What was the first hunting rifle you bought for yourself chambered in?

[Mad-Dog]

Interesting how the distribution of first hunting rifles purchased is a standard distribution, or bell curve, basically centered on the .30-06. I organised it from smallest to largest.

Wish we had the results for the same poll done 20 years ago and 40 years ago. I have a feeling the distribution (with the .303 added) would have looked quite similar. If so, what does that say about us?

 

[Grock-co]

303 Lee Enfield here as well, cannot say I enjoyed hunting with it, it was heavy and a terrible loading rifle, none of the magazines would work very well. It would jam loading from a mag constantly and it did not matter what magazine I used, must have bought eight of them, some would work better then others but none worked consistently to be called a reliable rifle. After using one I fail to see what all the hype is about other then it was cheap, it cost me 75 bucks, used it for a couple of years and sold it for 50.

 

[trebor2880]

Another .303 here. $29.99 at Sears. Free shipping, and I don't think there was any tax back then. But I got a good one!

 

[bssaguy]

winchester model 70 in 30-06 ---- new 179.95 in edmonton 1972 or 73

 

[Victor Simon]

I have never purchased a hunting rifle. Just use ones passed down.

 

[Butcherbill]

303 Lee Enfield here as well, cannot say I enjoyed hunting with it, it was heavy and a terrible loading rifle, none of the magazines would work very well. It would jam loading from a mag constantly and it did not matter what magazine I used, must have bought eight of them, some would work better then others but none worked consistently to be called a reliable rifle. After using one I fail to see what all the hype is about other then it was cheap, it cost me 75 bucks, used it for a couple of years and sold it for 50.

Sounds like it was you and not the rifles lol.

I took my first Muley with a borrowed 303 and Dominion Ammo.

I’m still using mine, I was out looking for black bears with it today. Can’t go wrong with a classic!

 

[Ardent]

I have never purchased a hunting rifle. Just use ones passed down.

Same here.

 

[Big Uke]

For the record;
.303 Sporterised Mk4 Long Branch for $32 at Simpsons-Sears. The guy behind the counter asked for my name and address "for their records". We chatted about this requirement for a while, and found out it was because of an earlier incident when a somewhat despondent guy (in retrospect) bought a shotgun, then promptly went out into the parking lot, got into his car, and shot himself.
Paperwork wouldn't have averted this tragedy then, and it won't do anything now either. Just more hoops to jump through.

 

[nomad 68]

Remington 700 Bdl in .270. That was 30 yrs ago and I still have it.

 

[Orionxxx]

.303 jungle carbine - brand new in cosmoline and wax paper war surplus for $25 in 1965.

 

[reddog9x19]

Sporterized .303 Lee-Enfield here too.

 

[john-brennan]

Rem.660 in 308 and it kicked like a horse.

 

[Wendell]

6.5 x 55

 

[-Savage-]

The 1st hunting rifle I bought for myself was a Sako Aii Forester in .243

(4 previous rifles were given to me by my Dad)

 

[Chargerguy]

Model 700 SPS in 7mm Rem Mag. 2007ish. Up until then I always hunted with my Lee Enfield.

 

[240gord]

Remington 700 ADL 25-06.

 

[BrotherRockeye]

I started out with a hand me down LE 303 Brit. My first center fire rifle purchase was a PH 3006.

 

[Orion]

The first one ever I bought was a badly Bubba'd No. 4 Mk 1 Long Branch that I got from a friend of my Dad's for $10 in 1977, when I was 16. He even threw in half a box of Imperial Sabre Tips (180 gr. IIRC).
Somebody back in the day had gouged a mountain lion into the stock with, I'm guessing, a sharp rock. Shot my first deer and first moose with that rifle.

 

[444shooter]

An old Swedish M96 in 6.5x55

 

[Mad-Dog]

I have never purchased a hunting rifle. Just use ones passed down.

That's called "re"-cycling the bolt...the lever...the action!