quote:

a $30,000 english double in 45-70

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300 h+h in a wall mart special tasco scope rig

Sorry about that Boomstick....I take a lot of pride in my guns....I take pride in the calibers as they're well thought out and the guns are mostly home made with some fancy wood. Not only that but often times the wood was grown on the home farm in southern Minnesota which is still in the family. I helped saw down these pieces of wood in 1957.

However when it comes to going hunting I pick the one most appropriate to the task at hand. The gun ego stays home and it's time for hunting.....

This much I can say....if it's not superbly accurate.....it's outta here. It'll never get on a horse with me nor in an airplane with me.

glad to entertain... the 45-70 was a jab but the idea got accross i hope

I voted a dead animal is a dead animal. But I love differant types and calibers of guns.

Maybe that is why I shot deer with my 416 taylor but fell back to my 300sav after I killed a couple with the 416.

When ever I buy a new gun or caliber I always take it hunting a kill something with it. But after that is done most of them sit in the safe. I have few that I can always depend on not that the others do not work just as will.

I guess it is about trying new stuff but having old stuff to fall back on.

Well if any of you find one of those english doubles in 45-70 and can't stand to have it around send it to me I'll gladly kill something with it.

give more details in the 416 taylor kill...how did it preform? sorry for the mini self hijack

A friend of my fathers had a 8x57 that he brought back form WW2. Full stock, absolutely beautiful wood and metal work, really a work of art. The stock was set up for iron sights though it had claw mounts. I shot it with the iron sights and it was fine and accurate. Finally my fathers friend got some mounts for it and put a scope on it. Stock fit was wrong for a scope and it killed me to shoot it. I didn't learn anything from the experience and my first wife, though a work of art, damn near killed me.

Moral of the story: Form must follow function. Perfect function is art unto itself and the rarest form of beauty.

A dead animal is a dead animal only if you hit it.

I prefer well-made, durable, and accurate rifles that feed perfectly, stand up to hard use, don't change zero, shoot under 1 MOA, and are chambered for widely-available, standard factory cartridges. Such a rifle in "unique" enough for my purposes.

I despise wildcats and assorted weird factory cartridges. I won't own one, and to me novelty rifles are best left to collectors, paper-punchers, and experimentors.

Personally, I don't have time for fun, games, and theories. I've got some hunting to get done, and the fewer logistical hassles I have to contend with, the better.........

AD

Most important to me is just getting out for the hunt--and to practice before. I own only one rifle, a .270 win, but feel confident with it (very confident, in fact) to 300 yards.

I also know that I can't shoot an elk or moose up the arse with it, and don't intend to.

Were I to have enough coin (and someday I probably will), I'd go the whole 9 yards and have a nice custom built by a reputable smith, and I would choose one of the cartridges you mention, the 300 H&H.

Until then, I have a quality factory rifle that's been worked over by a smith (I've probably invested a hundred bucks); I floated the barrel myself. After the season is finished this year, I'll have someone good pillar bed the action (though I'm sub moa already ).

In the end, I'll put my money first into family obligations, next into the hunt, 3rd into a good, basic rifle, 4th ammo...and someday the nicest custom I can afford--which will be a hunting rifle, not a safe queen!

Good luck this fall...

friar

A dead animal is a dead animal.

For a question like this, I need to separate my love of guns from my love of hunting. I'd really like to have a safe full of exotic custom-made rifles in an assortment of wierd chamberings, because I love rifles and I love shooting. BUT, when I step into the field, the rifle I carry is a tool. I wouldn't select a hunting rifle based on its appearance or its "charm" any more than I would insist on roofing my house with a gold-plated hammer.

RXM

Broom stick I shot two whitetails last fall the first was 35 yards broad side. double lung it it ran apox. 45 yards dropped over dead. 2nd was 90 yards facing me took it dead center in the chest droped in it tracks.

I was useing 300 gr reized 429 bullet at 2640fps complete pass throughs on both shots.

It was fun and interisting but I have had the same preformance from lesser cailbers.

Was I undergun no, over gun maybe the one shot facing me had guts from the front hole to the back hole it was a mess to feild dress.

I plan to use it on my blk bear next year or not but I guess I kill smaller game with it because not one else does and really raise's the eye brows when you tell them. You should have seen the looks on by bear hunting buddys faces when I tell them what I plan to shoot the bear with.

It is well worth it to see that. Or I have a nice 7x57 scout rifle that well do just fine. Or maybe I'll use my 44 redhawk.

So many choices so little time.

I dont belong into your collectors guild either,sorry.
A gun is a tool, so I cherish function over looks 10:1.
The memories attached to my rifles are attached to the game shot with them,not at all to their looks.I am with Allen