The Older I Get...

[CastShooter]

I'd like to tell a tale about aging, but there are many that have a longer story than myself and I'm not exactly sure where this story will go. I just know that looking back with the lense of time shows a bit of my personality, and looking forward is still foggy.

When I was a lad of 18, my rifles consisted of the flattest shooting magnums of the time. I had a 338 RUM, 223 WSSM, 300 Weatherby Mag, 7mm STW, and 257 Weatherby Mag. I'd shoot these rifles at unsuspecting Eastern whitetails while toting the merits of hard hitting magnums. All the while ignoring the price and in most cases copious amounts of recoil.

Fast forward to my mid 20's and I found a love of shooting cast bullets. Away went the magnums and in came WW2 surplus rifles, 30-06's, and other various medium bore cartridges. I learned the in's and out's of making a rifle shoot with cast bullets. I tried my hand at lever action rifles but was never able to warm up to one. I will own a 41 mag lever to companion my revolver one day though. This is the era I learned to tinker in. Tweaking here and there until I achieved the best that a gun had to offer.

Then as the US political game got "spicy" around my late 20's with and admin change, Covid, and another admin change, my interest shifted to learning how to run the AR, AK, and semi-auto handguns. My time was filled with classes upon classes, learning the intricacies of each platform, how to do proper mag changes, transition drills, and movement skills. This got me into 2 gun, 3 gun, and other various shooting matches to keep skills sharp between classes.

Enter my early 30's to present. I still love the shooting discipline of my 20's and regularly keep my skills sharp. Now though, my time has come to make my girls more familiar with this hobby and I've shown a tendency to moderate bolt action rifles. Long gone are the rifles at home that have a "magnum" chamber. In to stay are the small compact rifles with shorter barrels, suppressors, and modern cartridges that punch above their ballistics.

If you look through my collection, you can see rifles and handguns from all phases of my shooting career as I kept my favorites through my shooting intrests. I am missing a moderate magnum though. Something like a 6.5mm or 7mm magnum, possibly a "smaller" 30 cal magnum. I'm missing a rifle that has power at that 400 yd neighborhood for large cervids. I also know that with my 30-06 and 270 I still have, there isn't much I can't take at 400 yds.

My most recent favorite style of rifle tends to be the Ruger Günsite Sćout series. It melds together short barrels, detachable mags, sensible cartridges, cast bullets, and suppressors in a package just ripe to take myself and girls to the range (and woods) with. I've got 2 Ruger rifles, a 308 and 450 Bushmaster. I've also got a similar rifle that I built in 350 Legend.

They're all amazing shooters and North American game capable. I've been reaching to these three more and more. It will be interesting to see what my 40's, 50's, 60's, and 70's hold for me in this hobby. I pray that it involves many grandchildren, loving children, and tons of memories in the field.

Below is my current favorite rifle, this one being in the lowly 450 Bushmaster, being so capable of combining most of my interests into one platform (and being of goodly bore size). It may become an SBR at some point if I decide to have the barrel trimmed to 12". I guess only time will tell. Thanks for coming along on my tale of aging! I hope to make a few more chapters before penning the last page.

 

[Rare Breed]

Love your story. Like all of us we evolve with the excitement always being what will be our next revolution! Thanks for your post

 

[Mekaniks]

Thanks for sharing

 

[Red Leg]

Just so you know, those of us in our seventh decade or so find someone talking about aging in their thirties (early thirties no less) mildly humorous. As a curmudgeon, I should also admit that I hate a suppressor on a conventional bolt action. From a blind or stand they are fine - but stalking? It is like maneuvering a surf rod or revolutionary era musket through the brush. Below are my travails in Hungary very recently.

Thread 'HUNGARY: Roe Deer On The Hungarian Plain And Mouflon Of The Bakony Mountains - Or, How I Came To Despise A Bolt Action Equipped With A Suppressor'

Apr 24, 2025

Not wishing to drive off any Gen X, Z, or tacticool readers immediately, I’ll withhold my rifle evaluation until later.

I had visited Budapest twice before over the last twenty-five years, but I never had the opportunity to see anything of the country. However, thanks to the Cold War, I at least was very familiar with its terrain from map studies and exercises. We had concluded back in those days that it represented excellent tank country once our formations moved east of the Danube. It was to this area, the Great Hungarian Plain (lföld or Nagy Alföld), that a local friend, Rick, and I...

