Why Is Your Favorite Rifle...Your Favorite?

[Wanta B]

Absolutely great thread Maverick223. Very enjoyable.

 

[Maverick223]

I voted sentimental old fool because I inherited it from my grandpa and killed my first buck at age 11 with it.

So they had guns back then?

Absolutely great thread Maverick223. Very enjoyable

Thank you very much WB!...but it wouldn't be a good thread without the other posters, such as yourself, that make it interesting.


Keep em' coming, I love to hear the tales behind them all.

 

[VA27]

A 1947 Remington Model 81 in 35Rem. It's a year older than I am. J.M. Browning designed it. It's a take-down. It's nice looking. Ol' J.M. must have been a reloader, 'cause this thing just piles the empty brass at my feet. How many semiautos do that?

 

[fireman 9731]

All of the above!

My H&R Buffalo Classic isn't anything rare or fancy, but its a little different, and lots of fun. It was my first center fire rifle. A combination of old and new. I like it

 

[Maverick223]

fireman, have to agree that a single shot .45-70 is a blast, and there seems to be an inherent connection with a big lumbering single shot rifle that is hard to describe.

 

[Officers'Wife]

My great grandfather's 92 Winchester is and always will be my favorite. It was the first center fire rifle I ever used, it's deadly accurate once you learn the sights and when I aim it I hear my grandfather telling me to fire between heartbeats.

 

[Shadow Man]

Maverick, this thread has reminded me of some happier times in my life, when things were alot simpler, and sitting next to my Grandfather as he drank his coffee and read the paper could make it all just so much better. Thank you for those memories, sir.

-Shadow

 

[Tim the student]

They are all my favorite rifles, for different reasons.

I don't have kids, but I imagine its like naming your favorite kid. They all make me warm and fuzzy inside.

 

[AKElroy]

FWIW I am a sentimental old fool and chose my Grandparent's Stevens Model 87D.

Wow--This is the only other time I have seen one of these Stevens 87's. My grandfather gave me his when I was 9 (it stayed with him, but it was the only one who ever used it; man, did I use it!) and I ran literally 10's of thousands of rounds through it over the following 20+ years. The lands in the throat are worn nearly smooth, and it doubles whenever the trigger is slowly pulled; so it is now retired. Yours looks LOTS better than mine.

 

[Big Bill]

"other" (IMHO, their were not enough choices.)

Because, it's a one of the best rifles ever made. It's an older Ruger M77 Mark II 25-06.

 

[Maverick223]

Maverick, this thread has reminded me of some happier times in my life, when things were alot simpler, and sitting next to my Grandfather as he drank his coffee and read the paper could make it all just so much better. Thank you for those memories, sir.

Glad to hear it; Thank you for sharing.

This is the only other time I have seen one of these Stevens 87's. My grandfather gave me his when I was 11, and I ran literally 10's of thousands of rounds through it over the following 20+ years. The lands in the throat are worn nearly smooth, and it doubles whenever the trigger is slowly pulled; so it is now retired. Yours looks LOTS better than mine.

They are very unique and easily recognizable to anyone that is familiar with them. Nothing else has the trademark cuts on the receiver, hammer that doesn't reset until the trigger is released, or the odd single shot/bolt lock (though some others have a few of these unusual features). Mine was looking pretty bad so my cousin and I refinished it (wood only...and the metal never will because "I am a sentimental old fool") about a decade ago.

 

[Ignition Override]

Update:
Although my first Mauser from last Sunday's show is a Yugo 48A and not quite German (but with their equipment), the shooting fun and military looks/smooth actions/power of classic battle rifles can not be equalled.
This group is almost tied: "Jungle Carbine" #5, LE #4, classic military Mauser.

Also enjoy their battle rifle 'punch', which feel (to me) more serious than the punch of any ARs I've tried out which shoot .223.

 

[skidooman603]

Thank You Wanta B 30-06

 

[Rexster]

I voted "something else" because there was no "most of the above" choice.

FWIW, I am not so sure I yet own what will become my favorite rifle. For now, I think one of my Browning BLRs is my favorite. My first BLR, a 1997-era Lightning Model, in .308, resulted in a dramatic improvement in my rifle shooting. Light, handy, accurate, and an excellent fit. Twelve years later, in 2009, I purchased a Takedown BLR, which is D&T'ed for a forward-mount scope, so I can finally test the Scout Rifle concept long-term. If that works for me, I will probably have a custom scout built on a left-hand bolt action. Or, perhaps not; the BLR may remain the favored system.

So, my sentimental side likes lever rifles, a lightweight .308 rifle is very useful, I can hit with it better that most other rifles, it has always worked, it is fun to shoot, and I think lever rifles do look, uh, cool. I like the way the BLR combines tradition with such modern stuff as light weight and a drop-free box magazine. The rear sight works well for my eyes. Too bad that on the Takedown version, to use the forward scope mount, that rear sight has to be removed.