Favorite deer rifle

jimbo111 said:

I cut my teeth on a Win. Model 88, once you get used to that lever action no other will do!

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Hand one (M 88) long ago to match then the Win M 100 I had, both in .308 Win loved both and they were very accurate.

My 88 was accurate as well and I did pick up a m 100, but here in PA it can't be used for anything but varmint hunting . I currently have 3 88's and the 100 one of the 88's has never been fired and is with the original box.

I to cut my teeth on a 94/30/30 ,it wasn't scoped and I wear glasses,sold it after I bought my first high power rifle ,REM,760 gamemaster in 270 Winchester ,anUncle had a 88 Winchester in 243 that thing thought it was a bolt action the way she shot my first reloads,sadly she's gone but that showed me the Light Year jump from 30/30 to 243,270 ,etc etc. when I started deer hunting out of 12 hunters 5-6 had scopes and almost every body carried a 30/06 ,one fellow used a 308 & I was the first to carry a 270 Winchester,so I guess it's how and where you grow up, last thought my Uncles taught me how to deer hunt posting and driving , Doe tags were kind of rare and if you shot a small one you drove deer till you were told to post , that meant walking miles n miles, but at the same time you learned the drives and built stamina, those were the Greats times hunting in my life "thk you Uncles !!!,cheers oh Yeah nothing like deer hunting,approaching 65 yrs young and it's still special!!! subject

Bullmark said:

I love seeing the model 94. My Dad passed away when I was only 11yrs old, and he was not a man of many worldly possessions. But he did have a battle scarred Win Model 94 in 30-30, and it became mine. That was 40 years ago and I still have the rifle. Every year I plan to take it out, but always choose one of my sexier calibers instead. I hope to change that this year.
I'll share a quick funny story about the rifle. When I was no older than 11 or 12 I was hunting with my older brother and carrying the 30-30. He sat me down under a tree and told me to sit still and not move. He would be back for me in an hour or so. About a half hour into the sit a fat doe came walking by me. She couldn't have been more than 15 yds, and I was stiff as a statue. When the moment was right I raised the rifle, took aim, and fired. The doe was obviously hit as she jumped and did a mule kick, and ran just over the ridge into a thicket. It is obvious to me today that she was hit, but to a 10 yr old boy who has never shot anything, it was anything but obvious. Because she didn't fall over dead, I thought I had missed. I'm sure that doe was on the ground less than 100 yds away. Unfortunately, my brother took my word for it, that I had missed, and we never followed up and looked for signs of a hit, or the deer. Oh well, I guess the coyotes had an easy meal that night.

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Ha. Great story. Must of been a rush to see that deer.

Bullmark said:

I love seeing the model 94. My Dad passed away when I was only 11yrs old, and he was not a man of many worldly possessions. But he did have a battle scarred Win Model 94 in 30-30, and it became mine. That was 40 years ago and I still have the rifle. Every year I plan to take it out, but always choose one of my sexier calibers instead. I hope to change that this year.
I'll share a quick funny story about the rifle. When I was no older than 11 or 12 I was hunting with my older brother and carrying the 30-30. He sat me down under a tree and told me to sit still and not move. He would be back for me in an hour or so. About a half hour into the sit a fat doe came walking by me. She couldn't have been more than 15 yds, and I was stiff as a statue. When the moment was right I raised the rifle, took aim, and fired. The doe was obviously hit as she jumped and did a mule kick, and ran just over the ridge into a thicket. It is obvious to me today that she was hit, but to a 10 yr old boy who has never shot anything, it was anything but obvious. Because she didn't fall over dead, I thought I had missed. I'm sure that doe was on the ground less than 100 yds away. Unfortunately, my brother took my word for it, that I had missed, and we never followed up and looked for signs of a hit, or the deer. Oh well, I guess the coyotes had an easy meal that night.

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Love hearing stories of family heirlooms. How cool! Can't imagine losing my dad at 11, I lost mine at 31 and was devastated.

