My most favorite hunting rifle has always been a prewar 1903 Sporter 30-06 with most of the bells and whistles, purchased in 1970. Have had a cased Rigby Mauser, many more-plebeian Mausers, several drillings, a vierling, an H&H double rifle, several Mannlicher-Schoenauers, early M70 SGs, etc etc ad infinitum.

But I keep coming back to this old 1903, with its Stoeger stock, trapdoor buttplate with Lyman 48 slide, horn fittings, Sedgley speedlock, Jaeger side mount, Karl Kahles 2.5x post-&-crosshair scope and tuned double-stage trigger pull. It has served me well for over 40 years now, but my hunting style and capabilities have changed in recent years. If I was still able to get around like I used to then it would still be perfect, but I'm gettin' decrepit these days and now do almost all my 'hunting' from a stand or shooting house, at ranges up to 5-600 yds. Nowadays my usual deer rifle shoots a LOT smaller bullet a LOT faster and carries a medium-size variable scope with multidot reticle!

Too bad, old Father Time conquers all, eventually. Now its time to look around for a new home for this old prewar soldier.
Regards, Joe

You can lead a man to logic but you can't make him think. NRA Life since 1976. God bless America!