• Red Leg
• Replies: 49
• Forum: Hunting reports Europe

• 
• 

All that said, whatever makes you happy is absolutely OK.

 

[CastShooter]

Just so you know, those of us in our seventh decade or so find someone talking about aging in their thirties (early thirties no less) mildly humorous. As a curmudgeon, I should also admit that I hate a suppressor on a conventional bolt action. From a blind or stand they are fine - but stalking? It is like maneuvering a surf rod or revolutionary era musket through the brush. Below are my travails in Hungary very recently.

Thread 'HUNGARY: Roe Deer On The Hungarian Plain And Mouflon Of The Bakony Mountains - Or, How I Came To Despise A Bolt Action Equipped With A Suppressor'

Apr 24, 2025

Not wishing to drive off any Gen X, Z, or tacticool readers immediately, I’ll withhold my rifle evaluation until later.

I had visited Budapest twice before over the last twenty-five years, but I never had the opportunity to see anything of the country. However, thanks to the Cold War, I at least was very familiar with its terrain from map studies and exercises. We had concluded back in those days that it represented excellent tank country once our formations moved east of the Danube. It was to this area, the Great Hungarian Plain (lföld or Nagy Alföld), that a local friend, Rick, and I...

• Red Leg
• Replies: 49
• Forum: Hunting reports Europe

• 
• 

All that said, whatever makes you happy is absolutely OK.

I'm fully aware other's hunting trail is longer than mine. I'm not in my early 30's anymore, more like the mid-late 30's. Even though it seems funny to those whom have lived a longer life than mine, I'd like to point out that this is the oldest I've ever been and have no guarantee I'll make it to next week.

The rifle pictured has a 16" barrel and a 10" suppressor (in long form) it's no different in length than hunting with a regular 26" barrel rifle. In short form it carries very similar to a 1903 springfield in full military dress.

I figured someone of your age would enjoy roaming the woods with an old Kentucky long rifle for the connection to the good old days. Excellent hunting story BTW, hunting abroad is definitely on my list. If I'm going to travel the world, it'll be to hunt.

Possibly in the next few generations my rifles will start to be more weight conscious, who knows, but I'm sure it'll be an adventure.

 

[mark-hunter]

I'd like to tell a tale about aging, but there are many that have a longer story than myself and I'm not exactly sure where this story will go.

I talked to older hunters, at the end of their hunting carrier abut that. They also had their phases, and tried everything. On the end, they sold everything and sticked to one or two rifles, usually all around type.
The rest was just the temporary whim, curiosity, and fashion. I have number of rifles for this and that, but at the end, I just take one rifle and one shogun regularly for hunting, the rest of them stay in the back of safe locker.

 

[DieJager]

I talked to older hunters, at the end of their hunting carrier abut that. They also had their phases, and tried everything. On the end, they sold everything and sticked to one or two rifles, usually all around type.
The rest was just the temporary whim, curiosity, and fashion. I have number of rifles for this and that, but at the end, I just take one rifle and one shogun regularly for hunting, the rest of them stay in the back of safe locker.

I only can possess 6 guns. Currently have 5. For years I shot exclusively with my 375. That has changed recently and is now a 7x64. Have also two shotguns, one I've never used and probably will sell. The other is my workhorse. Then the almost mandatory 22lr. That one I use the most, shooting pest and pigeons.

For me that is all I need. They are tools for me and they work. Maybe in the future I will buy a prestigious double rifle or other gun but until that I spend my money rather on hunting.

 

[CastShooter]

I talked to older hunters, at the end of their hunting carrier abut that. They also had their phases, and tried everything. On the end, they sold everything and sticked to one or two rifles, usually all around type.
The rest was just the temporary whim, curiosity, and fashion. I have number of rifles for this and that, but at the end, I just take one rifle and one shogun regularly for hunting, the rest of them stay in the back of safe locker.

My grandfather who is in his late 70's is experiencing this i believe. He has a good many guns, I'd say well over 30, yet when it's time for him to go into the local woods, he's always reaching for a well worn Browning A-bolt in 25-06. I've got a good few sentimental rifles i can't sell. I'm sure they'll get pared down as I gift them to my kids and grandkids.

I'm sure there's a connection when only reaching for an "old friend" in the safe. I'm still searching for that companion.

 

[Michael70]

That’s a great story and I would like to thank you for sharing your gun journey.

Likewise, my journey, when I look at my collection is an evolution of my hunting escapades more than cartridge performance desires. I have the benefit of a couple of decades on you (mid-50’s) and although the Weatherby’s and short magnums were all available I have never owned an example of these.

