What is your favorite Rifle?

[Fitch]

The rifle that goes to the field with me the most is my .223 CZ527 sporter with the VX-III 4.5-14x40AO on it. It just seems to jump out of the safe into my hand every time I head out for ground hogs, coyotes, or any other varmint. I shoot mostly 40g NBT and it shoots bugholes at 100 yards.



My second favorite rifle is this Savage that started life as a M10 package rifle chambered in .243Win 4 years ago. It didn't shoot worth pooh. I discovered the problem was the barrel after owning it for a year. I bought a used 1:10 twist A&B stainless barrel chambered in 6mmBR for $40.00 thinking it would be a good "practice" barrel while I learned to chamber rifle barrels. I sawed the chamber off, rechambered it in .243Win, trued the action, bedded it, replaced the scope with a 6-24x40AO Bushnell Banner and it turned into a tackdriver with 55g NBT, 75g V-Max, and 95g NBT. I love it when that happens!



I am keeping my eyes open for an irresistable deal on another one of these low end shor action wood stocked rifles to turn into a .338 Federal.

Fitch

[Long Time Long Ranger]

My browser will not allow me to upload pictures. It has a kdf brake on it same diameter as the barreland just looks like holes drilled in the end of the barrel. The stock is quite a few years old. It is an old Bell and carlson synthetic sporter with complete action bedded and barrel freefloated. It has a Burris Black Diamond 4-16 mil dot scope on it which is all I need for well beyond 1000 yards. The action started out a 7mm wby mag. I opened the bolt face and got a 378 magazine box from weatherby. The slot in the bottom of the bolt was lengthened to allow for ejection of the long 378 case from the short 7 mag case. Any mk 5 action above the 240 wby can easily be made to shoot the 378 case. They are all the same actions from 257 wby on up.

Any of the big 338's will take elk further than most anyone could hit one. I shot mine this year with a light remington 700 in 338 ultramag at 740 yards. I didn't feel I was undergunned a bit with that rifle. But once you get accustomed to the power of that big 378 case that is always the one I'm going with when all the marbles are on the table. 132 grains of powder will get your attention.

[NWdan]

LTLR - Thanks for the extra information on your rifle, sounds like a dandy. When I went from 78 grains in my .300 Win Mag to 94 grains in the .300 RUM I thought that was a quantum leap. It is hard to imagine 132 grains of powder - WOW! You've really got me thinking about the .338s. My favorite rifle right now is a Tikka T3 stainless synthetic in .300 WM w/ Leupold 4.5x14x40. I like the accuracy, smooth bolt, intergal scope base, and clip system. Although the accuracy is there, I think a heavier rifle would be easier to shoot at longer distance, so I am trying to decide on details of a new build, but I'll save that for another post. Keep your favorites comming!

[Long Time Long Ranger]

NWdan, you have a very nice rifle. The 300 win mag is an excellent cartridge and I love the tikka t3 lights. I have 2 of them right now. Great carry hunting rifle with top accuracy. I am shooting great groups out to 700 yards with mine. The 132 grains of powder is my accuracy load with a 200 grain bullet at about 3650 fps. I have killed elk and caribou with that load over 900 yards. It does a very nice job.

[fmajor]

Ha!!! LTLR you had me stumped there for a minute.

I was reading your post RE: the 300 Win Mag and when you said you were running 130+ grains of powder. I was thinking that must be a *seriously* (impossibly?!?) compressed load!!! Then read up a bit and found you had been takling about your 338/378 Roy - that kinda cleared it all up for me..

My fav rifle (only rifle now) is my old Rem700 ADL in 7mm RM (HS grad present). However, i think she's gonna get a new pipe and some cosmetic surgery ala Manners MCS-GAT, but remain a 7mmRM. It was good 27 years ago and i suspect will still be good medicine for another 27years!

[MN Hunter]

My all time favorite was a Browning A-bolt Stainless Stalker 300 win mag named Thumper. It wears a Leupold VXIII 2.5x8 scope mounted in a leupold rings and a one piece leupold base. I shot many deer with it in several different states. I gave the gun to my oldest son on his 16th birthday. My gun of choice for the last 5 years now has been a Rem 700 in 300 win. That gun is currently at Center Shot Rifles for a complete make over - #4 brux 26" fluted barrel, bedded into a B+c stock, new firing pin assembly gettin rid of the j lock, blue print action, trigger job, and wyatts box. She will be topped off with leupold dual dovetail rings an a Zeiss conquest 4.5x14x44 scope with a Rapid Z-800 reticule.