Stay with the old classics? Or go with the new-fangled?

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Patrick Gidlet

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So, over the past 12 or so years I've been hunting, I've obtained a variety of guns, as one tends to. Among these are some newer specimens, made within the past 20 or so years. They're all functional, nice, but they lack character. Others are older, from the 50's mostly, some even older. I find most often, these are the ones I take hunting - whether its my 1954 Belgian Sweet 16, my 1950 20ga superposed, 1953 Marlin 336 or 1952 Winchester 94, among others, but I'd sell any of the newer guns before I'd part with any of those.

Anyways, I have a bit of a gap in my arsenal in that I don't own a scoped long range rifle. I'm starting to have a need for one, as I'm planning a western pronghorn hunt in the next two years, and have also had to pass on some nice deer this year that were beyond my 150 yard comfort range with peep sights. I've been 50/50 on what to go with. I once owned a .300 WSM Winchester Model 70, and it was a nice gun, but I had no need for it at the time and sold it to fund other projects. I do like the model 70, and have been looking at some old beauties from the 40's and 50's that I would love to own. But the other half of me recognizes that I spend a lot of time out in the sleet and snow, and having a valuable old gun may not be the best in that situation. I can see the advantage to going with a stainless/synthetic model.

So, I guess I was hoping some of you would weigh in with your thoughts. Am I putting too much value in the nostalgia of hunting with old beauties? Or is my desire for an old classic bolt gun well-founded? By the way, I'm fairly sure I'll go with a .270 or similar, depending on what I can track down.
 
Your desire is well founded, although I would try to find an older rifle that has already "built some charachter" rather than use a collectors grade 700 or model 70. The argument can also be made than a newer stainless synthetic rifle would serve you better as it would be lower maintenance and I'm sure you not feel bad if it suffered an amount of neglect.
 
I cant offer any personal advice as i just started to hunt and enjoy my ruger scout rifle in 308(all i need) Although my 444marlin will get some action next year. But I always remember my old forman saying he wanted to buy himself a nice all weather hunting rifle so he could stop beating up his dads husky in poor conditions. Well be bought the gun hated the thing (Win model 70 all weather) never really said why but hes stil hunting with the old classic. There just tools meant to be used Grab what you like and go for it. You cant take them with you.
 
I prefer the older "experienced" rifles myself. I do have a few newer rifles but find they feel cheap built. Preference goes to the blued/walnut oldies.
And I do not like or recommend short magnums!!!
 
I have both. I prefer wood and blue steel. Life is to short to hunt with an ugly gun. My synthetic stocked guns are being replaced.

25/06 with fancy walnut and deep bluing. Just wax it and keep a dry cloth to wipe it down and oil it when you get back to camp
 
I have both....... I run horse for courses...... nice day, grab the walnut and blued, crappy with rain and snow, grab the all weather......

It's a dandy excuse to own more rifles and cartridge platforms...... lol
 
I'm at a point know where all my guns are blued walnut, just the way I like it. I know a synthetic stainless rifle has its place and I'll be getting one eventually, I just prefer the feeling of a nice wood blued rifle in my hands. Of my few rifles, my old marlin 1936 always likes to get out for a walk and feels the most sturdy of the bunch.
 
Ya I think most of us are on the same page then. I don't mind ised but not abused, normal handling wear etc. When things are slow on a hunt I can sit and admire the workmanship on my old Marlin.

So I guess I'll stay on the lookout for a nice old m70 or husky in that family of cartridges.
 
Patrick Gidlet said:
So, over the past 12 or so years I've been hunting, I've obtained a variety of guns, as one tends to. Among these are some newer specimens, made within the past 20 or so years. They're all functional, nice, but they lack character. Others are older, from the 50's mostly, some even older. I find most often, these are the ones I take hunting - whether its my 1954 Belgian Sweet 16, my 1950 20ga superposed, 1953 Marlin 336 or 1952 Winchester 94, among others, but I'd sell any of the newer guns before I'd part with any of those.
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LOL - some call it character, others call it what it is: quality manufacture with hand fitting and costly materials.

The modern stuff is built to a price point - even the so-called "high end" stuff. I once put a 2010 Merkel combination gun next to my 1961 example. The new one was embarrassingly poorly made compared to the old one. Gaps in the inletting, polishing was no good, screw heads had big slots, not fine gunsmithing slots, and on and on.

As a general rule, the older the firearm, the more likely that it was well made and that human hands were part of the fitting and finishing processes.
 
Nothing wrong with stainless/synthetic guns... as pointed out in the "Ugly Rifle" thread... function over form... I own several stainless synthetic M77 MKII's, but compared to nice blued steel in nicely grained walnut, they are "uninspiring..." unless the weather conditions are brutal, or overland handling is likely to be rough, I will choose a walnut blued rifle every time.
 
My view is that some of the new guns are more accurate than the old classics. There are new cartridges that are actually better than the old classics too. For example the 6.5x284 in a long action with fast 8 twist 26" barrel makes for a very good long distance hunter suitable for shooting the new very low drag bullets.
 
Anything from a .243 and up will work well on pronghorns... fast and flat is good... 243, 25/06, 270 would all be excellent.
 
If you are looking to shoot longer distances, you will be looking for a scope - and here's the rub.... older rifles were built to mount scopes of the day (24mm etc) - they tend to be small and narrow objective lenses. With modern, computer-based lens production - lens sizes jump to 40 / 50mm and you may find difficulty fitting them on older rifles. I gave up on a 50's / 60's 30-06 parker hale it was very accurate but I couldn't fit a new scope to it without major mods such as changing the angle on the bolt lever (and the action / feed was a bit clunky) ...

So I went Tikka T3 hunter (wood stock / blued barrel). It is set up for modern scopes and shoots 1/3 moa with cheapo federal ammo (1" group at 300m). I liked the idea of showing up with a 'heritage rifle' but it was too much hassle...
 
Ron AKA said:
My view is that some of the new guns are more accurate than the old classics. There are new cartridges that are actually better than the old classics too. For example the 6.5x284 in a long action with fast 8 twist 26" barrel makes for a very good long distance hunter suitable for shooting the new very low drag bullets.
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I put together a Swedish Mauser made from 100 year old parts literally use a pipe wrench to spin the barrel on and would put that rifle up against the flavor of the month any day
I was able to shoot under 1/2 MOA with that rifle it was ugly but man that thing was a shooter salt water wound up eating the rifle I shear miss it
I would look at a old classic like a Brno and put the money into a Leopold with the custom dial system and a good rangefinder
 
I think you should use tools that work for you and your style of hunting. If long shots are not your style, you don't need equipment that can make long shots. If, however, you set out with the intention of taking long shots, you better have equipment that will work in that context.

As Superbrad said, horses for courses. It seems to me you are creating an issue for yourself that just doesn't really exist.
 
Ya I think most of us are on the same page then. I don't mind ised but not abused, normal handling wear etc. When things are slow on a hunt I can sit and admire the workmanship on my old Marlin. I love my old shotguns, and the difference in quality is incredible over what can be bought for the same money.

So I guess I'll stay on the lookout for a nice old m70 or husky in a flat shooting cartridge.
 
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