Is classic hunting bolt action rifle dead or?

[DoubleDown]

Is classic hunting bolts action rifle dead or?


I consider classic hunting rifle without detach mag, fancy CF barrel, threaded barrel etc… and only Winchester 70 and Howa as I know still makes that. Or should I accept as classic is what we have now? All suit up super magnum rigs that can stop a tank.
Share your thoughts what classic bolt rifle is?

 

[TN2shot07]

I’d check out the Bergara timber rifles. I’m a long time 700 fan and that’s probably as good a factory clone as you’ll get in a classic format

 

[DJL2]

I just sold my M70 in .30-06... it was the 2018 SHOT Super Grade Maple. Absolutely gorgeous, I miss it. I saw a picture tonight of my youngest son holding it, about 18 months ago, before I started "improving" it. I felt a pretty strong pang of nostalgia, regret. If I am dumb enough, it's back as the 2021 SHOT special... could get it again, but would likely do .300 Win Mag this time around.

Aesthetically, that rifle checked all the boxes for me. Unfortunately, the stock fit me poorly and the accuracy was mediocre. I made a bunch of changes that destroyed my connection to the rifle. Realizing the mag box was only 3.4" was the final straw for me. I put a lot of carbon fiber on that rifle and great expense... and it was substantially lessened in my eyes.

I'll take quality wood to crappy injection modeled plastic any day of the week. Sadly, buying quality wood seems a fool's errand. There aren't many options and they're aren't great value. The M70 stock is fine aside from being an inch too long for me. My only other gripe would be the grip angle... more appropriate for sporting clays than a rifle... but... the looks...

The $1800 MSRP on the 2021 Super Grade Maple is aboslutely disgusting... terrible value for money. That being said, if I could be sure of getting one that shot well, I'd still do it... and have the stock cut down to a proper length of pull.

Model 70 Super Grade Maple | Bolt-Action Rifle | Winchester

SHOT Show 2016 Special - AAA maple stock, Super Grade stock profile, Ebony fore-end tip, cut checkering, Pachmayr pad.

www.winchesterguns.com

 

[Mr Drysdale]

While I think a classic wood and blue rifle is pretty, I don’t have any except for a antique lever rifle and shotgun passed down from my father. I hunt with my rifles and shotguns and I don’t want to be worried about ruining them. All are synthetic stocked and most are stainless. To me it would be like driving a Cadillac Escalade through a blow down and trying not to scratch it. JMO

 

[DoubleDown]

I just sold my M70 in .30-06... it was the 2018 SHOT Super Grade Maple. Absolutely gorgeous, I miss it. I saw a picture tonight of my youngest son holding it, about 18 months ago, before I started "improving" it. I felt a pretty strong pang of nostalgia, regret. If I am dumb enough, it's back as the 2021 SHOT special... could get it again, but would likely do .300 Win Mag this time around.

Aesthetically, that rifle checked all the boxes for me. Unfortunately, the stock fit me poorly and the accuracy was mediocre. I made a bunch of changes that destroyed my connection to the rifle. Realizing the mag box was only 3.4" was the final straw for me. I put a lot of carbon fiber on that rifle and great expense... and it was substantially lessened in my eyes.

I'll take quality wood to crappy injection modeled plastic any day of the week. Sadly, buying quality wood seems a fool's errand. There aren't many options and they're aren't great value. The M70 stock is fine aside from being an inch too long for me. My only other gripe would be the grip angle... more appropriate for sporting clays than a rifle... but... the looks...

The $1800 MSRP on the 2021 Super Grade Maple is aboslutely disgusting... terrible value for money. That being said, if I could be sure of getting one that shot well, I'd still do it... and have the stock cut down to a proper length of pull.

Model 70 Super Grade Maple | Bolt-Action Rifle | Winchester

SHOT Show 2016 Special - AAA maple stock, Super Grade stock profile, Ebony fore-end tip, cut checkering, Pachmayr pad.

www.winchesterguns.com

Thanks for sharing

 

[FLATHEAD]

700's and lever actions for me.
Oh, and a bolt 22wmr marlin.

 

[DoubleDown]

While I think a classic wood and blue rifle is pretty, I don’t have any except for a antique lever rifle and shotgun passed down from my father. I hunt with my rifles and shotguns and I don’t want to be worried about ruining them. All are synthetic stocked and most are stainless. To me it would be like driving a Cadillac Escalade through a blow down and trying not scratch it. JMO

I agree plastic and stainless are universal for hunting rifle. But it’s missing a”soul”

 

[Zappaman]

Basic rifle is alive and well... but the old "classics" are now out of the working man's budget. Model700s/70s and Ruger 1's were sold used for under $400 ten years ago-- now they are $800.

BUT... old Savage 110s (re-barreled) -- OR NEW Axis XP IIs, Ruger Americans, and a couple of "plastic" rifles out there today shoot AMAZINGLY good and now ARE the standard for "basic" bolt rifles.

I had trouble with the plastic rifle UNTIL I started tweaking Savage Axis II rifles with lightweight plastic stocks and bottom line: They shoot JUST AS GOOD OR BETTER than the old "classics" and the lighter weight on the Savage Axis/Ruger American (at 6lbs, 2 oz.) make them superb carry rifles (for mountain top hunting where you have to manage rough terrain and it's nice to NOT worry about scratching up your custom $3k rifle- while also KNOWING the rifle you have will make the shot). Put good glass on them and these plastic guns shoot like hell! (*especially the latest Weatherby Vanguards in larger calibers!)

Modern machining and new designs have replace the old Model 700/70/1 designs of 35 years ago... and as much as I LOVE a good walnut stock --I'm not paying $800 for a "maybe" used rifle when I can buy a new one for 1/2 that... and put 5 bullets in a 1" hole on a target at 200 yards with these new guns.

