Deer rifles

Was talking to another old timer(I just turned 57)about deer hunting,rifles in particular.In the north woods back then the lever actions ruled,and a sprinkling of Remington semi's and pumps chambered in 30.06 or .308.But there was always a collection of surplus rifles in the camps back then,7 and 8 mm's,30-40 Krags,,303 British,.30 carbine,etc.One guy always carried a 6.5 Carcano,one guy had an old 8mmLebel.Springfields and Eddystones,chambered in 30-06.Does anyone here still use these old warhorses?Personally I love these old rifles,they might not look pretty but they always got the job done.

I have an old British 303 but don’t hunt with it.

Old 30-30 here.

1948 Winchester 94....30-30

Dad has an old 6.5 Carcano but rarely pulls it out of the closet. I've often thought about trying to kill a deer or antelope with it. Small little cartridge with a big long bullet.

I love hunting with the old military rifles.Deadly!

I have several old mausers that were carried by old timers I grew up hunting with. I have my great uncles 30-40 krag that was his main deer rifle from the '50s-2001 as well as one of my great grandfathers old eddystone 30-06 that has been passed down through the years. I, as well as most of my family members have hunted with them all over the years. I still grab that old 30-40 krag once in awhile and a neighbor kid just shot a fork horn buck with it 2 weeks ago.

have my dads old 8mm its all he ever hunted with

I've taken deer with my Remington rolling block in 50-70 and a 43 Dutch Beaumont rifle. I love blackpowder cartridges both of these guns are old military rifles. My dad carried a trapdoor Springfield 45-70 now and then out in the woods.

I hunt with a Mod. 99 Savage .300 cal. "take down" that was manufactured in 1937. It was originally my grandfather''s. He passed it on to my uncle and then it was passed to me. I've been using it for about 40 years and take a deer every year with it.

WWII rifles were pretty common when i was a kid. Lots of 8mm mausers were in deer and elk camps. Same with the old 06,s from WWI sold mail order by the nra all through the 50,s. Saw an old krag here and there but not nearly as popular as the old A3’s or 8mm’s

back in the 70's a guy in a camp here hunted with a doble barreled rifle with a slug barrel underneath.

yessir, used often now days

I've always wanted a 303 British for some reason.

Yes sir, our family used lots of old military rifles.
We had 8mm mausers, 30-06 springfields and enfields and 303's My grandad bought them after the war, The 8mm he bought for 5 dollars. The guy had a dump-truck bed full of them driving around selling them.

The 303 was the gun he started me with.

6.5 Jap, British .303, 7mm Mauser, 30/40 craig, .257 Roberts and I think 6.5 argentine? I don't have any of these ,I just heard talk of them when I was younger.

While it's not as old as most of the guns talked about in this thread, I do most of my hunting with an old, pre-64 Winchester M 70 chambered in 30-06 that I inherited from my dad. He killed thousands of groundhogs, hundreds of whitetails and dozens mule deer, elk, moose and bear with it.

I try to keep the tradition going.

If I'm going to be hunting deer or bear in the thick stuff, I'll grab my old 1953 Marlin 336 chambered in .35 Remington.

The 2 barrel rifles were called "cape guns" with one barrel in a rifle caliber, the other a shotgun. The double barreled shotguns with a 3rd rifle barrel underneath were "Drillings". Very cool stuff and usually ornate and in metric or European calibers.

Have two 30-40 Krags, one of which was sporterized by my great grandfather? I think. Cool rifles, haven't hunted w/ them in years. Kinda like my Marlin 336 .35 Rem. lever action

I am planning to take my M1 Garand at some point.

I hunt with a Rem 760 30-06 that I bought in high school. I have killed a deer with my Dad's old 303 British. My Son has killed 3 with it so it's a 3 generation gun.

I have my grandfather's old Swiss Schmidt-Rubin with the straight pull bolt. It's chamber in .308 now. I haven't hunted with it, or even shot it. My older brother said he remembers taking it out once when we were kids, but I don't think he got anything with it. I'd love to use it some time for deer. I'd have to hunt outta the shack with it cause it weighs 9lbs empty, without a scope!