My first hunting rifle was a Model 70 in the (in)famous 243 Winchester. Loved that rifle and still have it nearly four decades later. As my only rifle for a while it was used on everything from pigs, donkeys, horses and a buff (which it killed with one shot). Next came various 12G shotguns that were used heavily in swamps for waterfowl and on land for pigs (and this accounted for one buff as well) so I thought I had it all.

Next came deer stalking / hound hunting Sambar in the Victorian High Country and I graduated to a 30/06 bought literally a week before my first hunt and quickly transitioned to a double rifle in 8x57JRS for shooting running game in front of the hounds. Incidentally my first Sambar fell to the double rifle, and I carried this exclusively on all hound hunts with open express sights.

I did shoot my largest stag with the 30/06 though, and this has accounted for several Sambar in my hands and that of visiting friends and as a spare, which I always had on hand.

Small game (foxes, rabbits, hares, quail and waterfowl) fell to the 12G and a 22 Krico with the creepiest trigger you have ever felt and a couple of quality air rifles, just because I wanted to make rabbit hunting a bit more interesting.

Back home in the Territory after a long time south of the border and pigs and buff are back on the menu. Pigs are usually handled with a sharp knife and a willing dog (or two) so buff was the only reason a man needed a rifle. Here the 375H&H I purchased previously was used extensively. Handloading 350 grain Woodleigh’s it was the biggest gun any of my hunting crew possessed, so when a bull was located or wounded in thick scrub guess who did the follow up. Usually on foot.

Several (educational / scary) experiences later and the 375H&H has been moved on for a 458 Win Mag because I want to see at least one grandchild, and I now believe that I have most bases covered. I have a 125-year-old 303 Enfield Mk1* that has been converted to a poor man's Lee Speed as I believe they are still the sexiest rifle ever made, and this is probably the only gun purchased without a hunting need or predetermined application.

My collection doesn’t change much as each piece is an intricate component of my hunting journey and based on need rather than aesthetics (apart from the aforementioned 303). I have spares of most i.e. three 12G shotguns, two air rifles and several calibres that cross over in the cartridge power matrix but everything I have is what I wanted / needed at the time. I have only ever bought one gun new (30/06) which is the only plastic stocked gun that I have as I am a sucker for walnut and blued steel, but that is just me.

 

[MS 9x56]

I'd like to tell a tale about aging, but there are many that have a longer story than myself and I'm not exactly sure where this story will go. I just know that looking back with the lense of time shows a bit of my personality, and looking forward is still foggy.

When I was a lad of 18, my rifles consisted of the flattest shooting magnums of the time. I had a 338 RUM, 223 WSSM, 300 Weatherby Mag, 7mm STW, and 257 Weatherby Mag. I'd shoot these rifles at unsuspecting Eastern whitetails while toting the merits of hard hitting magnums. All the while ignoring the price and in most cases copious amounts of recoil.

Fast forward to my mid 20's and I found a love of shooting cast bullets. Away went the magnums and in came WW2 surplus rifles, 30-06's, and other various medium bore cartridges. I learned the in's and out's of making a rifle shoot with cast bullets. I tried my hand at lever action rifles but was never able to warm up to one. I will own a 41 mag lever to companion my revolver one day though. This is the era I learned to tinker in. Tweaking here and there until I achieved the best that a gun had to offer.

Then as the US political game got "spicy" around my late 20's with and admin change, Covid, and another admin change, my interest shifted to learning how to run the AR, AK, and semi-auto handguns. My time was filled with classes upon classes, learning the intricacies of each platform, how to do proper mag changes, transition drills, and movement skills. This got me into 2 gun, 3 gun, and other various shooting matches to keep skills sharp between classes.

Enter my early 30's to present. I still love the shooting discipline of my 20's and regularly keep my skills sharp. Now though, my time has come to make my girls more familiar with this hobby and I've shown a tendency to moderate bolt action rifles. Long gone are the rifles at home that have a "magnum" chamber. In to stay are the small compact rifles with shorter barrels, suppressors, and modern cartridges that punch above their ballistics.

If you look through my collection, you can see rifles and handguns from all phases of my shooting career as I kept my favorites through my shooting intrests. I am missing a moderate magnum though. Something like a 6.5mm or 7mm magnum, possibly a "smaller" 30 cal magnum. I'm missing a rifle that has power at that 400 yd neighborhood for large cervids. I also know that with my 30-06 and 270 I still have, there isn't much I can't take at 400 yds.

