Military Surplus Rifles for Hunting

[Roller]

I was considering taking my Swiss K31 deer hunting a few times this year with soft points. Anyone out there hunt occasionally with a Milsurp? What is your favorite Milsurp rifle and why?

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I have a K31 and love it. But my favorite is my Chilean 1935 Mauser 98 carbine. That rifle has killed a boat load of deer.( unfortunately not me, the man who gave it to me)
He always used 175 grain federal factory loads.

 

[Ravensview]

I have used a Mauser k98 on occasion, our camp rifle used to be a sporterized Argentine Mauser, and a friend of mine used a M1 garland with a 5 round enbloc clip, these were used for hunting whitetail deer mostly, haven’t used it in quite awhile now though, mostly use my ruger no.1 or a Thompson contender for white tails now

 

[Buffalo1]

First rifle I ever owned was a British .303. It was a great deer rifle and was all I could afford as a kid cutting grass as a summer job to pay for it. Bought it on lay-a-way at a pawn shop.

 

[JimP]

While it isn't military any more I have a Arisaka type 99 that was brought back to the US after WWII that was then converted to .257 Roberts that I have on a few deer hunts.

Some friends bought German M98's in 8mm Mauser that they used for deer and elk hunting without changing a thing on them. The used the original sights too. I can't remember any elk falling to them but they did take a number of deer.

 

[mdwest]

It’s been many moons.. but when I was a kid I hunted with a 6.5 Italian carcano... horrible trigger.. horrible sights.. and only moderately accurate.. but, it was all I had for a few seasons until I saved up and got a marlin 336 in 30-30 sometime around my 18th birthday...

 

[browningbbr]

Model 98 German Mauser sporterized and rebarreled, but still 8x57mm.

 

[BC.Pat]

A few of my hunting buddies( all retired mil) challenge ourselves for our spring black bear hunt using military rifles.. This year all originals , M1903 Springfield sniper, Mosin nagant 91/30 sniper, Lee Enfield No.4 T ( Mine) and a M1D sniper.
Good fun.

Pat

 

[Major Khan]

Too many favorites to count . During my career as a professional shikaree ... I had clients bring the following military surplus rifles to India , for shikar :
> 7x57 mm Mauser caliber Spanish Mauser rifles
> 8x57 mm Mauser caliber Karabiner Model 98 K rifles
> .30-06 Springfield Model 1903 rifles
> .30-06 Springfield caliber Enfield Model 1917 rifles

My personal favorite would have to be the Enfield Model 1917.

 

[Ridge Runner]

My military surplus rifles for deer hunting were an 11mm, black powder cartridge, brought back from Vietnam by a sergeant in my unit, an 8mm German mauser, a 7mm Mauser, a Mosin Nagant I picked up at a gun show and later sporterized myself as my first gunsmithing project, and last but not least I just picked up another M1 Garand, this one I plan on keeping.

The 11mm BP cartridge never made it into the woods, since locating ammo was next to impossible. Both the 7mm and 8mm only made 3 or 4 trips to the woods. Once I moved back to Ohio, I didn't see the need so, with a lot of later regrets, sold them.

As for the Garands, I did deer hunt with a couple of them, but mainly used them as nostalgic range rifles.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

First rifle I ever owned was a British .303. It was a great deer rifle and was all I could afford as a kid cutting grass as a summer job to pay for it. Bought it on lay-a-way at a pawn shop.

@Buffalo1
Mate my first rifle was a No1MK3 SMLE sporterised and tuned up by my dad with a field side mount and a Rhino 4x40 scope. That rifle killed more pigs and goats and foxes and rabbits than any rifle I have owned since. I fed it a diet of 135grain or 150grain locally made Tipan projectiles and I can't remember the powder.
That rifle is long gone but I still have an old 303.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Too many favorites to count . During my career as a professional shikaree ... I had clients bring the following military surplus rifles to India , for shikar :
> 7x57 mm Mauser caliber Spanish Mauser rifles
> 8x57 mm Mauser caliber Karabiner Model 98 K rifles
> .30-06 Springfield Model 1903 rifles
> .30-06 Springfield caliber Enfield Model 1917 rifles

My personal favorite would have to be the Enfield Model 1917.

