Author Topic: First deer rifle-still the best (Read 2936 times)

pastorp · « **on:** March 20, 2009, 06:44:14 AM »

My first deer rifle was a marlin 30-30, bought in about 1963 when I graduated high school. I chose between the marlin and the ruger 44mag auto-loader. Ended up with the marlinRC. Used that gun for several years and then fell in with a bunch of real gun nuts. So began a lifetime of buying, trading, & selling all kinds of guns. I just loved them and have owned about every type made over the last 46 years.

Looking back I believe I could have done everything with that old 30-30. Of course it would not a been ideal for all the hunting I've done. But since I was a reloader I could have made it work for everything. Would not have been as much fun But it would a worked.

I guess I've come full circle now since my favorites are a pair of marlin marauders. Whats your do all rifle?

Regards,

markc · « **Reply #1 on:** March 21, 2009, 12:48:34 PM »

Favorite do-all rifle is a Marlin 336 CS in .35 Remington. That rifle has only been in the family for a few years but is now the one that gets carried most often and accounted for most of my deer and all of the hogs this past season. It will likely be the only one carried next deer season except for the times the Contender gets to go.

yukondog · « **Reply #2 on:** March 21, 2009, 01:40:18 PM »

Same here the 35 get's carred the most,my wife kind of stole it from me but thats ok.

454Puma · « **Reply #3 on:** March 24, 2009, 11:12:08 AM »

pastorp
Well my do all caliber is the 30-30,s big brother the '06 it was my do all rifle though I have recently added a 30-30, 336W to the fold! I do think that the .30 caliber is the best all around cartridge. As it has taken every game animal on the planet!

I've been pleasantly surprised by the 30-30 as it's proving to be just as versitial as the '06!

brianscott12 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 24, 2009, 12:34:42 PM »

Mine was also a 30 30, 30tk. Love it.

Savage .250 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 25, 2009, 02:43:56 AM »

Mine was a Winchester 94 in ,32 Spl. Got it in the late 50`s. Man, I wish I still had that
thing!! No offense ment to any Marlin owners.

Do own a Marlin 336RC in Rem 35. That`s an early 60`s model.

mangulator · « **Reply #6 on:** March 25, 2009, 01:14:04 PM »

Mine was a Winchester 94, got rid of it because I thought you could only kill deer with a 30.06. But guess what? The 30-30 I had shot my largest deer with no problems. Now, I own a Marlin XLR in 30-30 and really enjoy it... I guess I have gone full circle... I am going to stay hunting with the Marlin..

1marty · « **Reply #7 on:** March 25, 2009, 02:04:31 PM »

my Dad gave me my first deer rifle, a Winchester 94 30-30 over 50 years ago. That first year I shot a six point buck and downed it with one shot. Over the years I bought and sold a variety of rifles but still have that old rifle. Every so often I take it to the range or use it for hunting. The rifle looks the same as when I got it and shoots just as accurate. Most of all it brings back memories of my dad, brothers and I going hunting on those cold winter days.
When I pass on I'd give it (not sell it) to someone who appreciates a fine rifle. My kids are (ugh) liberals and think guns are evil.

ToadHill · « **Reply #8 on:** April 07, 2009, 03:58:29 PM »

I never used it on deer but my favorite is the .222 Marlin Sako the I got from my dad. Been known to down woodchucks at 300 yards.

Halwg · « **Reply #9 on:** April 08, 2009, 04:07:34 AM »

Mine is a Marlin 336RC in 35 Remington that I bought in 1966. I am still killing deer with it, and it is still as accurate as the day I bought it.

223Shooter · « **Reply #10 on:** April 13, 2009, 03:00:37 PM »

My first deer rifle was my 1903A3 30-06 purchased back in 1964. I still have that beautiful Springfield in my safe. Even though I still reload/shoot the 06, my favorite gun(s) for deer hunting are now my (2) Marlin 336's...35 Rem and 30-30 Win. With my handloads, they are both very accurate and deadly on Wisconsin deer. I love my Marlin's.

BBF · « **Reply #11 on:** April 14, 2009, 03:47:36 AM »

My first brand new rifle was a Savage 99 in 300 Sav. which I purchased thru the PX while in the Army. When I got back from oversea duty my parents had moved to Illinois and I couldn't use a rifle to hunt.
A number of more moves and buying and selling various rifles(some of them I regret selling) over a long period of years I ended up more by chance then design with a Rem 760 Carbine for a very low price when Canada adopted the Firearms Registration BS. The carbine has turned into my favorite firearm to go hunting with. My favorite "to play with" rifle is a Handi in 45-70.

bigman2 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 16, 2009, 09:48:19 AM »

My first deer rifle was a Marlin 336 in 30-30. Mama didnt want me to have it, but my Daddy thought it was fine. My rifle is dated 1973, I got it when I was 14. I am 50 now and yes I still have the rifle. Over the years I have used it to deer and hog hunt here in Ga. This rifle still goes on a hunt every year, not everytime, but I still use it. I thank God I still have my Father and that old rifle...Ray

Win 1917 · « **Reply #13 on:** May 22, 2009, 03:06:30 AM »

I guess my first deer rifle was a Savage 219 single shot 30-30. I wasn't really big enough to shoot it when may dad gave it to me but at least I could carry around a "real" deer rifle at the camp. A few years later I saved up my money and when I got into high school I bought a 336 30-30 and that was what I ended up shooting my first deer with and almost all since.

