I am sorry but I love these types of discussions. If you were given the opportunity to have any one rifle in the world, and price was not an issue....what would you choose? I would have Johann Fanzoj (of Ferlach) build me a 6.5x57 or 7x57 (I just can't choose) on an M98 pattern action. It would have a 'hogsback' Bavarian style stock, but the rest of the details would would have to be discussed with the craftsmen (if only I were rich). Again, this is just for fun.

Ok I'll bite

Echols Legend--340 Wby (no free bore)

Leupold 4-14 with Premier Dotz to 700

MD

Due to Allen Day's influence, I'd have to try an Echols Legend in 9.3x62. Or something by David Miller in 9.3x62.


Okie John

I too would be looking at a nice CRF action made up in 375 H&H with integral quarter rib. Lots of details need to be worked out yet but the basic foundation is set.

A James MacNaughton double rifle in 300 H&H.

I know where one is, just have to win the lottery to buy it.

It would nicely compliment my MacNaughton Shotgun.

Already have a decent 6.5x57, so...

So perhaps a 6.5x58 Port or 7x57 on best quality mauser action in a nice piece of lightweight english walnut. 23" barrel with barrel band, express sights, and a 1.75-6x VX-III in QR rings... hmmm... yes, that would do nicely...

A Darcy Echol's .375HH (due to Allen's and others great posts on this rifle) and a Heym double rifle...I know that's two rifles but we are dreaming aren't we

ive already got it---a 1939 mod-70 in 300h-h with a leupold 4x scope--its the one that always seems to go with me.

Since I don't have one I'd go for a Remington Custom Shop mannlicher style carbine with laminated stock in 7mm-08.

I would be quite content with a current Oberndorf custom Mauser in 375 H&H.

I'll get my dream rifle completed as follows.

1) Granite Mauser Action
2) High Quality barrel with integral quarter rib and barrel band.
3) Hooded front sight with a folding leaf rear sight.
4) Rust blue finish
5) Exhibition grade Turkish Walnut stock with 26 or 28 LPI wrap around chechkering and an ebony forend tip.
6) Skeleton grip cap with checkered toe.
7) very nice engraving on the floor plate.
8) Leupold 1.5-5x scope

The rifle will be chambered for .375 H&H and I would love it to be assembled by a High profile Rifle Smith.

I really would like to once again own a Weatherby MK V Deluxe Varmintmaster in 22-250. You know the one, it was built around a little tiny scaled down Mk V action back in the seventies.

And some day I would like to have a Remington 40-XB, chambered for something bigger than a 257 roberts and smaller than a 338 mag.

One of Butch Searcy's Deluxe sidelock double rifles in 470

Already got the gun I can handle and it puts the bullet where you aim every time-.340 weatherby mag. without a doubt. To be good a person must be able to handle all their wish guns, not just have them in a cabinet.

Another vote for an Echols Legend. Yeah, and it is just that, a dream!

NEF Topper with that nice camo stock. Flip up recoil pad with enough storage in the hollow buttstock for a pocket fisherman.


Ah, a man can dream can't he?

Terry

A pre-64 M-70 with exhibition english walnut, LW barrel in 6.5-06, talley swivels, Stock and metalwork by Ron Lampert (if we can ever find him and he's alive and well) and checkering by Carol at Ahlman's in Morristown.

Nothing personal Mr. Echols....it's just that I know these folks and I don't know you.

9x3x62 takedown rifle on a double square bridge mauser with a walnut stock, skeleton buttplate and double set triggers. QD mounts with two matching 1 3/4-5X scopes and a pop up peep in the rear bridge.

I'd also like a grip cap with a storage area for the spare front sight wrapped in a winning Lottery ticket.

Echol's Legend; .300 Win. Mag., .338 Win. Mag, .375 Weatherby

Oops, that is 3...

I own my dream rifle. It's a '57 vintage Winchester Model 70 .300 H&H that my Father-in-law gave to me. Not the most expensive, but it'll do....

My dream is very simple; A 6.5x54, very thin 19" stainless,modestly ported,deep throated barrel and Smooth, strong, stainless action with a 3 1/2# crisp trigger, tang safety, mounted on a light weight synthetic or laminated stock with abriviated recoil pad, 1 1/2 to 2 power forward mounted (scout type) scope. I would prefere open sights but can't use them now like I once could.

Along with the rifle this dream includes the return to me of about 50 years so I can ware it out. roger

A Butch Searcy PH model in .500 NE.

D'Arcy Echols "Legend" in .338WM, topped with a matte Leupold Vary-X III 2.5-8x, and loaded with 250-grain Swift A-Frame at nearly 2,700 fps. And a few handloads in my pocket with 275-Grain A-Frame loaded to produce 2,540 fps.

Since this is only about dreaming, and since I consequently don't have to pay the bill, I think I would choose a Johannsen take-down in .375 H&H with a switch barrel in .300 Win Mag - if it could be made to feed out of the same box, otherwise a .300 H&H.

I really have more hunting rifles than I'll ever need, in particular since I do most of my hunting with my Blasers. On the other hand, there is little point dreaming about a rifle, that was so exquisite it was destined to sit in your safe forever. So it has to be a working rifle. The Johannsen seems to offer the right combination of useability, great components, workmanship and high price to put it into the "dream category".
- mike

My personal dream dream would be a civilian Mod. 1888 sporter chambered for the 9x63 M/88. Wonderfully elegant rifle, perfect cartridge, superbly smooth action.