My most recent favorite style of rifle tends to be the Ruger Günsite Sćout series. It melds together short barrels, detachable mags, sensible cartridges, cast bullets, and suppressors in a package just ripe to take myself and girls to the range (and woods) with. I've got 2 Ruger rifles, a 308 and 450 Bushmaster. I've also got a similar rifle that I built in 350 Legend.

They're all amazing shooters and North American game capable. I've been reaching to these three more and more. It will be interesting to see what my 40's, 50's, 60's, and 70's hold for me in this hobby. I pray that it involves many grandchildren, loving children, and tons of memories in the field.

Below is my current favorite rifle, this one being in the lowly 450 Bushmaster, being so capable of combining most of my interests into one platform (and being of goodly bore size). It may become an SBR at some point if I decide to have the barrel trimmed to 12". I guess only time will tell. Thanks for coming along on my tale of aging! I hope to make a few more chapters before penning the last page.

View attachment 684998

Damn kids!

 

[MS 9x56]

My story from teens until 40’s all I needed were shotguns and a 222 varmint rifle. Then got into muzzle loaders and rifles barreled shotguns until late 40’s. I found muzzle loaders were much more accurate than shotguns and I rarely needed more than 1 shot anyway. Then in my early 50’s my state allowed rifles for big game. I started with a 243 but quickly realized faster was not always better. I upgraded to 308 and 6.5x55. On heavier game I found these calibers lacking so I again upgraded to 358 winchester, 35 Whelen and 35 rem. Now I hit my sweet spot. I have since joined the Elmer club and found heavier bullets led to shorter blood trails and less lost meat due to blood shot meat. I now prefer 200 grain round nose bullets and up at from 2100-2700 fps. Never found a need for magnum velocities or a belt on my cartridge. I only shoot within my comfort zone which is <300 yards. If my quarry is further away I stalk closer. A man has to know his limitations. Any shot over 300 yards is sniping not hunting. To each his own. This is my comfort zone.

 

[375Fox]

I have to laugh a little at this. I was expecting a look back over the last 70 years. I’m only a few years older than you. My tastes in calibers and rifles really hasn’t changed at all in last 20 years. It’s mostly centered around practically for hunting. I swapped my 300 H&H I was given as a teenager for a 300 Win mostly due to ammo availability. I bought a 375 H&H for my first buffalo hunt maybe 8 years ago. Then I added a 458 for an elephant hunt. The only real change in my thinking is reaching for a 223 more often than a 300 mag now. I still prefer somewhat heavy bolt action rifles and simple duplex scopes.

 

[CastShooter]

That’s a great story and I would like to thank you for sharing your gun journey.

Likewise, my journey, when I look at my collection is an evolution of my hunting escapades more than cartridge performance desires. I have the benefit of a couple of decades on you (mid-50’s) and although the Weatherby’s and short magnums were all available I have never owned an example of these.

My first hunting rifle was a Model 70 in the (in)famous 243 Winchester. Loved that rifle and still have it nearly four decades later. As my only rifle for a while it was used on everything from pigs, donkeys, horses and a buff (which it killed with one shot). Next came various 12G shotguns that were used heavily in swamps for waterfowl and on land for pigs (and this accounted for one buff as well) so I thought I had it all.

Next came deer stalking / hound hunting Sambar in the Victorian High Country and I graduated to a 30/06 bought literally a week before my first hunt and quickly transitioned to a double rifle in 8x57JRS for shooting running game in front of the hounds. Incidentally my first Sambar fell to the double rifle, and I carried this exclusively on all hound hunts with open express sights.

I did shoot my largest stag with the 30/06 though, and this has accounted for several Sambar in my hands and that of visiting friends and as a spare, which I always had on hand.

Small game (foxes, rabbits, hares, quail and waterfowl) fell to the 12G and a 22 Krico with the creepiest trigger you have ever felt and a couple of quality air rifles, just because I wanted to make rabbit hunting a bit more interesting.

Back home in the Territory after a long time south of the border and pigs and buff are back on the menu. Pigs are usually handled with a sharp knife and a willing dog (or two) so buff was the only reason a man needed a rifle. Here the 375H&H I purchased previously was used extensively. Handloading 350 grain Woodleigh’s it was the biggest gun any of my hunting crew possessed, so when a bull was located or wounded in thick scrub guess who did the follow up. Usually on foot.

