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What is your most consistent Rifle ?

Thank you for reminding me of my dear Friend.

Malcolm had two wives, both died young. He had no kids. I became like a son to him. I moved away, bought some ranch land in the mountains and built a home. He lived in what became suburbia. Used to be farmland. He visited my place several times. Brought his Springfield up to shoot it.

We talked by phone a lot. He always called me on my birthday,,,then one year when he did not. I called him. No answer. Hmmm. I got worried. I did not know any of his family. So I called all the local hospitals and found him. We had fine conversation.

The next day I called back and he was dead. I got info for the funeral service and drove several hours to attend. I knew nobody but they had been told about me by Malcolm. I have no idea what happened to his Springfield, or the custom .257 Roberts he had built on a Mexican Small ring Mauser for his second wife maned Gertrude.

He once gave me a spike elk antler. I had a Green River skinning knife blade I bought in Wyoming. I made a handle for it with that antler. Malcolm was born right after our National Forest system was born, they literally grew up together.

He never overused fork and spoon, stayed lean and trim his whole life. He was greatly disappointed with fat hunters, especially when using quads which were just coming out around the time he and I were friends.

At his funeral I was told he did not suffer much. One day he just did not feel well, checked in to the hospital and “checked out” two days later.

I can still recall the kindness, gentleness and gratitude in his voice when I found him and we had our final conversation.

Never once in the many hours we spent together did we ever once talk politics. I had no idea what party he belonged too nor did he ever once ask about my political leanings.

All we talked about was the outdoors. His knowledge was extensive. He read all the works of early field biologists, many funded by the Pittman Robertson Act and he only shot what he would eat. He never shots predators, saying killing something because it was trying to stay alive and feed it’s young was not for him. I have followed suit.

He did regret not serving in the military, being just too young for WW1 and too old for WW2. He did however take great pride in his work supporting the passing of Pittman Robertson Act,,,which I found out from him, was actually begun by WW1 vets. After seeing how devoid of wildlife Europe had become they were inspired to help American wildlife.

He attended many meetings with them as they planned their campaign to get the Federal Aid to Wildlife Act passed. In the end it only passed by one vote, gained by having a Woman’s State Garden club in the Midwest, who fully supported the Act, mercilessly hound the needed politician until he voted for it. It was a hard pass, in the Great Depression then,,asking for such sacrifice and knowing that funding would pay for enforcement of existing laws.

This is all lost information now.

I wrote a fine article about him. I submitted it to several outdoor mags but it was rejected over and over.

Malcolm had the purist spirit and most generous, unselfish heart of any hunter I ever met.

Rifles can collect an essence from their owners. Wherever that rifle is, it will miss him forever, like I do.

MR
 
Thank you for reminding me of my dear Friend.

Malcolm had two wives, both died young. He had no kids. I became like a son to him. I moved away, bought some ranch land in the mountains and built a home. He lived in what became suburbia. Used to be farmland. He visited my place several times. Brought his Springfield up to shoot it.

We talked by phone a lot. He always called me on my birthday,,,then one year when he did not. I called him. No answer. Hmmm. I got worried. I did not know any of his family. So I called all the local hospitals and found him. We had fine conversation.

The next day I called back and he was dead. I got info for the funeral service and drove several hours to attend. I knew nobody but they had been told about me by Malcolm. I have no idea what happened to his Springfield, or the custom .257 Roberts he had built on a Mexican Small ring Mauser for his second wife maned Gertrude.

He once gave me a spike elk antler. I had a Green River skinning knife blade I bought in Wyoming. I made a handle for it with that antler. Malcolm was born right after our National Forest system was born, they literally grew up together.

He never overused fork and spoon, stayed lean and trim his whole life. He was greatly disappointed with fat hunters, especially when using quads which were just coming out around the time he and I were friends.

At his funeral I was told he did not suffer much. One day he just did not feel well, checked in to the hospital and “checked out” two days later.

I can still recall the kindness, gentleness and gratitude in his voice when I found him and we had our final conversation.

Never once in the many hours we spent together did we ever once talk politics. I had no idea what party he belonged too nor did he ever once ask about my political leanings.

All we talked about was the outdoors. His knowledge was extensive. He read all the works of early field biologists, many funded by the Pittman Robertson Act and he only shot what he would eat. He never shots predators, saying killing something because it was trying to stay alive and feed it’s young was not for him. I have followed suit.

He did regret not serving in the military, being just too young for WW1 and too old for WW2. He did however take great pride in his work supporting the passing of Pittman Robertson Act,,,which I found out from him, was actually begun by WW1 vets. After seeing how devoid of wildlife Europe had become they were inspired to help American wildlife.

