What's your passion: the rifle, hunt or ammo?

[86er]

This has been visited in various dialogue before but I wanted to discuss it again briefly because I have been thinking about it a lot lately. While this would pertain mostly to hunters, it can be applied to shooters who like interactive targets or strive for the 1 hole group. This isn't about why you get out there to enjoy the fresh air, it is about why you pick a certain rifle (or get a new one for that matter).

For some folks the selection of just the right rifle, cartridge and accessories is a big part of the hunt. They are just as excited in preparing the equipment and getting it to their liking as they are participating in the actual hunting. They like a rifle a certain way and will often have many rifles for different applications. On the other side of this catagory is the guy who heavily favors one rifle and tries to make it fit into the situation he or she is planning for. But the idea of a rifle that is just right for the application is what is most intriguing to them.

For some folks it is mostly about the hunt. They want a rifle that will get 'er done but think of it more like a tool. A great tool makes the job easier, quicker, neater and more enjoyable. But for these folks getting the job done right is more important that the tools to do it with. The tools are more of a mechanism for getting the job done. They will take whatever rifle is most likely to serve the purpose of making the hunt successful.

For some folks it is about the ammunition. This category is less emphasized in previous discussions along these lines. But certainly this category of shooter exists. This person is more interested in having the right bullet and is passionate about the ballistics, terminal ballistics, bullet performance and lethality. If not a hunter, the shooter could be possessed with the bullet that reaches a certain velocity, operates within a certain pressure, meets other criteria AND make the tightest group.

After using one rifle and load for everything for 30 years I was squarely in the second group, using the rifle as a tool. Recently, I have joined the latter group and am a bullet junkie. I don't care much what the delivery mechanism is but I want to see what the bullet will really do on different game. I've shot my own 1886 and other's Guide Guns and versions of it and don't care much for the rifle itself. What I am most intersted in is what the 350gr bullets do and how they differ from the 405's, etc. I have a 30-30 that is plain jane and I have no interest in another one. But, I am intent on shooting some animals with the 150's vs. the 170's and some 160 jelly bean tips because I have a burning desire to know what works best. I have a 45 Colt rifle and handgun. Neither is particularly sentimental to me but I shot a lot of game with cast bullets and now I am shooting as much as I can with Swift A Frame 300grs because I "think" they could be the cat's meow on medium game but I want to see for sure. Likewise, Paco sent me an accurizer and I am shooting as much paper and small game as I can with bullets turned into the various configurations the tool creates. What rifle I fire them out of is not as interesting to me as what those little .22 bullets will do. When someone tells me they shot a so and so with an XYZ rifle I want to know what bullets they were using and if they found one. If not I want to know the animals reaction and the terminal performance.

What group are you in and why?

[Old Ironsights]

The Hunt.

As long as I can "get r done" and bring home the meat the tool is really immaterial (though I have my favorites...)

[O.S.O.K.]

I'm a gun nut. I get interested in one kind of firearm and then slowly drift to another type. I've been fixated on military rifles and handguns, cowboy action guns/shooting, building AK-47's, 74, Saiga conversions, then black powder and leverguns too. Add in all kinds of handguns and shotguns interspersed throughout.

I like the procurement and fiddling with the guns and then taking them to the range and using my handloads to produce small groups.

Shooting is fun - getting myself to the point that I can put the bullets where I want them from different postions. Sport or competitive shooting is especially rewarding.

The hunt is also enjoyable and I really like to take the guns and loads and my skill and see if I can make it all work to tag the game.

Add other people to the above and they become social enguagements too.

I really am interested in all aspects of hunting-shooting-loading-collecting-gunsmithing-building-hanloading.

So, I'm all of the above I guess.

[TedH]

I am a combination of all three. I like to choose a particular rifle for the job at hand, and try to make it close to ideal for the intended purpose. Of course this is choosing from what is currently in my safe. I have not, so far, bought a new gun for a particular hunt.

Once the gun is chosen, I will make my pick of what bullet should be a good performer on the game to be hunted, then work up the loads.

I get a great deal of enjoyment from all three areas.

