Favorite rifle with no use!

[redneck2]

I’m too lazy and inept to do a survey here, but someone should start a thread “how many or what percentage of your guns do you actually use/shoot at least once a year?”.

I suspect if people were truthful it would be sub 10%

 

[Random 8]

I have a lot of rifles that have no "use." I could hunt with most of them, but have better options. They are various military rifles from 1900 through early Cold War, specifically the ones that are not suitable for vintage rifle competitions. I still shoot them from time to time...I sell safe queens if a rifle attains too much value to shoot..., but I could live without them if I wanted to, and I don't. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the T38 carbine. That cute little carbine with almost no recoil is just a joy to shoot...at closer ranges where the front sight doesn't eclipse the target and the Kalashikov like trigger pull is manageable.

 

[7mmRLC]

Well at least they won't depreciate in value anytime soon.

 

[Steve Milbocker]

My late father bought each of us 4 kids a Henry Silver Eagle in 17HMR. He had them numbered in baby order. I would not have chosen this caliber in this particular rifle but it was a heart warming gift nonetheless. I actually shot it once just to see what it was like and after trying to eject a live round apparently the bullet had engaged the rifling and it pulled the bullet dumping powder in the action. After removing the bullet from the bore and cleaning it up I put it back in the cabinet never to be fired again. Thank you dad, I still love it

 

[Chuck R.]

I’m too lazy and inept to do a survey here, but someone should start a thread “how many or what percentage of your guns do you actually use/shoot at least once a year?”.

I suspect if people were truthful it would be sub 10%

I agree, it's a version of the Pareto 80/20 principle..

 

[PapaG]

My 1952 Winchester Model 70, 30-06. Traded for it in the early 70s in anticipation of a deer and elk hunt which got preempted by kids, job change and life in general. Now it sits lonely but still loved in the back of the safe appreciating.
It did provide me with a few years entertainment shooting cast bullets.

 

[tubeshooter]

I’m too lazy and inept to do a survey here, but someone should start a thread “how many or what percentage of your guns do you actually use/shoot at least once a year?”.

I suspect if people were truthful it would be sub 10%

It's an interesting question, and I suspect for many with large and varied accumulations this might be true.

I know I turn to the same handful of items most times...


On the other hand there are a lot of people out there with maybe 10-12 guns at most (maybe even half that), and I suspect those people would likely be well over 10%. Just because somebody lurks here a lot or posts a lot doesn't necessarily mean they have a whole bunch to choose from.

 

[chicharrones]

Due to my working hours having increased 50% since mid 2022, my work since then being almost always in a city that isn't home, my ol' shootin' buddy moving nearly 400 miles away in 2019, and urban sprawl that is continuing to make me more urban . . . my long gun shooting has fallen off immensely.

I guess that would mean my Marlin 1894 CSBL bought new in January 2020 is my favorite barely used rifle. It just came into my possession right before my shootin' world changed dramatically.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I’m too lazy and inept to do a survey here, but someone should start a thread “how many or what percentage of your guns do you actually use/shoot at least once a year?”.

I suspect if people were truthful it would be sub 10%

I agree, it's a version of the Pareto 80/20 principle..

It's an interesting question, and I suspect for many with large and varied accumulations this might be true.

I know I turn to the same handful of items most times...


On the other hand there are a lot of people out there with maybe 10-12 guns at most (maybe even half that), and I suspect those people would likely be well over 10%. Just because somebody lurks here a lot or posts a lot doesn't necessarily mean they have a whole bunch to choose from.

Shoot once a year? I have a few in the back of the armory I haven't SEEN in years.

I assume they are still back there. I have pictures to prove they existed at one point.
I guess they are kinda like Schrodinger's Guns, they may or may not be in the cases- won't know until I open them.....

 

[tark]

I have a rather odd duck, which I never use. It is a pristine, 99+++++ % Winchester Model 60 .22 rifle. I have posted it in years past, trying to find out is anybody else has ever seen anything like it.

