What is the Oldest Rifle You Actually Hunt Big Game with ?

[Don Fischer]

Last several tears hunting elk I used 1903 Springfield 30-06 sporterized in 1945 by Paul Jaeger

 

[Bambistew]

I've a commercial sporter FN Mauser that started life as a 9mmx57 in maybe 1930? Reamed to a 35 Brown Whelen, and restocked with $50 featherweight take-off. It goes on occasional trips.

Also have a 1954 M70 rebarreled to 338-06AI that gets hunted occasionally (top).View attachment 177679View attachment 20201108_151821.jpg

 

[Happy Myles]

My favorite is an old 416 Rigby by Griffin & Howe. I bought it second hand from Frank Pachmahyr around fifty years or so ago. Griffin & Howe are positive it is theirs but it is so old they do not have records of it. Frank claimed it had never been used Before I purchased it. I have used it relentlessly over all of Africa. Savannah elephant, forest elephant, scores of Cape buffalo, plains game, cats. A constant adventure companion. Close scrutiny show bluing gone from the barrel in two places. One spot where it has rubbed on countless safari lorry rifle racks and where my sweaty hand has gripped it at its breach. There is even a claw mark on the stock. After every trip I drop the action and clean it carefully. I also clean the stock with a high quality antique furniture cleaner then lovingly rub in stock wax. This happens after each and every trip.
My grown children say it will never be sold and be in the family forever. I have a hunch they thought i might ask for it to be buried with me. Kindest Regards

 

[morley.tyler]

My favorite is an old 416 Rigby by Griffin & Howe. I bought it second hand from Frank Pachmahyer around fifty years or so ago. Griffin & Howe are positive it is theirs but it is so old they do not have records of it. Frank claimed it had never been used Before I purchased it. I have used it relentlessly over all of Africa. Savannah elephant, forest elephant, scores of Cape buffalo, plains game, cats. A constant adventure companion. Close scrutiny show bluing gone from the barrel in two places. One spot where it has rubbed on countless safari lorry rifle racks and where my sweaty hand has gripped it at its breach. There is even a claw mark on the stock. After every trip I drop View attachment 177676the action and clean it carefully. I also clean the stock with a high quality antique furniture cleaner then lovingly rub in stock wax. This happens after each and every trip.
My grown children say it will never be sold and be in the family forever. I have a hunch they thought i might ask for it to be buried with me. Kindest Regards

Did you buy that from old man Pachmahyer at his gun club in LA? That this is a beauty.

 

[Happy Myles]

Yes Franks shop in downtown LA.

 

[grizzly63]

1949 336a marlin with the old 150 ww silvertips.
1953 336 with the old ww 150JHP
Marlin 1962? 256 win mag.

 

[grizzly63]

Come to think of it, I did shoot a deer with the 1917 7.5 x 55 swiss straight pull using a pistol scope offhand at 100 yds. That dang gun is accurate.

 

[Donnachaidh]

Although I changed to modern stainless/synthetic rifles a few years ago, I use this Damascus barrelled 16 bore for pheasants. It's by Hardy Bros of Alnwick (who became better known for fly rods and reels). I think it was built around 1900.

 

[Dunning Kruger]

Year before last i picked up a marlin 336sc mfg in 1949 and filled both of my bear tags with it. Have a 1956 winchester model 88 that ive taken multiple deer and bears with. Both are semi retired now. Not because they cant do the job, but because is like to keep them in good shape. May take them out on a bluebird day now and then in the future.

 

[mdhunter]

I still shoot my dads 1969 A-5 Belgium Browning 12 gauge. I was so tickled when he gave that gun to me and it still shoots as good as it looks. I love those shotguns!

 

[44hunter45]

8xx,xxx serial number 1894 in 30 WCF. Cody museum says it left the factory January 1916.

20” round barrel. No saddle ring. Factory tang sight. One of about 160 known “Eastern Carbine” models out of the factory.

My father got it from an old working cowboy in the 1950’s in return for tiling a kitchen counter top.

Most of us in the family took our first deer with it.

