The Kid
New member
I have many rifles strewn about my house and workspace, even a couple in another state. These rifles range in caliber from .17rem through the 458 Winchester with a bunch of stops in between. I have several bases covered in spades, last count numbered 3 rifles in 30/06, one in 300sav and a pair of identical 30/30s. I have a couple carbines in 44mag, screaming speed demon magnums, 3 or 4 heavies aside from the 458 and a handful of varmint calibers.
But with all of those to choose from, I find myself drawn to one rifle time after time. Seems that every fall when it comes time to hop in the beaver and hit the hills for a spell I never reach for anything else.
When I lived in the L48 I always grabbed my trusty 06 with a fixed 4x leupold and a box of handloads stuffed with Barnes 180s. I cannot recall how many deer, hogs,coyotes, and one big bull elk I laid low with that rifle, but after a while it became lovingly refered to as "old bloodnguts".
After I moved to Alaska I decided that the 06 didn't have enough muscle, I know better now but this is supposed to be fun, so I spun together another non flashy rifle in a slightly bigger non flashy caliber. I used some gentleman's discarded 30/06 to build my 35 Whelen, aside from a new barrel it received a set of iron sights and another non flashy item, a fixed 2.5 Leupold ultralight in factory rings.
Since the fall that I put "The Colonel" together, I have taken it along on almost every hunting trip I have been on. The only exceptions have been spring bear day trips and one jaunt toKodiak. It isn't anything most would consider too awful special, it weighs 8.5#, shoots most loads around 1.5", and isn't particularly good looking in its plain grained stock with matte finished metalwork. But it's record is untarnished and no game animal from grizzly on down has needed more than one shot to date, so I guess I just stick with what works.
So if you have a favorite that you consitently reach for even though you have newer and shinier wiz bangs in the safe, pull up a chair and spin a yarn. Tell us what makes you grab it every fall over the new kids on the block.
But with all of those to choose from, I find myself drawn to one rifle time after time. Seems that every fall when it comes time to hop in the beaver and hit the hills for a spell I never reach for anything else.
When I lived in the L48 I always grabbed my trusty 06 with a fixed 4x leupold and a box of handloads stuffed with Barnes 180s. I cannot recall how many deer, hogs,coyotes, and one big bull elk I laid low with that rifle, but after a while it became lovingly refered to as "old bloodnguts".
After I moved to Alaska I decided that the 06 didn't have enough muscle, I know better now but this is supposed to be fun, so I spun together another non flashy rifle in a slightly bigger non flashy caliber. I used some gentleman's discarded 30/06 to build my 35 Whelen, aside from a new barrel it received a set of iron sights and another non flashy item, a fixed 2.5 Leupold ultralight in factory rings.
Since the fall that I put "The Colonel" together, I have taken it along on almost every hunting trip I have been on. The only exceptions have been spring bear day trips and one jaunt toKodiak. It isn't anything most would consider too awful special, it weighs 8.5#, shoots most loads around 1.5", and isn't particularly good looking in its plain grained stock with matte finished metalwork. But it's record is untarnished and no game animal from grizzly on down has needed more than one shot to date, so I guess I just stick with what works.
So if you have a favorite that you consitently reach for even though you have newer and shinier wiz bangs in the safe, pull up a chair and spin a yarn. Tell us what makes you grab it every fall over the new kids on the block.