I have a bolt 30-06 that I guess would be my "do all" rifle because it is more versatile. Where I hunt though I don't need to stop a grizzly, I just need to harvest a whitetail at 75 yards so the 30-30 is a much better fit for me.

buckslugger · « **Reply #14 on:** June 27, 2009, 03:30:45 AM »

First was a shotgun , 89 dollar Mossberg 500, from Ames , whew Im getting old. Killed a bunch of deer with that in shotgun areas .
Nowadays being a gun enthusiast I tend to buy a new gun set it up ,shoot it ,harvest a deer, then move on to the next. I still have the old stand byes mossberg for shotgun areas ,knight wolverine for muzzy season , sears model 45 ( marlin 30/30 ) . This year im setting up a Remington custom shop model 7600 in 7mm08 with matte finish and brown laminate stock, wow this may be the one. Its my first pump
rifle and in one of my favorite calibers, getting the barrel shortened to 19 inches and mounting a fixed 4x leupold . Nice ,handy, low recoil
treestand gun .....who knows !!!!!

Harvey

pastorp · « **Reply #15 on:** June 27, 2009, 08:49:40 AM »

Harvey, I've owned many, many, many "this is the one rifles.

Then the fever returnes........... It's a sickness. I'm a gunaholic, guess I always will be. Regards,

zoner · « **Reply #16 on:** August 16, 2009, 03:41:07 AM »

my first deer rifle was a 1942 m94 winchester...my grandfather gave it to me when I was 12 yrs old....first time i fired it i killed a 5 pt Pennsylvania buck.I'm 57 now....still have that rifle....shoot it all the time....32 win special,lyman tang sight...i will always own this rifle

Bigeasy · « **Reply #17 on:** August 16, 2009, 04:35:25 AM »

This rifle was my first - A 1909 Argentine Mauser I sportsterized (Re-counour the stock, drill for scope and peep sights, Lyman peep, lower bolt handle, barrel cut to 22 inches, re-chambered / bored to 35 Whelen) Killed my first deer with it back in 1972. Still have it

Larry

Skunk · « **Reply #18 on:** August 16, 2009, 07:01:09 AM »

My first real deer rifle was a sleek little Marlin 336C. Just loved it and anything Marlin. When I was in my teens, I got dumb and thought I wanted motorcycles, snowmobiles, and trucks more than my old 336C, so I thoughtlessly sold it to help fund some other project, not having a clue about how bad I'd like to have that same rifle today.

petemi · « **Reply #19 on:** August 17, 2009, 12:46:02 PM »

My first was the 336T in .30-30. It killed a lot of deer, but now it's a saddle gun, and doesn't get used much hunting. For six or ten years, the Ruger .308 M77 MKII was the favorite. Now it's all Handi Rifles. .45-70 (all round favorite), .44 Magnum (soon to be 445 Super Magnum), .357 Maximum, Magnum and .38 Special, .30-06, 7mm-08, etc. This past Nov 29, I dropped a buck going away at 220 yards with the .45-70. Sorry guys, I love my single shots. Ifn ya pay attention, ya don't need the second shot.

Pete

Wyo. Coyote Hunter · « **Reply #20 on:** August 17, 2009, 03:19:53 PM »

My first deer rifle was my Dad's model 94 32 spl. carbine. It took the very first deer I shot when I was 15.

My Dad said he could hear me yelling I got one, a quarter mile away.

He really was not a serious hunter, so it became my rifle. Still have it in the safe with a companion .30-30 made near the same time. Bought it from a neighbor's family when my old hunting pal passed on.

In additon to deer, my Dad's 32 has taken antelope and mt. lion. Have loading stuff for it, but only shoot factory.

Brian in FL · « **Reply #21 on:** August 31, 2009, 05:22:01 AM »

My first deer rifle was a Remington 700BDL in .30-06, and for years it was my favorite deer shooter. But, now my favorite is a Marlin 336SC in .35 Remington from 1954. This is my new do everything rifle for deer and hogs. I've had a lot of rifles over the years, and I've sold and traded a goodly number of them, but I still have that old Remington. I don't think I'll ever let go of it while I'm over the sod and not under it.

alien319 · « **Reply #22 on:** September 05, 2009, 05:06:34 PM »

Winchester 94 in .30-30!

Hook686 · « **Reply #23 on:** September 06, 2009, 07:54:07 AM »

Ruger M77 in 6mm Remington