The "classics"

[noharleyyet]

Whatever Greenhorn or Pat Sinclair are currently using..

 

[Gerald Martin]

1. Rock
2. Spear
3. Atlatl
4.Sling
5.Long bow

One cannot overlook the venerable trebuchet for long range shots.

The rest of the young whippersnapper cartridges you folks are discussing are practically the millennials of the projectile world.

 

[deer_shooter]

I’m sure the 35 Remington could be thrown in the mix.

In this area, 32 special and 30/40 Krag would be in there as well.

 

[ludville1]

I think we'd be remiss to not include one of the Weatherby Cartridges. Probably the 300 Weatherby. Roy was an icon and a pioneer in the industry.

Also, if 70+ years doesn't make a classic, then nothing is.

Weatherby for sure...the .300 Wby. is the most popular, and we can't forget Roy's favorite...the .257 Wby! Both of which I am proud to own.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

I do not have to think about what I might have. I will simlply list what I do have,

35 Whelen custom built on a commercial Belgium FN action with 3x weaver scope
30-06 FN Browning Safari grade with 2.5 to 8 Leopold scope
1952 made .270 Winchester standard weight with Weaver 4x scope (shoots 1/2" groups)
6.5 x 55 New Haven made stainless CRF Model 70 Winchester Featherweight with 6x weaver scope
Winchester model 54 in 30-06 with original Lymam peep sights factory installed
Winchester model 94 saddle gun in 30-30

 

[Southern Elk]

This thread is worthless without pics.

 

[ludville1]

With winter setting in (close to -30 Celsius here last night), time for hunting campfire discussions ...

I'm curious what would make a "Top Five Classic Cartridges" list - emphasis on longevity/history/North American big game.

1) 257 Roberts - plenty of history here
2) 270 Winchester - still perhaps the mountain rifle standard
3) 30-06 - the original
4) 300 H&H - the epitome of cool for me, although admittedly close to 30-06
5) 30-30 - the classic big woods deer cartridge

That is one heck of a list!

 

[Ben Lamb]

This thread is worthless without pics.

Yes

1888 commission rifle made by Haenel, sometime before WW1.


Ruger M77 MK ii in 30 gov't. Stick work by Roger Renner to mimic a pre-war Oberndorf Mauser.


Double rifle is a 1870's circa Mortimer in 450 3 1/4" bpe

Bolt is a pre64 model 70 featherweight in 30 gov't.

 

[deer_shooter]

Ruger M77 MK ii in 30 gov't. Stick work by Roger Renner to mimic a pre-war Oberndorf Mauser.
View attachment 208662

If you ever feel the need to part with this sexy beast, please contact me.

 

[Ben Lamb]

It's far cheaper to send him your rifle & have him do the work than me charge you what I have into it. He is very reasonable and that's the plain Jane factory stock. He simply shapes it. Super good dude to work with.

http://www.rjrenner.com/

 

[belshawelk]

30-30
30-06
.22LR
375 H&H
270

 

[shrapnel]

7X57

 

[choc dogs]

I'd think mine would be as follows.

375 H&H. Dates to 1912, classic for sure. Big enough to shoot a giraffe in the subdivision, should that opportunity ever arise.

338 Win Mag. Fills a void in medium bore. Yeah it's been eclipsed by the more modern, more practical cartridges, but who am I to argue with success.

308 Winchester. Gotta have at least one 30 caliber, and it seems to have ushered in the short action movement. It's been necked up and down, and turned into some of the most successful cartridges around.

6.5x55. Efficient as all get out. Sexy as a mofo. I could easily be persuaded that 7x57 belongs here instead.
Both date from the late 1800's, any doubt about their classic status?

270 Winchester. In my humble opinion, the best of the family of the venerable 30-06, including the original. I know it's not the currently fashionable 280, or the speed demon 25-06, but it does what it does, and does it so well.

Now all of these in a controlled round feed Model 70, and I'd need nothing else, right?

 

[220yotekiller]

270 Winchester
30-06 Springfield
45-70 Government
30-30 Winchester
44-40 WCF

 

[Salmonchaser]

Sir, --opinions will vary and I am sure people like HappyMyles and Buffybr, as well as others will disagree, but for me: Giraffe, Buffalo, Cape Eland, Kudu, Roan, Hippo and only because it is a legal requirement --Lion and Leopard . Lion is a good hunt, but the 300 H & H is enough gun IMHO. The leopard is a boring hunt ( (unless you wound it )-: ) and the 300 H & H is definitely enough gun. The hippo was hunted on land and those suckers can get your attention, quick, so back to the 375 H & H. The only animals I hunted with the 450/400 was Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino, and Lion . I was willing to take the punishment for the piece of mind knowing that 2nd shot did not depend on my ability with a bolt gun, especially when the animal in question had taken exception to my shooting him.

Your second question. My absolute favorite was the 300 H & H. It did not beat me up, and imho it was "enough gun" for 90% of everything I wanted to do. In Africa, my second choice would be the 375 H & H, but outside Africa I still preferred the 300 H & H to all others but a close second was the Swede.

To put a finer point on your 1st question. It ( 375 ) took away some of the fun --- before the hunt and after the hunt. NOT, during the hunt, but preparing for the hunt and the ice on the shoulder and margaritas, after the hunt can create a different set of problems .

Please let me know if I didn't answer your question, to your satisfaction sir and I will pm you, as I do to want to derail this thread

Love it when you’re around April.

