Best Handling Rifle?

Can old guns play?

The best handling, nicest to carry rifle I've owned is a Ross 1905-R. Like carrying a 1894 for weight. Smooth lines of an early Ross with the Harris magazine (smooth floorplate). Good LOP. Downside of all that lightweight is that they do kick pretty hard even the ones in 303B.
 
Best handling game rifle was a 444 Marlin with a Williams FP. Today it is a 32 Special Win 94 with a Lyman peep. I prefer the LOP of the Marlin and the straight stock of the Winchester for handling.
 
I am astonished to discover it is an M77 Hawkeye Laminate Stainless in 308 with a VX3-2.5-8x36 scope, and the supplied rear "high" ring subbed with the supplied front "medium", and a new "low" ring from the EE used as the front.

Points beautifully, perfect shape, perfect weight, perfect length... and I only bought it because of a killer sale at Prophet River.

At first, the action was as smooth as trying to have ### with a surgical glove full of gravel and tabasco sauce, but about 1000 dry fires later it's pretty acceptable. The same is true of the trigger.
 
Gotta say I love hunting timber with my marlin 336, balance and shouldering are fantastic. I'd give it a solid 9.5/10
tikka T3 balances so well and is light 9/10
Winchester Model 70 featherweight is a pleasure to walk with and shoulders very well for me 9/10
Nothings perfect and I have yet to hunt with a high end rifle.
 
The two that pop to mind are my Ruger Hawkeye and the 91/30 Mosin-Nagant. For whatever reason that Mosin feels so right. Even used it for a full hunting season and took 3 Deer with it.
 
The current rifle I have been using that I am really happy with and easy to carry, don't laugh, is a Ruger American Compact, at 6.5 lbs scoped and loaded.
Now that I have my first Kimber that landed at 7lbs. 2oz. without ammo is a well balanced rifle and can't wait to go for a walk with that one.
But if you are looking for light and easy to carry I have a 94 in 44 mag that loaded with 6 rounds is just an couple oz. over 6 lbs. I would thing that a model 92 would be less that that.
David
 
galamb said:
Since I find all four of my Vanguard II's to almost be an extension of my body, my opinion would be useless to you.

But I'm 6'1", go about 210 pounds, have long arms and on my custom stocks have a 14 1/2" length of pull (cut down from my actual 15" to account for heavy clothes during hunting season).

You are kinda asking a question that only you can answer.
Click to expand...

This! ^^^

How a rifle fits is very individual and make or break the shooting experience. Only shouldering it for oneself will answer the question.

For me I like the shorter youth rifles, given my 5'8" height and stocky frame. I love the Vanguard IIs but find myself feeling stretched out and reaching given my shoulder and chest muscles, then add a hunting jacket and it gets worse. Another reason I'm a huge fan of adjustable multi position AR style stocks.
 
I shoulderd a Browning lever gun a while back in a store and it felt like I had been born with it on my arm.

Stainless, grey laminate stock, detach mag in 7-08...oh if I didn't have to pay the stupid heating gas bill for what turned out to be a mild winter, sigh, lol.
 
Until I recently acquired a rifle from a member here, the two that were neck-and-neck for me, were my father's Husqvarna lightweight carbine in .308, and an original Oberndorff 7x57 I own. Both handle beautifully.

Now the BSA commercial sporter (Lee-Speed type) takes the crown. Easily the best handling rifle I have ever held.
 
For me it turned out to be the Model 70 Featherweight. There are others that come close but the FWT has the best balance.

Handling for me also entails ergonomics when mounting the rifle, not just ease of carry. If I have to change my head position because a comb is too low or a scope can't mount low enough, then it doesn't optimally at the most crucial point of operation. The FWT mounts like a shotgun for me, at least with a 1.5-5x20mm or a 4x33mm.
 
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