Classic stalking rifles - today

ARHinAK said:
Not a Rigby nor the Rigby price tag.
Ruger African chambered for .275 Rigby. I’ve had it for sale for a while. Just a thought.
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This is the perfect choice. I have one, love it, and used it in Tanzania on plains game last summer. With 175 grain Swift A-Frames it did a great job up to and inlcuding zebra and wildebeest.
 
A couple things come to mind.

The traditional stalking rifle has been a lite single shot or bolt gun that is set up for use with irons. The stock has more drop than one used for a scope. So your decision point is do you want to pritorize use of irons (Or red dot) or a scope. Depending in this decision will drive what you need to look for. I could go into a long diatribe on stock design but that is something better done on a LONG phone call.
 
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AZDAVE said:
A couple things come to mind.

The traditional stalking rifle has been a lite single shot or bolt gun that is set up for use with irons. The stock has more drop than one used for a scope. So your decision point is do you want to pritorize use of irons (Or red dot) of a scope. Depending in this decision will drive what you need to look for. I could go into a long diatribe on stock design but that is something better done on a LONG phone call.
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A rifle that tries to split the difference usually ends up with neither sighting setup feeling quite natural. That extra heel drop is noticeable the second you shoulder it with irons.
 
If your good with used then I'm sure several options will come up online.

However, if you're looking to build one to your specifications I would use Parkwest Arms. For the money, I think they are building one of the nicest rifles one can buy for 10-15k
 
A good example of a attempt at compromise is the Ruger #1 stock. (Now understand #1's are some of my favorite rifle) To shoot the irons your cheek weld is pushed down hard to see the irons correctly and the stock nails the underside of the cheek bone. Especially in 338 and bigger. Using a scope you have your cheek weld up off the stock to see through the scope correctly. and then in bigger rounds the comb gets a running start at your cheek bone and not the best accuracy due to your cheek not having a proper relationship with the comb of the stock.

On my #1's I have either taken a rasp to the stock to get it to fit right or if scoped restock to a proper comb height. (alternately add a leather comb to the correct height till I get a chance to restock.)
 
sandy_roach said:
A rifle that tries to split the difference usually ends up with neither sighting setup feeling quite natural. That extra heel drop is noticeable the second you shoulder it with irons.
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Both my plains game 30-06 Springfield and 404 on 98 Mauser acquire instantly when the gun is mounted, either scope or optional irons. If I close my eyes, mount the gun, and open them, the sights or crosshairs are right there without adjusting anything. "Splitting the difference" can be done if one knows how to adjust stock, rear sight placement/adjustment, front sight height, ring height, scope tube thickness, and, if necessary, modify bolt handle for clearance. Okay, my guns don't look totally "classic" but they're not ugly either and both can shoot fast and accurately no matter which sighting option I choose.
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Ontario Hunter said:
Both my plains game 30-06 Springfield and 404 on 98 Mauser acquire instantly when the gun is mounted, either scope or optional irons. If I close my eyes, mount the gun, and open them, the sights or crosshairs are right there without adjusting anything. "Splitting the difference" can be done if one knows how to adjust stock, rear sight placement/adjustment, front sight height, ring height, scope tube thickness, and, if necessary, modify bolt handle for clearance. Okay, my guns don't look totally "classic" but they're not ugly either and both can shoot fast and accurately no matter which sighting option I choose.
View attachment 793766View attachment 793767
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To your point, sometimes people forget rifle mount and fit are the first and most important qualification for owning a hunting rifle.

Nice trophies too!
 
For me it would be a Bergstutzen calibers 9.3x74R/7×57R OU one double rifle two calibers......perfect
 
Like a couple of others, I tend to think single shot when I think of stalking rifles. The most perfect that I have ever owned is this 7x65R by Bailey Bradshaw. Long and lean with a perfect trigger, it has been my favorite deer rifle over the last decade.

Bradshaw - Copy.jpg


But one need not go to the expense of a custom built rifle. The Ruger No. 1 is a great and affordable place to start, and with a bit of investment can look and behave much like a Gibs or Fraser, or German Lepper & Greifelt. This is a No. 1 B decorated by an Austrian engraver back in the seventies and the original stock reworked by RJ Renner a couple of years ago into Germanic stalking rifle lines. It is a .270 and supremely accurate.

Ruger3.jpg


And this is a No. 1 in .300 H&H restocked with a piece of English walnut with rust bluing and case color by Turnbull. I do not believe a Gibs would be embarrassed to stand next to it in a rack and total investment was a less than $10K.

ruger2 - Copy.jpg
 
AZDAVE said:
A couple things come to mind.

The traditional stalking rifle has been a lite single shot or bolt gun that is set up for use with irons. The stock has more drop than one used for a scope. So your decision point is do you want to pritorize use of irons (Or red dot) or a scope. Depending in this decision will drive what you need to look for. I could go into a long diatribe on stock design but that is something better done on a LONG phone call.
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I’ve mentioned a few times throughout the forum on various threads about the use of irons and tend to get feedback usually quite friendly but sometimes rude from people assuming I’ve read too many romantic historical books of the days of old!
When I was a small kid the old man put an iron sighted gun in my hands and I’ve shot and hunted with them ever since, I do have scoped rifles - in fact my preference is always the option for both.

