The best high-end rifle is almost any rifle that fits you and that you can shoot well. For me personally I want a rifle that is better than me. I want a rifle that with me shooting can touch two out of three shots most of the time at 100 yards. I figure that is better than I can shoot so I cannot blame the rifle.
But what is more important is that you have faith in your ability to shoot the rifle well.
My late hunting buddy spent over a year with a Garand in Korea at the end of the war. He could not wait to get there and being a Marine, he was always a great shot. Growing up ammo was not easy to get, and he hunted for food. He was a Rifleman. He got home and bought a 6.5 jap carbine of sorts. From time to time, I would buy him a box of ammo. He did not use much ammo but there was an animal linked to almost every round he fired, sometimes two if he could line them up right. Open sights, running, walking, standing still did not matter he head shot deer out to 200 yards. He knew his Rifle, and he was deadly with it. We would be in a room with a bunch of hunters with fancy rifles and I knew who to put my money on. I am sure they were laughing on the inside looking at that rifle with no scope but If anyone was going to kill a deer it would be Walter with that jap rifle.
Now that is some real red hot gospel !! For myself, I had a Sporterized 1903 Springfield that I got at the Costa Mesa Gun Show many years ago. Which I upped & swapped out the barrel for a Shilen Barrel in 243 Winchester.
I then called it the most boring rifle in History. Seeing as that the patterns it gave me were just amazing. Thankfully my great Son has it now. So I know that it is in good hands!
My Father hunted with a 1903 also. I remember his first-year deer hunting. He had fallen off a pole and had his foot in a cast. About 1970. he could not work so he went hunting. He was hunting with a Garand that first year. He did get a buck. Everyman on that lease had been in WW2 and they all could shoot. He got one of his 1903 a3’s sporterized for the rest of his hunting years. He had been a corpsman on Okinawa and in the occupation forces. At night they played dominos and drank Ancient Age till about 3 am. Us kids sat back and listened and kept the fire going. I did not realize the education I was getting at that time.
Sounds a lot like my dad. (Pusan Perimeter July 1950 Korea) I really miss him & he pissed out more brains than I ever had!
My first hunting rifle was an SMLE 1943 made up here. Was a good rifle but ammo is pricey, it jicks like a mule and my shoulder disliked it years later. Now the oldest has it and she enjoys it, i mostly do 308 these days.
A good rifle and I love the 308. But like you time as taken its toll of me also!
6 replies on “What’s the Best HIGH-END Rifle?”
The best high-end rifle is almost any rifle that fits you and that you can shoot well. For me personally I want a rifle that is better than me. I want a rifle that with me shooting can touch two out of three shots most of the time at 100 yards. I figure that is better than I can shoot so I cannot blame the rifle.
But what is more important is that you have faith in your ability to shoot the rifle well.
My late hunting buddy spent over a year with a Garand in Korea at the end of the war. He could not wait to get there and being a Marine, he was always a great shot. Growing up ammo was not easy to get, and he hunted for food. He was a Rifleman. He got home and bought a 6.5 jap carbine of sorts. From time to time, I would buy him a box of ammo. He did not use much ammo but there was an animal linked to almost every round he fired, sometimes two if he could line them up right. Open sights, running, walking, standing still did not matter he head shot deer out to 200 yards. He knew his Rifle, and he was deadly with it. We would be in a room with a bunch of hunters with fancy rifles and I knew who to put my money on. I am sure they were laughing on the inside looking at that rifle with no scope but If anyone was going to kill a deer it would be Walter with that jap rifle.
Now that is some real red hot gospel !! For myself, I had a Sporterized 1903 Springfield that I got at the Costa Mesa Gun Show many years ago. Which I upped & swapped out the barrel for a Shilen Barrel in 243 Winchester.
I then called it the most boring rifle in History. Seeing as that the patterns it gave me were just amazing. Thankfully my great Son has it now. So I know that it is in good hands!
My Father hunted with a 1903 also. I remember his first-year deer hunting. He had fallen off a pole and had his foot in a cast. About 1970. he could not work so he went hunting. He was hunting with a Garand that first year. He did get a buck. Everyman on that lease had been in WW2 and they all could shoot. He got one of his 1903 a3’s sporterized for the rest of his hunting years. He had been a corpsman on Okinawa and in the occupation forces. At night they played dominos and drank Ancient Age till about 3 am. Us kids sat back and listened and kept the fire going. I did not realize the education I was getting at that time.
Sounds a lot like my dad. (Pusan Perimeter July 1950 Korea) I really miss him & he pissed out more brains than I ever had!
My first hunting rifle was an SMLE 1943 made up here. Was a good rifle but ammo is pricey, it jicks like a mule and my shoulder disliked it years later. Now the oldest has it and she enjoys it, i mostly do 308 these days.
A good rifle and I love the 308. But like you time as taken its toll of me also!