The gun itself is absolutely flawless. Perfect bluing, perfect wood. I mean PERFECT! All it lacks is a hanging tag and a box. There is only one thing wrong. The bore is un-rifled and the muzzle is un-crowned. The gun has sights and is marked for short, long, and long rifle.

An obvious factory screw-up. I wonder if there are more like it.? I got it for $100 at a gun show. It was so pretty I had to have it...even though it is pretty much worthless. I never shoot it

 

[AJC1]

Does it count if a rifle was bought or built for a purpose that is no longer available. Every rifle my dad owned was for a match of some kind and currently I'm not shooting matches. I'm looking to get back in but for the purpose of this I'm currently at 0 percent baring entertainment.

 

[redneck2]

obvious factory screw-up. I wonder if there are more like it.

Are you sure it wasn’t made to shoot .22 rat shot?

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I have a rather odd duck, which I never use. It is a pristine, 99+++++ % Winchester Model 60 .22 rifle. I have posted it in years past, trying to find out is anybody else has ever seen anything like it.

The gun itself is absolutely flawless. Perfect bluing, perfect wood. I mean PERFECT! All it lacks is a hanging tag and a box. There is only one thing wrong. The bore is un-rifled and the muzzle is un-crowned. The gun has sights and is marked for short, long, and long rifle.

An obvious factory screw-up. I wonder if there are more like it.? I got it for $100 at a gun show. It was so pretty I had to have it...even though it is pretty much worthless. I never shoot it

Are you sure it wasn’t made to shoot .22 rat shot?

I believe the dedicated garden guns were either marked "Rutledge Bore" or "Smoothbore."

However- IIRC there were also some special contract carnival gallery guns that were left smoothbore and unmarked on purpose as well.

Or, as Tark said, could just be a factory oopsie. Either way, I think it's pretty cool!

 

[zaitcev]

Browning BLR 7-08. Can't get a gloved hand into the lever and there's too much drop at the comb for proper scope use.

I have a BLR in 5.56. It's useless for hunting: too small for deer, too large for rabbit, not accurate enough for varminting. Because it's a stupid overkill on a rabbit, I learned to take careful neck shots, which preserves the good part. It was my first rifle that I bought in the past century for $650 (with a scope)!

 

[AWS]

I've a few rifles and shotguns, all have taken game except one and it is just waiting for a hunt to materialize. I do have one shotgun that I retire 20 yrs ago but it had a quarter of a million rounds thru it and a pile of birds and trophies under its belt, time to let it rest.

I do have a 150 yr old 10ga upland sxs that I recently acquired that finally have a supply of hulls and wads.now it's just waiting for its turn in the rotation.

 

[LoonWulf]

My Henry .223 single-
View attachment 1239270
It's accurate, but not a target rifle- the sights are very basic. It's too pretty for a truck gun, and too weak for big game.
You can put a scope on them, but the comb is kinda low and the factory mounts are really ugly. I keep toying with the idea of sending the barrel out to have Unertl bases installed....
I really only keep it because of the stunning wood.
View attachment 1239273

Well, now you HAVE to come to the Big Island, then your Henry can identify as a sheep rifle!


I have a keltech sub-2000 that's pretty "useless" besides being fun.....My .22s are pretty "useless" also, same deal they are fun.....

IMO FUN is usefull.......

 

[Simple Shooter]

Masonlaw1,

Your Ruger does have a use if it make you happy and you enjoy shooting it.

I have a Springfield M1A Scout with a 2-7x32 Burris scout scope and a lot of Lake City XM80 to feed it. I don't hunt. It is the last gun I would grab for home defense. There are no bear, bigfoot, mountain lions, or Taliban fighters to defend against on my property. It gets used to blow up cans and jugs of water, expired produce, or anything else my son and I deem interesting. This rifle doesn't fill what some would deem its proper use, but it does fit our use: prime father-son time.

So, buy some more .223, find some fun targets, and just enjoy the ride.