Dr. Richard Gray said:

I have 2 Win 94, 26" octagon barrel. Bought my first one for $90.00 from a shipmate. My guess is he won it in a poker game. I purchased the second one from the base px for $130. Like yours they shoot lights out at 200 yds. Both serial numbers are 1969 products. I got both in 1970. The only time I ever regretted it is when I shot it from horse back. Needles to say my horse did not like it at all and I ended up on the ground, she was afraid of her own shadow. I had shot my my Win 290 .22 from the saddle a couple times with no problem, but she did not like that 30-30.

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It take some time to get a horse use to it. You just can't just walk up and start shooting. Same with a dog.

M700 in 7mm08 sps, cheapest 700 Remington made back in the early 2000s. Bought it dirt cheap, brand new just for the action. Even told the guy ordering it for me to surprise me with the caliber long as it was a SA with 308 bolt face. Lived in a corner a couple years till I had an extra piece of wood I wanted to finish out but didn't have any sporter barreled actions to mock up but this one. Liked the feel so much I ended up putting an extra vx2 on it and spending about half a day working a load for it (120NBT over varget. I'm not that good, it was just that easy). Taken over 20 deer with it, my wife got her first few deer with it, both my kids hunt with it, and it's the only one I've ever named. Peanut always gets some action every year.

my 6.8 SPCII ( no pic but hopefully will next week as I have my first hunt of the year

w/110gr accubond, RL10x, hornady brass and a #41 primer
vortex scope

I must have 15 or so great choices but due to Indiana hunting laws and regulations for public land I changed my 308 Ruger M77 mk 2 barrel out for a Shilen match barrel and had it chambered in 358 Hoosier. It's a 358 Winchester but the case is shortened to 1.8" to meet state law. The thing thumps deer.

Last year on opening day I took out my eldest son. He was 11 at the time and had been practicing with my Marlin 1894 in 41 Mag (my previous go to deer gun) through out the summer. After getting into a good spot and settling in a doe came up on us but was in an unsuitable position as I was between the deer and my boy. It never made us but she ambled on by us in a delayed but steady fashion. We were facing North, she came from the West headed East.

Our position was on a sort of knuckle of a rise on a bench over looking a three sided bowl filled in with blow downs and brambles and all manner of jumbled debris from the forest. Our backs were against a massive red oak, easily 6' in diameter, and the ground steadily but gradually fell away from us for a ways till it dropped off suddenly into the bowl. Our field of view/fire was clear of saplings and brush. Behind us, where we had come from, were a series of terraces interrupted by drop offs of sloping ground every 60 yards or so. Probably a 30 degree grade between benches of flattish ground 10 to 15 yards wide.

After the doe passed us only 5 or 10 minutes had elapsed when my boy nudged me with his elbow. We were just sitting on the ground, shoulder to shoulder, guns across our laps, against that big oak. He whispered "Dad, buck!!" Both deer had come to us as they skirted the bowl and as the buck closed the distance to us he gave my boy a perfect 60 yard broadside shot. My son raised the rifle and promptly shot the buck in the neck! At the shot the deer dropped. We shared our congratulations and triumph with joy, tears and prayers, excited but reserved as we waited for the deer to expire.

Thirty minutes passed or a tick more and the deer was still alive and making enough movement that I knew the wound was lethal but not in an immediate way. I told my son if the deer got up I would put the cue-de-gras on him before it could break for the bowl. It stood up and I hit him with the 358… Whap!!! The buck literally flipped off his hoves… seriously the legs went 270 degrees!!! it was instant death. Within 5 minutes we were standing over his first deer, first buck, first kill of any kind…. a 10 point buck with good mass for a 2-3 year old buck. What a blessing to be able to take your kids hunting. Gratuitous rifle pic to follow…

His buck… and rifle

Equalizer said:

I must have 15 or so great choices but due to Indiana hunting laws and regulations for public land I changed my 308 Ruger M77 mk 2 barrel out for a Shilen match barrel and had it chambered in 358 Hoosier. It's a 358 Winchester but the case is shortened to 1.8" to meet state law. The thing thumps deer.

