Have you found the "perfect" factory hunting rifle ... at any price?

I havent found the perfect rifle, had some good ones.


Do think perfect handguns exist.
HK VP9, Smith 629-3 6" and a gov 1911 w adj sights

Hookeye said:

Not perfect.
Close enough
View attachment 956715

It wears a 2-7x now and with it at 7x was getting 1 inch groups @ 100 yds. Bone stock trigger too.

.35 rem w Hornady factory ammo.

Its a great little rifle.

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Man’ if that’s a 760 game master I’m jealous cause I’ve had a set in 270 and 3006 , excellent rifles indeed

Perfect rabbit shotgun.....870 special field 20 ga, 21" fixed choke mod.

Perfect goose gun...
1100 magnum 12 w 30" full ( or RC ).
Bismuth 3" #2s.

If you have a Ruger#1B in .243 that shoots.....Id call it the perfect groundhog rifle. If it had good wood of course

A #1A in stainless w a synth stock ( yes, black plastic injection molded type) in .35 rem or 250-3000 Id call the perfect woods deer gun. But they never made one like that.

Would be neat if Remington made the 7600 in .350 legend.

If i get my Pre B #1 to shoot, being .280 rem.....it might be the perfect mule deer rifle

MCMXI said:

The antonym of perfect is imperfect, so I suppose by definition that becomes a very large catch-all for everything from horrendous to excellent.

The Winchester M70 EW has been mentioned a number of times in this thread. I had two of them around 2012/2013 that were pre-Portugal production One was chambered in .308 Win, the other in .300 WM. Both were heavy, neither was particularly accurate, and the machining of the receivers (bolt raceways) was among the worst I've seen, with the worst of the worst honor going to a Savage Weather Warrior. I sold both M70s at a slight profit but really wanted to like them. I lost a few hundred on the Savage.

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The FN/Winchesters... are extremely nice rifles.

Giv'em a look.




GR

My Remington 700 Titanium .308, loaded with Barnes 168 grain TSX handloads, checks all of the boxes for me. Other hunting rifles are just clogging up the safe. Here it is after crawling on the ground during a snowy, mucky antelope hunt.

Hog huntin Harry said:

Pre 64 Winchester Model 70 Featherweight chambered in .270 WinchesterView attachment 956708

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Similar to mine, which is a Pre '64 Mod 70 FW in 30-06. I never found anything better for me.

Dave DeLaurant said:

The following sounds pompous even to me, but I've thought the question over and it's my honest opinion.

Perfection is the enemy of good enough. Some people think Stalin coined the phrase, but Voltaire is an earlier candidate and the basic idea goes all the way back to ancient Greece and the Golden Mean. I suppose the the pursuit of perfection is an OK thing, as long as the process remains fun and doesn't become burdensome or obscure your goal. Which is presumably a more satisfying and successful hunt. For myself, I would be as satisfied with any suitable rifle as with the absolute perfect one, if the end result was the same.

The search for a rifle suited to task should start with a list of must-have characteristics: chambering, accuracy, weight, fit, reliability, etc. Eliminate rifles that don't qualify and see which of the remaining speaks to you, functionally and aesthetically. Take it for an extended test drive and see if it lives up to your needs. If so, learn to live with it; if not, try again. If everyone did something like this when courting a life partner, the divorce rate would plummet.

Since I'm no longer able to hunt at present, the preceding is academic and my rifle purchases are more about history and aesthetics than perfection. FWIW, I'll add that I like Mauser 98-based actions, including the 1903, M70, Kimber 84, etc.

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You stinker, a closet intellectual.

Winchester M70 Sporter-current production-.270

Winchester M70 Alaskan 30-06-current production

Rigby Highland Stalker-6.5x55 and .275 Rigby

Mauser 98 STD Diplomat 9.3x62

cdb1 said:

You stinker, a closet intellectual.

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I resemble that -- retired public librarian.

When no one has mentioned (that I saw anyway) is “perfect for what?”

The perfect rifle for elk in heavy timber versus eastern white tails may vary from the perfect flat plains antelope rifle.

My “perfect for me” is my X-Bolt 7 Mag. Super flat shooting. Hits hard. It’s got a super squishy recoil pad so recoil is actually quite tame, even with 168’s even though it’s light for caliber. Extremely accurate. Weather resistant barrel coating and synthetic stock.

It’s got a 2-12 VX-6 so it’s good from 20 to 400+ yards. I’d take it for anything from antelope to elk. Actually, it’s the only big game rifle I have/need

The only downside for some guys (a trade-off for exceptionally flat shooting) is the 26” barrel

Chuck R. said:

At work we call it simply; "Perfection is the enemy of good enough".

