Your Favorite Rifle

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I'm partial to a M1917.

Ive owned my current immaculate Eddystone for 15 years and have only shot it once, about 5 years ago. It was a DCM gun, and probably unissued.
I did a mad minute with it, put 19/21 in the black at 50 yds and put it away once it cooled off- never even touched the sights. Was some of the best shooting Ive ever done in my life.
I would chalk it up to a pleasent dream, but I had witnesses....and a nice purple bruised shoulder the next day.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I have many but I suppose my very favorite is my 30-06 rolling block that I made from a block of 4140. I made it because too many people told me that a rolling block was a strong action, but not strong enough to handle a high pressure round like a 30-06. It took me seven years to fabricate, an hour here and there after work . I made everything but the barrel, springs, screws and the rear sight. Barrel is from Brownell's, 27" long, 1-10 twist. All springs are coil. In addition to being made from superior steel compared to the originals, every part has been up scaled in size and thickness. The breech block and hammer are only as wide as necessary this allows for shorter action pins ( stiffer ) that are 9/16" . The originals were 7/16". The side walls of the action are thicker than the originals. Everything was professionally heat treated to RC 40. There is a penalty for all that beef; the gun weighs 10 1/.2 pounds. it has a mild recoil for an 06, no surprise there, with that much weight. I rust blued it at home.

The gun ate a German proof round that came in at around 85,000 PSI, if my math was correct. ( Had to convert kilograms per square centimeter to PSI ) I fired the proof round ( remotely ) followed by 10 180 gr. factory rounds. The headspace was unchanged. The empties fall out of the chamber of their own weight. Expansion is less that .001 a quarter inch ahead of the rim. The empties can be full length re-sized with my little finger. So much for "spring" and "stretch" in a rolling block action. Might happen in the originals, not in mine.

I haven't done much range testing, as I can hardly stand up on some days. Back is a train wreck. With the limited shooting I have done it seems to be quite accurate. I can hit a 6 1/2 ounce cat food can at around 75 yards with nearly every shot.

A couple of years back when the Arsenal museum was still open, the Remington Historical Society paid us a visit. Roy Marcot, authority on old west firearms and noted author was with them. He liked my gun. I considered that high praise!

Sorry about the upside down and sideways pic. Puter is drunk again.

Stunning, simply stunning.......

 

[bannockburn]

WisBorn

I think you have favorite problem?

Which Favorite is your Favorite

Yeah, I had the same problem with our kids; it's just too tough to pick only one favorite!

If I were pressed to choose just one then it would be:

My Colt AR15 SP1. This is the gun I always dreamed about having when I was a kid, even buying all sorts of accessories and ammo for it long before I actually bought one (with some financial help from my older brother)!

 

[WisBorn]

WisBorn


Yeah, I had the same problem with our kids; it's just too tough to pick only one favorite!

If I were pressed to choose just one then it would be:

My Colt AR15 SP1. This is the gun I always dreamed about having when I was a kid, even buying all sorts of accessories and ammo for it long before I actually bought one (with some financial help from my older brother)!

Sometimes several is the right answer
I would hate to down size my handguns to only one.
I have
My favorite carry
My favorite shorts carry
My favorite wilderness carry
My favorite wilderness shorts carry
My favorite OWB carry
My favorite IWB carry
My favorite snake carry
I'm going to get an open wilderness carry soon

 

[Picher]

I really enjoy this CZ455, .17 HMR with (now) a 3-9x Leupold scope. It kills bigger stuff and at longer rangers than I expected from the tiny bullets. It has handled skunks, woodchucks and coyotes to over 100 yards, but it just happened to be the one I carried around that day. It's light for come critters, but it manages to place rounds in the right places...if I do my part.

 

[jag1954]

Any one of my Henrys.

 

[Meeks36]

Marlin model 60.

 

[Picher]

A relatively inexpensive rifle is the Remington 700 ADL. I've had a couple and they shoot like crazy and hold their zero, if you give them a little love in the epoxy-bedding...free-
floating barrel situation and tune the trigger a bit. The one pictured is an older one, and better finished than new ones, but they're still good rifles. The newer ones tend to have synthetic stocks, which are okay and the bluing isn't as shiny. This one, obviously, has a replacement stainless barrel.

 

[Picher]

This is my SS Remington 700 Stainless, in .270 Win. Moose was walking across a haul road, about 275 yards from my stool. Shot entered the other side in the shoulder/lung area.

 

[Sniper66]

My nod to a favorite goes to my Remington 541S .22 rimfire. I've killed mostly squirrels with it since around 1978. But, the number of critters it has killed are almost too numerous to count. It has never failed to deliver flawless performance.

