In deer woods, what gun has brought the biggest smile to your face? I can think of two that tie for top spot in my memory. The first a straight grip BLR- the rifle shouldered and pointed like a sweet 20ga, was a joy to carry in the woods and the 308 was effective at short and long (300yds for me) range. I don't think I've ever had a rifle fit me like that one did. Next up was a 1895G Marlin- that 45/70 just hammered anything you pointed it at. The Marlin was compact, tough and made a great short range gun. The 405gr hardcast lead from beartooth bullets was hell on dear and did very little meat damage 'eat up to th hole' as they say. I only had one deer run after being hit_(All of 20yds) but the blood trail left looked like someone was running with a bucket of blood slooshing it everywhere. A blind man could have followed it.

What about you, what's your favorite smoke pole and why?

My deer hunting is in the West, and I really like my NULA M20 .30-'06. Great combination of very light weight and good ballistics.

jim

My Sako 300 RUM. A little much for deer but it is my rifle. It is the only rifle that I can say I have killed "tons" of game with.

Dink

My Ruger 77 6mm Rem. It never failed me yet.

Savage Model 99F in 300 Sav.

Dis one...7x57...



Ingwe

I've enjoyed carring an old mauser that my grandfather brought back (mailed home)from ww2 and sporterised him self( he rechambered it to 250-3000 when that was the thing to have (mid-late 50's I believe?)) Also a rem600 in 6mm that's my old mans
Both good deer rifles,they definatly are not safe queens but every scratch and/or dent has a story, and they have high sentimental value. As for rifles that haven't got all the years of story's and "magic" behind them,I've really come to love my ruger frontier in .338fed. as far as I'm concerned the most perfect rifle for pussyfoot'n through the heavy stuff like I like to hunt the second week here in ne pa.

Remington 700 Mt Rifle in 260, and 54 Renegade.

Browning Model 81 in .308 and a 1963 Marlin 336C in .35 Rem.

Model 1952 Mannlicher-Schoenauer in .257 Roberts. God, I wish I had it back! The Savage 1899H takedowns I'm currently using (.22HP, .303, .30/30) are a close runner-up.

257AI and 264WM, never can decide which I like best.

Flint lock long rifle.

BCR

Probably my CZ full stock 7x57. It's just a great little package. A close second would be my very light weight 30-06 built on an FN action.

well, I built my .264 for deer, but my .280 and I sure had some memorable moments.

Win Featherweight .280 Remington. Soon to be bedded in walnut.

Its a toss up between my Ruger 270 and my Marlin 30-30.

My Winchester Model 70 Featherweight Classic in 6.5x55 is my idea of an excellent whitetail rifle. The 7x57 Featherweight is right there with it though.

For my boy's 18th birthday I got him a Model 70 Fwt in 6.5X55. He has other rifles now but while deer hunting he always has his model 70 with him. That one worked well. For me, I always start my season with my little 6.5X54 carbine. A joy to carry and has never let me down.

winny 1886 45-70, built in 1901, now I tend to like my savage 99s!

winny 1886 45-70, built in 1901, now I tend to like my savage 99s!

Kimber 84M two possition saftey in 7-08 toped of with a 2.5x10x40 Leupy.

Whichever one I've got in my hands. I've killed deer with most (at least a lot of) center fire rifles up to .338WM. I like 'em all.

The 1976 Winchester Model 94 30-30 I call my "Heart Attack Rifle." That's it below. I've had only one shot at a deer since I built the rifle, but the 195 gr RCBS cast bullet @ 1900 fps hit a wrist-size limb between me and the deer. :-(

It's wearing a Williams Fire Sight front and peep rear. And camo duct tape.

Prob a tie between my first Ruger M77 (tang) in 30-06 and my great grandfather's M1899 in 30-30. Truth be told, doesn't matter much what I have, I just dig the entire thing.

Yep. What I'm totin' doesn't much matter, as long as I'm totin'. Bow, Rifle, Muzzleloader. It's all good. I most enjoy it when there's snow, though.

There is NOTHING in the world better than waking up to fresh snow and cold temps for deer hunting. 4 to 6 inches on the ground, clear, cold and after November 15 - a guy could die happy....