[Henry McCann]

I would have to say it's the rifle...I shoot leverguns with peep sights, because they make me smile. I like getting as close as I can, before dropping the hammer. (That probably comes from loving to bowhunt with recurves and longbows)

I also use rifles that have sentimental value. I have a 70 year old bolt action .30-06, that belonged to my grandfather, then my dad and now me. It will be the first rifle I use this fall.

Without leverguns and family rifles, I might not ever hunt with a rifle and stick completely with trad bows.

[KirkD]

For me, there are a couple factors that determine whether I really like a gun. In order of priority ....
1. The cartridge. The cartridge must have a mystique about it, it has got to be at least 100 years old, and preferably heavily associated with homesteading or farming or the Old West. If someone says they saw an old levergun, my first question will be, 'what caliber/cartridge?'. Before I get interested in an old levergun, the cartridge has to appeal to me.
2. If the gun is in an interesting caliber as described above, then the next issue is the type of rifle/carbine: It pretty much has to be levergun to get my attention. It can be a Winchester, Marlin or Savage. However, I'm also a sucker for trapdoor and falling block single shots.

Once I have a cartridge, then comes the bullet choice. It must be cast, in a weight close to original weights, and be accurate. A lot of experimenting and trials take place to accomplish this. As for the hunt, I like to use a different rifle every year, except for varmints, where I use the same one or two rifles all the time. A hunt is just a decent time in the bush unless I have an old levergun in a cartridge I enjoy, then the hunt is raised to a whole new level.

[Hobie]

I love the guns. I like all the variations. Here the gun is all important.

I love shooting. I like to see how the various guns shoot. The gun and ammunition are important here. This is why I reload, a whole other hobby. But I don't kill myself playing with the loads over and over again. I find something that works and stick with it. Playing is fun, but after I find a good load it takes a lot to make me switch even if I do keep playing with bullets or powders.

I love hunting. I like to get out there and pit myself against the prey. I can and have used everything but a knife alone as appropriate to the quarry. But, as I get older, I'm a little more careful of my health and a little less inclined to enjoy temperature extremes. Like Ron White, I think getting up at oh-dark-thirty to walk 2-miles to a stand and freeze without moving until sometime after lunch is torture, not fun. Sometimes, getting to hunt with a particular gun is the point. Sometimes seeing game is the point. Sometimes dinner is the point.

My passion(s) are learning and fun. Fun is having a gun and being able to go hunting with it, if I want to.

[marlinman93]

It used to be all about the harvest when I was young. Then later it became about the hunt, and whatever gun did the job best was OK by me.
Now it starts with the gun, and progresses to the hunt. Actually harvesting an animal is always a bonus, but it's the last thing I worry about, or the last thing I consider when deciding if the hunt was successful.
I pick an old singlshot or lever action, and make sure it's in a rifle caliber. Then after I've sighted it in, and figured out what range my abilities and the cartridge will allow, I then decide what the plan will be for that year's hunt. If it's say my .38-55 in a Ballard that I feel comfortable at 150 yds with, then that's my limiting factor.
Where I hunt, what the stalk will involve, and how I proceed, are all based on my choice of that rifle/cartridge.-Vall

[rangerider7]

Guns! It is not so much about the hunt or ammo, but they add to the pleasure.

[tman]

all 3. make it 4. people you hunt with. i'd be happy hunting big game with a bb94 .356wcf. if i ever find a repo blunderbuss, at a good price, i'd make it my small game/turkey gun.

[dr walker]

I would say my passion is the hunt, half sleepless nights obsessing over past or future hunts.

This year is a little different I am concentrating on 1 cartridge, .44 magnum, I will be using a revolver, a lever action and a TC Contender. I will be hunting whitetail deer. I have 2 different jacketed bullets and 1 cast that I will attempt to use.

[2ndovc]

For me it's a combination of all three too. I love "odd ball" calibers. But I'm also a gun nut as well. If it's old or rare or a scarce piece then it gets me going. I've been on the quest of my Holy Grail for as long as I can remember. The Perfect Trail Gun. For me it is also the perfect hunting and survival rifle. I love nothing more than getting new gun and experimenting for the Perfect Load. Some are easy. My Grandfather's '03 sporter, my Win. 95 SRC, the Sako .222 my Dad gave me were easy to figure out. Then there's my McPhereson 92/ .480 Ruger and Win 94BB/ .444Marlin that make me mental. Just when I think I've got them figured out I get a curve ball. I love both rifles but they won't go into the field until I've got them figured out. For me that's the fun. Then I get to shoot something!



jb

[Andrew]

I like cool guns and ammo. That's why I like my Blackhawk so much, it's just awesome and it shoots the uber-cool .45LC.