 

[CowboyLeroy]

You forgot the .22lr

 

[Mustangs Rule]

Buying a rifle used to be easy for me, but keeping it was hard.



At last count I have had about 57 center fire rifles, bought roughly over the same numbers of years. For a rifle to stay with me I asked a lot.



On post #25 I listed the ones I still have and even that changed this weekend after selling my FN 35 Whelen that was built on a commercial not former military action.



It’s time of use had past and was not coming back.



For nearly two decades it was my “go to” rifles for hunting huge Russian wild boar in tall barley or orchards, often at night with depredation permits. Some of those boar weighed in at 300 pounds on the ranch scale,,after being gutted in the field.



These were not the little runts guys are shooting with .223’s in Texas



Unmentioned here has been the 7x57 Mauser. I have had three over 35 years. They yielded to to a .280, and then finally now to a 5 ¾ pound Kimber in 280 AI.



I have space in my hunting/shooting world for what I call a “pleasure rifle”.



A light fast rifle in a caliber that can do a lot for what it is.



The need for this was a result of hunting smaller desert deer plus a year round season for wild boar on the plains and in the mountains where I once lived for 28 years



I would just be doing a “walkabout” and stumble over a herd of boar and wanted to shoot a 100 pound or under one. I have shot ones as little as 35 pounds.



The were the best tasting of all.



My “pleasure rifles” were, a .243 in Belgium FN Browning, a Remington model 7 in .260. a 250 Savage in a model 99, anither 99 in .308, a 7x57 in a sweet little Mauser carbine, Remington model 721 in .257 Roberts and finally a CRF Winchester Model 70 Stainless featherweight in the 6.5x55 Swede. It has the twist for heavier bullets. I will not ever sell that one.



Such had been my evolution for that pleasure rifle/caliber combination.



While in Alaska I bought my first of two 338 Win Mags. That was a Sako Forester, followed by a Safari Grade Belgium Browning which taught me the joy and suffering of having a screw go from the stock forend into a lug under the barrel. When the tension is right it really stabilized the barrel.



Both of these 338’s just kicked too much and they went to the auction block as I went to the 300 Win mag in a newer stainless Model 70 and a 300 H and H in a pre-WW2 model 70.



I had them when I lived in Wyoming and hunted there and central Utah a lot.



They are gone now too. Maybe I should have kept the 300 H and H but it went.



Now any need I have for classic rifles are met with a Winchester Model 54 in 30-06 made in 1926 and a standard weight .270 model 70 in .270. made in 1952 before Winchesters machinery was wearing out and their gunsmiths and machinists age out and retired.



Both have that screw going from the stock for end into a barrel lug. When the tension is right, ½” inch plus groups,,,yes,,,when weather makes the wood move, there is once again an opportunity for an “accuracy Easter egg hunt”



Yes,,,I have envied men who could hunt their whole lives with one or two rifles.



At soon to be 74, after all these rifles, the 5 ¾ pound Kimber in 280AI does it all.

MR

 

[Pmacc60]

30-30 because of popularity

30-06 Springfield Greatest round ever made

270 Winchester more custom rifles made in this caliber over the years than any other

7mm Remington mag , the every mans magnum ! Extremely popular back though the 60’s, 70’s , 80’s and nineties

300 Winchester mag . The big thirty that all could afford and increase performance of the 30 cal

All the above can be found still produce in modern day rifles , ammo can be found in any mom and pop store ! There may be better chamberings in the rounds listed but they are still here and thriving making them classic !

 

[buffybr]

With winter setting in (close to -30 Celsius here last night), time for hunting campfire discussions ...

I'm curious what would make a "Top Five Classic Cartridges" list - emphasis on longevity/history/North American big game.

1) 257 Roberts - plenty of history here
2) 270 Winchester - still perhaps the mountain rifle standard
3) 30-06 - the original
4) 300 H&H - the epitome of cool for me, although admittedly close to 30-06
5) 30-30 - the classic big woods deer cartridge

1) 257 Roberts - Although my .257 AI has been one of my favorite cartridges for over 40 years, I think the .45-70 has more North American history and popularity.
2) 270 Winchester - still perhaps the mountain rifle standard
3) 30-06 - the original
4) 300 H&H - I don't think that the H&H line of cartridges has had the North American following as the .300 Weatherby and the very popular .300 Winchester.
5) 30-30 - the classic big woods deer cartridge

 

[buffybr]

April, how does the experience of shooting a .375 compare to smaller hunting rounds? What all types of game did you take with the caliber? I am just curious

Since April mentioned me in her response, I'll throw in my $.02. Although I had a .375 H&H for a while, I never shot it and I traded it off and got my .375 RUM. The first time that I took this rifle to the range, the recoil was so bad that I couldn't shoot enough shells to get the scope adjusted to get the hits on paper at 100 yards.

I then built a stock for it that fits me, had a KDF muzzle brake installed, and I put a recoil reducer in the stick in front of a Limbsaver pad. Those modifications tamed the recoil down to about the recoil of my 7 mm Rem Mag or a little less.

I've since taken my .375 RUM on two African hunts and last fall I used it in Alaska on my Brown Bear hunt. The largest animals that I shot in Africa with it was my Cape Buffalo and Cape Eland. I also used it on a variety of smaller animals down to 30 pound Steenboks and a Vaal Rhebok.

I don't have the African hunting experience that April does, but I would not hesitate to use my .375 RUM on any animal alive in the world today.