Model 64 Winchester Deluxe in 32Spl., my 16th. birthday gift in 1955. Was stolen from me years ago but probably the nostalgia heightens the remembered enjoyment. It harvested many a whitetail.
Sure do miss it.

Jim

I've been an observer to the forum for several weeks now and have greatly enjoyed reading everyone's posts. I've finally decided it was time to participate in the dialog.

My favorite rifle is a 700 LH Remington in 30-06. It is equipped with a 3x9 Leupold scope. I purchased it in 1973 when Remington began making the southpaw version of their 700. I've used it for both deer and elk and it's never let me down. I own several other rifles but this is still my go to weapon.

Custom Model 98 Mauser. 8x57, of course.

A Savage 99 in 358 Win.

Dale

Dad's old Mauser. He bought it specifically for Moose hunting, and when he finally got his chance in 69, it didn't let him down. 'Shot my first deer with that rifle, in what turned out to be Dad's last hunt-he died the next spring. A trigger job and glass bedding turned this ugly old warhorse into a stone cold tack driver. Dropped a doe at 365 yards with my son watching on one of our early hunts. It's getting a little heavy, but I still carry it to honor my father's memory. My second one would be my beloved 99. Pretty tough to beat the best lever action ever made bar none.

M70 Classic FWT ss/walnut in .30-06. Points like my shotgun and shoots MOCC (minute of chest cavity) out to 450 yds.

Ruger Tang Safety .270, I don't think I ever missed a shot with that rifle, ever. Deer hit the ground so hard they bounced.

There are a lot I enjoy, but my little M7 in .358 Win is probably the one I enjoy the most.

My Rem 700 BDL DM in .280 always brings home a deer. Next just for old time sakes is my dad's old Rem 742 .243, and then my father in-laws old .30-30 I bought off him for $150.

This .270 WIN, I installed a Douglas Premium barrel on a pre-64 M70FW about 5 years ago. It is a pleasure to hunt with this rifle because I put it together on my favorite action in my favorite cartridge - I just like hunting with it - its an old school rifle which fits perfectly for an O'Connor influenced deer hunter like me.

I would say my 280 and 6MM Harold Broughton built me
in 96. On rem 700 actions and micky stocks.

Savage 16 weather warrior in 250sav.

Two of the last that will go.

Takedown 99 in 300 Savage



SUCKS M7 223AI

Those blocky Sitka deer are really cool looking. There is something different about their looks that I can't get a handle on, but I like it.

I can see why. Nice.

Probably killed more deer with my old tang safety ruger 77 in 7mm mag, 2.5-8 Vari-X III than anything else. Damn rifle was so reliable it got boring, gave it to my son.

I probably enjoy hunting more with the 99 Savage takedown in .303 Savage that I inherited from my late FIL than with anything else.

I'd like to say my father's old .30-06 that I've been shooting for 40+ years... But my favorite deer rifle is a .25-06 700 CDL that I bought several years ago. I'm five for five on mule deer with it along with coyotes and rock chucks. It fits me very well, carries easily, handles long or short range shots (30 - 400 yards on deer so far), looks good and shoots great. Drops deer quick too. Despite sentiment favoring the old rifle, this "new" .25-06 is easily my favorite deer rifle.

Marlin 1894S, in .44 Mag

I have used this to take more deer than any of my other rifles. Lightweight, easy to carry, deadly...........

who could ask for anything more?

Savage 99 in .300 - Three deer fell to it one year; my best whitetail, and two does. Scary accurate, I was confident enough to try a neck shot at 80 yards, and made it with no problem.

A friend needed a deer rifle and I sold to him, expecting him to get bored with it and sell it back to me. He still has it

My Model 100 is still my "go-to" rifle for the most part with the Little Sky .260 coming in a close second.

My grandfather passed this winter and my dad just asked if I wanted his 740. It's the only rifle I can remember my gradnpa carrying. I imagine that will probably get carried quite a bit this coming year.

George

700 in 7-08, bout perfect IMO.

Here's a pic of the Guide gun. XS sights and scout scope rail:



Wish I had an action shot of that guide gun. Had to sell it a while back, and looking forward to buying another guide gun to replace it.

While not my favorite to carry this Vanguard in 30-06 with a nikon 3x9x40 has been pretty lucky for me lately and a darn good shooter:

REM 600 in 7mm-08.



