The Rifle You’ll Never Touch

[Don A Parsons]

I did a new Remmy SPS in 308,,, Remmy LR in 30/06,,, a trigger up grade and there good to go.

Leaving well enough alone for these old school cartridges.

I have a custom until for F Class,,, one of our National match shooters put it together for me,,, the only thing it needs is a new barrel every 2nd Moon. LOL.

Set them up,,, and shoot the $4!T out of them my Pops said.

 

[Gregg C]

The one I just got from my Dad yesterday. His target rifle when he was on the ASU shooting team back in the 60s.
Winchester Enfield 1917 in .30-06 Springfield.

Way cool. I wonder if ASU has a shooting team today ? I was on my high school shooting team in 75. Was disbanded in 76.

 

[Deleted member 48126]

The one I just got from my Dad yesterday. His target rifle when he was on the ASU shooting team back in the 60s.
Winchester Enfield 1917 in .30-06 Springfield.

Super nice!!

 

[Gord0]

One I would never change was my grandpa's previously. 1958 Winchester model 70 in 270win.

 

[FEENIX]

I have nothing of sentimental value in my safe, so none of them are safe ...

 

[Gregg C]

Funny you say that Feenix- I posted a picture of my Dad's M88 as the gun I would never touch. Guess what? I'm thinking it might be perfect for a 6.5 Sherman Short or such! Aghhh is nothing sacred ? Uh, no, no maybe not! Lol

 

[Don A Parsons]

It's funny that "Some" of us have up graded our rifles over the years,,, then later on we "sometimes" scale back with age,,, I guess I'm that Guy. Ha

I started off years ago with mid size hunting cartridges,,, 30/30, 303, 7x57, 308 win, and 30/06,,, it wasn't long after that when I scaled up to the magnum category,,, what a thrill to get a 14 year stint in the line-up.

7mm Mag, Four 300's, Three 338's, and the famous 375 H&H,,, LOL. I called it damage at both ends,,, the critter down range and my shoulder.

Here I am at the 40 year mark of hunting and shooting sports,,, all the land cannons are sold off,,, the cabinet still remains with 308's and 30/06's.

Most of then have had a few up grades,,, epoxy bedding, and after market triggers that can be set up for hunting, predator control or target shooting,,, it only takes a few seconds to reset them.

At times I think I should up grade to the new cartridges out there. 6.5,,, 7mm's,,, 300's or a few of the others that are showing up at the sporting goods shops.

I always think this as I head to the shooting range,,, once I squeeze off the first couple of shots,,, I soon realize that the old school tools I have work just fine.

It's so easy tagging the 4" and 7" gongs at 600 meter with a quality rest and steady hand.
My 2 custom rigs will reach out long past that with ease so long as I bunker down to read the winds. The plinking stuff at 1500 to 1700 meters.

Don't get me right,,, some of those groups are the size of 11R 22 heavy truck tire,,, Ha... Sometimes I get lucky and squeeze 10 shoots into the coffee can,,, dead still air flow on days for that to happen.

Yuppers,,, I guess I'm at that stage of the game that the old irons I have will out shoot me on any given day.

It took me a life time to remember the elevation and drifting wind dope needed to reach out there.

The trajectory cards have been put away long ago as I let the MOA numbers range my distance on every shot. Ha.

Now day I shoot the guessing game at the range.

16.25 MOA at 600 meters.
44 @ 1000,,, 11.55 @ 400,,, oh,,, looks like I need 1.75 MOA Left with this light breeze. Ha

Yes,,, guess I'll leave well enough alone since the limited rifles and my noodle are planning things out on each adventure

 

[Gregg C]

My Dad's M88 .308 is safe, once again.The Sherman Short is not based on the .270 I just learned. Its momma case is the fat assed SAUM, dang it all. Would have been kinda cool, to have a wicked cartridge like that in a bitchin lever action. SAFE. For now....

 

[lancetkenyon]

My father-in-law and I hunted together for 25 years. He carried an R700 BDL 7RM the entire time. Only killed one small 1x2 mule deer buck with it. When he was in the hospital right before he passed, he asked me to build.it like I do my own rifles and kill an elk with it. Something he had never accomplished.
R700 LA BDL
26" Bartlein #3 fluted w. APA Micro Bastard brake 1:8.5"
Manners EH2
Timney CE
Seekins alloy 20MOA rail
Seekins alloy 34mm low rings
S&B PMII 3-20×50

My 15 year old daughter took the first elk with it, a big fat cow @ 65ish yards. Then I took my best bull ever with it @ 662 yards.