The bore is a mess but it still shoots about 2 MOA off sand bags with 170 grain RN.

I’ve been wanting to work up some paper patched loads for it.

 

[Europe]

If I was able to hunt today, the oldest thing in the field would be me !

and----just for the record, Brent and Ben, are way out of my league. Those boys have some real nice and really old firearms.

What an enjoyable thread to read, as many of your posts reminded me firearms, places and people from days of yesteryear, very enjoyable read.

We have several that are so called collectables that were built before the 1900's but I think the only four that are still used are the Winchester 1890 ( 22 ), Winchester 1894 ( 30-30 ), the 6.5 x 55 Swede and 6.5 x 54 M.S. ( however the swede and m.s. are actually early 1900's from memory, as is the Fox and Parker shotguns that are still useable )

My favorite is an old 416 Rigby by Griffin & Howe. I bought it second hand from Frank Pachmahyr around fifty years or so ago. Griffin & Howe are positive it is theirs but it is so old they do not have records of it. Frank claimed it had never been used Before I purchased it. I have used it relentlessly over all of Africa. Savannah elephant, forest elephant, scores of Cape buffalo, plains game, cats. A constant adventure companion. Close scrutiny show bluing gone from the barrel in two places. One spot where it has rubbed on countless safari lorry rifle racks and where my sweaty hand has gripped it at its breach. There is even a claw mark on the stock. After every trip I drop View attachment 177676the action and clean it carefully. I also clean the stock with a high quality antique furniture cleaner then lovingly rub in stock wax. This happens after each and every trip.
My grown children say it will never be sold and be in the family forever. I have a hunch they thought i might ask for it to be buried with me. Kindest Regards

NICE . However, having said that if anyone is planning an Elephant or Buffalo hunt, the only rifle that should be used is the double 450/400 ! with a side lock and a spare one in your pocket. Damn Happy Myles, I buy you books, send you to school, tell you all that I know and you still use the wrong rifle

All joking aside, this gentleman has been there and done that, and is still helping others with upcoming hunts. One last point, if you reread his post, having hunted both species of elephants is impressive. I am not sure that one can even hunt the Jungle elephant now, because of the political turmoil in those countries, but if you ever are able to do so, it is a completely different experience . Two totally different "Africa's "

p.s. how could I forget my old Stevens combination

 

[Panda Bear]

My favorite is an old 416 Rigby by Griffin & Howe. I bought it second hand from Frank Pachmahyr around fifty years or so ago. Griffin & Howe are positive it is theirs but it is so old they do not have records of it. Frank claimed it had never been used Before I purchased it. I have used it relentlessly over all of Africa. Savannah elephant, forest elephant, scores of Cape buffalo, plains game, cats. A constant adventure companion. Close scrutiny show bluing gone from the barrel in two places. One spot where it has rubbed on countless safari lorry rifle racks and where my sweaty hand has gripped it at its breach. There is even a claw mark on the stock. After every trip I drop View attachment 177676the action and clean it carefully. I also clean the stock with a high quality antique furniture cleaner then lovingly rub in stock wax. This happens after each and every trip.
My grown children say it will never be sold and be in the family forever. I have a hunch they thought i might ask for it to be buried with me. Kindest Regards

Claw mark ? please share that story

The rifle is beautiful but so is the room !!!!

What brand of bullet's are those three in the front and what animal did you dig them out of ?

for me the Win 348, 275 H & H, and 303 Ross, however my grandfather loved the Savage model 99 and 95 and has both models

 

[Sasquatchewan]

I've hunted, once, with a Savage Model 1895 made in 1895 in .303 Savage. I was an idiot and sold it (doubled my money too, but should've kept it).

Didn't shoot anything but it was pretty f'n cool!

 

[Happy Myles]

If I was able to hunt today, the oldest thing in the field would be me !

and----just for the record, Brent and Ben, are way out of my league. Those boys have some real nice and really old firearms.

What an enjoyable thread to read, as many of your posts reminded me firearms, places and people from days of yesteryear, very enjoyable read.

