When I was a kid, my best friends dad used a Remington 740 with iron sights for deer. We hunted them with dogs back then, and he was expert at shooting running deer, hogs. He shot 150 CL factory ammo. He bought my friend a J.C. Higgins bolt gun with a 3x9 Leupold and it was "the" rifle in my bunch, ha. I was still a 30-30 boy, but when I was barely 16, my uncle gave me a 1917 Enfield surplus rifle with a bandolier of 180 armor piercing rounds in Garand clips, just before he died. I shot all them up at nutria, puddle ducks, it was sacry accurate. It shot all hunting ammo about 15" high at 100, so I never used it. I took it to a local "shade tree" gunsmith to have it sporterized. He skipped the country with everyones guns! I was almost 17 then. Texas Rangers caught him 18 mos later. I was home on leave from Army when I got the call to pick it up at the court house in Liberty.
He had cut the stock down some, but cut the barrel off at 24", ground ears off to Mod 70 dimensions, and added Williams Guide sights on it. I was able to zero it then. I had it for years, then a friend shaped/bedded/fitted a Bishop stock to it. He added a Traister trigger and DT it for a scope. I put an old Tasco 4X with a 4 minute dot on it. It was a shooter, but I never did cotton to it so never shot a deer with it! Too heavy to pack around, and I never liked the cock on closing, although I could have had a Traister cock on opening speedlock whatever to it. When I was in Bible College, it was the only rifle I had, I had sold off everything just to get there. I learned alot about handloading for a 30.06 with that old rifle!Later, when I moved out here to SLC, UT I gave that rifle to a dear friend out here, a lady who used to guide with her husband in Idaho. She uses it still to teach youngsters to shoot, so my Uncle would have been proud, he wanted it shot.
I've had several more through the years, Remington 742's, Winchester Model 70's, Mausers, Remington model 700's,and one 1903-A3. I have to say my favorite are the Remington 700's.
