Hard to believe the Season Openers are nearly on us. Time to get all the Hunting Gear located, put together, and ready to go. It opens in the SC Lowcountry 15Aug. But I realize most Seasons open in September or October which gives those folks a bit more time to prepare.

Question:
Will you be using a Brand New rifle or Old Faithful this year?

Choices:
Brand New and I am about to bust to try it out on Game.
Old Faithful and am also ready for the Season to open.
Plan to use both - Brand New and Old Faithful.

 

I will start my hunting season in Colorado with a Ruger MarkII in 338 I have used the past three seasons. The rifle is really too heavy for mountain hunting, but it kills everything I point it at. For deer season here at home I will be using a new Kimber 25-06 and then switch to my Winchester M-70 in 30-06.

If I go to Arkansas this year(that season opens the week before Oklahoma) I will carry my father's old Remington 742 carbine in 30-06 that was purchased by my grandfather in 1962 (the year I was born) and used by him until 1966 when my father bought it. My dad killed numerous heads of big game with that rifle until 2003 when I gave him a new Browning BAR in 270 Weatherby for the old 742. I killed my first deer in Arkansas in 1975 with a 742 and I hope to do so again this year for my 100th kill so the old rifle will come full circle. Then I can pass it on to my daughters so 4 generations of our family will hunt with the rifle.

Perry

I honestly can't say. I might use my .375 (Old Faithful) my .243 (another old faithful) the 270 (kind of new to me, only killed 1 deer with it) or I might get wild & use the .30/06 (up until this time unused by me).

I guess I jump around too much to have an "old faithful" so I'll probably use a new faithful - year-old Kimber .300 WSM and my year-old Contender in .30-30 AI. I used both in Wyoming last year with excellent results. I may break out the trusty old 6.5X55 too for an antelope doe. I will use the same old Encore for elk here in NM, but at its age (5 years or so), it's hardly "old" faithful, but it sure is effective.

Will start with antelope hunting using my .25-06, then my new .395Max with cast bullets for deer, and finally the .395Max or 400/.395 NE (if the gunsmith gets it finished) with Macifej's bullets for elk.

Will use the "old faithfuls" when traveling. Will use the new guys locally ... working them into "old faithful" status. Nothing like field experience to find the bugs!

Hope to take one of each to Africa next year

New Tikka T3 stainless lam 7mm RM, 120gr TTSX, gonna be fun!

I'll be using my old faithful .257 AI for Antelope and Deer. I just checked the Montana drawing results, and Antelope was the only thing I had in the "Successful" column.

After a 5 month wait, I finally got the "semi-inleted" stock that I wanted for my new .300 Weatherby Vanguard. I'm in the process of glass bedding it now. It should be ready for elk season.

I have six rifles I hunt deer and antelope with that I rotate around so I am using a different one every year. Elk hunting I use the .300 Win mag. Nothing new but none are reall old.

the SC season is so long you can use everything.

Both of mine are fairly new. The 270 is a re barreled -06 that I had done 3 years ago. It has not shot anything. The 338 is two years old to me and was a gunsmiths personal rifle that I traded for. It has killed one mule deer. I will have to buy a spike only tag if I hunt because the only tag I drew this year is antlerless elk. Either rifle will do fine and I will probably have them both in the truck. DW

My son and I will both be using old faithfuls this year. Mine is a Winchester Model 70 in .358 STA that shoots North Fork bullets with pin point accuracy. My son will shoot my second .358 STA that is a Model 70 Winchester post 64 action with Lilja Barrel and yesterday shot a one hole group with a 250 grain North Fork at 3031 fps. I will pack a .270 WSM as a backup rifle, his backup will be an old Model 70 .300 Winny that has taken over a dozen Bulls over the years. Good shooting.

Will have to blood the new 338-06 this fall, but our deer season doesn't start till after Thanksgiving. Probably go to old faithful(270) and one of the 25s for the extra tags

The old faithful 257 Weatherby will get the call to action again this year. I shoot year round and stay ready 110% of the time. God has blessed me in being able to retire September 1st. This will be a hunting season to remember.

I have too many deer rifles to hunt with in our short season, but I try to use them all. When I go to the farm to hunt a Saturday, I take 3 rifles for me, and one for my wife. I switch rifles every time I come back to the house. Usually I end up hunting with her rifle, too.
I doubt I will hunt with just one bow either. I also will hunt with shotgun and muzzelloader.

New rifles this year;
458 Win Mag, Savage 110, 20" barrel, plastic stock.
243 win, Savage 110, used to be my 270, new barrel, stock, scope.
30-06, 1903a3 Springfield sporter. 1st group was.9"!
35 Whelen, VZ-24. Was actually new last year, but I did a bunch more work, and have a new stock and bottom metal coming. It was new in 1937, too.

I've got about 45 days to go for my lope hunt to get here and I intend to use a new rig, it's the Sendero SFII in 7RM and I'm testing the new 140 VLD for Berger. Right now during development, I've come up with a sub 1/2 MOA load and a 1/2 MOA load. I'm still tinkering to shave alittle more off, but they'll do with the current accuracy and I hope the new pills perform.

During the rest of the season it will be a mix of old faithfuls with a few of my new rifles mixed in. Our season is long, so I usually carry a diff rifles for a couple of weeks at a time.

I just love this stuff!

Reloader

For the last several seasons I have hunted with my Model 70 Shilen barreled 7-08. It has been on enough hunts to earn the honor of "old faithful".