@Major Khan
My dear friend Ponton did any of your clients ever use the 303 British cartridge for shikarees.
Your friend Bob

 

[Dr Ray]

I used the Mauser 98 in 30/06 for many years and then bought another.
I had both sportetized and I used a Weaver 4 power for a long time and then I went to Leupold (4 x fixed )
Both very good for the tasks but I ended up selling both and went to the 270.

 

[Shootist43]

What a question to ask!! Springfield '03(s), Enfield(s), and Small Ring Swedish Mausers are "staples" in my battery of hunting rifles. My favorite of course is the 1896 Swedish Mauser. One Hundred and twenty years after its' inception it will hold its' own against any modern 6.5 when properly loaded.

 

[Trail Rated]

I hunt almost exclusively with sporterized old milsurp rifles:

Spanish Mauser 93 in the original 7x57

Steyr-Mannlicher M95/30 in 8x56R (when I can find cartridges since I don’t reload)

Universal M1 Carbine

Springfield 1903 in a beautiful old Fajen stock — this is my main deer and bear rifle

... and my “new” toy is an FN Mauser that the Colombian army rebarreled to .30-06 in the 1950s. It also has a nice old Fajen stock that I’m refinishing while the rifle is at the shop getting the barrel reset and a receiver peep sight put on. Someday I’d like to put a 9.3x62 barrel on it and make it my safari rifle.

 

[Buffalo1]

I was bowhunting and had a bad shot on this eland. Hit it high and only took out one lung. We chased and tracked him for 27 hrs. In the end, I dropped him (one shot) with a British .303. My PH told me that the .303 had grounded more game in Africa than any other caliber. I believe the Brit .303 was to Great Britain and possibly Europe what the 30.06 was to the US- great military rifles that evolved into great hunting rifles.

A couple years later, my next eland was a double lung take out with my bow. I learned my lesson on the first eland. He was a bitter/sweet memory.

 

[Nyati]

My first rifle was a Spanish 93 Mauser in 7x57, sporterized.

 

[Nyati]

I was bowhunting and had a bad shot on this eland. Hit it high and only took out one lung. We chased and tracked him for 27 hrs. In the end, I dropped him (one shot) with a British .303. My PH told me that the .303 had grounded more game in Africa than any other caliber. I believe the Brit .303 was to Great Britain and possibly Europe what the 30.06 was to the US- great military rifles that evolved into great hunting rifles.

In Europe, only the Brits used the .303

 

[Rick Cox]

Too many favorites to count . During my career as a professional shikaree ... I had clients bring the following military surplus rifles to India , for shikar :
> 7x57 mm Mauser caliber Spanish Mauser rifles
> 8x57 mm Mauser caliber Karabiner Model 98 K rifles
> .30-06 Springfield Model 1903 rifles
> .30-06 Springfield caliber Enfield Model 1917 rifles

My personal favorite would have to be the Enfield Model 1917.

Why choose the 1917 over the 1903?

 

[Rick Cox]

@Buffalo1
Mate my first rifle was a No1MK3 SMLE sporterised and tuned up by my dad with a field side mount and a Rhino 4x40 scope. That rifle killed more pigs and goats and foxes and rabbits than any rifle I have owned since. I fed it a diet of 135grain or 150grain locally made Tipan projectiles and I can't remember the powder.
That rifle is long gone but I still have an old 303.
Bob

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen - The first rifle I used was a British Jungle Carbine

in .303. No single rifle I have had since has killed as many moose as that one. Also killed grizzly, black bear, deer, coyotes and a cougar. Wish I still had it to hang on the wall...