Favorite hunting firearms

[Andy54Hawken]

With hunting season coming up , just wanted to talk about favorite hunting firearms.
My favorite hands down is my .54 caliber Hawken Rifle copy.
With this rifle I have taken :
Grouse
Coyote
Antelope
Deer
Elk
And Black bear

My standard load for both shooting and hunting is 80 grains of 2F , a.15 patch and a .530 lead round ball.
At times I have upped the charge to 100 grains.
All of the above were one shot kills along with a complete pass through of the round ball.

Also shown is my shooting pouch and horn.
This bag holds everything I need to shoot and maintain my rifle.
You don't need a lot of gear for muzzle loading.

My hunting knife is an old one from around 1890 or so.
It has a brain tanned scabbard with quill work.
Would love to all Y'all's hunting firearms...
Andy

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[Andy54Hawken]

Oh…just to show that not all of my guns load from the muzzle….

My first gun ever.
A Wingmaster from 1962.
Given to me by my grandfather.
20 gauge , 28 inch barrel with a Modified choke.
I have taken :
Squirrels
Rabbits
Grouse
And one coyote
With this shotgun.

Mostly use 2 3/4 # 7 1/2 or #6 shot
The coyote was taken with #3 Buckshot
Andy

Wingmaster from 1962

• Andy54Hawken
• Sep 1, 2024

 

[JRuby]

One of my favorites is a FN Mauser I had built in 7x57 mauser - started off as a jc highins model 50. Has a 2-7 leupold. Fairly plain but it's real beauty comes out when you shoot and handle it. Don't think that rifle is going anywhere.

Took a first time shooter shooting yesterday by the time we were done he was hitting the target at 200 yards with that rifle.

 

[justonemorear]

T/C Encore 460S&W
Everything in front dies and you get some sympathy pains

 

[Tlock]

 

[orygun]

What's that fat forended Marlin chanbered in, @Tlock ?

 

[orygun]

Sentimental favorite? My beat up Winchester 1894 in 30WCF from 1917. I carried it as a kid, and it came home with me after Dad died. Probably won't ever hunt with it again, though.

My "real" hunting rifle is a Ruger 77MKII stainless that I've butchered to my liking and had @Velzey rechamber to 30-06AI. I've shot this rifle at two different Appleseed events, too. This is my favorite hunting rifle. It once wore a Hogue stock, but a while back I checked a bunch of option boxes and placed an order with Boyd's for something prettier.

But I also have a new "pet". I'll carry it when the weather is nice, like it's shown in my current avatar pic where I am overlooking the orchard.
1942 Winchester Model 70 in 257 Roberts that's chopped and bobbed. It's a cutie.

 

[Tlock]

What's that fat forended Marlin chanbered in, @Tlock ?

30wcf

 

[Tlock]

For deer around here I use my remington vssf on 22-250 the most, I've taken some monster blacktail with the little 45gr bullet. I am gonna kill a buck with the waffle top this year though

 

[TTSX]

You're asking me to pick a favorite child and I can't do that

 

[TTSX]

For deer around here I use my remington vssf on 22-250 the most, I've taken some monster blacktail with the little 45gr bullet. I am gonna kill a buck with the waffle top this year though

Nitpicky on my part, I'm glad you said you'd 'kill" a buck and not "harvest" a buck like it's an ear of corn. I get that some people believe they're a natural resource, however using soft language such as harvest just rubs me as disingenuous. We're killing them, eating them and maybe mounting their skulls on walls.

 

[Tlock]

Nitpicky on my part, I'm glad you said you'd 'kill" a buck and not "harvest" a buck like it's an ear of corn. I get that some people believe they're a natural resource, however using soft language such as harvest just rubs me as disingenuous. We're killing them, eating them and maybe mounting their skulls on walls.

I liked the killing part way less than I used to. I guess 20 years of killing animals for a living makes ya that way.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Nitpicky on my part, I'm glad you said you'd 'kill" a buck and not "harvest" a buck like it's an ear of corn. I get that some people believe they're a natural resource, however using soft language such as harvest just rubs me as disingenuous. We're killing them, eating them and maybe mounting their skulls on walls.

