Anyone own guns made for hunting but you don't hunt?

[Russ]

I had a freind who was in his 80's when he died in his sleep. His widow sold me a Remington model 742 in .308. It's a semi auto and the pre-cursor to the 7400 which I think they still make. Nice gun. I have never hunted. I usually shoot Nato surplus ammo because it is cheap and works well for blowing holes in paper. One of these days I hope to hunt deer. Just seems like I never get to it.

My main love is pistols anyway. The 742 is really a pretty gun. No Browning but very nice.

 

[bogie]

Well, I've got a '17 Enfield that I'm gonna have made into somethin' big and ugly.

I do not plan on going to Africa.

I just want it.

 

[Monkeyleg]

I've had a couple of hunting rifles that I bought for looks as well as for target shooting. But I quickly learned that the sporter-weight barrels heat up faster than heavy barrels, and the groups would open up.

The only "hunting" gun I owned that shot extremely well was a Browning heavy barrel varmint in .22-250. I have one target that has a one-hole, four-shot group with a fifth shot just touching. Don't ask me why I sold it.

But overall the best-shooting rifles I've had have been ones like my AR or my Remington 700 police: lots of plastic, and ugly.

It's a shame to have to sell one gun to buy another. I'd still like to have some of those rifles with the beautiful wood and bluing.

 

[Randy in Arizona]

bogie

Well, I've got a '17 Enfield that I'm gonna have made into somethin' big and ugly.

I do not plan on going to Africa.

I just want it.

I understand - I have a .458 Winchester on an '03 DHT Springfield for the same reason.

If your '17 Enfield is an Eddystone have it checked carefully for cracking.
An aquaintance of mine noticed a hairline crack in his receiver ring. He stripped the receiver and held it up by the tang and tapped it with a light ballpeen hammer. The receiver shattered like glass.

 

[MachIVshooter]

What do you classify as a 'hunting' gun? Most guns have many purposes. Most of what I would classify as a 'hunting' gun, could just as easily be a target gun, or a plinking gun, or something else.

My 10/22 is a plinking gun. As well a squirrel gun.
My Rem 700 is not only a deer gun, but a sniper and target gun.
My Rem 870 is not only a duck gun, but a trap gun. And a police gun.
Ruger 22/45? Great rabbit gun, and my bullseye pistol.

I would venture to say that it is as dependant, if not more, on the configuration as it is the cartridge being fired. A Remington 700 PSS .308 is better suited to Sniping, while my 700 BDL SS is more appropriate for Big game hunting, and my 700 LVSF in .17 rem. is really only good for varmints. I have two other 700's, a .25-06 for deer and antelope and a .30-06 that is decked out in tactical stuff. Yet, none of these 4 M700's is particularly good for 1000 yard match shooting. An 870 with folding stock, an 18" full dia. barrel and mag tube that extends to the muzzle is better for entry, while a 28" model that will accept chokes and has the standard 3 shell tube is more appropriate for birds. And neither is well-suited to sporting clays. If every gun is as universal as you would suggest, we would not need nearly so many variations.

 

[Hawk]

Guilty as charged.

With perhaps my most egregious example being a Ruger #1-H in .416 Rigby cheerfully employed as a plinker.

 

[gulogulo1970]

Well good, I'm not the only one who likes to own and shoot something cool.

The enjoyment aspect is enough of a justification.

 

[Ky Larry]

I own several "hunting" rifles and shot guns. They all get shot eventually but I haven't hunted in years. I made a deal with the deer on our farm. If they don't come in the house and bother me, I won't go out in the woods and bother them. So far, we've coexisted peacefully.I do shoot ground hogs and coyotes. I don't consider this hunting, just critter control.

 

[GunGoBoom]

Well, I've got a '17 Enfield that I'm gonna have made into somethin' big and ugly.

Errm, what condition is it in? Cuz those are getting 'spensive in original form. I wouldn't bubba-fy it unless there's something wrong with it, if I were you. Get a CZ 550 American Safari Magnum in .458 Lott - something big, ugly, and very powerful under $750 - with a set trigger!

http://www.cz-usa.com/01.detail.php?id=50

.416 Rigby as plinker...tee hee.

 

[afasano]

In Pennsylvania it's unlawful to take game with a semi-auto rifle or pistol and semi-auto shotguns must be plugged to a thee round limit.

 

[cracked butt]

I only own 3 guns that most would consider hunting guns, a small fraction of my collection. I do a lot of hunting and these three cover everything I hunt, a .22 for squirrels, Remington 700 for whitetails and coyotes, and a 12 guage for things with feathers. I've used a handful of other rifles for hunting also on a whim.

 

[foghornl]

Have a .30/30 Marlin and a Mossberg ATR-100 .30-06, but the Ohio "Game & Fish" guys think that I am unsafe hunting Bambi with a rifle, or a shotgun with anything but a max of 3 slugs.