Several (educational / scary) experiences later and the 375H&H has been moved on for a 458 Win Mag because I want to see at least one grandchild, and I now believe that I have most bases covered. I have a 125-year-old 303 Enfield Mk1* that has been converted to a poor man's Lee Speed as I believe they are still the sexiest rifle ever made, and this is probably the only gun purchased without a hunting need or predetermined application.

My collection doesn’t change much as each piece is an intricate component of my hunting journey and based on need rather than aesthetics (apart from the aforementioned 303). I have spares of most i.e. three 12G shotguns, two air rifles and several calibres that cross over in the cartridge power matrix but everything I have is what I wanted / needed at the time. I have only ever bought one gun new (30/06) which is the only plastic stocked gun that I have as I am a sucker for walnut and blued steel, but that is just me

In one way I do envy the gun community that lives outside the USA. Due to regulations being more strict you all tend to be WAY more practical and WAY less whimsical in your firearm selection. I'd even argue that Australia has better hunting opportunities than the US with all their invasive species that can be hunted year round.

Thanks for sharing your much more practical journey with firearms!

 

[CastShooter]

I have to laugh a little at this. I was expecting a look back over the last 70 years. I’m only a few years older than you. My tastes in calibers and rifles really hasn’t changed at all in last 20 years. It’s mostly centered around practically for hunting. I swapped my 300 H&H I was given as a teenager for a 300 Win mostly due to ammo availability. I bought a 375 H&H for my first buffalo hunt maybe 8 years ago. Then I added a 458 for an elephant hunt. The only real change in my thinking is reaching for a 223 more often than a 300 mag now. I still prefer somewhat heavy bolt action rifles and simple duplex scopes.

One day I hope to be able to write about my 7 decades of firearm experience. I feel like we live in amazing times for the firearm industry, the amount of change that's happening is exciting (to me at least). When I first got into the gun world, magnum mania was in full swing. We now have a resurgence of practical well thought out cartridges, and it's awesome.

I too tend to grab rifles suited for my young daughters, they love the 6mm ARC, 5.56, 350 Legend and my 450 Bushmaster with reduced loads. I believe they're what has made me gravitate to these highly practical rounds and fully devest from the magnum rifles.

 

[Ward]

One day I hope to be able to write about my 7 decades of firearm experience. I feel like we live in amazing times for the firearm industry, the amount of change that's happening is exciting (to me at least). When I first got into the gun world, magnum mania was in full swing. We now have a resurgence of practical well thought out cartridges, and it's awesome.

I too tend to grab rifles suited for my young daughters, they love the 6mm ARC, 5.56, 350 Legend and my 450 Bushmaster with reduced loads. I believe they're what has made me gravitate to these highly practical rounds and fully devest from the magnum rifles.

During the hunt for dangerous game, I never feel or hear the caliber if gun I’m shooting and tend to steer towards the 30-06 for most N American game or a smaller 308. I’m past needing to be kicked around. One of my favorite guns right now is a 22 Mag that at less than a 100 yards I can use on coyotes with good shot placement. With a suppressor I have no flinch and no need for hearing protection. The Ruger precision rifle in 22 Mag has become a favored gun for me, but I am also 74.

 

[Red Leg]

I have pretty much gone the other way. With respect to hunting, I have always been about proportionality - the perfectly balanced firearm for the game animal pursued (I have amended that for Africa where the .375 has proved so nearly ideal for nearly everything - and I hate schlepping more than one gun). That search for the ideal extends to feathered game as well as big game. I am very much a traditionalist with respect to shotguns - most are doubles from the golden age between the World Wars. I can go to the gun room and head off with a gun perfectly balanced and designed for anything from a Greater Canada to a plantation quail and anything and every thing between. The same is true of rifles. My current favorite "deer" rifle is a single shot by Bailey Bradshaw in7x65R. But were I heading to West Texas for a mule deer, it would be with the Blaser R8 carrying either the .257 Wby or .300 Win Mag barrel. Though my first mule deer was taken with a Ruger No. 1 in .300 H&H. All that said, most of the whitetails I have taken (lots) were with a .270 - I think I currently own four. As an excuse, I grew of age reading Jack O'Connor. My last African hunt was for plains game in Zambia, and my .275 Rigby was just about perfect. Mrs. Red Leg will do great with the auction.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I’m in my late 20s and just got into casting bullets last summer. I doubt another jacketed bullet will ever go down the barrel of my Sixguns.