Your First Big Game Rifle?

[Red Rabbit]

Here's a topic to whittle away the time until the hunt draws are posted on our portals.

What was the first rifle you purchased for big game?  Why did you choose that rifle and chambering.  Is it still your go-to?

For me, it was a Remington 700 BDL chambered in 7mm Remington Express (.280Rem).  I was living on a ranch in south Texas after college in 1980 and having just started hunting, I needed a deer rifle.  A couple of my friends had Remington 700 ADL in 270 which consistently shot touching cloverleafs.  So why did I not go with a 270?  Well, I read an article penned by John Wooters about his first custom rifle which he chambered  in 7mm Express.  Since it was good for the dean of South Texas deer hunting, I went with it also.  Since factory ammo was limited for the 7 Express, I thus started handloading and shot the 140 Sierra BTSP with Norma MRP.  I no longer have this Remington rifle, as Browning came out with their Stainless Stalker in 7mm Remington Mag several years later, and I thought it would be better in inclimate weather, so the 7 Express was traded in.  I've always thought it is time to come full circle and get a rifle stamped 7mm Remington Express again.

[PRDATR]

First was a Model 70 Featherweight for $269 from a Yellow Front that I kept for a few years and gave it to one of my brothers. Then I bought a BAR in 300 Win and sold it because it would jam on eject even after going back to the factory.

After that I Bought a Stainless Composite ADL in 7 Mag the first year they came out in the early 90's and to this day it is my main big game rifle. It always shot  close to MOA even with handloads. In 2018 I put a Mavvers stock on it and it now shoots close to .5 MOA with hundreds of rounds down the pipe. As soon as I bought it I sent it to Gander Mountain and gad the trigger set to 3#'s and had a muzzle break put on it.

The original VXII in 4-12 was replaced in 2014 with a Zeiss Conquest 3x15 and in 2018 with a Swarovski 3x18.

[wildwoody]

Savage 243 , with a 4 power scope and my 7x35 taco bino's. Those were the days

[elkaholic]

Remington 788 in .308 w 4x tasco scope.

Bought from Smittys Big Town for $150  in 1974. 

Has always been a one shot kill . Still my  first choice . 

[HuntHarder]

Remington 700 ADL with a really nice walnut stock.  It was chambered in .270 and used to rag doll me when I was 10. haha.   Dad said I had to carry that heavy basterd and be able to handle the recoil before I could go deer hunting.  

[Pine Donkey]

Ruger M77 in .270.  Parents bought it for me at Jensen’s in Tucson in 1979.   4X Bushnell scope; I was living the life!

[Mocha1545]

Savage 99C in 308. Bought it it has the safety on top making it for a lefty like me. My Dad bought it from a guys at work. Added a Redfield 3x9 accutrack scope. Still have it. 

[JSR]

Browning BLR 30.06

Heavy as a F250 and on a good day I could hold a 3" group at a 100

 

Killed two elk and 2 muleys with it.

[trphyhntr]

12 years old model 94 30-30 with a fixed 4x bushnell. Killed a whitetail with it in south dakota 

[forepaw]

Lee Enfield No.1 Mk. 4 w/ shortened stock and barrel and recoil pad.  Someone had done a pretty nice job on it, especially the front sight, but kept the military 2-stage trigger.  Bought at Western Auto in Tempe for $15.00.  This would have been about 1967.  The flip up rear sight graduated in meters was pretty neat.  Wish I still had it.  Ditto on the 7x35 Tasco binoculars!

 

 

[bonecollector]

First one I actually bought myself was a Tikka 30-06

[Huntnfish]

11 hours ago, Red Rabbit said:

Here's a topic to whittle away the time until the hunt draws are posted on our portals.

What was the first rifle you purchased for big game?  Why did you choose that rifle and chambering.  Is it still your go-to?

For me, it was a Remington 700 BDL chambered in 7mm Remington Express (.280Rem).  I was living on a ranch in south Texas after college in 1980 and having just started hunting, I needed a deer rifle.  A couple of my friends had Remington 700 ADL in 270 which consistently shot touching cloverleafs.  So why did I not go with a 270?  Well, I read an article penned by John Wooters about his first custom rifle which he chambered  in 7mm Express.  Since it was good for the dean of South Texas deer hunting, I went with it also.  Since factory ammo was limited for the 7 Express, I thus started handloading and shot the 140 Sierra BTSP with Norma MRP.  I no longer have this Remington rifle, as Browning came out with their Stainless Stalker in 7mm Remington Mag several years later, and I thought it would be better in inclimate weather, so the 7 Express was traded in.  I've always thought it is time to come full circle and get a rifle stamped 7mm Remington Express again.

700 BDL chambered in 25-06 rem. Gun is about 50 yrs. old and completely stock. Still shoots like a laser beam. I also have a signed copy of a book John Wooters gave my dad in the late 70's I believe, called Hunting trophy deer.

 

[10Turkeys]

Remington 700 ADL,  30-06, either 75 or 76, really didn't shoot it all that much. Sold it a Garcia Astra .357, and an RCBS reloading kit. I had just got out of the Army, new wife, and kid on the way.

[Zeke-BE]

Bought me in 2004 a Tikka .270.  I remember how it was the new hot rifle new kid on the block and hasn't let down since.  Since then I turned into a 6.5-270AI, and now a .280AI with the same tikka action.

First hunting rifle I used was my grandpas old 30-06 springfeild rifle 

[AZHog]

1991 Remington 700 Classic in 7mm Weatherby mag.   My step dad had an FFL at the time so got it for a nice price.  I was moving to Colorado at the time and wanted a good elk gun and he got a good deal on this.