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Isn't it funny how management likes to say good enough is the enemy of perfect but front line workers KNOW perfect is the enemy of good enough.

My was a tool room supervisor (tool and die maker) and he likes to tell a story about a particular group of lathe operators. The spec was .005 but they kept getting it to .001. They kept saying if .005 is good enough then .001 is better. The truth is that it takes twice as long to get the parts to .001 when .005 will work just fine and just as good but your input costs twice as much for the just as good .001 which ends up costing you more.

The question really is, how much are you willing to pay for perfection. Not just talking about money here. I guarantee the cost will be too high.

BTW, the new Terry Weiland book contains much useful information applicable to this quest:

Great Hunting Rifles: Victorian to the Present

Dave DeLaurant said:

BTW, the new Terry Weiland book contains much useful information applicable to this quest:

Great Hunting Rifles: Victorian to the Present

View attachment 956859

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Thanks for the heads up. I love his books.

earlthegoat2 said:

The question really is, how much are you willing to pay for perfection. Not just talking about money here. I guarantee the cost will be too high.

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Hehehe, that's where my thinking is.....Time, energy, money, and luck.....get enough of any one of those and its not too bad a project, but the total investment is still gonna be far from average.
Understanding what one REALLY wants tho...that's (imo) the hardest part of the whole deal.

Build your own with custom action , barrel. Trigger, stock etc. maybe even a wild cat cartridge, hells bells do a quick change barrel to have several calibers

My Ruger MKII 30-06 is perfect to me for MY Intended Uses. Is it a perfect rifle? I dunno. Its also Good Enough for the game I will hunt with it. I have no Prairie Dogs or other small varmints to hunt. But for deer, elk or mule deer it works fine. It would even work as a Pronghorn rifle if I was lucky enough to score a hunt for them.

It shoots Sierra 150gr Pro Hunter bullets in a group that measures just over an inch. I haven't tried any 180s yet but suspect they would also shoot well enough for an Elk hunt. I glass bedded and floated the barrel. The trigger didn't need any work and I have a Ruger front sight band I can install and a NECG rear peep if I want to switch to open sights.

And I only paid $450 for it used. Perfect for what I need a rifle for.

MCMXI said:

@mcb, can you provide more details on what you show in your post such as the magazine on the left, and the cartridge? The cartridge looks like .30 Remington AR.

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Yes, you are correct, the cartridge is 30 Remington AR. I am a big fan of the 450 Bushmaster and hunted the previous three years with it. The 30 Remington AR is derived from the same parent case, 284 Winchester, as the 450 Bushmaster. 30 Remington AR runs higher pressure (55ksi vs 38.5ksi) than 450 Bushmaster.


450 Bushmaster, 30 Remington AR, 300 AAC Blackout, 5.56x45mm

I believe I may have the last 30 Remington AR ever assembled, maybe. From the middle of last year through the first of this year I manage to acquire, finagle, barter and horse trade for the parts I needed to build one. The upper, charging handle and bolt (all proprietary to the 30 Remington AR) were new-old stock. I found two well used but still serviceable 22-inch barrels. The lower was a blemished Bushmaster lower I had and the rest of the parts are bargain-bin pieces-parts. The magazine was the hard part, the funny looking magazine on the left in my earlier post is an original Remington factory 4 rd magazine. It only feeds from the left side and was very difficult to find. The other magazine is a factory 450 Bushmaster magazine that after some grinding on the follower and just a little bit off the feed lips I have a reliable 7 rd magazine that will lock open on the last round.


Left: 30 Remington AR upper, Right Standard AR-15 upper.

Left: 30 Remington AR bolt, Right: Standard 556 AR bolt.

Up until the the second bankruptcy Remington was still running a small annual batch of ammo for 30 Remington AR. Looking at the new Remington/Vista website it appears they are dropping support for the cartridge. Thankfully I found some of the original 150 gr Core-Lokt on sale and stocked up. I am only getting 2400 fps from the ammo though it is listed at 2575 fps. Not sure if that is due to the age of the ammo, wear on the barrel, or both. Should still be more than adequate for deer. I am getting about 1.5 MOA groups at 100 yards with it. I did mange to pick up some dies so I should be good to go until something new and shiny comes along.

MCMXI said:

I've been watching these guys on YouTube that have a channel called Backfire. Their videos are entertaining but they are certainly not rifle experts, not even close, but maybe that's the point. Anyway, this got me thinking about the "perfect" factory hunting rifle ... at any price!