 

[KyCarl]

An old Stevens 30-30 bolt action. It was my Dads and the first center fire rifle I ever shot! I know it's not worth 25 bucks but I'll never sell it.

 

[Gregg C]

My father-in-law and I hunted together for 25 years. He carried an R700 BDL 7RM the entire time. Only killed one small 1x2 mule deer buck with it. When he was in the hospital right before he passed, he asked me to build.it like I do my own rifles and kill an elk with it. Something he had never accomplished.
R700 LA BDL
26" Bartlein #3 fluted w. APA Micro Bastard brake 1:8.5"
Manners EH2
Timney CE
Seekins alloy 20MOA rail
Seekins alloy 34mm low rings
S&B PMII 3-20×50

My 15 year old daughter took the first elk with it, a big fat cow @ 65ish yards. Then I took my best bull ever with it @ 662 yards.

That is a beautiful story, Lancekenyon. Really touching.

 

[Bbear]

Great reading the stories behind these fine firearms, all.

I have a few that won't be changed from where they are today:

1). My first 'custom' rifle - pawn shop rescue that was a 30-06 700 BDL. Local guy at the time had leaned how to do stocks and barrel swaps. He put a Douglas barrel on it at 22" in 25-06 and a Canjar trigger. We contacted Fajen (now I'm telling my age here) and got a stick of nice walnut. The first stock ended up with a void in the pistol grip. Fajen replaced it with another one. Same thing there, and, Fajen replaced it by sending 5 stock blanks and told us to pick out two and send the others back, oh, and here's your check as well. More than 2000 rounds down the barrel to date.
This is the result.

2). Next is one that went through three hands. A cousin of mine worked for Remington when they brought out the 25-06. His sample gun was a 700 ADL. He gave it to me when I was in Jr. high. When I graduated from college and jobs were tough, he gave me a job in his gun shop. My Christmas bonus was a custom stock on the rifle in maple. This rifle has more than 3000 rounds through it and still shoots 5 shots in .75". With this rifle I took one of my longest successful shots - 623 yards.
Fast forward a few years and my Dad had shot out his BAR. I had #1 in my apartment so, I got to surprise my Dad with this rifle. He'd always loved it and loved shooting it. Sadly, I got it back when Dad passed away 11 years ago.

3). Is one of Dad's rifles. Original 700 Mountain Rifle in 30-06. Dad took it after Mule Deer a few times and shot his last elk with this rifle. It will put 2 Remington 165 gr core-lokt's in one hole, then you have to wait a few minutes to shoot 2 more, then a few more minutes to shoot the 5th shot. Yeah, I could sand out the stock, but, I'm not going to touch it. Sorry, no pictures of that one.

4). This one has also gone through 3 hands. My Grandfather was born in 1884. He purchased this from the General Store in Gilmore, Idaho in 1907. Made in 1906. 22" octagonal barrel, pop-up tang peep sight and a homemade front sight all done by my Grandfather. In the 1930's, Granddad used this rifle to keep his family fed after the mines closed down. Any 'extra' deer, he'd trade for flour, bacon etc to take home. On one of his hunts, the fog came in and he fell off of a mountain. Other than bruises, the only other damage was to the stock. He sent off to Winchester and purchased a 'nice' stock for $12.50. That's what's on this rifle today. Caliber markings are for the famous 30 Winchester (aka. 30-30). No telling how many deer were taken with this rifle. Some of the folks that were around in his day that I got to meet talked about him killing the last grizzly in Lemhi county with this rifle as it was killing sheep and cattle.

5). My most recent acquisition is this fine old rifle. Made by Mauser in 1916 for the Newton Rifle Co in NY. Double-set triggers, caliber .256 Newton (think 6.5-06). Some knucklehead D/T it for a scope. Soon as I can get my bench set back up, this will be my 'project' gun for reloading. Including making brass from either 25-06 or 270. 129 or 130 AB's should do around 2900 or so. Can't wait to actually work up some loads for this old beauty.
My uncle had two of these rifles - a 256 and a 30 Newton. He used them on mulies and elk in Idaho shooting Nosler partitions.

 

[JJMoody]

Definitely have a soft spot for the ol Winchester lever guns. Only sacred rifles in the stable. One '94 from each grandfather. One built in '23 one on the 60s. Lots of memories and history in each of em.

 

[Brian Wheeler]

Mine is a pre-64 Winchester Alaskan 338 magnum. It was my father's for many years he had a custom stock put on it, which just happens to fit me as well. Great for killing elk, or whatever.