with a VX11 2x7. I liked it a lot, but at some point 5yrs ago was talked out of it by a friend. I regretted selling that rifle and finally was able to trade it back last week. I'm not a big A-Bolt fan, but I do like this one.

My daughter was lucky enough to inherit a Ruger 77 in .270 a couple of years ago. Old gun, blue steel, wouldn't shoot woth a crap. Bedded the action, free floated it, and with a hawkeye borescope discovered pitting right at the muzzle, about the last half inch of bore. Cut it off re-crowned it. With a slight over-max charge of IMR7828 it is still slow (maybe mid 2700s). That's using the 150 Win. Power Points also inherited with the rifle (1500 of 'em). But it groups dandy and kills very dead. It is one of those loads that works. Sometimes the bullet and the speed just match up. Doesn't necessarily have to be fast. We added a Burris FF30 3.5X10 with LRS which works excellent in low light, even unassisted with a big moon on our feral Russian boar. Not a good looking rifle, but out of a dozen good bolt rifles it gets taken most often.

Me, neither....

But my A-Bolt II Medallion in .257 Roberts has fast become something of an unexpected all-time favorite.

Whodathunkit, eh?

Back in 2008 or so I bought a Sako-barreled Remington-built 03-A3 here chambered in 6mm-250. It was advertised as being in need of some TLC and looked pretty rough but the price was such that I could rebarrel at still have an ok deal. The barrel & stamped BM looked like the rifle had been used as a towel rack in a bathroom closet and the stock finish was so thin that when I tore the scotch-taped invoice from the cheek piece it left a rectangular naked spot! I didn't have high hopes, but my first time to the range using guestimated loads here is what I got from my FIRST on-paper group 75 gr Horn HPs & RL-15:



That and the nominal recoil/blast convinced me it was worth investing in, so I had the barreled action bead blasted and parkerized, and refinished the Fajen Monte Carlo stock which fits me so well it's what I compare potential new purchases to. Here is how she turned out:





I'm really glad I invested in it, as I've gotten stellar results from a broad range of bullets including the 60 gr Sierra HP, 75 gr Horn (bought 1300 blems fer blasting & have 300 left!), 80 gr Berger & RP, 90 gr Hot Cor & NBT, and 95 VLD.



This past January my 10 yo son took two nice Texas boars with the 90 gr NBT load, dropping them both DRT:



Fun rifle; curing UBC tomorrow while popping water-filled recyclables near & far!

Bought a browning 71 on a whim because it was a sweet deal, when I got it out of the box and ran the lever a few times I was hooked. The 348 win has such a cool factor that just the cartridge itself is enough to make me partial to it over a few other lever actions I had. Actually sold my 358 win 99 after. I may regret that yet, but I doubt I'll ever need more gun for deer in PA. It's having a scout mount built for it as I type this, can't wait to run a few shells through it at the range once it's done.

MM

Is that a short action or long? I almost bought one of those in 257Rob yrs ago but it was sold before I arrived with the next day with the cash.