Obviously this isn't an objective topic since we all have different expectations and requirements, but I'd be interested to hear if anyone has found their unicorn ... I certainly haven't. By "perfect" I mean a hunting rifle that checks every box for you, is ideal in every way, and requires zero upgrades or changes.

To get the ball rolling I'll mention the Tikka T3x family. Tikka gets a lot right with a locking bolt handle but the .30 cal offerings have a 1:11 twist ... yuk! Tikka offers short action cartridges in a one size fits all receiver which isn't good. The magazines work/feed well in the rifle, and the actions are among the smoothest, but the magazine catch/release is crap being way too small and not even vaguely positive. Even aftermarket catches such as the one included with expensive RMT bottom metal is crap. Extraction is garbage when pulling the bolt to the rear slowly (annoying for practice sessions or load development) resulting in the spent case wallowing around inside the action, and the non-tactical models don't have an adjustable comb height. Additionally, QD cups aren't offered or necessarily easy to install on the side of the stock. Standard sling swivel studs need to go away for various reasons. So as good at Tikka rifles are, they're not perfect. Just my opinion of course.

Don't get me started on Kimber ... and I used to work for them!!!

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No not perfect, but I have a few that are close.
And not trying to get anyones goat, but one of my favorites is a Kimber.
My Weatherby Mark V has a 26" barrel and is not the smoothest action ever, and is just a half pound heavy. But it is very nice.
Perfect for me would include:
A synthetic HS style stock, properly glass bed.
24" Weatherby or Rem sporter contour.
Creep free 2.5 lb trigger.
holds 4 or 5 rounds total
13.5" LOP with a 1" pad included.
MV 3150 fps.
Sling swivel studs properly installed, not touching the barrel.
Made in the USA.
Cerakote grey or matte stainless.
Reliable steel magazine.
I am not picky on safeties

Captcurt said:

Closest thing that I have is my new Mauser M18 in 6.5 CM. For a cheaper rifle it has a lot going for it. I stuck a 3-9X Leupold VXII on it in Leupold mounts. The bolt runs smooth and has a 60 degree lift. The synthetic stock fits me well and is decent. Kind of between a Bergara and the Tupperware on a Savage Axis. The trigger is excellent. It has a detachable plastic magazine that is well designed and feeds well. I am sure that there are others that might fit the criteria better, but this one works for me. The fact that it shoots sub-MOA is only a bonus.

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How much that set you back?

I own 2 Rem 700 BDL Stainless in .270 and love them, but also have a Tikka T3 in .243 Win (picture) and really love its features more. If I were to do it over, I'd get a T3 in 7mm-08, a cartridge that works great for deer and loves the Tikka.

mshootnit said:

How much that set you back?

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Euros got them starting at 425ish right now, they sometimes have them as low as 399.

mshootnit said:

No not perfect, but I have a few that are close.
And not trying to get anyones goat, but one of my favorites is a Kimber.
My Weatherby Mark V has a 26" barrel and is not the smoothest action ever, and is just a half pound heavy. But it is very nice.
Perfect for me would include:
A synthetic HS style stock, properly glass bed.
24" Weatherby or Rem sporter contour.
Creep free 2.5 lb trigger.
holds 4 or 5 rounds total
13.5" LOP with a 1" pad included.
MV 3150 fps.
Sling swivel studs properly installed, not touching the barrel.
Made in the USA.
Cerakote grey or matte stainless.
Reliable steel magazine.
I am not picky on safeties

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Which H&S stock?
You might be interested in the Christensen Mesa line, Im not sure what the weight of their sporter barrels are tho.

Nothing is perfect. All depends on how and what one might hunt.

The Mannlicher Schönauer 1950 and Mauser M98 are supreme choices though.

Picher said:

I own 2 Rem 700 BDL Stainless in .270 and love them, but also have a Tikka T3 in .243 Win and really love its features more. If I were to do it over, I'd get a T3 in 7mm-08, a cartridge that works great for deer and loves the Tikka.

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I'm not going to 'Do it over' at my tender age near the mid-seventies. My hunting days are waning and I'll make do with the two .270s and .243 Win rifles I own. They'll get it done easily, should I desire to hunt deer. Meanwhile, other rifles do a great job on varmints, including eastern coyotes. My favorite walk-about varmint rifles are in .223 Rem and .243 Win. The .243s are fantastic for longer shots on running coyotes, who tend to run straight-away across the fields...BIG mistake so far! (Got two that way...at about 150 yards.)