2 Rifle Beater Battery

Gomer

Gomer

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It all started with 200 pieces of brand new 375 Ruger brass that I bought while doing an FFL transfer on a Ruger Hawkeye All-Weather in 7mm Rem Mag. I’ve been looking for a 375 Ruger rifle to go with my new brass. I found a good deal on a Ruger Hawkeye “FTW” in 375 Ruger.

I think I just created a pretty reliable-yet-cost effective 2-rifle battery that I can take anywhere and only be out some money if they become damaged/lost/stolen. They aren’t “nice” or heirlooms. Just good, functional, robust hunting rifles.

Anyone travel with beater rifles? I’m torn because they don’t give me the warm and fuzzy as some of my other rifles. It’s like camp guns that I had to buy for myself and travel with.
 
I’m not going to say I hunt with beater rifles, but I won’t hunt with a rifle I’m afraid to scratch or couldn’t replace. That said though, I’m also not going to hunt with a rifie I’m not 100% confident in and comfortable with. If those rifles don’t give you that warm and fuzzy feeling, I’d pick something different.
 
I'm sure many guys think my Goldilocks rifle sucks - it is the Ruger Alaskan in .375 Ruger with the rubber covered over-mold stock, stainless metal. It never is a concern that I will scratch it, etc.. It slays whatever I put the bullet into the right place on. The VX6 2-12x42 with firedot reticle is awesome. The Alaska Arms rings return to zero (just checked yesterday), and the bottom metal gets me to 4+1. I like it so much I have a brace of them.
 
Is your rubber overmold stock a Hogue? I was looking at Hogue but became concerned about reviews that mentioned the stock would contact the barrel if you rested it on a tripod or quad sticks. Reviewers said it changed harmonics enough to alter impact location, and not in a consistent manner.
 
My Ruger Hawkeye African in 375 Ruger is in that category. It's not the rifle I wanted, it's the one I needed and works. I did want a 375 Ruger, but I tried to upgrade it with better stocks and that went south twice. #3 (technically #2 in line) is the no frills laminate that has worked out with a no frills Leupold VX-1 1-4X that has stayed on zero forever. It has bumped around on two hunts in Africa doing its job flawlessly. So, the nice walnut is on another rifle.
My 7mm-08 Savage M16 is an upgraded beater with a lami stock too. I am not a fan of straight up plastic, but scratches on a lami don't bother me.
1000001310.jpg
 
Mine are more "Takes a beating" than beaters. I have three Howa 1500's (7mm RM, .308, and 7.62x39). All cerakoted with HS precision stocks. I dropped one 18' from a tree stand when my tow rope came unknotted. It ping ponged off of every single branch (Of course!) and then stuck perfectly vertical in the ground...muzzle first(Of course!) Not a scratch on it and the Burris even held zero.
 
KPinOKC said:
Is your rubber overmold stock a Hogue? I was looking at Hogue but became concerned about reviews that mentioned the stock would contact the barrel if you rested it on a tripod or quad sticks. Reviewers said it changed harmonics enough to alter impact location, and not in a consistent manner.
Click to expand...
I have read the same thing a hundred times, yet I've used a Hogue stocked 1500 camp gun in Africa two years running. I've never shot it from a tri pod, but shooting sticks didn't seem to bother it. I did use a hack on my own Hogue that I saw on the Tube. Fill the forend lattice work with two part epoxy. Stiffens up significantly. (I passed it forward, so if you have it, tell us how it worked please!!!)
 
Hedge774 said:
I have read the same thing a hundred times, yet I've used a Hogue stocked 1500 camp gun in Africa two years running. I've never shot it from a tri pod, but shooting sticks didn't seem to bother it. I did use a hack on my own Hogue that I saw on the Tube. Fill the forend lattice work with two part epoxy. Stiffens up significantly. (I passed it forward, so if you have it, tell us how it worked please!!!)
Click to expand...
My Tikka in 338 Win Mag has several scratches and dings. It's made many trips across the pond and I'm sure it will make many more. Starting to look a little rough but shoots as good as it ever did.
 