We all love the old wood... but with a very good scope (at 12 oz) I'm under 7 lbs with my Savage Axis rifles (with custom stocks and barrels on a few BTW) and I'm happy with my NEW bolt guns when I can take them into hell and back and not worry about there re-sell value. I find I USE them more than my several other "safe queens" and I don't think I'll be starting a gun museum any time soon.

So USE your rifles, don't "store" or "collect" them!!! You'll be infinately happier you did while you are alive to do so... they are worth NOTHING after you are dead- right?

 

[Castle Rock]

I hope so, gone are the days when you had to spend days and dollars bedding, waterproofing stocks, working up the mystical load

 

[Dalen88]

my hunting rifle is for utility to me, i beat the crap out of it draging it around the mountains. But when my father in law was selling his marlin 45/70 stainless with that grayish greenish laminated stock i know what you mean by "soul" i had to have that thing!

 

[DJL2]

If I could get a AAA Maple stock with a vertical grip, reverse comb and 12.75 inch LOP I would build a rifle around it… would settle for walnut, possibly. I’d prefer something a little more robust than traditional bluing, but that luster…

I’ve got a K-31 in my gun safe that I can hear laughing softly every time someone says wood isn’t durable and wood stocked rifle can’t shoot…

 

[Wapiti1]

If I could get a AAA Maple stock with a vertical grip, reverse comb and 12.75 inch LOP I would build a rifle around it… would settle for walnut, possibly. I’d prefer something a little more robust than traditional bluing, but that luster…

I’ve got a K-31 in my gun safe that I can hear laughing softly every time someone says wood isn’t durable and wood stocked rifle can’t shoot…

Talk to Joel Russo. There are others that make them as well, but the ones of his that I've seen were sweet.

Jeremy

 

[TN2shot07]

I’m glad we have so many options now. I have a stainless/synthetic and a couple that I've had cerakoted that get rotated and stay in my truck all season for when the weather is particularly bad. Most of the time I'm carrying a wood/blued rifle. They require a little extra care at the end of the day but it's well worth it to me. They were designed to be used and don't have to be babied, all the knicks and scuffs are stories for when that gun makes it to somebody else one day. I've just never walked into a gun shop and saw a well used Super Black Eagle or Axis and said man I sure do need that but a well worn M70, wingmaster, or an old A5 may make their way back home.

 

[WRM]

Take a look at what good (which typically means old) fancy wood blanks are going for. Yes, there is nothing like a classic bolt (or lever) rifle with a wood stock that has soul. You just aren't going to get that in anything close to an entry level rifle today. Between the cost of the wood and the cost to fit and finish it, there just isn't enough market for most any gun manufacturer to make much product available. People just aren't going to pay for it.

I wanted one rifle that I really felt had some character. Chose a lever in .45-70. Bought a fine English walnut stock from Treebone. Spent months laboriously completing the inletting and finishing. Coated in pure Tung oil to accentuate the wood and protect it. It's now about as waterproof as wood gets, with a low sheen finish. I don't even want to know how much money I have tied up in that one gun. I could not afford to do it again. But, I'm satisfied with it. If you want that look, you can get it, but you may have to do it yourself.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

When I lived down south I had wooden/blued rifles, now I don’t have any. It’s just too wet and rainy here, even stainless synthetic rifles take a beating.

 

[orelkaddict]

How funny to see this thread as my wife and I had this exact conversation last weekend!! My wife, my self and each of our oldest 3 kids all have that 1 beautiful wood/blued rifle. Those usually aren't the ones we hunt with anymore but still love the "classic" rifle look! I'm contemplating picking up a Weatherby mark V classic wood in 257 Weatherby to actually use out hunting. Problem is gonna be not being able to use a can so it's trips to the field might get cut short lol

 

[Rich M]

A nice blue and wood bolt is the classic gun. As is a sxs double. IMO anyway.

 

[JohnJohnson]

All suit up super magnum rigs that can stop a tank.

I think there's been considerable pushback on the super magnum trend over the last 5 years. People can make fun of it all they want but the 6.5CM trend is largely about having a round which mimics the in-air ballistics of some of the magnum rounds without having the magnum recoil. I think it's a good thing since in my experience most guys who have .300 Remchesterby shit-kicking magnums tend to shoot them poorly and not often.

Edit: As nice as wood-stocked blued guns are, they're essentially useless to me since I shoot suppressed. If I can't mount a suppressor on a rifle, I'm not buying it.

 

[z987k]

When I lived down south I had wooden/blued rifles, now I don’t have any. It’s just too wet and rainy here, even stainless synthetic rifles take a beating.

Ya. Wood/blue guns are for safes and range days. Maybe a truck to a blind hunt where it's super cushy, no chance of you getting wet or having to walk through anything.
Hunting with them tears them appart.
Synthetic and stainless only. My rifles double as oars should the need arise.

 

[RMP]

I must be missing something. I've hunted with blued and wood guns for more than 40 years, on clear days and raining days, and never had one rust. In fact, I've never had one rust anywhere that wasn't due to a lack of care afterwards. My grandfather and father always preached, clean your gun first when you get home, before you do anything else. I've done that since I was a child. It's that way I was brought up.

I inherited my grandfather's and father's blued and wood guns that were hunted with hard and none of them came to me with rust. Several had exceptional bluing wear that only added to their character, but none had rust.

It wasn't too long ago that there were next to no stainless steel and plastic guns to buy. It's a wonder that millions of blue and wood guns survived.

Google Inuit Hunters or Inuit Rifles. These folks that live in harsher environments that you and I will ever imagine, hunting walrus and seals in wet, frozen, salt environments, are mostly toting wood and blued guns. Many of them are long-out-of-production guns. And I doubt many of them have been sent off to some boutique for cerakoting.