RH

Ruger #1's in various calibers....Taken several deer with these fine single shots. I think it makes you a better shot when there is only one round on board. Granted, not as challenging as a muzzle stuffer, but still a lot of fun!



Dave

my old remington 760 in 257 roberts. wish i still had it.

my rem. 760 6mm rem. is filling in nicely though

Ruger 77 TS, 220 Swift. Didn't use it last year, but it will get carried this year.

Remington Mountain Rifle in .260 Remington or one of my lever actions.

M700 6mm...

M94 in .30-30, bought it (actually two) when I was 13, lied about my age on the hunting license (had to be 15 to get a license. Clerk didn't ask for an ID, I didn't volunteer one.) I've used it every year I've been able to go deer hunting, and usually with success.

I had bought two because my dad had recently retired from the military, and I asked him to take me deer hunting. He replied that he would, but he didn't have a rifle. I had been delivering papers and saving the money, so I jumped on my bike, rode down to the hardware store and told 'em I wanted two M94 Winchesters. After the laughter died down, I convinced him I was for real. He said OK, but an adult would have to sign for them. Mom did, and Dad and I went hunting every year after that until either my military service, or his eventual disability stopped him from being able to go.

I still have both. I bought them 40 years ago this summer.

Great story Vic, and a classic set of rifles too. Hope you can pass them and the story down one day.

That is a fantastic story!

Remington M760 in 30-06.

My favorite deer rifles are both pre-64 Winchester M/70's, a .257 Roberts with a Leupold 2-7X and a .35 Whelen with a Lyman Alaskan in a Griffin & Howe mount. A close runner up to those two is my Winchester M/88 with a Weaver K2.5 in Weaver pivot mount, I killed my first and biggest whitetail to date with that rifle.

Of course, I'm partial to all the stories about the 99's, but it just goes to show there is no one perfect rifle for anyone. For many of us, it's a sentimental attachment to a family heirloom handed down across the generations. For some, it's a custom built rig for which they are very proud. 'Sounds like there's a lot of "perfect" deer guns out there. My taste runs to the ugly old warhorses that have made their living putting meat on the table for many decades. Dad always scoffed at "pretty" rifles. He said a gun is just a tool. I know that's not necessarily true-just my old man's view on things near and dear to his heart. He'd walk right past the pretty stuff on the rack and dig out some old beat up rifle and say, "look at this son-see all these dings in the stock-every one of them was EARNED." Good thread here guys-keep 'em coming.

I have 2 that I use for deer hunting, a Winchester featherweight in .30/06 and a Rigby 275. One is louder than the other, just a bit.

JW

The award for the most kills goes to my LH Rem LSS 30-06 Ackley, but probably my second favorite rifle to deer hunt the Missouri Ozarks with is my Marlin .35 Remington. It just feels good in the hand.

Ruger 7mm that I shot a nice mulie with last fall.

Montana 7-08 has been pretty good to me the last few years...













[img]http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c150/djtex/Bobcat/BioHannahBdayBobcatAlbany2009160.jpg[/img]

DJ

DJ: I always enjoy your pics of your outstanding Hill Country deer...and your kids! Thanks for sharing.

BTW, does the white cowboy hat work pretty well as camo?

Thanks, STex - good guys still wear white hats, don't they? Those deer just figure I'm a harmless rancher feeding his cows...Grin...

I've found it doesn't matter all that much what I wear, as long as I don't move at the wrong time and the wind is right.

I think I was wearing a cap when I killed that buck and put my hat on after I got him to the road and went and got the pickup, then had the hat on when Dad took pics.

But I don't generally hunt in a white hat on purpose, nor do I usually have my good hat with me on a hunt - the others blend in lots better...grin.

DJ

I've had a lot of luck with the 257 Roberts....the one in the picture is a rifle my dad built for us kids to shoot...worked out pretty good on that particular day...and most days I had it with me...I've got a Hawkeye in 257 roberts of my own now...I just love that cartridge....

17hmr

788rem 243, many great hunts with my trusty 788

I have two favorites . A stainless Mod. 7 Rem. in 7mm-08 and a custom 760 in .358 Win. Weather and terrain dictate which one I carry on any given day . Both have 20" barrels !