I'm more in the "battle scars" corner, in general. I don't have any expensive rifles, but on a couple of them, I have upgraded with nicer wood, Silver's pads, bolt jewelling, barrel band etc etc.

I don't mind too much about the stuff that has happened to them during hunting - no big accidents or anything like that (yet?), but there is some bluing missing, a few dents and scratches etc.

However, if I know it's going to be a day of sleet and driving rain, I might leave the nicer ones in the safe. The less fancy ones can do the same job.

Nice rifles:
30-06 w 1.6-8x42 Kahles
404 Jeff w 1-5x Kahles

Standard rifles:
6.5x55 w 2.5-10x50 Zeiss
9.3x62 w 1.5-6x42 Swaro

All LH Sako, walnut and blue steel.
 
Hedge774 said:
...and the Burris even held zero.
Click to expand...
I had a Burris 1¾-5x20mm (#200088; 3P#4 reticle) on my Win 70 .416 Rem Mag for Tanzania. When I mentioned to my anti-Burris friend that it held zero in Africa, he replied, "Are you sure it's a Burris? " Ha, ha. I realize that Burris quality was occasionally spotty (as was Kimber's), but I've enjoyed reliable service.
 
I'am "lefty" now so my choise for a over the counter gun is very small. I like to use my custom guns, but for the days that Mother Nature likes to bring liquid from the sky, plastic and stainless steel will be on my arms.
 
Gomer said:
It all started with 200 pieces of brand new 375 Ruger brass that I bought while doing an FFL transfer on a Ruger Hawkeye All-Weather in 7mm Rem Mag. I’ve been looking for a 375 Ruger rifle to go with my new brass. I found a good deal on a Ruger Hawkeye “FTW” in 375 Ruger.

I think I just created a pretty reliable-yet-cost effective 2-rifle battery that I can take anywhere and only be out some money if they become damaged/lost/stolen. They aren’t “nice” or heirlooms. Just good, functional, robust hunting rifles.

Anyone travel with beater rifles? I’m torn because they don’t give me the warm and fuzzy as some of my other rifles. It’s like camp guns that I had to buy for myself and travel with.
Click to expand...
I honestly will shoot watever but im also not super worried about lost/damaged or stolen. Traveling

Whats most important is does it make you happy and are you proficient with it.
 
375Fox said:
I’m not going to say I hunt with beater rifles, but I won’t hunt with a rifle I’m afraid to scratch or couldn’t replace. That said though, I’m also not going to hunt with a rifie I’m not 100% confident in and comfortable with. If those rifles don’t give you that warm and fuzzy feeling, I’d pick something different.
Click to expand...

I’m very confident they will be like the other Rugers I’ve owned. Tough, dependable, and accurate enough. But, not real refined.

“Warm and fuzzy” is what I feel when I look at nicely figured walnut stocks and blued metal. Purely asthetic.
 
Interesting topic for a thread. I like my rifles to be handsome enough for reflexive joy, yet not Safe Queens which cannot be risked scratching. My two .308 Scout rifles (a Savage and an M98) have served in Africa, with lots of handling and honest wear.

My "beater rifles" are relegated to my vehicles, such as a $190 M1917 .30-06 with Tasco scope that eerily shoots 0.5 MOA with my handloads.

Had I kept my Win 70 .416 Rem Mag, it could have become sort of my DG "beater rifle". A loaner to friends, or back-up.
 
farmer_john said:
Gotta keep that foot traffic up.. nothing like a good deal on a gun they sold 10 years ago to get traffic to their site.
Click to expand...

Like the Cabelas gun library search on their website. Saw a Pre-64 M70 in 375 H&H for $1500 on their site and it was located 30 minutes from me. I drove over there, money in hand. The gun library guy said they sold it a year ago.
 
A while back I bought a stainless Tikka 695 in .300 WM just because it had a relatively expensive scope that was worth about $100 less than the asking price of the combo. Much to my surprise, the rifle, complete with pre-scratched laminated stock, turned out to be a lights out shooter. It's my designated "difficult conditions" rifle that I'm willing to take anywhere and am willing to put into the hands of airline baggage handlers without fear. I've complete confidence in the rifle, and I've no idea why someone got rid of it for chump change.
 
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