After being bit by the custom rifle bug it seems that there are very few "off the shelf rifles" that suit me. The last "off the shelf" rifle I bought was my Brno ZG-47, but I had the action bedded and cross bolted, the LOP cut to fit me, and finished off with a recoil pad. A NEC Ghost Ring and a post front sight was a big improvement over the factory sights.
When I buy a rifle now, it must be the answer to a particular problem. If I can ask the question, "What is it for?" and not get a specific answer, I pass. I don't have many holes in my inventory and I am not immediately intrigued by every new club that is marketed to the firearms community. I want most of my rifles to be able to fill more than a single role. My target rifle is fairly specific, but it is also a good ballistics laboratory.
There are a couple of holes though. I find that I don't have a good gas gun, but I'm not sure if I will trick out a Mini-14 or get a Fulton Armory NM M-14. I already load .308 and I want to try my hand at Service Rifle Match so I am leaning towards the M-14. Being a die hard bolt gun shooter, I find it difficult to make the transition, and when the resources are in place, I'm not sure if the gas gun won't get pushed back down the priority list.
I find that I want a big bore rifle, specifically a .460 G&A, (.460 Ultra) or perhaps a custom Ruger #1 in .500 NE. The trouble is I don't need one. I am unlikely to make another trip to Africa, and even if I did, a .375 is the best and most versatile choice for the one rifle client. At home my .375 is more than enough for bear work, and doubles as a fine big game hunting cartridge with as broad a range of bullets available as anyone could hope for. Thus, a big bore rifle is more of curiosity than a necessity.
Someday I would like to buy either a .25/06 or a .257 Weatherby. A pal of mine has proven to me that the .25/06 is a giant killer (with the right loads) and the flat trajectory, high degree of accuracy, and light recoil is attractive. In the same vein and given the excellent performance of light for caliber TSX bullets combined with the research done by GS Custom, I would like to give the .22X64 cartridge a try. The trouble here is that my custom M-7 .243 overlaps both the smaller and larger cartridges, diminishing the need for either.
It seems that I may need a full wood Mannlicher style rifle in a mild chambering. A 6.5X55 or a 7X57 would fit the bill perfectly. The action should be a CRF, the barrel should be a light contour 20"-21" but I prefer a single trigger to double set triggers. A ghost ring and post and/or a small fixed power scope seems right. This is the one that is the most difficult for me to justify. It is just something I want, but I can only picture myself needing a light recoiling, pretty rifle when I reach advanced years and am unable or unwilling to shoot either heavier or more powerful rifles. Additionally, the ZG-47 in .30/06 can be loaded to any level I want, and still provide enough accuracy to make any style of practical shooting interesting. I also have an excellent original 1908 Oberndorf Mauser in 7X57. While not particularly short, it is covered with wood, has mild recoil, and is accurate.
Finally I have a M-54 Winchester in .270 that is in need of a rebuild and a bare 98 Mauser action. These need to become viable rifles and they should, by rights, be the focus of my attention.
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