My two new favorites.....Browning BLR in 358 and Marlin 1895 in 45-70.

my 1903 German Mauser 98 in 30-06. its killed every big game animal i ever cared to shoot with it.

The first one I bought--a pre-64 Winchester Model 70 in .30-06. I bought it new the summer that I graduated from high school, and killed my first whitetail buck, my first mule deer buck and my first elk with it, not to mention a lot of other whitetails (including a real dandy from the Norias Division of the King Ranch) and more than a few other mule deer.

I have one of those 45-70s, kills just about as fast as my .30-30, but with the added advantage of kickin' the snot out of me.

My earlier post was my Remmy 760/30-06. Just love hunting with it and it's been good to me.



Looks good (to me at least)

and it shoots good


Pretty much bone stock rifle sans the woodwork done by Dad (Dave in WV) and mounting a scope. There are anothe 5-6 deer that I've taken with it over the last 8 years but these are the only pics with the rifle in it. Now I make it a point to put the rifle on the dead volunteer.

i've owned a bunch of guns and shot a bunch of deer with them... it's never meant much to me what i carried when i hunt...

i do have some favorite guns over the years, thpugh...

my old 77 ruger that i actually bought used in 1977... it was a .243 and i carried it over a bunch of this country... the gilt edge accuracy was fading a bit when i traded it... it seemed as easy to get a different rifle as a new barrel...
some pretty fair rifles followed it, but it took a bunch of years before i found one that took it's place....

and that was my first model 70 fwt... also a .243... i carried it for as long as i did the ruger... just not as many miles or as many shots on game... still, it got used a bunch, and used well....
it resides today, with a friend, and will for the rest of his days...

i replaced the m70 fwt .243 with an m70 fwt 25-06... it had seen a few seasons in my hands as an under achieving 30-06...
some gunsmithing work to iron out quirks, and a .257 pac-nor barrel allowed Redneck to turn it into my current dream rifle... i didn't shoot anything but coyotes last year, but i suppose that this is my deer rifle for the rest of my days...

Hands down... 257 Wby Mag with 120 grain NPs.

I still haven't come up with a suitable nickname for that rifle, but "pure death" comes close.

Please excuse my ignorance & inability to decipher that rifle from the picture.....is it a Winchester?

I purchased a Rem 700 BDL 308 Win in 1977 with my first Christmas bonus from my first job. I foolishly sold that gun a year later. Last Easter I was able to repurchase that same gun. I told the guy how much I regretted chasing other cartridges, especially magnums, thinking they held true success having convinced myself then that bigger was better.

How foolish I was. I have that gun in my possession again after 32 years. It is not necessarily second place but I do have a current love affair with a Sako Finnlight 300 WSM. Both it and the 308 will never be owned by another until I relinquish stewardship by death.

I only have 3 to choose from: Youth Remington Model 7 .243, Ruger Hawkeye .243, or Tikka T3 Lite 300wsm. Out of the 3 i like my Hawkeye the best.

Rem. 760 in .358 Win. and a Mod. 7 SSYN in 7mm-08 !

i guess that i just do not understand how some guys gotta name their rifles...
some buddies called my old ruger "death ray"... it wasn't a name so much as it was a description...

fer instance, if i'd be lining up for a long ass running away shot... sam would be telling me to "give it up"... mike would shush sam, telling him "knock it off, that d#$%^d ruger is a death ray!"

me too... cool hunting rifle....

No question but that my best deer have been taken with this 1945 Savage 99EG in 300 Savage. And, even better, it's been fired 14 times at 14 deer and every one of them went down and into the freezer.




And my 14 year old used it for his first hunt this last fall, and there ain't any picture that I like more than this one.

Trying to name a "favorite" among one's rifles is risky business. I like them all. These days, most of them are Rugers. That tells you something.

Rugers is good.

Probably a M760 Remington in .270 caliber. I took my first deer with this one.

Jim

This one, although I do want to replace the scope with a compact 2-7 x.



Pre-mil Savage Model 99C in .308.

60 years of hunting history right there.

Paul.

Tang safety Ruger 77 ultra light in 250-3000 with a Leupold 6X compact with their version of a European rectice.