A gun does tend to favour either irons or scopes but in my experience can do both effectively.

The top rifle (Lee speed) I think has the right amount of drop to work for both.
The middle (Rigby hs) works for irons but is better suited to scoping
The bottom (Cz 550 lux) works with a scope but is better suited to irons.
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That’s as opposed to these where the drop would not suit anything other than irons - not that you’d scope them anyway.
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mine would be this browning low wall in .260 remington, light, easy to look at and very accuret.
 

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odonata said:
Do the Ruger RSI models have any appeal? Taking a quick look out on GunBroker, there was a 275 Rigby...

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...a 30-06...
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...and a 250 Savage for example.
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There was also a Sako 85 Carbine in 308 Win...
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...as well as an older Finnbear in 270 Win.
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As you can tell, when I think of "stalking rifle", I often think of rifles with full stocks as the prototypical example. I know the OP said he wasn't interested in kipplaufs & single-shots, but I really like the short compact size & slender forearm of my Ruger No. 1 RSI in 275 Rigby for the woods I hunt in.

ah_275rsi-jpg.642753


For a light slender rifle, I also like my Uberti Courteney Stalking Rifle in 303 British. I took the factory quarter rib with a Weaver base off & replaced it with the optional iron sights only base.

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Yes Sir. I do agree. I thought long and hard on a custom stalking rifle, but nothing was really in my budget. Not long after, my LGS buddy said, "Hey, we've just gotten something in I think you'd be interested in. It's a Lipseys No.1 in 275 Rigby." I thought, "There is your stalking rifle." It's light, handy, and more accurate than it's owner. With it's 2-7 Leupold, it has enough reach for the majority of.my shots. It will be on the Delta 200 flight with me in August for Mt. Reedbok, Steenbuck, Springbok, and maybe a nice warthog if he's at home. Bespoke? Nope. But most of my buddies say, "Man. That's fancy."
 
Hedge774 said:
It's a Lipseys No.1 in 275 Rigby...With it's 2-7 Leupold, it has enough reach for the majority of.my shots.
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Mine has a Redfield Revolution 2-7x33 (which I believe was made by Leupold). I think it's the perfect scope for that rifle. You have excellent taste! :D (y)
 
JPbowhunter said:
If you wanted a true classic stalking rifle in a standard calibre like 7x57 of days gone by where would you turn today?
This is my current dilemma and there doesn’t seem to be many modern options.

For those of us that appreciate iron sight and off hand shooting a light, slim stocked rifle with some drop at the heel of the stock makes for a much nicer and more comfortable weapon.

Having the option for QR systems is also great allowing me to bush stalk for shots up to 150m with my irons and chuck on a scope for mountain or plains hunting where shots extend further.

What are the real options for a rifle such as this these days? Particularly if you want to keep it under $10k.

I can only really think of some heym sr21 models, Steyr MS12 or to just look backward to a Mannlicher schoenauer, early Mauser 98, Brno 21 or zg47 etc.

I am a little bit of a stickler for top loading, not essential but I prefer it, that’s one of the only knocks against heym I can think of.
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When it comes to stalking rifles I think of a Farquharson falling block single shot like F.C Selous carried afield. Which means im with @AZDAVE and my mind immediately goes to a Ruger NO. 1. In fact I picked one up from Dave a year or so ago for that very reason. It’s a sporter model chambered in 7x57 and I must say that it is an absolutely wonderful rifle to have around. It remains unscoped as everytime I put a scope on it I find myself missing the wonderful balance of the sleek iron sighted rifle that the No.1 is. In a couple of years when I make it back to Africa it’s going to be very hard for me to choose between the 7x57 Ruger No.1 and my Ruger M77 MK II in .300 Win Mag as my plains game rifle. Though for the African bush I would likely top the 7x57 with a 2.5-8x36 Leupold scope for those late evening shots. After all in the days of Selous they were a little less concerned with trophy fees on a botched shot in low light conditions.
 
Red Leg said:
Like a couple of others, I tend to think single shot when I think of stalking rifles. The most perfect that I have ever owned is this 7x65R by Bailey Bradshaw. Long and lean with a perfect trigger, it has been my favorite deer rifle over the last decade.

View attachment 793776

But one need not go to the expense of a custom built rifle. The Ruger No. 1 is a great and affordable place to start, and with a bit of investment can look and behave much like a Gibs or Fraser, or German Lepper & Greifelt. This is a No. 1 B decorated by an Austrian engraver back in the seventies and the original stock reworked by RJ Renner a couple of years ago into Germanic stalking rifle lines. It is a .270 and supremely accurate.

View attachment 793786

And this is a No. 1 in .300 H&H restocked with a piece of English walnut with rust bluing and case color by Turnbull. I do not believe a Gibs would be embarrassed to stand next to it in a rack and total investment was a less than $10K.

View attachment 793789
Click to expand...
Yet another list of reasons why I hope my investment account works out for me. Your rifles are simply perfect examples of something a gentleman should carry afield. Though I would hesitate to take mine into some of the rocky, cat claw infested holes I find myself in chasing coues deer. Beautiful rifles @Red Leg!
 
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