Which vintage military rifle is best for hunting? See first post...

[Barnaby Wylde]

Which vintage military rifle is best for hunting? See first post...

[Barnaby Wylde]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms-leFBhg9U

[jhjimbo]

I think Carlos used a Winchester Model 70.

Interesting note: the sniper school took his rifle to the range and the best they could get it to shoot was close to 3".

[ozarkghost]

If you are referring to Carlos Hathcock, yes it was a model 70.. Also he has a confirmed sniper kill with a M2 .50 machine gun.

[Carl Huber]

Best vintage Military rifle as far as Deer size game. The Swedish Mauser gets my vote. Due to the 6.5 round and the availability of gently used cheap rifles.

[RES1956]

My vote goes for the 03 Springfield or 98 Mauser in 8mm.

[Treestand]

I would say my Sedgley Springfield Sporter 03 with a star * Bbl gets my vote.

[Ontario Honker Hunter]

I believe the 1903-A3 30-06 Springfield took the Gunfight Friday competition against 303 Enfield. I'm personally familiar with that rifle. I believe it probably would have taken a similar competition against 98 Mauser in 8mm based on ammo availability. If had a magnum cartridge barrel on it the outcome of the fight would be more difficult to forecast.

[Ontario Honker Hunter]

I believe the 1903-A3 30-06 Springfield took the Gunfight Friday competition against 303 Enfield. I'm personally familiar with that rifle. I believe it probably would have taken a similar competition against 98 Mauser in 8mm based on ammo availability. If the Mauser had a modern magnum cartridge barrel on it the outcome of the fight would be more difficult to forecast.

[Amflyer]

As far as "out of the box" or in this case, "as issued," it would be hard to beat a Swiss K31. Good trigger, accurate rifle, fast action.

[DakotaMan]

I'd have to say the Springfield O3A3. The action was very durable, easy to use (e.g. feeding, loading/unloading), balanced and quite accurate with the strong steel, flat bottomed receiver with large integral recoil lug. Designs for the M98 style receivers come from the late 1800's but they are still some of the finest available for hunting applications. They are more likely to operate in mud, sleet, snow and rain than anything else available today. On top of that, they can be nearly as accurate as modern bench rest receivers.

I used a Sringfield for a while and it was top notch. I ultimately got a deal on an M98 which I would rank as second. In my youth, everyone was customizing these two great rifles for hunting purposes. All you had to do was bend the bolt and they both operated well with telescopic sights.

I added premium barrels, an adjustable trigger and a well bedded stock. Every barrel I had on that receiver was a shooter but barrels, bullets and optics just kept getting better. That rifle now shoots in the .1s and is capable of 3.5" five shot groups at 1000 yards. After over 40,000 rounds from me (who knows how many it had on it when I got it in 1967) it is still going strong. It went elk/deer hunting again this Fall as one of the best hunting rifles I have ever been exposed to. It goes bang every time you want it to and it hits right where the optics are aimed. It is still up to me to get it in position for a shot and to get the optics on the target but the rifle does its j
job... so would the O3A3.

[99explorer]

I have a custom sporting rifle built on a WWI vintage 1903 Springfield action. That combination was the classic "light rifle" taken on many African safaris by Teddy Roosevelt, Ernest Hemingway and Stewart Edward White, among others.
That gets my vote.

[WA Mtnhunter]

Why spend money on a custom anything on a surplus military action of questionable strength when excellent rifles like the Nosler 48 or Forbes rifles can be had for about the same money all told?

[99explorer]

WAM - You are right, but there are people who enjoy owning one-of-a-kind firearms.

[Amflyer]

Sort of reminds me of the a 35 Whelen I just put together. It's a Savage, so I got one of the Shaw barrels, and installed that. I replaced the stock and bedded it. New mounts and scope, new sling.

Shoot fine, weighs too much. It's a hobby, I guess.

My wife asked me what it was for. I told her that is was sort of like the 338, sort of like the 3000WM, sort of like the 375. Finally, I admitted that it overlapped a lot of the rifles I already had, and that I should probably just sell it.

"Why don't you?" she asked.

I told her that I wanted to keep it for sentimental reasons, as it was a gift and my first "real" rifle. She got a funny look on her face, then dropped it. I guess there isn't really too much of the "old rifle" left anymore.

But I'm still not selling it.