From 1975 until 1992 it was a Marlin 336 in 30-30.From 1992 to present it's a Remington Model Seven in .308.

Stan in SC

So far for me its an 1892 octagon in 32 wcf. Gotta get close and the right shot and who knows where that gun has gone, seen and done.

The next on the list is to figure the final value on a smoothbore 1861 musket from the civil war and pay the lady for it and take some deer with that one too...

WOW if either could talk...

When I go to the hunting camp now I take 2 rifles my Ruger model 77 in 257 bob and my Marlin 30-30 model 336 . the ruger's for the days I sit in the stand and the Marlin for still hunting.

Rem 722 in 308. Took it to Africa, and everywhere I go. I'm 12 for 13 attempts with this rifle. And, I'm sure I @#$%^ up the missed shot.

Can't ask for more.

Mine's my 280 Remington. Taken a lot of deer with her, and took my longest shot that dropped a huge doe in her tracks @ 415 yds. Practiced a lot for that shot. I traded a 7 mag for the 280 and have never looked back. I hand load, but the Winchester Silvertips @ 140 grains group real nice too.

Certainly not schmancy, actually rather vanilla - a .308 ADL Sucks with a custom barrel. Gets the job done.

Would like to also evaluate a .308W Kimber Montana syn - after acquiring it!

My first grab goes to a 1912 Styer 98 Mauser converted to .308 with a 22" wilson barrel and all the custom ad ons. This was my first "custom" rifle and has been my companion for @ 25 years, through two barrels. It is like a well broken in set of boots. It just fits me and I shoot it well. My second is the Marlin 30.30 hand me down from my Uncle. This was my first big game rifle. Last but still special, Ruger Mark II 7 x 57. I am restocking it with AA walnut this summer in something close to the original model 70 contours. This may become the favorite...time, bumps, bruises, and woods time will tell.

Loved those rifles. Never did pick one up. Great choice.

I kind of miss my 308-cal BLR.....

My current fave the last few years has been a FN bolt gun in 30-06, a sporter from the 50's. Last two years I have been trading heavily, and now own like 6 Mannlicher-Scheonauers, so I will use them a few years and see what happens next.

+1

#1rsi in 243...36"short...like a two handed pistola.

Just saw one of the steel receiver BLRs in 308 at a gunshop in Port Angeles, WA today. Might have to circle back for it.

One of my first guns was a 308 BLR, can't recall why I ever let it go.

Pre-mil 99C, 60 years of hunting? You are new to 99's.

I bought that exact rifle for my son when he was a tyke. I used it shamelessly until he took it away 2 years ago.

I gotta find me another as well. Thinking about one in .358 Win.

JM

I hunt with a several different guns, but I have a soft spot, believe it or not for my Encore 209x50 muzzle loader. I have had it for years, and regardless of what I hunt with during the general firarms season, I know the 209x50 is going with me during black powder season. I have A LOT of confidence in that rifle, and a 300gr Hornady XTP on top of 90 grains of 777. Nothing has EVER limped away!

Momentary lapse of reason.

Have to say my Ruger 280. It has been shelved in lieu of my new Sako 85 SM Finnlight in 300 WSM. What will the WSM do that the 280 won't, Nothing !! But, I wanted it. Hopefully I will come to appreciate the Sako as I have the Ruger.

my marlin 336. it was the first gun I purchased myself after turning 18. with it I have taken 2 elk, several mule deer and whitetails, coyotes, antelope even a turkey (head shot).
it rode countless miles in my ranch truck and has always been ol reliable. sometimes I wonder why I ever bought another rifle. but then I remember I have an addiction
its one rifle that I will never sell. its been used so much that it probably wouldn't be worth much anyway.

The rifle I have enjoyed shooting deer with the most?

That would be the Ruger M77 in 220 Swift.

Sporterized 03-A3 with a Fajen stock I inletted and finished to fit me perfectly. It was heavy but came to my eye like a kiss in the moonlight and shot 165 Sierras into 5/8" all day long. I shoulda never sold it.

Ruger #1 RSI, 30-06. Carries like a bird gun and hits like a sledge hammer.

.54 cal T/C Hawken

Hand-me-downs and gifts. Currently a 1903 Springfield in .280 Rem. It's almost cheating.My Uncle had it built in 1974 for shooting silhouette.

