The Greatest Sporting Rifle of All Time
- Thread starter Ardent
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Ardent
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No military rifles would eliminate the 700 too, I don’t think there’s any reason for that personally. In my mind a design can have been / be in military use and also be an excellent sporting arm, they aren’t mutually exclusive and one doesn’t negate the other.
If it had to have never been or had roots in military service an answer would be the double rifle, it’s the only pure sporting design in an exclusively sporting context I’m aware of. But many as the double rifles sporting conquests have been they pale to the Mauser 98. I admit that as a significantly worse double rifle fan than I am Mauser 98 fan.
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I be in similar circumstance. Not many times when I didn't have a 96 or 98 to use on demand. Sure happy with my Husqvarna 46a in 9.3x57 sure enough, but I'll have to add a rear diopter sight to 'er or scope the bugger to keep on shootin' 'er proper.
Fookin' eyes be old now.
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I don't quite follow that reasoning. The 700 came out in 1962 as a hunting rifle after a series of similar hunting rifles. It was several years later before the was any military interest in having a sniper rifle made... I think the 700 is first and foremost a commercial hunting rifle.
I'm thinking the Cooey 22 may give the 98 a run for its money in the sporting dept. Or a 22 of its ilk. Not sure who has continually been building a 22 the longest, or who first built a bolt or beak or lever action 22. Stevens has built a few in their time also.
I would have to agree with Ardent and go with the Mauser 98. The Springfield 1903, the P14/17 Enfield, the Winchester 54 and 70, the Ruger 77, are all derivative of the Mauser 98 to some extent. The Mauser has been chambered in everything from the .22 Savage Hi-Power to the massive .505 Gibbs. Not many other actions can make that claim. It's simple in function, robust and reliable. Easy to swap out parts ( try taking a Lee Enfield or Rem 700 bolt apart).
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No question the mauser is one of the greats because of it's function and because of it's influence on other manufacturing. I think the rival as a sporting rifle is the lever action from Winchester and others. I do not compare on the basis of overall strength. I compare on the reliable functionality and on the suitability the rifle brings to many hunting situations. It is a
capable rifle in most North American hunting and has been embraced as such for many years. Hard to not see the influence that rifle platform has had
capable rifle in most North American hunting and has been embraced as such for many years. Hard to not see the influence that rifle platform has had
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Just a matter of circumstance military adoption in my mind, if Remington was offered a military contract in 1962 they’d certainly have accepted it. In the end whether a design has been used militarily or not doesn’t alter the design or its merits as a sporting rifle in any way and can improve the rifle through development, so I don’t include it as a factor personally for greatest sporting rifle.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Commercial modded C ring 98...checks all the boxes.
CRF, Bueler type low swing safety blocks firing pin and locks the bolt, 2 stage fail proof trigger, separate heavy duty bolt stop and ejector, floor plate easily removed to empty mag or hinged units if that's your thing, the way the barrel butts against the receiver C ring and the front of the receiver makes for a solid accurate attachment.
I wouldn't throw away a broach cut 98 either, but the C version has a little more strength to it.
CRF, Bueler type low swing safety blocks firing pin and locks the bolt, 2 stage fail proof trigger, separate heavy duty bolt stop and ejector, floor plate easily removed to empty mag or hinged units if that's your thing, the way the barrel butts against the receiver C ring and the front of the receiver makes for a solid accurate attachment.
I wouldn't throw away a broach cut 98 either, but the C version has a little more strength to it.
Hard to argue with the notion that the 98 is the greatest bolt rifle of all time. The combination of functionality, looks, history and panache is unapproachable by any other bolt gun out there.
But...why does the greatest sporting rifle need to be a bolt gun, or a repeater at all? It's taken a few decades, but I am the point where a bolt rifle is a tool...a tool that can admittedly be turned into a work of functional art, but a tool nonetheless; I worked with tools all my life, and I can appreciate them but I can only work up a limited amount of excitement for them.
Levers come much closer to satisfying me, but when I think of a sporting rifle the image that comes to mind is a lithe, graceful and accurate single shot.
Any hunt is a terrific experience, but if I am planning on something that is extra-special...or if I want a "normal" hunt to become special...I want to use a single shot rifle, preferably a falling-block, ideally iron-sighted. Sadly, with age the iron sights become less and less useable, so a scope is acceptable; but I still want the pure experience of opening an action, inserting a single cartridge, closing the rifle, aiming and firing one shot. And I want the rifle to be beautiful; when sitting in a deerstand or taking a break for lunch, I want to look at it and think to myself "That's nice..."