 

[Bill_in_TR]

Well I don't own a black rifle so I can't even contribute there. My favorite centerfire is a Winchester Model 70 Featherweight in 257 Robert's. It is a post '64 so not particularly a classic. For rimfire I have a Mossberg 144 LSA that is an absolute tack driver whenever my old eyes can find the tack.

 

[DDDWho]

Purdy double rifle, any caliber

 

[Tentwing]

Welllllll …………… when you consider that 95% of my shooting is 22lr ( maybe more if you think about the actual round count sent down range ) I would have to give the nod to one of my Marlin 39a’s
.

 

[Coltdriver]

I have a Sako Tecomate in .270 WSM. I have dialed in a load for a 140 grain partition that comes out the muzzle at just a tick over 3200 FPS. The rifle is a total tack driver. I have taken deer, elk and antelope with it. Stainless with a McMillan style bedded stock. Fluted barrel. Mine has a Swarovski Z series scope. It will be the last one I sell or let go.

 

[wildcatter109]

hard one, not my most expensive, or most accurate, but dam close out 600 yards. My Savage Axis, with an antique barrel, a Pence hand cut rifled 5 groove barrel that started life over 25 years ago as a 27 1/2" 6mm Rem. AI. with a 5" 1.250" taper to .900 at the muzzle, It took just over 1000 rounds to destroy the throat, after over 20 years laying in the safe I had my gunsmith scope it,,,, he said I think if we get rid of about 4.5 to 5" and rechamber it, it should be a shooter. So we ended up with 22.5" 6mm BR Norma with a 1-10 twist on a used Axis action, in a stock I used fresh walnut husks that were ripened to just starting to turn from yellow with no brown in them yet, and then Satin Deft urethane finished, it don't shoot to shabby either for a shot out barrel with Hotenstien 68 grain BTHP.s

 

[wildcatter109]

For rimfires This 580 Remington youth model that I had Hard chromed after buying it used, then added a 26" 1-16 twist Pence hand cut barrel, with an additional bedding bolt added so we could free float the barrel with pillar bedding, along with a trigger job in an aftermarket Full size Walnut stock I finished for it, this will always be my favorite 22 Rimfire.

 

[Risky buisness]

US M1 GARAND, 7.62x51 Navy national match.
WW 2 stock profile built in 1950, rebarreled in 66
Absolute favorite.

 

[C-grunt]

I go back and forth between these two rifles. Right now the top one is my favorite.

Top: Alamo Precision Rifle Ranger 20 inch 308. Leupold Mk5 5-25 scope.

Bottom: Accuracy International AT with a 22 inch Gradous 6.5 Creedmoor barrel. Nightforce ATACR 7-35 scope.

20211028_150553 by chase, on Flickr

20211129_131445 by chase, on Flickr

20211129_131527 by chase, on Flickr

 

[Random 8]

The Death Ray. A .280 rem K98 barreled action that I put together myself just after dropping out of college when I was dirt poor. My first attempt at "custom" I made it my own. Some flaws in my stock work, but it is cut/sanded/ shaped to fit my purposes. It's not a precision rifle, but will flirt with 1 MOA with the right load. The reason it is my favorite is that I made it my own. I've carried it countless hours afield. It fits me, it fits my purpose, and it simply kills everything I aim it at efficiently. It is a "one with me"rifle. This little critter was a snap shot just below the base of ears/jaw line threading a woods needle at 50ish yards. I wouldn't have attempted such a shot with a "lesser" rifle.

 

[Picher]

Welllllll …………… when you consider that 95% of my shooting is 22lr ( maybe more if you think about the actual round count sent down range ) I would have to give the nod to one of my Marlin 39a’s
.
View attachment 1099404

Not what we'd consider a defense weapon, but my girlfriend (now wife) had my 39A Mountie at her house for protection, while I was at college. One night, a drunk neighbor got the wrong house and she had to show him the (loaded) rifle and he stopped banging on the door pretty quickly, and went away.

 

[Chuck R.]

Well I was just notified that my latest Manners stock is completed and ready to ship.

So that means my favorite is going to change again shortly.....

 

[3Crows]

These two:



The top SBL now wears a nice little Leopold, the Nikon African awaits another home.

3C

 

[irishlad]

My current favorite is a Ruger LVT 10/22. My favorite changes about every 2 months.

 

[marksman13]

I may need to change my vote......!
This just arrived:

View attachment 1093132 View attachment 1093133 View attachment 1093134 View attachment 1093135
It is a grail gun of mine....except the caliber.

You’ve got a rarity there if that’s a No 1V. Not many of those built in 300 Win Mag.

 

[Picher]

My nod to a favorite goes to my "tuned" Remington 541S .22 rimfire. I've killed mostly squirrels with it since around 1978. But, the number of critters it has killed are almost too numerous to count. It has never failed to deliver flawless performance.




John Picher