[Duff L Bagg]

For me Nostalgia fuels the fire. I love my lever guns they don't have to be old but the caliber has to be interesting. I have rifles that will most likely never go hunting and then there are a couple that will make the trip almost with out fail. They go hunting because I know that when I drop the hammer the bullet will be be right where I want it to be.

Here in Florida the biggest game that we are likely to hunt is hogs, our deer are on the small size so caliber choice is not really a factor. Contrary to popular belief hogs are not all that hard to kill. Any rifle that will work on deer will put a hog down. So I am driven more by how rifle appeals to that something deep inside me.

[Mike D.]

I prefer the pre-WWII Winchesters, especially the Model 1886s made from 1911 to EOP. I also have an interest in other models as well, but only those of odd calibers that wear nickel steel barrels. I recently discovered a couple of '94s that may become part of my little group. One is a .38-55 SRC and the other a .32-40 Take Down rifle. By the way, all of my guns are shot and hunted regularly. No "safe queens" need apply.

[20cows]

Puzzling question!

[Pete44ru]

[What's your passion: the rifle, hunt or ammo?]

Puzzling Question - +1

That's a little like asking what part of your wife you like best.

I enjoy the entire package !

.

[RKrodle]

Could you repeat the question please, I don't understand. I think I fall in the "all of the above" category. I like having the right ammo, for the right gun, for the right animal. I do need to get something in .30 cal., I have a bit of a gap there.

[Lastmohecken]

When I was a young man, I wanted a gun that I could use well, on any opportunity that presented itself.

I wanted a gun that was very accurate, quick to shoot, a good trigger, good sights (usually a leupold scope), and one that regardless of the shot presented, would enable me to get the deer down on the ground in as little time, as possible. During my early years, deer were sorta scarce, espacally decent bucks with fair racks, and the hard lesson learned was that I would normally only get one good chance a year to connect on a buck, and if I blew that chance, it usually ment blowing my year, as far as killing a good deer went. So I learned what worked good for me, and I practiced to the point that, I had a better then average chance of making good on the opportunity to cash in, no matter if the deer was standing at 30yds or running accross a field 200yds away.

So, I recond at that time, I would have to say that I enjoyed the hunt, but I darned sure wanted to get something killed, and that dictated the kind of gun I wanted to use, but I was always a blue steel and walnut man, and that hasn't changed.

However, now days, the kill is not so important, but then again sometimes it is. But I must say that I am much more willing to limit my chances a little, so that I can enjoy using vintage leveractions, often with iron sights.

I am a gun nut, I love guns, I love to try diffenent guns, but I have no use for a hunting gun that does not stir my soul, at least a little. I will put it this way, if all I have to hunt with is a Savage 110 boltaction package rifle with a plastic stock, and cheap tasco scope, or a single shot New England Arms, then I would about as soon just stay home.

[Bearhands]

For me (at this point in my life)...... it's the hunt with my sons and family. I'd go into the woods unarmed just to be with them and enjoy the comraderie and experiences of the day.
Second, it's my rifle..... there just seems to be some kind of magic for me when I hoist that Mod 94 onto my shoulder and head out of the cabin knowing that I have a great piece of Americana with me and that where I point it, it will accomplish it's goal.

[cshold]

I'm a gun nut. I get interested in one kind of firearm and then slowly drift to another type. I've been fixated on military rifles and handguns, cowboy action guns/shooting, building AK-47's, 74, Saiga conversions, then black powder and leverguns too. Add in all kinds of handguns and shotguns interspersed throughout.

I like the procurement and fiddling with the guns and then taking them to the range and using my handloads to produce small groups.

Shooting is fun - getting myself to the point that I can put the bullets where I want them from different postions. Sport or competitive shooting is especially rewarding.

The hunt is also enjoyable and I really like to take the guns and loads and my skill and see if I can make it all work to tag the game.

Add other people to the above and they become social enguagements too.

