doublegunshop.com - home
Posted By: Dick Wright My old deer rifle... - 06/01/17 09:52 AM


I've owned this No. 1 .243 since the 1970's. Jack Haugh stocked it, did the metal work, engraved and rust blued it sometime later. I've hunted with it since then.

Old age is now preventing me from deer hunting. I still go but can't handle a dead deer and can't shoot anything. I spent a lot of time last fall watching bucks that I couldn't shoot. However, I can still compete in local matches.

It's always had the philosophy that if I can't shoot it, I don't keep it. Being a Haugh rifle, I know this is valuable. I guess I would rather sell it to someone who could use and and convert it into money and buy something I can actually use.

Any comments on it's value and the best way to market it? I have more pictures if there is any interest. FWIW this has a four digit serial number and was made in the "Brownell" era.

Posted By: ebeneezer Re: My old deer rifle... - 06/01/17 12:45 PM
That's a great looking #1. My deer rifle is also a #1, but in .270 that I have had since the 80's. Up here in the UP of Michigan we don't take many long shots, but my Ruger has always been dead on. I also have a #1 in .257 Roberts.
Posted By: Vall Re: My old deer rifle... - 06/01/17 03:17 PM
Any deer would be proud to be shot by your beautiful Ruger! I'm not an authority on custom Rugers, so can't say what it's worth. But selling it here, or on Gunbroker would seem the best option.
Gorgeous rifle!
Posted By: Der Ami Re: My old deer rifle... - 06/01/17 03:53 PM
Dick, keep hunting with it, your friends will help you bring the deer in, and help you "dress" it. I am in pretty much the same shape as you, and my last two deer were brought back by friends. If you helped others, when you were younger, they should help you now.
Mike
Posted By: Dennis Daigger Re: My old deer rifle... - 06/01/17 04:19 PM
Dick,
I recently got to look at two Jack Haugh rifles and they are extraordinary. It must be unusual for any one gunmaker to be able to do all of the metal work, the engraving, rust bluing and the stock work to the skill level that is shown on these rifles and it looks like yours is also in that class.

Beautiful rifle. I'd keep it.
Dennis
Posted By: craigd Re: My old deer rifle... - 06/01/17 05:07 PM
I think it's great that you got out into the woods and saw deer. I've never been over worried having to bag something. Maybe, you can get a little hand here and there to keep up the tradition, and it seems like there're some good memories in that rifle. In my mind, I think that it would be pure luck to get what I thought a custom rifle was worth. The last thing I would try not to do is start thinking about how much it would cost to build in today's dollars. Best of luck with it.
Posted By: Dick Wright Re: My old deer rifle... - 06/02/17 01:29 PM
I was really sick a year or so ago and got to thinking about what would happen to my "good stuff" after I was gone. I have four or five rifles and an elderly but extremely well maintained Porsche that mean a great deal to me.

Alas, there's no one in the family that appreciates these things. The logical heir drives a pickup (not a Porsche person) and can't tell a Jerry Fisher rifle from a Ruger. I'd really like to pass them along to someone who appreciates what they are.

I do go deer hunting... just not deer shooting. I have a very comfortable deer blind in a lovely place in the woods. I spend a lot of time before and during season watching the deer rut and enjoying the Michigan autumn. For the last twenty years almost all our venison has been shot by the bloodthirsty creature to whom I am married. She has won at least as many competitive shooting trophies as I have and is a very well qualified deer hunter.
Posted By: Der Ami Re: My old deer rifle... - 06/02/17 02:33 PM
Dick,
Good for you and good for your wife. If you have a comfortable place to sit, and a way to get warm; sleep on a deer stand is the best sleep you can have.
Mike
Posted By: Dick Wright Re: My old deer rifle... - 06/03/17 10:52 AM
Originally Posted By: Der Ami
Dick,
Good for you and good for your wife. If you have a comfortable place to sit, and a way to get warm; sleep on a deer stand is the best sleep you can have.
Mike


The blinds are very comfy... Good floors so the office chairs we use can move easily. The chairs swivel and rock silently. We have carpet, windows and heaters. I stock mine with that which is necessary for successful hunting... Tom Clancy, a few good cigars... there's always hot coffee... just the basic needs.

