Hunting with a Rifle you dont fancy

[woodchopper]

I find myself grabbing the tikka 25-06 more often then not

I have a good line up spanning from 243 to 338WM for hunting but the go to has been the 300WM or 25-06 for years

I am playing with a Browning X bolt in 325WSM that might make it out for some hunting soon

 

[kamlooky]

I find myself grabbing the tikka 25-06 more often THAN not

I have a good line up spanning from 243 to 338WM for hunting but the go to has been the 300WM or 25-06 for years

I am playing with a Browning X bolt in 325WSM that might make it out for some hunting soon

THAN, nawt then................daggnabbitt.
Fruck, make thet thar bawl go tuther ways wunce in awhilst........................

 

[bearhunter]

I find the rifles I used to hunt with no longer have the appeal they once had. Luck? Maybe.

I went through a phase of wanting to carry "light" rifles. They were OK, shot well enough for their intended purpose, but????

Like most answering this thread, it started to boil down to what I was most comfortable with.

I'll give you an example, Savage, centerfire bolt action rifles. I only buy them to flip them. I find them ungainly and fugly.

That doesn't in any way reflect on the capabilities, safety, or utility of these firearms. They deliver excellent quality for the price, etc.

Still, I wouldn't be caught dead carrying one in the bush or at the range.

Appeal has a lot to do with the esthetics of a firearm.

Kimber you say? I bought one a few years ago from a fellow on the CGN exchange. Lovey rifle, very accurate, even with factory ammo. When push came to shove, it just wasn't "me" while hunting with it. Works flawlessly with just about any decent 270Win factory or handloaded ammo, and shoots it well. It's light, maybe too light? So, now it's going to go onto the table at the next gun show in Salmon Arm this fall.

My ideal rifle weighs in at ten pounds (4.5kg) loaded, with scope and sling, not lighter, a bit heavier is OK.

All of my personal builds are in that weight range. Why? Simply because that's what appeals to me. I also prefer hunting with bolt action rifles.

Some folks won't hunt with anything over 3.5kg, fine, if it feels good to them and they're confident with that rifle.

That's what it's all really about, "What are you confident with"

If it feels good when I put it up to my shoulder, the reticule is sharp, and the target is easily acquired, while remaining steady in my hands, I'm comfortable with that rifle.

I've never gotten my head around why some folks feel the need to have extremely light firearms. Most folks won't notice a kg one way or another, other than under extreme conditions.

Hunt with and shoot what appeals to you personally. That's why there are so many variables when it comes to firearms.

 

[tactical lever]

Get a Husky in 9.3x62, one currently on intersurplus sku 1943 is 6.76 lbs with scope mounts. It is just a little bigger than your whelan but will do the same job.

Got one of these that light. Was really surprised at how feathery it is. With the bases it weighed right at 6.7 lbs.

Never thought I'd end up with a 9.3x62 mountain rifle!

Might put a squishier pad on it though. Bit of a kick off the bench...

 

[tactical lever]

Guys,

im having a tough run with my Whelen.

i love the cartridge an what it does, but boy , that Ruger hawkeye sure is a heavy heffer!

i fantasize about the whelen, im 35 years old, i wanna hunt with a 35 Whelen........... but i take it for a day an i regret it within half a day...by the end of the day im ready to leave it against a tree....... lol.

The kimber montana has no doubt ruined my other guns an their feel and appeal...... hence chopping an cutting that Left handed Abolt up , shorter an with some aerodynamic racing holes....

Im keeping that whelen as a forever gun, but its only a short morning or afternoon hunting gun, a hunt where im not walkin around much... sad.

Do you have a gun like this, love it but hate it?

all i can think of doing is, loading that 30-06 Abolt up with say, 200gr projectiles but i feel im losing out... i feel it would give that thump an destruction the Whelen does,,,, but it really limits the cartridge?

i dont shoot past 300m with it though, an it sits a 2-7x33 scope, so it is a bush gun, handy with the little barrel about 19-20 inches long.

currently shooting the 180gr hornady btsp with varget, so my velocity is down but i use varget in many guns at this stage dont want to get 2209 (4831?) just to gain a few FPS.

current it runs 2550 with above comb. plenty really.

i wouldnt mind a howa ultralight, cant really justify it though.... money situation and i have a kimber montana in 7mm08, plus the 30-06 (little lighter than stock Abolt) means a 308 hasnt really the need for my safe.... ohh, an the Ruger 1 303.... so much the same it isnt funny.

why not tote the ruger 1? ive left it open sighted an there is just too many oppertunitys gone by utilising only opens.

it runs 180gr hot cors over varget, good for novelty sit an wait or tight hunting on good days.. but not a go to.

anyway,,, tell me about your story of guns.....

Foggy mornings here an real cold frosts, i have been arvo hunting but need to camp out one night an re set my body clock.... mean time, forum an indulging in endless rifle articles will do me fine.

I don't think there's a better weight for 30-06 than the 200 gr. bullet.

How do you mean limited? By the 30-06, or going to a heavier bullet?

 

[blakeyboy]

hunting with a rifle you don't fancy, that would be my howa ultralight build, though the kids killed well with it this fall, I get zero feels for it and would be the last one I chose to field in the house, it actually annoys me but it's unique and too much money and time into it that's it's a stubborn keep and a 4th back up

rifles I do fancy, the ruger American ranch I have, feels good and has proven itself, gives the smiles when touched, earned fancy, it's almost a love relationship, most loved in the fleet, and dollars definitely have nothing to do with the little club

new sako 90 peak needing time to see if we get there, definitely has the fancy feels now and first shot at big game was as expected so just needs time now to see if it earns its hunting fancy to see if it gets to the love relationship level

new tikka 308 20" project, back up to the sako, I like things in two's.... they give good initial fancy also, have already had many tikka so the fancy is there, so far only proven itself at the range and as expected it shoots lights out, they always seem to step up to the plate and like how they feel, I'm sure it could earn the love relationship status in time

I had a blaser k95 that gave lots of fancy but after awhile a guy just wants more than a single shot, it was a love relationship for awhile though, then I lusted after a bit more pew pew factor.