I really am interested in all aspects of hunting-shooting-loading-collecting-gunsmithing-building-hanloading.

So, I'm all of the above I guess.

+1 myself as well.

[TCB in TN]

Guns! It is not so much about the hunt or ammo, but they add to the pleasure.

Bingo, pegs me. Used really only care about gettin'r done. These days I really don't hunt much, but spend more time looking, handling, thinking, and occasionally shooting my guns. I get my rifles out and clean and "pet" them pretty regular, take'em out for a walk from time to time, mainly when I start hearing the yotes chorus get to loud, but over all it is the gun that flips my switch.

[Woodtroll]

I'll have to join the "all-of-the-above" group, too.

I have been an outdoorsman my whole life, and have always been somewhat of a traditionalist in most aspects of my life. The same applies to my free time. To be able to be in the woods, enjoying the surroundings, carrying an iron-sighted rifle designed over a hundred years ago that still serves its purpose as well today as it did then, never fails to bring home to me how fortunate I am to live in this country. To be able to take an animal with a bullet I cast and then loaded myself, and then to pay my respects to that animal and take good care of the fine food I have just harvested, makes me proud that I am still able to provide food for my family that does not come from a grocery cart. I also feel a small sense of pride that I have developed my abilities to do all of these things fairly well, at least in my own opinion.

My job involves helping folks on their worst days, and it is frequently stressful, so very often the limited time I have afield these days is a great release. If we're camping, canoeing, hiking, etc. my family is always involved. I do enjoy hunting with both my son and daughter at times, and their interest in hunting continues to develop, but very often I find I just need the solitude. Carrying an old rifle and thinking about generations of my family walking this same land, for the same purposes, makes me feel a little more connected to both my family and the land.

I like all things mechanical, especially well-made things, and enjoy understanding how they work. I don't need to explain to any of you how much time learning the fine points of gunsmithing, casting, and reloading can consume, nor how much you can learn doing these things.

Good question, 86er, I've enjoyed reading the responses.

Y'all take care,
Regan

[Old Savage]

I like them all but the guns the most but the hunts bring memories. Like Hobie I like reloading as a separate hobby.

[mescalero1]

Caliber,
Then I have to find a gun for it,
Hunting, I have not hunted in 30 + years
I have nothing against it, just have not done it; personal choice

[BenT]

I hunted so many years with the same 30-30 . Bought it when I was 14 and didn't buy another deer rifle till I was 32. I love spending time in the woods no matter what I'm doing , cutting fire wood , scouting the land , hunting, etc. The hunting gear doesn't get me excited but the gun/ caliber does.

Now since I stared reloading a few years back ,it's about caliber and bullet performance on deer. I try to get the best accuracy and performance out of any given rifle . Then I tried to see how it performs in stopping power at different distances. When I shoot a deer with a certain rifle,it is put away for the season and then I carry a different one til I get a deer with that one and so on.

But I'm definatley a gun tinkerer. I find no joy in buying a new rifle. It is much more fun finding a deal on a used one that needs a little attention. I don't need anymore deer rifles, but I keep finding myself looking for different calibers of interest.

[El Chivo]

for me it's the hunt; I do get absorbed in the other two but they are a means to an end. When I got a copper load worked out this summer, I said "Whew, now that's done" rather than "Gee, I wonder what would happen if I used 00 grains of XXX powder?" If it goes bang and hits where I aim, I'm happy.

I like my guns but could part with most of them, I just want one that works. Of course, how well, and to do what are big questions, that's part of the education.

I went out hunting this morning before work and it was hard to squeeze in but lovely to be out there on an ordinary drudge day. Jumped a couple of does and stalked them, ok no meat but got my nature fix. Mostly an excuse to get out there, camp, hike, etc.

[Hobie]

I never feel freer than when I'm in the woods with my OWN gun. It is at those times that I fully understand men like Daniel Boone.

[AndyM]

I'm a gun nut. I get interested in one kind of firearm and then slowly drift to another type. I've been fixated on military rifles and handguns, cowboy action guns/shooting, building AK-47's, 74, Saiga conversions, then black powder and leverguns too. Add in all kinds of handguns and shotguns interspersed throughout.

I like the procurement and fiddling with the guns and then taking them to the range and using my handloads to produce small groups.