Last year on opening day I took out my eldest son. He was 11 at the time and had been practicing with my Marlin 1894 in 41 Mag (my previous go to deer gun) through out the summer. After getting into a good spot and settling in a doe came up on us but was in an unsuitable position as I was between the deer and my boy. It never made us but she ambled on by us in a delayed but steady fashion. We were facing North, she came from the West headed East.

Our position was on a sort of knuckle of a rise on a bench over looking a three sided bowl filled in with blow downs and brambles and all manner of jumbled debris from the forest. Our backs were against a massive red oak, easily 6' in diameter, and the ground steadily but gradually fell away from us for a ways till it dropped off suddenly into the bowl. Our field of view/fire was clear of saplings and brush. Behind us, where we had come from, were a series of terraces interrupted by drop offs of sloping ground every 60 yards or so. Probably a 30 degree grade between benches of flattish ground 10 to 15 yards wide.

After the doe passed us only 5 or 10 minutes had elapsed when my boy nudged me with his elbow. We were just sitting on the ground, shoulder to shoulder, guns across our laps, against that big oak. He whispered "Dad, buck!!" Both deer had come to us as they skirted the bowl and as the buck closed the distance to us he gave my boy a perfect 60 yard broadside shot. My son raised the rifle and promptly shot the buck in the neck! At the shot the deer dropped. We shared our congratulations and triumph with joy, tears and prayers, excited but reserved as we waited for the deer to expire.

Thirty minutes passed or a tick more and the deer was still alive and making enough movement that I knew the wound was lethal but not in an immediate way. I told my son if the deer got up I would put the cue-de-gras on him before it could break for the bowl. It stood up and I hit him with the 358… Whap!!! The buck literally flipped off his hoves… seriously the legs went 270 degrees!!! it was instant death. Within 5 minutes we were standing over his first deer, first buck, first kill of any kind…. a 10 point buck with good mass for a 2-3 year old buck. What a blessing to be able to take your kids hunting. Gratuitous rifle pic to follow…

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Love the story and that Ruger is a beautiful looking rifle

Great story......and a great memory that both of you will cherish! And......pretty darn nice deer! Congrats to your son! memtb

wilkup said:

Love the story and that Ruger is a beautiful looking rifle

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Thanks! It's just as accurate as it is beautiful!!

memtb said:

Great story......and a great memory that both of you will cherish! And......pretty darn nice deer! Congrats to your son! memtb

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Thank you! Yeah to top it off as we sat there shaking with adrenaline and the thoughts that ran through our heads my son said "I'm going to be a great hunter and I want to teach my sons to hunt" from where he was sitting he couldn't see the tear roll down my cheek

Equalizer said:

Thanks! It's just as accurate as it is beautiful!!

Thank you! Yeah to top it off as we sat there shaking with adrenaline and the thoughts that ran through our heads my son said "I'm going to be a great hunter and I want to teach my sons to hunt" from where he was sitting he couldn't see the tear roll down my cheek

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Not much in this world is more precious than your son / daughter first deer kill... My eldest turned 31 this past August he got his at 12 years old. 174 yards off hand his little Remy 30.06 put it down in it's tracks. We were up in the high country along some rim rock, saw three bucks heading our way. I whispered if they stop take the biggest one. They meandered around and started feeding about 200 yds out they moved slowly closer the largest of the three turned sideways and he sent it, a little high but caught both lungs, it dropped in its tracks the other two stotted out another 30-40 yards and stopped. I was able to pick up one of the smaller bucks. What a first hunt for my boy, I sure was a proud papa man!!! I had that buck mounted for him and every time I look at the deer it brings back all that warm fuzzy stuff...