Favorite Rifle

win70 featherweight in 30.06. my grandfathers, my fathers, my uncles, then finally mine. hundreds and hundreds of deer, 2 trips to africa, and it still drives tacks for me. i'll shoot that gun forever, and it'll never not be my favorite.

My Belgian-made Browning BAR in 7mm rem mag is my favorite rifle. I know many don't like the semi-autos but its accuracy is really something that has to be witnessed.

Ever since I got the 45-70 Pedersoli Kodiak, it is fast becoming my favorite rifle. Classic lines, classic cartridge and a real gamegetter. I just can't put the thing down.

My Winchester Model 70 in .375 Ackley Improved. It started out as a plain jane Model 70 Classic Stainless with a fiberglass stock in .375 H&H, but I've since had it rechambered to .375 Ackley. It's been restocked by Serengheti Stock Works in a beautiful piece of AAA Claro laminated walnut, and the metal has been seercoated in a black matte finish. It consistantly puts both 270 grain and 300 grain TSX bullets into 1/2" to 3/4" 3 shot groups at 100 yards.

I think my favorite rifle in general would have to be the Browning A-Bolt classic in left hand. I own one in 7mm REM MAG and another in 375 H&H, neither one of them are BOSS rifles. I might appreciate a composite and stainless rifle but both of mine are good wood and blued steel. These two rifles have taken nearly every game animal I’ve shot in the last ten years. Like most of you I own too many rifles. It just seems that you have to make a conscious choice to take a different rifle out of the safe, the Browning always seem to be where the hand naturally reaches, so they get the title of “favorite”. I think Shallom makes a great point, the little 10-22 is a great shooter and keeps you honest. The shotgun is a multi-tool, it has so many uses depending on the load.

I'm totally in love with my CZ550 Safari Magnum .375 H&H. Very smooth action, gentle recoil, and accurate enough to make me smile! (~1" 3 shot groups at 100yds with Leupold 1.25-4x). I can't wait to bring it to Zimbabwe with me next year! I'll be parting with her in a month or two to have AHR work over her action, glass bed her, and add a set of NECG express rear and flip up night front sight.

I don't have favorites! I like them all! The caliber range is from 17 Ackley Hornet up to a 577 Snider with alot in between.

Unless you count my 10/22 Ruger, I've never had a "favorite" rifle. I've owned a number of centerfires, but never one that I would call a go-to gun. For various reasons (reliability, accuracy, fit, balance, etc.) all of them have seemed imperfect in some way. Often the (perceived?) flaw was very minor, but none of them found a place in my heart or won my confidence like my 10/22, BPS12 or BT-99 had done.

Until now. As of Sunday, I have a favorite...

Last year I purchased a Ruger 77 Hawkeye in .300 Win Mag. I changed out the stock for an H-S Precision in OD green and topped the rig with a Leupold VX-III. The whole set up is rock-solid, easy to handle and comes right up to my eye when I shoulder it. It fits me like a glove.

The moment that I knew "this is the one" was when I was at my reloading bench that evening measuring the c-to-c spread of a 5-shot test of 180gn Nosler Partion hand loads. The grouping was tight and I knew then and there that only a little bit of load-tuning was going to produce a rifle/load combination that was accurate, powerful and reliable.

Finally!

- browningbbr

...My favrite is the Model 70 in 30/06. It's killed a pile of animals, been to Africa twice.With all the guns I own when it's crunch time that's what I grab- Unless maybe Dangerous Game then it would be my 375 H&H!!

My favorite rifle is a 7mm Rem Mag my dad gave me as a gift, Interarms action, beautiful walnut stock, and made just to my arm-cheek-etc measurements...I've killed 90% of my big game trophies with it. (Not approximately; literally 90%, 18 out of 20...just not counting pigs and peccari).

But my best rifle is a 338 win mag, made by David Miller...but I really doubt that rifle will see field action any time soon, more of a collection rifle, it shoots awesome but just to damn pretty of a gun to be wailing around in the field...and a shame to! But may be someday!

My dads favorite rifle was a 375 H&H, he did A LOT more hunting than I have done, easily took a couple of hundred of animals, and many of them with that rifle, a wedding gift from my grandpa to him, and oddly one of the plainest rifles in his collection, this 375 H&H is a good old out of the box Winchester Model 70 with may be a couple of minor modifications, this rifle took an amazing array of animals, from the north west territories to Zimbabwe, and from Siberia to South Texas, when you see that rifle it tells you stories, it's amazing just a battered old Winchester 70, but man did he love it!!! And those are the ones that count! Right?

Well, thank goodness that picking a favorite rifle/caliber is not like picking a wife. If you're smart, you pick the right one, or at least you better not repeat a mistake the second time. But with rifles, well, someone said it best: you can''t have too many, now can you?
Picking a favorite is like choosing a favorite song or movie - there are just too many that are unique and you just can't say that 'this one' is the best.
So, as much as I have loved my .280, 30-06, 300 Win Mag, .22 LR, and, yes, my 30-30, I guess I have had the most success with my Remington Model 700 Boone & Crocket in .270. I even managed to take a young coyote this past fall in Washington's Blue Mountains with one shot at 364 yards. He was feeding on the previous day's mule deer gut pile and I caught him as the fog was lifting at dawn. I admit that I surprised myself with doing it right and hitting him the first time. But most of the credit goes to the rifle and 4X12 scope.

jaustin, my favorite rifle is my Weatherby magnum chambered for .375 H&H Mag. my 470 NE John Rigby DBBL and for smaller game its .270 Weatherby Mag. and the .22 LR by weatherby is my all time favorite have procured a beautiful .460 Weatherby Magnum.Deluxe rifle lately. Weatherbys always have been close to my heart for their sheer power ballistics and beauty. Roy weatherby really Produced these rifles in HEAVEN.
I have a exquisite rifle in my collection, its a .375 H&H Mag dbbl sidelock deluxe rifle by Holland & Holland its a masterpiece.
I have a .404 Jeffrys, Model 70 "AFRICA" .458 Win.Mag. And a rare .260 DBBL rifle by J.W. Tolley in my collection. Have always been a big bore addict its a great feeling letting these rifles go off from your shoulder.

Happy hunting Bwana

Monish

Monish, Please show us some pictures of your favorite rifles that you have.

My "new" favorite rifle is my Tika T3 in the .300 WSM. Just found a great load that this gun likes. 150gr Barnes tipped TSX with IMR 4064 powder. Yesterday shot a 3 shot group that was under 1 1/2 inches at 300 yards. Went to Africa with me a few years ago, but never grouped under 1 inch until now.... I leave for Kyrgyzstan and a date with an Ibex in 1 week and now the gun is ready. Its topped w/ a Zeiss Conquest 4.5X14 scope. Love the light weight and the adjustable trigger.

Hi gillettehunter

Please post how your ibex hunt turns out. It a dream hunt to me...may never get to do it, but would love to hear how your hunt turns out!

Yes I am looking forward to hearing about the ibex hunt gillettehunter. Also one of the hunts I badly want to do.

Who knows enysse.........we may have to team up for that one. I can't find any friends at home who want to do it.

Of all my firearms two stand alone. My Rifles Inc. 375 H&H is wicked accurate, lightweight and with the muzzlebrake and rifles inc recoil pad I could shoot it of the bench all day and the pre-64 model 70-270 my dad left me...when guns were really guns.

Jerome shall post them shortly all are fine rifles

Monish

Not meaning to hi-jack this thread, but I'll let you know next month how the hunt turns out. Not too bad of a price $4500 and $1500 back if you fail to kill an Ibex. Will try to post pics when I get back.

Wow what a range must be good hit.

Monish