264 WM since 1963 from brush, timber and sage flats at ranges from 6 inches (bedded down white tail buck) to 450yrds Running Muley buck.

Six inches! I thought I had some kind of a record by shooting one with a .22-250 at 12 feet!

It was my first kill with that then new rifle, so I was pretty confident that it shot flat out to that distance.....



Ingwe

This one,I never killed anything with it but I was hunting with my grandfather whenever I used it.

One more step and I would have steped on him. He was looking away from me and didnt know I was there. The silense of wool britches and a breeze in your face sure helps when going through brush. Thats the second time that has happened to me but I didn't see the first one and he almost hit me when he jumped up from his bed, scared me so bad I missed and boy was I shaking That was in 1962 when I was 17.

Had a doe that was bedded behind a rock ahead of me jump up at about 10-12' away. She was as startled as I and just stood there staring. After about 10 seconds she blew, jumped and did a 180 in the air and was gone. Funny now, but at the time I was concerned I might need to return to camp and change my skivies! My favorite rifle since 1991 has always been my 336 Marlin but I may carry my recently acquired 1946 Model 99EG .300 Savage this fall.

No rifles allowed where i hunt so it is my Beretta 390 12 ga. It fits me perfect, shoots fantastic to 150 yards with a Hastings barrel and just plain gets the job done. Funny how it doesnt matter what gun it is, if it is your baby, you have soooooo much confidence in it. It is also funny how you can grow to have feelings for an inanimate object. Take these away from us and you will here some big time wailing and gnashing of teeth!

Your right there they tend to be a living part of you especially if you have been shooting the same rifle since 1963.

14 shots and 14 deer.What ammo are you useing?

The Ruger Bisley 45 Colt on top.

I carried it one season with no luck, luck that amounted to dropping a doe at the shot and wriggled itself back to its feet and a blood trail that quit.....made me sick.

I spent that whole off season making my own bullets, practicing up close and out to 100 yds.

I shot a doe at about 40 yds.; bang-flop.

Then I shot a nice buck at 70 or 80 yds. about ten minutes later.
I had a lot to learn and learned it; I prefer skill over luck any day.

It has shot a half dozen or so hogs, the same for deer, raccoons, wabbits and finished off a mulie in Wyoming, along with the camp cooks beer can at a hundred paces....he was pissed he walked that far. He checked on dinner and told me we'd duel it out after he went inside and checked on dinner. Boom.

He walked out, looked at Dad and said "He hit it, didn't he".
PHARK!!!

The gun is tired from practice, fire breathing loads and I'm tired of a 7.5 inch tube, but when i shoot it, it hits.

Partitions, my boy.. Partitions.

Most have been easy shots from the blind at grazing or walking deer. About 1/3rd have been trotting with one at a full run and one other charging me (yeah, that was different). When you find a rifle that fits you like an extension of your arm and it's 2nd nature to shoulder and track with it... don't let it go.

My favorite is a 1950 Mannlicher Schoenauer Carbine in 6.5x54. It has never missed. However this past season, I hunted with my "new" 1920 Savage Carbine in 303 Sav. Didn't get a shot, but enjoyed just packing it around.

NULA M20 .30-'06 is the best choice!

No wonder you got him -- you shot him sitting in his lawn chair!

Seriously, nice picture!

John

Ruger M77 in 250 Savage.

Thats funny

I haven't owned it but about ten years and have packed others most of that time but I find that my Marlin 336 in 35Remington just flatout works for me. It has spent the most time in the woods wearing a Leupold 2-7x but now wears a 2.5-8x Leupold because that is the best I own. Actually have killed much more game with a Browning A-bolt in 25/06 and a BLR-81 in 358 but Marlin leverguns fit me and where and how I hunt so well I seldom pick up anything else. I have a pile of them ol' leverguns now and love the way they handle and what they do to game is just as deadly as a monster magnum at the ranges that I use them at.
This is a neat thread and I enjoy seeing the different choices of hunters.
Goat

Calhoun does shoot some nice deer and take great pics!

Thanks for the compliments, guys. My deer pale in comparison to the accomplished hunters here, but my enjoyment of hunting is probably equal to any.

Don't want to hijack the thread any more.. let's see more pics and guns!