I have a C.Sharps .45-70 which is a treasure, but again, the sights are becoming less manageable for me, and it may have shot its last warm target. A graceful little Haenel Jaeger model 9 in 7x65R comes close; lets me use a scope, weighs nothing, handles like a dream, shoots beautifully...but it is a break action and that nags at me just a tiny bit. I've also owned a ton of H&R/NEF singles over the years and loved most of them, but they are clunky and unrefined and of course they also break to open. T/C Encores and Contenders feel like 2x4's to me, very poor handling. Martinis are nice to shoot, but about the ugliest things on the planet. Winchester 1885's? Close...very close, but...
Historically, the Farquharson single shots seem to come as close as possible to my ideal...but I have never even held one, much less fired or used one. So, in case it hasn't become obvious already, the gun I am circling around as my own favourite sporting rifle model is the Ruger #1. Even when chambered in rimless cartridges they seem to be stone-axe reliable, usually shoot very well and they check all the other boxes of my own imaginary list perfectly. I think they are the most beautiful regular-production guns out there, they are still readily available both new and used, and by today's insane standards they are still reasonably priced.
Yep, a Ruger #1S, with a 26-inch barrel and the Henry-style fore-end, wearing some nice walnut, trigger properly adjusted, safety slide either upgraded or at least shaved to prevent snagging of empties...the perfect sporting rifle for this old codger. Just my opinion, of course, and worth every penny you paid for it.
But...why does the greatest sporting rifle need to be a bolt gun, or a repeater at all? It's taken a few decades, but I am the point where a bolt rifle is a tool...a tool that can admittedly be turned into a work of functional art, but a tool nonetheless; I worked with tools all my life, and I can appreciate them but I can only work up a limited amount of excitement for them.
Levers come much closer to satisfying me, but when I think of a sporting rifle the image that comes to mind is a lithe, graceful and accurate single shot.
Any hunt is a terrific experience, but if I am planning on something that is extra-special...or if I want a "normal" hunt to become special...I want to use a single shot rifle, preferably a falling-block, ideally iron-sighted. Sadly, with age the iron sights become less and less useable, so a scope is acceptable; but I still want the pure experience of opening an action, inserting a single cartridge, closing the rifle, aiming and firing one shot. And I want the rifle to be beautiful; when sitting in a deerstand or taking a break for lunch, I want to look at it and think to myself "That's nice..."
I have a C.Sharps .45-70 which is a treasure, but again, the sights are becoming less manageable for me, and it may have shot its last warm target. A graceful little Haenel Jaeger model 9 in 7x65R comes close; lets me use a scope, weighs nothing, handles like a dream, shoots beautifully...but it is a break action and that nags at me just a tiny bit. I've also owned a ton of H&R/NEF singles over the years and loved most of them, but they are clunky and unrefined and of course they also break to open. T/C Encores and Contenders feel like 2x4's to me, very poor handling. Martinis are nice to shoot, but about the ugliest things on the planet. Winchester 1885's? Close...very close, but...
Historically, the Farquharson single shots seem to come as close as possible to my ideal...but I have never even held one, much less fired or used one. So, in case it hasn't become obvious already, the gun I am circling around as my own favourite sporting rifle model is the Ruger #1. Even when chambered in rimless cartridges they seem to be stone-axe reliable, usually shoot very well and they check all the other boxes of my own imaginary list perfectly. I think they are the most beautiful regular-production guns out there, they are still readily available both new and used, and by today's insane standards they are still reasonably priced.
Yep, a Ruger #1S, with a 26-inch barrel and the Henry-style fore-end, wearing some nice walnut, trigger properly adjusted, safety slide either upgraded or at least shaved to prevent snagging of empties...the perfect sporting rifle for this old codger. Just my opinion, of course, and worth every penny you paid for it.
Great thread Ardent, and thanks for taking time to include photos, as they really do speak 1000 words at times.
The last photo you posted in your first post, was that your "erste versuch" (first try) Mauser in 7x57? I vaguely remember trying to convince my wife she could ride her bicycle instead of using the family vehicle but I needed that rifle. She didn't share my logic
The last photo you posted in your first post, was that your "erste versuch" (first try) Mauser in 7x57? I vaguely remember trying to convince my wife she could ride her bicycle instead of using the family vehicle but I needed that rifle. She didn't share my logic
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Ha yes that’s the serial number V1 Mauser Kurz. Johnn, I can sympathize and also personally feel the English double rifle is the greatest sporting rifle, though it can’t compete in history with the M98 for what it’s done afield though its exploits are still admirable.
