What was your first big game rifle?

My first was a Savage 110 in .270 Win(I was a huge Jack O'Connor fan) bought with my saving in 1963 when I was 17. I thing it cost me around $125.00 and ammo was $5.00/20. It was scoped but I'm darned if I can remember with what.

I sold it in the late 60's and bought a Mauser Model 3000 in .270 Win. That rifle was a POS. Then I had a FN Mauser built in 1971 in .270 Win. I'll never get rid of that rifle.
 
Mine was a Savage Model 340 in 30-30. It was 1962 and I was attending UWO in London, Ontario. Bought it from Charlie Parkinson (now there was a gun shop 8) ) for $40 with a sling, soft case and two boxes of Dominion ammo.

Used it that fall deer hunting and then traded it back to Charlie in the Spring on a Savage 110 in 270 Winchester, for an extra $50. Now I had a real rifle! It had a Williams Foolproof sight and I used it for hunting groundhogs all that Summer.

Learned a lot about trigger control and sight picture, and when I went back to school Charlie showed me a used Husqvarna Model 5000. It was also a 270 and had a Weaver 6X with a dot. It was love at first sight, and the beginning of a long affair with the Swedes. I think it cost me the Savage 110 and $150.

Charlie taught me to handload and I used that rifle for the next 25 years or so. Put more than 4000 rounds through that sweetheart, and can't even begin to remember how much game I killed using it. Deer, moose, bear, caribou, sheep, it layed them low with 130 gr Silvertips and H4831, and almost always with one shot. It was still shooting close to an inch when I traded it.

Why, oh why, did I do that. :?

I have often wondered where that rifle is today.

Ted
 
The first was a "family-owned " 30-30 '94 Winchester that was my deceased uncle's gun ....we inherited it from Gramma . Used that gun from when I was 13 'till I bought my very own big game rifle at the age of 19 ...a 303 British Lee Enfield for the sum of $10.00....then I bought a 303 British in a '95 Winchester ($20)...a 30-06 Husqvarna($80)....and so on and so on.... :lol:
 
Mine was a Remington 700 ADL .30-06 with a 4X Burris that I bought From Canadian Tire. That was when the ADL still had wood stocks..... I think I bought mine in 1982. 8)
 
I bought a .303 British in a Sporterized Enfield in the summer before deer season, the guy who sold it to me said it shot well. Being 15 and inexperienced, before shooting the damn thing I refinished the stock and gave it a cold bluing job.... I must say it looked real good and I was proud of myself, so was my dad. Then we took a series of groups at the farm :evil: :cry: and it shot like ####. My old man took me back to the guy who sold it to me and made sure I got my money back (at 6'2 and 275 lbs and built like a brick ####house, he made a convincing back-up :shock: :lol: )

I worked like a bastard the rest of the summer cutting grass at $5 - $10 per lawn (I am talking big country lawns, not those little city folk back yards!!!!) :shock: and saved my money. By fall I ordered a brand spanking new Rem 7600 in 30-06 (Is there ANY better Caliber!) 8) from S.I.R.... I still remember plunking down all those crumpled $5, $10 and $20 bills on the kitchen table to my mother so she could make a cheque out to mail my order to S.I.R. I still have the original Bill of sale somewhere.

I will never forget unwrapping that box and lifting out a NEW rifle, MY rifle. Every Deer season she is the first one out of the safe and the last one back in :lol: ... People say that pumps aren't as accurrate as bolts.... She shoots 0.5" groups at 50 yards and 1-1.5" groups at 100 yards with reloads (I have been reloading since 15 years old) Not bad in my books.... I shot my first deer with her, come to think of it.... I have shot all my deer with her.... Whenever I take my back-up gun (usually when dogging) I either miss :oops: or never get the same opportunities!!! maybe the old girl is jealous and puts a jinx on my lever!!! :shock:

Memories.... eh? That was 19 years ago. Today kids want it all given to then... instant gratification. When you work hard and earn something, you never forget it. I would never sell my 7600, it means so much.

Thanks Todd for the trip down memory lane.... :wink:
 
First big game rifle for me was a BLR in 308....My Dad bought it for me...it was used but in good shape....Almost 20 years ago now :? Time fly's....I still have it and it'll be one of those "Cold dead hands" guns :wink:

Russ...
 
not sure, could have been a BSA CF2, in 308 with the Walnut stock (Euro version)... its all a blurr, so many guns ago... :lol:
 
Mine was a sporterised Enfield 303. I used it for my first year big game hunting. The following year I had purchased a Rugger M77 II canoe paddle in 7mm Rem Mag and only sold it last year. It killed about 25 big game animals.
 
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