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

[NAA]

It was .308 Win for me.

------------------
NAA.

 

[Ardent]

Just counted, that makes 17 .303s, which would presently put it in 6th place one gun ahead of the .243.

 

[Ardent]

Browning ‘78 in 6mm

First centerfire rifle I bought was a new Ruger Model 77 (tang safety) in 7 x 57. With a Leupold Vari-X 2-7 and handloading components. Back in the early '70's.

13 years old, sweeping the floor and dusting guns after school for $1.75 an hour in the gunshop I bought it from.
Still have it.

Browning Micro Medallion chambered in 284win with a leupold 2-7 compact scope.

My favourite first purchased rifles listed so far.

Lots of guys reading Jack O'Connor I would imagine. Or young guys wanting a lighter recoiling rifle.

Seemed to be a popular round on the prairies too.

Up here it is available but the use of 130 grain bullets is considered a great sin or something because I never see them.

Probably tied for second most common chambering I see in the north(west), and second most common outfitting mountain goats behind the .300 Win.

 

[LWERD]

Browning BLR .300 win mag

 

[the spank]

Mine isn't on the list.....303 British

 

[Ardent]

18 for the .303, still in 6th.

 

[Evanguy]

303 british
Ph Custom no1 with the PH monte carlo stock, PH wide leather sling, PH scope mounts and rings with a factory 5 round mag.

 

[salarguy]

If you change your mind keep me in it!

 

[Potashminer]

First rifle I hunted with was a Lee Enfield no. 4 in 303 British, purchased by my Dad for me about 1967 or 1968 - 16.99 or 19.99 at the local Macleods Hardware store. First hunting rifle I bought for myself was a Winchester Model 70 XTR in 308 Winchester in 1976, at the local Co-op grocery/hardware store. It is my son's deer rifle these days.

 

[Thuriaz]

303 British. How could you make a list of first hunting calibers without the .303?

 

[mcpiper]

Factory sporter Enfield No4 .303 British at a gun show. It was a beautiful rifle but the 2 groove rifling was completely shot out and it key holed. I was 17 years old and out $140 worth of hay bailing money. A friend of my father gave me a No1 MK III to replace it.

 

[Aloha]

1942 K98 8x57. Still have it. Still love it

 

[Canada tail]

Wow so many 3006

 

[Dances with Drahts]

First hunting rifle was a .22lr

 

[Ardent]

21 .303s for the first hunting rifle bought yourself, holding solid and respectable 6th. .30-06 figures, it’s the go to hunting round and probably the best compromise of everything.

 

[Dogleg]

It might just show that beginners gravitate to cheap ammo.

 

[tokguy]

303 Br. It wasn't really bought, it came from my Grandmother. Got it scoped ( it was a pretty ' well used ' rifle, lol. Iron's were gone so ...No harm done IMO) and used it with success.

 

[DaveMachine]

What, no option for 6.5x55?

 

[Ruger007]

My dad bought me a 22lr and a rem 742 30-06. But the first rifle i bought with my own money was a ruger paddle stock SS 300 win mag only because i couldn't find a No1.

 

[jjohnwm]

As a kid I hunted for years with a couple of hand-me-downs: A Cooey model 60 .22 rimfire, an Ithaca model 37 12-gauge and, of course, a Lee Enfield .303.

First rimfire purchased by me was either a 10/22 walnut sporter or an Ithaca model 72 levergun; shockingly, I can't recall for sure which came first! First centerfire was a Rem600 in .308, purchased at a gunshow in Detroit and carted back across the border with no muss, no fuss.

That was closely followed by a CVA blackpowder kit gun that I "built" myself (i.e. assembled the kit ). The first firing was done with the gun strapped to an old tire, and fired remotely with a string tied to the trigger...from a distance of about 150 feet!