Shooting is fun - getting myself to the point that I can put the bullets where I want them from different postions. Sport or competitive shooting is especially rewarding.

The hunt is also enjoyable and I really like to take the guns and loads and my skill and see if I can make it all work to tag the game.

Add other people to the above and they become social enguagements too.

I really am interested in all aspects of hunting-shooting-loading-collecting-gunsmithing-building-hanloading.

So, I'm all of the above I guess.

+1 myself as well.

Me Too - I love all my guns, hunting, and all the differnent calibers and bullets I have. But I am usually happiest when hunting with one of my older, more sentimental guns, using ammo I loaded for it.

[rjohns94]

I would have to say I am a gun nut. I have owned far too many to count anymore. I am always looking for the "perfect" firearm. Usually they are situational fits. Outside of hunting, I use firearms for CCW daily, for house protection when I am there, for boat protection when I am there, and occasionally for shooting practice. I don't shoot all of my firearms when not hunting though. I bring out the few remaining pieces I have and clean them and fondle them with care. I don't compete anymore in shooting events and when I go to the range, I go for fun or hunting prep. The rifle or pistol must be functional first, must generate a bit of pride in ownership, or be unique, and chambered in easily found calibers that are hard hitting and practical. I am always drawn to the looks of the firearm first, then the caliber then its reliability, then the game I could hunt with it. I bought the Sharps to shoot bison with but I will use it for just about any game animal I could come across. I was drawn to it because of the beauty, and funtionality. I bought the WWG in .457/45-70 because of the take down feature and travel aspects and versatility. Its quality and functionality spoke to me. For the marlin 1893 it was the history and beautiful lines of the rifle and then the caliber and functionality. For the 39 TDS - practicallity and function and in .22lr. the '92 in .357 for function and caliber. My pistols are much the same. Either function (Rohrbaugh, S&W 60-3 pro and Ruger blackhawk in .357) looks/history - S&W1917 45 ACP, and USFA .45 long colt, Colt .22lr or a combo of the same. My BP .54 Flintlock allows me to slip away into the ancient in me and my sxs 12 gauge is beauty, fit, function nearly personified in the way it acts in the field. I like large calibers but what has kept me from owning a .470 is that I wont ever have the chance to use it for its intended purposes. Same for the .375 H&H. I owned one, shot it at the range but I may never have a chance to hunt something that requires that caliber or rifle. The .45-70 is a much more practical round for me. I like .45 calibers and .44 calibers but have eliminated the .44 from my keeping and perhaps the .45 Long colt may be the next to fade away. I still maintain .45 ACP and .357 and on the other extreme, .22lr. Can't really see the need for any others except my CCW is in 9mm because of its size. I could use the .357 and eliminate the 9mm, but for now, I won't. I think once the person assesses the needs and type of shooting, the type of game, the type of plinking, they do, it would be easy to get down to a few firearms. that is my quest at this stage, to settle on just a few calibers and shoot them alot. I'm getting close on the 45-70, 30-30, .357, 22lr theme for rifles, and the .45 acp, .357, .22lr theme in pistols. 12gauge is settled for now in shotgun but maybe later it might be 20 or 28 gauge. should I sail away to a different clime and place, perhaps the needs would change and cause me to re think all this. For now, its the firearms fitting my needs that drive my choices.

[Jayhawker]

It's the guns, or more specifically, the rifles since I'm not much of a handgun fan. I like shooting all kinds of rifles and my collection has run the gamut from milsurps and target rifles to hunting rifles. I've always had some of each action style although lately I have tried limiting cartridges to simplify the stocking of components. While I like to reload, tinker with existing loads and develop new ones, if I could afford to and could find accurate factory loads, I'd go that route. I guess I'm just too much of a miser. I've hunted in the past and have always enjoyed myself immensely, but a Navy career kept me on the move overseas too much to stay interested. As I get older, I have less desire to go afield than I used to. But I do still love to shoot! Call me one of those rifle loonies.

[JReed]

I used to only have one rifle to hunt with and that was my enfield. Now a days I find that I have specialized my armory to suit the game the terrain and my mood. This ranges from 22lr up to 45-70 and .50cal Ml. So I would say that puts me in all three groups.