My Favorite Rifle.
- Thread starter CWLONGSHOT
- Start date
JonB
Halcyon member
I'll give this some thought and post THEE ONE in the near future.
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But, like everyone else, I have had too many favorites. Throughout the 1990s, I was collecting guns, both long and short. One day (in 2015), I found I had too many...when you get too many, they become more of a liability than a asset. So I had an auction, 30 Rifles and 29 pistols. I was left with about 10 of each in the safe. I got rid of all my non-favorites...well except for the 1969 Romanian trainer...she was rough looking but Oh so accurate. My League gun (Ruger 77/22) was a sweet one too, I sold that to a friend a couple years before the Auction. Another Winner that got sold years prior, long before I was a reloader, was my first factory Rifle that would shoot bug holes, a Ruger #1 in 223rem. I've had a handfull of 30-40 Krags, I liked each one of them, but I never got any of them to shoot very well. Then there was the 1874 French Gras, My brother gave it to me for Christmas...as a joke...thinking I could never shoot it, due to no commercial ammo. Well I did shoot it with a BP handload, that a guy made for me, A friend took a polaroid of me shooting it (this was before the internet, LOL) and I sent it with a Christmas card the next year. Another neat one, a Swiss Vetterli, but it was chambered for 41 rimfire, I never did shoot it, It looked unissued, the checkering (if you would call it that?) was very different, square lines, but perfect condition, excellent metal to wood-fit and finish for a military rifle.
>
But, like everyone else, I have had too many favorites. Throughout the 1990s, I was collecting guns, both long and short. One day (in 2015), I found I had too many...when you get too many, they become more of a liability than a asset. So I had an auction, 30 Rifles and 29 pistols. I was left with about 10 of each in the safe. I got rid of all my non-favorites...well except for the 1969 Romanian trainer...she was rough looking but Oh so accurate. My League gun (Ruger 77/22) was a sweet one too, I sold that to a friend a couple years before the Auction. Another Winner that got sold years prior, long before I was a reloader, was my first factory Rifle that would shoot bug holes, a Ruger #1 in 223rem. I've had a handfull of 30-40 Krags, I liked each one of them, but I never got any of them to shoot very well. Then there was the 1874 French Gras, My brother gave it to me for Christmas...as a joke...thinking I could never shoot it, due to no commercial ammo. Well I did shoot it with a BP handload, that a guy made for me, A friend took a polaroid of me shooting it (this was before the internet, LOL) and I sent it with a Christmas card the next year. Another neat one, a Swiss Vetterli, but it was chambered for 41 rimfire, I never did shoot it, It looked unissued, the checkering (if you would call it that?) was very different, square lines, but perfect condition, excellent metal to wood-fit and finish for a military rifle.
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waco
Springfield, Oregon
Two of my favorites never really get shot. They were both my Uncles rifles. He taught us to shoot growing up and I got all of his reloading and casting gear when he past in 1999.
Both rifles are minty Ruger tang safeties from the late 70’s.
One in .22-250 and the other in .257 Roberts.
Both rifles are minty Ruger tang safeties from the late 70’s.
One in .22-250 and the other in .257 Roberts.
Rick H
Well-Known Member
Honestly it depends on the day and what I am doing. I still have most every rifle I ever owned. Every time I pick any one of them up into my hands they remind me of times gone by.....of days in the field and the people I shared those days with.
I guess I am like "462", whichever one I have in my hand.
I guess I am like "462", whichever one I have in my hand.
Glaciers
Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
JUST ONE!!
L Ross
Well-Known Member
The criteria I used was, which one would be the last one I would part with when the end is near.
The little 7x57 I had custom built gets the nod. 1937 Oberndorf 98 action, Jaeger trigger and safety, Douglas 2X premium featherweight barrel, electroless nickel plated, Pacific Research graphite/glass composite stock, aluminum pillar bedded after Borden Accuracy acquired Pacific Research, Weaver mounts and rings as the lightest available at the time, and a Leupold Vari-X III 1.5x5 scope. Well under 7 lbs. loaded with 4 rounds. Money was much tighter back when I had this done and it was intended to be my only serious big game rifle.
I retired, got a part time job which gave me discretionary money to pee away on guns, and for awhile I dallied with a number of other rifles but this is the one I always return to.
Glaciers
Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
Yeah I keep thinking about the last “one” to part with when pairing down and there are some that will be sold and certainly others that will be given away, but, I’ve decided that the majority will be in my estate and a good inventory with value information and just let the boys work it out. That way I can play with them till I can’t push my wheelchair by myself.
Nice rifle by the way, and great caliber. Still, not a 30-06, but acceptable.
Nice rifle by the way, and great caliber. Still, not a 30-06, but acceptable.
fiver
Well-Known Member
yeah, i'd have a hard time getting down to the last one.
nobody wants stuff like the XCB or 7X57 ICL, 95+% of the general shooting public wouldn't have a clue what to do with them.
my ICL is a plane jane XTR push feed anyway,, and all sorts of dinged up with spots of bluing and some of the stock finish missing here and there.
still shoots better than you'd think, and was my first real actual hunting rifle with a scope on it.
nobody wants stuff like the XCB or 7X57 ICL, 95+% of the general shooting public wouldn't have a clue what to do with them.
my ICL is a plane jane XTR push feed anyway,, and all sorts of dinged up with spots of bluing and some of the stock finish missing here and there.
still shoots better than you'd think, and was my first real actual hunting rifle with a scope on it.
Sounds like really good working rifle!
CWLONGSHOT
Well-Known Member
I have the same NOE 126g mold as you. I have a few loaded but no not yet shot any.
fiver
Well-Known Member
that's exactly what it is.
it's straight up glued into the beech stock and bedded all the way to the tip of the forearm.
it'll shoot too, the throat was cut tight for the Hornady 139gr. interlock which at 2875 fps. is it's one trick pony bullet.
but i've shot moose on down to coyotes with it with no problems ever.
i'd still probably take my Bergara in 30-06 over it if push come to shove though.
CWLONGSHOT
Well-Known Member
Yea, I understand and of coarse its difficult and of coarse I "love them all" or I probably would still
own them. But, I can safely say this is the favorite in the stable.
own them. But, I can safely say this is the favorite in the stable.