I am going to "TRY" to leave it in the safe this year and use the new Ruger in 257 Roberts with 117 grain interlocks on deer. This aint gonna be easy. Not sure I'll feel comfortable talking to a new rifle

I'm using both this year, I hope. My "old faithful" 30-06 M 70 will see duty first on a mountain hunt for sheep, goat, and elk, and then my 6.5 (not brand new, but I have only killed one deer with it) for deer season. I am not as confident with it, since I have shot it less than half as much as my -06, though it will do fine if I am on the ball. Interesting thread.
Good hunting,
Graham

Both. I had my "old faithful" 300 WM re-barreled and re-stocked. Its now a 8mm Rem Mag. So, its like new, but still feels like old faithful.

Canuck

It's "kinda" both. The new 338-378 was with me last year but we got skunked on elk. It will be going again this year with the trusty '06 as backup.

Ken....

Both -- and in one gun. I've been hunting with mostly pre-Garcia Sakos since 1965. I just recently acquired an as-new .300 Winchester in a pre-Garcia L61R and have a 180 grain Nosler Accubond load for it that hovers around an inch with a muzzle velocity around 3075 fps. I'll take it on this fall's elk hunt and will have a familiar and trusty feeling gun which I've never actually hunted with before.

Depends if I can get my custom 257 Roberts done in time. So probably going to use old faithful.

I will be taking my 270 wby again and I have a new CD in 3006 that I am working on a new load and it will be a new bullet for me also, it is a 165 gr sierra SBT.

Rad

Old reliable 308 Winchester. Lots of blood on that one in 25 years of use!
Might take the new Sako 300 win out after elk.
MM

Same ol Blaser R93 frame but I'm going to use a new 7x64 barrel, so a little old and a little new.

Ed

Really enjoyed all the responses and I hope you all did too.

Looks like a great mix of New and Old Faithful firearms will be headed afield this year. I see a good many Cartridges, Calibers and Firearm Manufactures listed which I've never tried. It really interests me in just how well those do for you all. When next year rolls around, I'll try to remember to ask how the New and Old Faithfuls did on the Hunts.

Just wanted to wish all of you the very best Hunting Season you have ever had, and lots of luck in getting the Game you desire.


Good Hunting and clean 1-shot Kills.

I'll probably use both. I have a couple of spots where I may use my new .257 Wby Mag (although I did kill one late season deer with it last year). There are other spots I hunt where I'll use either my old faithful .243 or .30-30. We can kill six deer total in Oklahoma this year, so I may use a couple of different rifles to take deer.

I'll be using the same action as last year but with a new barrel in a new caliber.

I'm planning a trip accross the pond and will be using my 375 to hunt everything with this fall. My Lott might be a little much for the blacktails around here. I'm really looking forward to Elk season again this year and the 375 will be my rifle.

My trusty .270 wsm will be in the field going after antelope, deer, and elk this year.

most likely will use my herter's m J9 in .308 for deer and antelope.

oldest son will use marlin m336 in .30/30 for deer.

#2 son will use savage m 110 in .280 for deer and antelope.

#3 son will use CZ m 550 in 7x57 for deer.

all rifles are old friends, tried and true.

I've got a bunch of old faithfulls, but I'll likely be useing one of my double rifles, as usual. Most likely one of my 9.3X74R doubles. My Merkel 140E, 9.3X74R double, which has become my favorite rifle for North America for the last seven years or so!

...............Good hunting everybody!

Brand spanking new rifle. In an "old faithful" chambering - 270 Win. What could be better than that?

Forgive me, for I have gone to the Dark Side.

quote:

Originally posted by ForrestB:
Brand spanking new rifle. In an "old faithful" chambering - 270 Win. What could be better than that?

Exquisite rifle Forrest!!!!

I'll probably be hunting with a new, very old rifle this year that I bought from Alan Glore here on AR. It's a Rem 722 in 300 Savage that happens to be as accurate as any sporter made. After buying it, and cleaning the bore, it shot three shots into a 1/4" group at 100 yards. I'm working off a borrowed laptop, and can't post pix of the rifle and the group it shot. But, as soon as the new power supply arrives for my computer, I'll post the pix. My first rifle I bought with money earned from mowing lawns and shoveling snow was a Rem 722 in 300 Savage. That was in 1949 when I was 15.

Don

No new rifles this year so I'll be using several old faithfulls. Among them:

30-06AI Mauser
Marlin Model 444
.308W Savage 99
and if I get bored:
.338-06 Mauser
.357 Ruger Alaskan (Yee-hah!)

Grizzly

I'm going on a pack trip into the wilderness for Elk this year. I'll be taking my 1895 winchester in .405 Winchester. Lyman reciever peep sight.

In Nebraska, I am taking my new 7mm Rem Mag Savage 110, and my old faithful .308 Win. Savage.

For Iowa, I have a new to me MK85 smoke pole and a .454 Casul SRH that I didn't get a chance to use last year.

Hopefully, my neck and back don't give out this year so I can get a shot off.

My Kimber 8400 Montana .300 WSM was purchased new in 2004 and I have not had the opportunity to shoot big game with it until my Namibia trip this year. So I guess it is my NEW/OLD favorite. Up until this last trip it was whacking predators. I love this rifle!!!

I will be using old faithful. A remington700 30-06 that I bought on my 18th birthday.