We have several that are so called collectables that were built before the 1900's but I think the only four that are still used are the Winchester 1890 ( 22 ), Winchester 1894 ( 30-30 ), the 6.5 x 55 Swede and 6.5 x 54 M.S. ( however the swede and m.s. are actually early 1900's from memory, as is the Fox and Parker shotguns that are still useable )


NICE . However, having said that if anyone is planning an Elephant or Buffalo hunt, the only rifle that should be used is the double 450/400 ! with a side lock and a spare one in your pocket. Damn Happy Myles, I buy you books, send you to school, tell you all that I know and you still use the wrong rifle

All joking aside, this gentleman has been there and done that, and is still helping others with upcoming hunts. One last point, if you reread his post, having hunted both species of elephants is impressive. I am not sure that one can even hunt the Jungle elephant now, because of the political turmoil in those countries, but if you ever are able to do so, it is a completely different experience . Two totally different "Africa's "

p.s. how could I forget my old Stevens combination

Europe read carefully, I wrote my favorite old rifle was my constant companion the ancient 416 Rigby. I have also killed elephant with a 470 Nitro Express, a 500 Nitro express, (both double rifles), a 500 Jeffery, and a 450 Ackley. The later two bolt rifles. I just seem to always have my 416 Rigby handy so it sees more action. Sort of like my old dog Tez here at home. I have taken seven Cape buffalo with my 416 Remington. It works fine, just like my Rigby better. Think it is the individual rifle, not the caliber. If i try to leave it in campi, it gives me a lonely look. Kindest Regards

 

[Happy Myles]

Claw mark ? please share that story

The rifle is beautiful but so is the room !!!!

What brand of bullet's are those three in the front and what animal did you dig them out of ?

for me the Win 348, 275 H & H, and 303 Ross, however my grandfather loved the Savage model 99 and 95 and has both models

Panda, the three bullets below the rifle each took a buffalo with one shot per animal during a 30 day Tanzania safari. They are 400 grain Barnes TSX which I have found very effective in that rifle. I was there for my 80th birthday. The claw mark occurred a couple decades ago. I had to interrupt an elephant hunt as authorities required me to take care of a problem leopard. Poor cat had not killed anyone, just eating things like chickens and goats. However, it was lurking around huts and locals were complaining. My PH knew I had successfully hunted cats all over so was not worried about our wellbeing. We went after the cat in a slipshod fashion and Mother Nature taught us not to rush and be over confident. Embarrassingly, i wounded the cat and later was mauled by the poor cranky critter. I finished it off with a huge whack over the head with my old 416. Lucky I did not bend the barrel. It was not a big leopard. All the Best.

 

[Harrier]

Last several tears hunting elk I used 1903 Springfield 30-06 sporterized in 1945 by Paul Jaeger

This is my sporterized Rock Island 1903, circa 1918. It’s what I used on my bear hunt and most of my Texas deer hunts.

 

[Cousin Basil]

My 1953 Remington 721 in 300 H&H is my main hunting rifle. I have hunted (not regularly) with a 1922 sporterized Mauser in 7x57 and an 1889 vintage Springfield 45/70.

 

[Happy Myles]

Claw mark ? please share that story

The rifle is beautiful but so is the room !!!!

What brand of bullet's are those three in the front and what animal did you dig them out of ?

for me the Win 348, 275 H & H, and 303 Ross, however my grandfather loved the Savage model 99 and 95 and has both models

Panda thank you for noticing my reloading room. Worth noting my wife suggested it. A few decades back she indicated i spent so much time there it should be nicer and more efficient. I got an architect involved and we worked out the details. Room for everything to be put away. Even the gun safes are behind locked oak doors. these days as an old man with a few health issues I do little reloading and frankly have more ammo for a wide variety of cartridges than I will ever use at this late time in my life. Hell to get old but has been a hell of a life. Kindest Regards

 

[Donnachaidh]

Following on from my post above, the one thing I really notice about using old rifles or guns is they feel so much better to me; it might be between my hands or between my ears, but there's just something special about them.