doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com A case against high end deer rifles

One deer rifle?

Break down and buy an inexpensive synthetic stainless Remchester or such. Some plebian cartridge like '06, .270, or .308 will do just fine. Or get one in 7 x 57 or 6.5 x 55 Swede if you like the illusion of boutique. Buy it 2nd hand for around $400. Then spend more than you think you should on a rock-solid bulletproof mount....and afix a Vari-X III.

You'll horrify your highbrow friends. The plastic fantastic will frighten rain clouds away - guaranteeing you nicer hunting weather for the .318.

Sam

I agree with Lowell. I use a stainless synthetic Browning A-bolt.
It lets you hunt, not worry about a pretty gun.

What's all this about the weather bothering a pretty gun? That's silly.

The general purpose hunting rifle I've used for the better part of two decades now for pigs, deer, elk, and bear is a nice, pre-war, medium bore British double rifle. It's been rained and snowed on countless times, as well as dusty and muddy as hell. It keeps my freezers full, and still looks as good as it did when I bought it. It's only necessary to clean it properly before putting it away when I get home.

"These guns were made to shoot in all weather," so said the ol'goat of SSMBBS.
After taking delivery of his brand new David McKay Brown guns, and as he shot them in the land of their birth - there was no mirth...rain spoiled the lot of 'em!
True story boys, as told by his self.

I remember Lou. He'd be right if he had to prove himself wrong. Probably put the paste wax on himself and forgot the guns.

jack

T'was him, and it was him that got me booted for a poem of his woe. His "Scottish Queens, weren't so ducky" as it went.

If you've ever had a rain-soaked walnut stocked rifle shift its POI 6" at 100 yds you would appreciate synthetics. I used to diligently verify POI before every hunting season - or trip. This ritual inevitably led to needed corrections. I continued the drill for years after I was using synthetic stocks on 700s and 77s. It dawned on me that I had never needed to make any adjustments (like 6 different rifles). So I no longer check them.....unless they've been dropped. Heresy, I suppose.

Stainless advantages vs blued steel are far, far less important - if they're matter at all. BTW, stainless will rust.

Veering OT, I've never been much of a Weatherby rifle person, but my son's 5.75# Mk5 UL .243 WCF is a .75 MOA gun.......even groups 70 and 100 gr bullets in the same place! I've never seen anything like it.

I still enjoy taking my '06 Model 54 with peep into the woods. If I use the G&H side-mounted Hensoldt its a 1.25 MOA gun.....all day. Not bad for 1934.

Sam

If POI shifted because the stock was "rain soaked", then it wasn't finished properly to begin with. I always made sure otherwise back when I was using bolt stuff, so never had that happen.

Double rifles don't shift POI anyway, at least I've never heard of one doing so.

I agree 400 NE. All of my rifles are glassbedded and floated with a min. of .050 clearance around the barrel. No problems here with wood giving me an issue. I love hunting with a fine burly wooded gun, life is too short to hunt with an ugly gun. We are just care takers anyhow. I doubt if anyone stands over my casket complaining about the way I took care of my guns. Besides, I am unaware that I have damaged any by hunting with them. As far as rimfires and deer and your own ground. Well, I am hunting my own Ohio ground, just wouldn't think anywhere it would be legal to take deer with a rimfire. For me, it does kind of feel unethical. But then again, I won't use one for that purpose. Heck, I see old Mausers in military form all the time for under $100. Makes them kind of a throw away gun. IMHO. Sorry though, I do have a very strong weakness for nicely customized 03's and Mauser'98's. I wonder if that is why I have so many? How many is too many? Don't know, haven't got that many yet.

My go to rifle is $500 clunker CZ550 9.3x62 scoped with stupendous new 30mm 1.5-6x42 Kahles 'Helia'. The scope was more expense then the rifle and that's the way it should be. The 232gr slug takes care of smaller game and 286 grainers are for the heavy stuff. Designed ca. 1906 it's still very efficient round and one of the best mid-bore calibers to 250yrds. out there.