Show your work horses and bubba rifles

[Red Leg]

Lovin it.

This is my old trusty 12ga sxs. Bluing worn off at the barrels. Used it as a canoe paddle one in a last effort.

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The CZ (BRNO) sidelock was and still is one of the great unappreciated bargains still to be found on the planet. I had the English stocked version.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

A well worn workhorse from out west. Now of course it’s called patina View attachment 576643View attachment 576644View attachment 576645

Do you hunt with it?

 

[Altitude sickness]

Ontario,

I have never shot an animal with that particular rifle. I’ve always preferred to leave it on my mud room wall.

 

[yumastepside]

My 6.5x55 and 7x57 rimmed...

Roger

 

[spotnspook]

Not a rifle but I've had this SBE1 since I started hunting on my own, a personal point of pride that all of the wear on it was caused by me. Originally it had a walnut stock but it got broke on a decoy sled about 15 years ago. Yes that's electrical tape holding on the old small Easyhit sight they don't make anymore. That piece of super 88 is going on 5 or 10 years now, much longer than the factory adhesive or my glue job did. A couple of pics from this year.

 

[Macduff]

I’ve put enough shells through this to fill a truckbed.

Dad bought it for me when I was 12 and shooting trap competitively. It’s taken plenty of doves over the years too. Now it mostly comes out for the occasional round of sporting clays. Small kids, multiple jobs, and high ammo prices don’t work well together.

 

[Vintageguy]

My 54 Winchester in 30-06. It’s an honest old gun with nothing but the old rotted pad replaced. It’s from 1926 and sports it’s original stainless steel barrel with the original black factory paint.

 

[Daniel Cary]

idk. These are all still nice imo, use or not...

 

[Rem280]

My 280 Rem that started life as a 30'06 Rem 700. Lots of miles traveled, lots of different game down, lots of memories. South Africa it will travel in May! Osceola Turkey and Black Bear.

 

[Boyd Brooks]

My 280 Rem that started life as a 30'06 Rem 700. Lots of miles traveled, lots of different game down, lots of memories. South Africa it will travel in May! Osceola Turkey and Black Bear.

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Nice colour phase bear!

 

[Alaska Luke]

My most beat up rifle would be a Ruger American Predator I got in .358 Winchester (Grice Guns limited run).

First I cut the barrel to 18 inches then 16.5 inches. I added a front site with a QD rear peep site. I replaced the Predator stock with a conpact/youth model stock. I cut the fore end off to save weight and put the round tip back on with a screw and bedding compound.
It's ugly but it's only about 6.5 pounds scoped and I'm not afraid to use it. It's killed a couple caribou, multiple bears and two moose. I let two boys (ages 12 and 13) borrow it for near bait hunting. Both hammered their bears and got very quick kills. A lot of times I strap it to my pack and carry it on scouting trips or as a backup gun when I take kids hunting (they normally have a 308 that may or may not wear a suppressor depending on whether we are more interested in weight reduction or recoil reduction for a young hunter.

 

[Woodcarver]

Never worried about a few dings or scratches on a favorite rifle, wood can be surprisingly resilient, and easy to maintain. This stainless laminate Ruger in 300WM has been my go-to for 20+ years, and is headed back to KS in a few days to hopefully put a whitetail doe in the freezer. A work horse rifle does not need to be beat up and ugly, but sometimes they do need a little improvement over how they left the factory though... Life's too short to hunt with an ugly gun.

 

[jduckhunter]

She sure ain't gonna win any beauty contests but she sure does bring home the bacon or venison in this case.

 

[Trail Rated]

This thread speaks to me.
I’m having trouble posting pics of my dad’s old Remington 742 with chewed up receiver rails. I “fixed” it by blocking the gas port and converting it from semiauto to single-shot. It’s perfect for hunting spikes etc.

 

[Safari Dave]

Dang, Warbeast, your question cuts right into a man's soul.




No pictures because they are all riding in vehicles (parked in the pouring rain right now), all of the time.


1. A JCPenney bolt action .22 rifle (A Marlin/Glenfield). This has probably accounted for 90% of the critters that I have even taken.

2. A Remington Model 700 .30/06. This has taken about 90% of all the big-game animals that I have ever taken.

3. A Weatherby Vanguard in .300 Winchester Magnum. This has taken 46% of all of my African big-game animals.


This question has a way of humbling a man with a safe-full of "nice" rifles.

The rifle you just happen to have with you at the right time makes more difference than all of your "safe queens" combined.

I also have the same issue with saltwater rods and reels. I have some stupid expensive tackle, but I carry a Daiwa Sealine reel and a Silstar rod with me almost all of the time, because I don't care if they get beat up or broken. I've caught fish that I don't deserve to catch on that old outfit!

 

[Warbeast]

@Safari Dave
Fish dont mind

@everyone participating

I am loving this

 

[R eight]

This is my go to no frills rifle. A Sako 85 Finlight in 308 Win.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Ontario, View attachment 576682I have never shot an animal with that particular rifle. I’ve always preferred to leave it on my mud room wall.

I also have one of those wallhangers. I have shot it a couple of times. The Ideal tong tool loader is worth almost as much as this 40-60 cal 1881 Marlin. I should at least shoot a deer with it someday. This gun was probably designed to kill bison and Indians but it's difficult to draw a tag for them these days.

 

[Altitude sickness]

This was my workhorse. A Cerakoted, film dipped ABolt in 7 mag. Nothing special but accurate

2 moose, elk with CWO, mule deer, many PG animals

Just gave it to my Son in Law for his November elk hunt.

 

[cwhuntsalot]

All my rifles are working rifles. No "Missy Prissy" once a year to the rifle range Safe Queens here. My "Work Horse" is a Winchester M70 338 Win Mag. I purchased it when I was in the Air Force stationed in Fairbanks Alaska. It was 1984- Alaska's 25th year Statehood anniversary so there were several Commemorative models in the case along side the XTR model. The Alaska State Commemoratives were $100 more and I didn't see how a little engraving would make it shoot any better so I went with the cheaper one.

It has killed Moose, Interior Grizzly Bear, Caribou, and Deer in Alaska, Deer and Elk in Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington, Deer in Montana, Hogs, Deer, Elk, Bear, Bison and exotics in California, Deer and Javelina in Texas, Axis Deer and Spanish Goats in Hawaii, Mule and Coues Deer in Sonora Mexico, Moose in Norway, 10 head of Plains Game in South Africa, and is slated to return to Africa in 2025. It has logged more air miles than most people.

It's favorite bullet is a 275gr Swift "A" Frame. Best shot was a Mountain Reedbuck (45-50lb) @325yds across a canyon at dusk during my 2002 SA Safari.