Being pretty gimpy, I found a place to park Glorya's VW bug (Our hunting car... My Porsche and two-trackers don't work well together) that is close to my blind last year. It's in thick pines and the deer that can see it just ignore it. I had a buck and a doe walk right by it last fall.
Posted By: Der Ami Re: My old deer rifle... - 06/03/17 03:26 PM
Dick,
You sound like a "man after my own heart", mine is pretty much like yours, with a couple exceptions. I learned to carry hot chocolate when I was fighting prostate problems. I could sit 4 1/2 hours w/o getting up( also swivel chair with arms), When my first grandson was born, 23 years ago, I stopped smoking altogether, from a 2 pack a day habit. I go in a Ford Ranger, right up close to the ground blind. Using care when bushhogging can make a close parking place, behind bushes ( now the son of a friend has to do it. There is a nice 150 yd long, but narrow food plot in front( last year, I killed a 17 1/2" 9 pointer there. BTW, a VW Bug makes a very good hunting car. A German Hunter friend had one with the right front seat removed, and he could carry about as much as a mini pick up. Oh, I almost forgot, I used to use gas heaters, but found either a sleeping bag, with arms or wool blanket( depending on temp.) much easier in the long run.
Mike
Posted By: Dick Wright Re: My old deer rifle... - 06/04/17 12:37 PM


This is my best Clare County buck. I took him in 1981 a couple of miles from my home. At the time he was measured and judged the sixth biggest buck ever taken in Clare County. Recent Commerative Bucks of Michigan books show him down in tenth or eleventh place.

He was following a doe and passed within 30 or 40 yds. of my blind.
Posted By: Dick Wright Re: My old deer rifle... - 06/04/17 12:44 PM
Originally Posted By: Der Ami
Dick,
You sound like a "man after my own heart", mine is pretty much like yours, with a couple exceptions. I learned to carry hot chocolate when I was fighting prostate problems. I could sit 4 1/2 hours w/o getting up( also swivel chair with arms), When my first grandson was born, 23 years ago, I stopped smoking altogether, from a 2 pack a day habit. I go in a Ford Ranger, right up close to the ground blind. Using care when bushhogging can make a close parking place, behind bushes ( now the son of a friend has to do it. There is a nice 150 yd long, but narrow food plot in front( last year, I killed a 17 1/2" 9 pointer there. BTW, a VW Bug makes a very good hunting car. A German Hunter friend had one with the right front seat removed, and he could carry about as much as a mini pick up. Oh, I almost forgot, I used to use gas heaters, but found either a sleeping bag, with arms or wool blanket( depending on temp.) much easier in the long run.
Mike


We use Coleman catalytic heaters. They are silent and work well. We bought several years ago at gun shows for very little. Both blinds are quite tight and heat up easily.

This buck was a 19" inside spread ten point.
Posted By: Dick Wright Re: My old deer rifle... - 06/04/17 12:52 PM


A closer pic of the other side showing the engraving a little better. This was taken long ago when the gun had a different scope. It now has a 3 X 9 Kahles.
Posted By: Dick Wright Re: My old deer rifle... - 06/04/17 12:54 PM


Showing Jack's fore end treatment.
Posted By: Der Ami Re: My old deer rifle... - 06/04/17 02:11 PM
Dick,
That is a nice deer to go with a nice rifle.
Mike
Posted By: Dick Wright Re: My old deer rifle... - 08/28/17 09:21 AM


Here's the rifle... again. Too bad PB decided to mess with all our pics. Really screwed up a lot of threads.
Posted By: Dick Wright Re: My old deer rifle... - 08/28/17 09:22 AM


Here's my best Michigan buck... again.
© The DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com