Speaking only for myself..
I hunt...at times I kill an animal .
Killing is a natural byproduct of hunting.
There is no need to "soften" this into the word harvest..
Hunting needs to be done with respect....respect towards the land hunted in...and to the animal hunted.
For me...it is good to remember that killing can be a part of hunting...in any event it is not to be taken lightly or turned into something that it is not...
As in "harvesting"...since I am hunting...not gathering crops.

That said...
While hunting I also harvest....wild blackberries...blueberries...salmon berries...yum.
Andy

 

[MTpockets]

My favorite hunting rifle was the one that provided much of the table meat for me as a child, and afforded the same for my children.
It was a Model 88 Winchester chambered in 308 Winchester. It wasn't the best at everything, but it was what we had.

I've harvested some animals with a Model 88 Winchester. Successful Hunt, Kill and Recovery.
Sometimes I only hunted the animals with a Model 88 Winchester. Unsucessful Hunt, No Kill or Recovery
And other times I killed animals with my favorite Model 88 Winchester. Not Hunting, Animal Killed, Recovered (or not).

I can see where others could read that as "soften language" and can see that other may use it as that. But for me, "Kill" has always been a component of a the process of harvesting. If referencing the shot and death of the animal…that would be a successful "Kill"…because, at that point, it had not been recovered or processed.

Not trying to get anyone to adopt my language, but I found it interesting that others may have a different view of the usage.

If I was still able to hunt, I would still be using that rifle with its Williams peep.

Silly side note: I use to murder the heck outta a beautiful stand of Douglas Fir. Also hunted for those Red Cedar, drop them, and drag them outta Forrest full-length by their butt. Sometimes dry them for a season, cut them into pieces, and nail them to the side of my house. Imma still learn'n this language stuff…so go easy on me.

 

[Joe13]

Killing animals is murder and you should only buy meat from the store where they get it from lab grown stem cells of healthy and happy animals without hurting them.

Y'all are a bunch of savages.





Speaking of savages…. My rifle is a Savage 11 30-06.

If I am going to use a shotgun I have an 870 (well a few but this one is the designated hunting shotgun) but I picked up this chopped down single shot with an adjustable choke to make it a legal length and I can easily see hunting with it as it is so small and light it almost feels like it was meant for a kid but the LOP is perfect for my 6'1" frame:

 

[oremike]

Since the only hunting I even pretend to do these days is Grouse my favorite is my Browning Buckmark.

 

[MDDM]

I love all of my guns(except for the hi-point I bought as a joke) but my favorite is an older BPS upland with an English stock and shorter 20" barrel. As much as I love chasing after big game, or breaking out the semi for wetland birds, there's nothing I enjoy more than a walk in the high desert in search of quail, pheasant, and chukar.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Another favorite of mine...
20 gauge flintlock Fowler...George Laloux .

George Laloux and his factory made guns from 1834 - 1920.
I think this is a later as in 1900 era gun.
Be that as it may...it looks good...carries nicely and shoots well.
I have gotten grouse with this gun and one deer.
Load is :
65 grains of 2F , over powder card , greased wad...equal amount of shot , over shot card.
Or...
65 grains of 2F a .15 patch and a .600 lead round ball.
Andy

George Laloux Flintlock Fowler

• Andy54Hawken
• Aug 14, 2024

Close up of the flintlock of the Fowler.

• Andy54Hawken
• Aug 14, 2024

 

[10mm]

Grandpa's Model 54 Win '06 rifle and Uncle's 870 Wingmaster LW 28" mod 20 ga shotgun and my Buckmark .22 pistol and my Model 70 SS Win '06 rifle.

Bought my tags today and the anticipation and big game dreams have begun.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I'm betting that this will become a favorite small game and grouse hunting rifle.
My Savage Model 19-33 NRA Match Rifle...circa 1946.
For a target rifle...it carries well...and is nicely balanced.
Shoots good too....
Andy

Savage 19-33 NRA Match Rifle Circa 1946

• Andy54Hawken
• Jul 30, 2024

Rear Sight of my Savage 19-33 NRA Match Rifle

• Andy54Hawken
• Jul 30, 2024

Offhand target , 50 yards CCI Blazer .22LR , shot with Savage 19-33 NRA Match Rifle.

• Andy54Hawken
• Jul 30, 2024