Every time I see a worn model 94 I see my dad walking thru the woods with his beloved .32 special.I bought a Mk5 .303 British Jungle carbine at the NTA convention in Escanaba,I'll be using that to fill my anterless permit.Love the character of these old guns.

Here in Georgia, lots of B&C bucks fell to the old military rifles such as 303s and 8mms in the 60s and 70s. Lots of people hunted with them because they were dirt cheap and plentiful.

Have a 50's 94 30-30 and a German Gewehr 98 MAUSER 8mm(w/iron sights) that I shoot when I am filling a bonus tag. The 8mm has all it parts numbered and has German military stamps all over it. Not in its original stock thought sadly. Hard to shoot more than once a season, lol.

I have my Dad's M1 Garand, Win. 94 and I hunt with a 38 year old Rem.7400 .308 win( no issues) and Marlin 336. (which will be re-bored to 35/30). Sarge

my uncle pete brought back a mauser with a 2 power scope on it and a swastika stamped in the scope. my cousin ricky hunted with it for years. won a few turkey shoots also. finally after he kept getting offers of serious money to sell it he quit hunting with it. I asked him about that rifle last thanksgiving. said he hadn't shot it in awhile but last time he did it was still a tack driver.

Wow!What an heirloom to pass down!I remember being in a Federals Dept.store in the early '70's with my dad and looking at racks of Mausers,$39.99 each.Tried talking dad into one,he just laughed.Couldn't believe the price I saw they bring nowdays.I can't imagine the value of one outfitted for sniper use.

My son got his buck last night with my 30-30 model 94 at 70 yards open sights. I missed a buck tonite with my Jungle Carbine. I went through a decade long phas of magnumitis. Then I learned how to hunt, and use open sighted old guns. Much more fun and challenging. Ask the deer I missed tonight.

Marlin Mod. 36 (not 336) in 30-30 Win has been my every day gun since 1969, before that I had a Jap 6,5?. Dad had 30-40 Krag & 8mm Czech Mauser, & 1961 Mod 70 Win in .270W; uncle had 303 Enfield, neighbor hunted with 30 Carbine, I shot a few old Springfields and various Sears or Wards rifles in '06 or 30-30, current neighbor hunts a H&R Topper 30-30.

I have a 6.5 Argentine Mauser that's taken a few deer.

WS

I owned one of those jungle carbines for about two hours one time!

I was working at a gas station in the 70's and a fella came in after deer season wanting a tank of gas for one. I gave him the gas, 12 or 14 dollars worth if i remember right. Not much longer, a guy saw it standing in the corner and offered me 50 for it, and out the door it went! lol.

Kicking my butt now tho. It also had the flash hider and all.

My wife hunts with a Remington model 722 in 257 Roberts. My uncle bought it in the late 40s and dad traded him an old car for it. My wife has killed deer, bear and moose with it. It has also been used for elk and numerous coyotes.

Interesting thread. When I was a young teenager, families scrounged for any gun that could work for deer hunting. Very different than these days. It wasn't unusual to see anyone, adults as well as young hunters. carrying a surplus rifle of one sort or another....as well as any single shot shotgun, 20, 16 or 12 gauge with a slug.
I can remember racks of imported surplus Mausers, etc., on the racks at Kmart for $25-40 or so. Some were in really decent shape too.
As I was coming of age to go deer hunting, the Winchester Model 94 was my first love. I never did buy one, but have owned Marlins for years. I am now 65 and am currently planning to change to a lighter rifle and likely a SA caliber with less recoil. I've hunted with a 270 for 40 years and it's a great caliber (along with many others), however, a shoulder surgery and getting older are prompting me to make some changes.

I believe I paid $250 for this one and was told it was a good buy.I know you sure don't see them in the gun stores like you use to.

Mosin nagant. Kicks like a mule but gets the job done. Shots under 50 yards.

What ammo brand do you use? I can only find brown & silver bear (russian)

Sorry....not quite sure. When I bought it, it came with a big box of rounds. I sighted it in. Not much of a shooter so these rounds will probably last me the rest of my life.