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

My best has been a Coggie double square bridge Mauser in 318.
That first season with it, due to work I could only hunt the opening weekend(7-10 days?) - opening weekend rained, and rained hard two days straight - the rifle never got out of it's case and I never went back for my buck. The rifle sat for a whole year.
The next year stuff came-up, and could only manage a day or two in the deer woods - this handsome and pricey rifle had become a dust collector in my cabinet. Never again will I put big money into a deer rifle...times are short and your at the mercy of the elements. My rifles now are 22lr and 17Hmr, and as a landowner I can hunt these durning deer season - so who knows!

Actually, I didn't know that any rimfire was legal anywhere to hunt deer, landowner or otherwise. Now when all is said and done, don't you think you should have taken the Mauser hunting?

Not the rifle's fault Lowell - you chose not to use it. Let it get wet, clean it, put it away 'til next time.

Lowell,
All guns are a tool.Master craftsmen have work hardened tools, tools that show the years of wear and the occassional adjustment to make them function a little more efficiently.Your Coggie is not a gun or a tool at the moment.It is a collectors piece and not a very desirable one at that.Get out and use it, you will enjoy the moments and this is not your apprenticeship, it is your life.

I think you are wrong about this,Lowell. First, pride in the weapon you're hunting with is a lot of the joy of hunting. Otherwise, there would be no need whatever for this forum.

Second, why on earth would you even think about using the little rifles on your deer. Sure, they'll kill'em, but not well and not responsibly, and not with the honor the game deserves.

Oh well, your land and your choice I suppose...Geo

Life's too short to shoot an ugly gun.

Few of my guns sit idle, they are either punching hole in critters or paper/clay birds.

That said, many people own high end guns just for pride of ownership or something nice to fondle.

To each his own,

A thutty-thutty is about $200; people will almost give you a sporterized '03. With all the milsurp calibers out there, shotgun slug season, and bowhunting, there must be something big enuf to do the job and cheap enuf to welcome getting wet. You should also be AWOL from work to do it right. And there are guys who have deer-hunted thru more divorce proceedings, layoffs, and similar disasters than you'd care to contemplate. Maybe you're not really a deer hunter?

jack

I said it before, thats like being married to Sela Ward and not doing anything with her for fear of messing up her hair!!!!!

I know these scopeless double sq. bridge Mausers. They're next to useless especially in caliber for which ammo is available from odd ammo makers like Wolfgang Romney,.....They're like cup of coffee from Starbuck's that has long Italian-sounding name. Real deer hunters don't use stuff like that.
If you want classic vintage rifle buy still affordable ole' Mannlicher Schoenauer in 6,5x54 or Savage 99 in .250-3000. Both will come with beautiful rotary magazine.