Posted on 11/24/2017 12:49:47 PM PST by w1n1
Guns are much more than guns to die-hard hunting folks. Sometimes they help define the love of a family as grandfather passes their guns from one generation to the next. And, more often than not, the gun that is cherished the most as a symbol of tradition and collective wisdom is the “humble deer rifle”. The following hunting rifles are no longer in production yet still find their way to the the hands of hunters who value both tradition and well-design sporting arms. Maybe this is what the newer generation rifle lacks.
Savage 99
Savage’s Model 99, preceded by the 1895, was the first hammerless lever-action rifle in mass production. The reliability, accuracy, and appearance of the 99 have made it both a classic and a practical gun for hunters. Well ahead of its time, the internal rotary magazine and brass round counter defined the rifle and allowed use of both higher powered rounds and also the pointed bullets that tubular lever rifles could not.
Winchester 54
Winchester’s Model 54 is regarded as the company’s first mass production civilian bolt action center fire rifle. Though the two-stage trigger pull wasn’t the greatest, its Mauser action was incredibly reliable. Produced from the mid-1920s until 1936, over 50,000 Model 54s came off the line. The Winchester 54’s particular value here is as the predecessor to the even more beloved Model 70, which would top this list were it not in current production. Because the Model 54 was made in the era of iron-sighting, its bolt throw is too high to allow for simple scope mounting. Read the rest of old school hunting rifle here.
Had a chance to grab a Model 99 in .300 Savage a long time ago. Guy wanted $100 for it. Still kicking myself for not doing it.
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Those are all fine rifles but my 5 would have all been different. Not necessarily better just what suits me.
Owned a couple of Model 99’s (.300 & .22HP) and they were decent rifles.
Got a Model 88 in .284 Win. The article is correct about it being hard recoiling for some reason. Accuracy was just so-so.
But it still remains a favorite of mine.
I have a 98 Mauser chambered to 7.62 NATO. I am told those rebarreled Mausers came from the IDF. It’s my main deerslayer.
Many moons ago, while it was “still cool” to own firearms in California, I had a Savage Model 99 A chambered in .308Win. It was a darn nice rifle. At the range east of San Bernardino, it was my 200 yard ‘toy’. When I left the state, I sold all my firearms, since I would be driving across different state lines and wanted no hassles.
Have a 1974 Brownling BLR chambered in .243, first year their Japanese plant was up and running. Much tighter tolerances than anything from their ealier Belgium plant.
Thing shoots beautifully!
Dad used an old bolt action .303 for deer. I think it was a Remington. The only thing to reduce the recoil was a rubber butt attachment, which didn’t really do much.
A couple more Old School rifles I hunt with are the 98 and 95 Mausers, both in 7mm Mauser.
My favorite five would be:
Browning bolt action (FN Mauser) 30-06.
Winchester model 70, the ones with controlled feed, in 30-06.
Reminton 700, one of the special runs in 6.5 Swedish Mauser.
Winchester model 86, one of late copies in 45-70.
Winchester model 92 in 44-40 or a late model in .44 magnum.
I could easily name five more just as good.
Know a guy who still hunts with a Springfield .30-40 Krag.
I have a few 1899 Savages including one Model 1895 that was made my Marlin.
Although it is not a ‘hunting rifle’ the Swedish Mauser in 6.5 x 55 is a great rifle.
I have both an infantry and a tankers carbine that is just about perfect.
It is considered to be the most beautiful military rifle ever made.
It is my ‘go to’ blacktail rifle when hunting in brush.
It may not have been the Jungle Carbine.
There were other Lee-Enfields
It's a nice gun chambered in .308.
Not a 'hunting rifle'?
The rubber butt piece is what I’m basing my guess on . I have a No4 Mk2 sportier after the war with the rubber installed .
Remington 760 in .270. Can load it down for small game or all the way up for the big guys. Accurate beyond belief.
There were other Lee-Enfields
Yepper, got two in 308 version....
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