 

[Unit59]

I have plenty useless rifles, many years ago I went on a .22 rifle buying spree and purchased quite a few (25+). I was a rimfire addict for sure and that lasted several years, now they all sit in the very back of my safe. I gave some to the grandson for birthdays and Christmas, but the rest still remain. I have since moved on to other rifles in bigger calibers, but I have learned to pick very carefully and have a good need and purpose for them. There is plenty of them around too, but they see a lot more use and action.

 

[Demi-human]

I was just rereading an old borescope thread in which I discussed my beloved Savage M12 .223.
It is my favorite. Massive, beautiful, smooth(-ish, it’s a Savage…), and supremely precise.

And since losing my lease, changing jobs, homes, and finding love, I haven’t fired it in two years!

There is not a place where I could take it in a reasonable afternoon. Anywhere close is too short, and the benches not strong enough if there are any at all.
A hundred yard shot feels like I’ll get hit with splatter through the 10-60x50 Golden Eagle. The grass grows too fast for prone in the field in the spring, but I am hoping for an easy winter.
Even the bed of my truck is not long enough to shoot from, however I do plan on building a platform that can hook through the tailgate gap and support the bipod skis further from the truck so I can lay there, above the vegetation and snow banks.

It weighs one ounce less than 18lbs, to make requirements in an F/TR match I’ve never been to. Its case has wheels, is four and a half feet long to fit the 30” barrel, and needs a toolbox of accouterments to service it on the line. (Cooling fans, grease, Nth degree prepped hand loads, and of course, coffee…)

There seems to be no Hornady bullet is does not like, and routinely places ten into 5/8”. Except those 75 ELDs, dang. It would nearly be boring if I couldn’t shoot further than a hundred. I bet it doesn’t have 2,200 rounds through it, even though I have an unopened 4K box of 75bthp for it.


Oh, for certain I have much too many ARs, and some of those haven’t even been used. I have a glut of rimfires as well.
However, this rifle is my favorite.
It never does not bring me pleasure to see it.

But, I just don’t know when I’ll ever use it again! And this statement terrifies me!

(Please note the proper scope designation and copious use of the Oxford comma, or as I like to say, “The proper comma.” )

 

[Hookeye]

Have a Winchester 9422M that just sits in the back of the safe.
If I need a .22 mag I grab my CZ457 w Leupold 3.5-10X

If I want another rifle for no real application, proly an StG58 clone.
I'm not really a recreational shooter anymore, so it'd be a rarely used "range toy".
I only shoot to zero or test reloads.
Plinking or even going for groups, aint my thing anymore.
If I shoot a couple of groups that meet my requirements, I stop.
There's no need for me to try harder, do more, trying to shrink em.

 

[Mosin77]

almost everything has a perfect, highly specific use-case for which it is perfect, and is less than perfect for everything that’s not that.

If I’m being realistic my cz452 and my Argentine hi power should come with me to the range every time…. And beyond that, well, maybe not much. But I like having cool guns that will come in handy when I have a ranch, or that are perfect for taking care of the rabbit problem on my Scottish estate, or that are just the ticket for sorting out the Czar’s enemies in the next dust up with the Turks, in 1898 or so. Maybe something for that lion or buffalo hunt (period correct of course.)

I have more than a couple guns. I also enjoy having variety.

 

[tark]

Are you sure it wasn’t made to shoot .22 rat shot?

Guns made for that purpose were not marked for shorts, longs or long rifles. And the muzzles were crowned in the standard fashion.

I believe the dedicated garden guns were either marked "Rutledge Bore" or "Smoothbore."

uhhh....yup !

 

[Enfieldier]

All of my rifles are range toys at this point in my life. This Winchester 95 in .30-06 has even less purpose because I can't use the iron sights past 50 yards, but I have a long lasting love affair with 95s so I keep it around. It is very accurate. Previously I owned a Browning 95 in .30-40 Krag and an early 20th century 95 SRC in .30-06 with elongated headspace. Those were fun too.

 

[Speedo66]

My favorite hunting rifle was a scoped Browning BLR lever action in .308. Great gun; short, light, accurate, and powerful.

But I moved to a state where it was not permitted for hunting, straight wall only, so down the road it went.

 

[Trey Veston]

CMP Special Grade M1 Garand.