Carcano

Nothing fancy, Rem 700 VSF cal 308 left handed with Nightforce NXS 3,5-15*56 scopein abel mounts!

Already have the rifle and the scope will arrive in 2 weeks!

Regards

The next ACGG rifle. Or the one after that. Or the one after that.

My dream rifle is a 300 H&H I ordered from Echols to go with my 375 H&H. Every since I read "The Classic Magnums" by John Jobson in 'Sports Afield' back in 1973 (I wasn't yet sixteen) I've wanted a set of rifle in these two chamberings for African hunting. This is an ambition I've never quite realized, but now it's in the works.

There's more to it than just realizing a youthful dream. The 300 H&H is a great cartridge in it's own right, plus it's highly accurate and feeds and functions beautifully, plus recoil is fairly mild and it's easy to shoot. As a not-so-small bonus, the bolt throw will be exactly the same as with the 375, as well as my 416........

AD

I have no "dream rifles." However, every now and then I see some old piece that someone shot the heck out of on game. Working rifles with real history turn my crank a bit. Might seem odd, but there's a 308 Ruger 77 in Wilson's book on Ruger that was used by an Australian professional hunter to take something like 12,000 head of game. Now that's a rifle I'd like to own!

I'd also own Forrest B's mannlicher stocked 7x57

Brad, I'm always drawn to 'hard-use' rifles myself. I have two local friends with extensive collections of fine custom rifles, but when I visit them I always spend the most time looking at the serious veteran "using" rifles -- not the safe-queens that seldom, if ever, even make it to the range, let alone to an elk mountain.

One of my hunting mentors passed away this last year, and he owned exactly TWO big game rifles. But his main, number-one rifle was one of my favorites from ANY collection, no matter how extensive, fancy, or expensive. It was a Model 70 Featherweight 270 that he bought (wholesale!) in Portland back in 1956, and he hunted with it exclusively for over forty years. He took over fifty deer and over thirty elk with that rifle, plus moose, etc., and his house looked like a rouge's gallery of big bucks and bulls, mainly from Oregon and Idaho, that you simply wouldn't believe.

The last I saw that rifle, there was almost no finish left on the stock, and the metal was worn bright in a lot of places. The floorplate worn WHITE. Scope was a Redfield 'Bearcub' 4X in Buehler mounts. It's some rifle, and his son owns it now. I'd love to own it myself, but I wouldn't think of approaching him to buy it.

AD

My brother owns a 300 Weatherby in similiar condition. It's on it's 3rd stock, the blueing is for the most part gone. He uses that rifle year in and year out in Alaska. I don't have any idea how many game animals he's whacked with that gun, but when you consider the liberal seasons on Caribou, a Grizzly a year in the area he lives in, and Moose every year, you get the picture. He has lived in Nome for over 16 years...

It's not really my idea of a dream rifle, but every time I'm at his house I shoulder the rifle, and think "if guns could talk."

My dream rifle would be a Double in 416 Rem and a 4x16 Leupole scope for my 338 RUM. It has a 3x9 now.

I hope to own a rifle like that some day.

Allen, on that same note, I'll have to admit I was a bit saddened to hear that you had sold your Glen Pearce 300. Nice to see that it will continue to see use though.

Chuck

An Oberndorf Type A sporter or a Brno ZG-47, 30-06.

Actually, I have three of my dream rifles already on the way. It is kind of a trio built on Springfield Model of 1903 Actions, two on SA 1903 DHT and one on a Remington 03-A3. All will be in English Walnut, side swing safety, modified milled bottom metal, custom mounts, bolt handles by Roger Kehr, and stocked by Chic, and metal work done by Jim Dubell. Calibers: 257 Roberts, 30-06, and 35 Whelan. Should be taking delivery of the 30-06 in the next couple months or so.

Wow, tough question. I always thought it would be lovely to have a Mannlicher in 6.5X53, a Mauser in .318 WR and a nice double in .450/400.
But I confess the rifle that stopped me in my tracks was one I saw in a small shop in Hillsboro, Oregon -- an original Ballard No. 5 Pacific in .40-90. Not terribly versatile, and BP number, but what a rifle!

By the way, 9.3, the production rifle I would snap up would be a Ruger No. 1 in 9.3 X 74 R. Always wanted to work with this cartridge.

Allen, sorry to hear of the passing of your friend. You'd described that rifle in the past to me and that's the very sort of rifle I had in mind when I posted.

I know there's nothing mystical about an inanimate object but somehow when such a rifle is connected with a man through a long personal history the object becomes more than just a "thing."

My dream rifle would be something that I could use regularly - a double rifle in the 303 British service cartridge would be fantastic.

Best wishes and good hunting, everyone!

I really have to get going again looking for guns that are ideal for my son. He has a house bordering WMA land that requires only .22 or .17 RF's, shotguns or bows.

My last so called effort was to buy a Ruger 10/22 for him and I came home with a Brno 22 Mag which is only legal on his land and not on the WMA.

As to my stuff I have been lucky to keep the same guns that I got forty years ago. Those rifles are my dream rifles. Not to say that a M70 Classic is not on the block. That of course will reduce the 300 mag inventory to only one. Got to plan on a replacement of course. A Kimber 300 WSM or 7mm WSM is a fantasy for the moment.



Orginal M70 Featherweight in 358 Win. Bear Cub in Beuhlers.
That to me is a dream rifle and I have had it for 35 years.