He attended many meetings with them as they planned their campaign to get the Federal Aid to Wildlife Act passed. In the end it only passed by one vote, gained by having a Woman’s State Garden club in the Midwest, who fully supported the Act, mercilessly hound the needed politician until he voted for it. It was a hard pass, in the Great Depression then,,asking for such sacrifice and knowing that funding would pay for enforcement of existing laws.

This is all lost information now.

I wrote a fine article about him. I submitted it to several outdoor mags but it was rejected over and over.

Malcolm had the purist spirit and most generous, unselfish heart of any hunter I ever met.

Rifles can collect an essence from their owners. Wherever that rifle is, it will miss him forever, like I do.

MR
thank you for sharing those kind thoughts on your friend Malcolm. Obviously both of you special friends
 
If I understand the question correctly, it would be the 71/348, as it is what is used continually. It is not the most accurate, it does not wear a scope well, so it doesn't , but it accounts for 80% of everything I hunt
 
A2E3ED2F-8F74-48E0-8633-842E32E79D28.jpegI’ve recently unloaded a Weatherby Vanguard ii stainless 270 because of inconsistent patterns. I always return to my JM 45-70 that no matter what conditions or how warm the barrel shoots close to 1 moa with lead free GMX 250 gr sporting a 2-8 Vortex Diamondback HP. I just have to limit my range.
 
View attachment 174658I’ve recently unloaded a Weatherby Vanguard ii stainless 270 because of inconsistent patterns. I always return to my JM 45-70 that no matter what conditions or how warm the barrel shoots close to 1 moa with lead free GMX 250 gr sporting a 2-8 Vortex Diamondback HP. I just have to limit my range.
Marlins are a great rifle. I have never been without one in over 50 years of hunting and shooting. A friend of mine had a Vanguard. I reloaded for him. It was one of the very few rifles that I could never get to shoot consistently.

Congrats on going non-lead.

Along the way in my life I once bought a "retirement" Marlin model 336 in 30-30. When a Marlin employee retired long ago they were gifted a spruced up rifle. It had incredible wood and was an amazing shooter.

I gifted it to a young hunter/friend along with a vintage Lyman peep site.

MR
 
Same with both my A-bolt in .22-250and the other A bolt II in. 204, they like whatever you feed em. Been trying to find one in .280 rem. Most of them I've found are heavily used. I've got more expensive rifles but those A bolts are my go to.
X4 on the browning A-bolt. My best is my 22-250. My 300 isnt far behind but just doesnt shoot as tight of groups to begin with, very consistent tho. I could take either out of the safe with the intentions of killing a critter in the morning with total confidence.
 
My most consistent is a Remington 788 in .308 Win. In 30 years I've used three different scopes with several factory and hand loads. It will shoot sub MOA and performs well in the field. Made my longest shot with it at 615 paces.
 
Probably my 1997 Model 70 classic stainless in .270. It was my first purchase after college. It has worn a Burris 3x9x40 for its entire life in Leupy mounts. I have shot that rifle more than any other rifle in the stable. It has been from Ohio to Michigan to Colorado to New Mexico to Missouri to Florida, ridden on 4 wheelers, trucks, side by sides, packs, etc.. and the rifle just plain shoots to the same spot every time.

But I will say that as with anything associated with aim whether sports or shooting related, confidence is 99% of the equation.
It is amazing how big,,, even a small breach of confidence becomes. I had a blue and walnut model 70 CRF in .270. I hunted the southwest with it for may years. Then when I got to the PNW and it’s wetness that was a game changer.



A young friend craved having it so I sold it to him. He now lives in Nevada,,,,so dry,, no issues. Those 3-9 Burris scopes are great. Some people hate how the back turns when changing power. That allows them to have one less set on “O” rings.



I have one on my 6.5x55 model 70 stainless featherweight and one on my new Kimber hunter in 280AI. All is well. The reticles are a little thicker and with old eyes they do not go double without glasses.



Life without a .270 seems unbearable. I have a model 70 standard weight pre-64 in .270. It wears a rebuilt weaver fixed 6x. Such a classic rig, but too heavy to haul around anymore and that front screw into the barrel can get groups weird
 
My most consistent is a Remington 788 in .308 Win. In 30 years I've used three different scopes with several factory and hand loads. It will shoot sub MOA and performs well in the field. Made my longest shot with it at 615 paces.
I met an old fellow deer hunting right on the California Nevada border with a rifle just like yours. It was his "only" rifle for elk too.
Those 788's were real performers.
 
Sitka Gear Turkey Tool Belt

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