Top 10 Hunting rifles of All Time

[Rick]

An article in this month's edition of American Hunter rates the top ten rifles of all time. I thought some of you might be interested. They are:

1. Winchester Model 70
2. Remington Model 700
3. Kimber 84M
4. Marlin 336
5. Holland and Holland Royal Double Rifle
6. Browning BAR
7. Ruger 10/22
8. Knight MK-85
9. Mauser Model 98
10. Hawken Rifle

Ton 10 Hunting Shotguns of All Time

1. Remington 870
2. Browning A-5
3. Winchester Model 12
4. Purdey Over/Under
5. Benelli Super Black Eagle
6. Browning Superposed
7. Remington 1100
8. Beretta 682 Gold Sporting
9. Pre-1913 L.C. Smith
10. Winchester 21

Top 10 Hunting Cartridges of All Time

1. .308 Winchester
2. .22 Long Rifle
3. .30-06 Springfield
4. .375 H&H Magnum
5. .300 Winchester Magnum
6. .223 Remginton
7. .270 Winchester
8. .257 Wetherby Magnum
9. .416 Rigby
10. .338 Winchester Magnum

[Ole WV Coot]

I don't think I could argue against or add anything to that list. I have used and owned most of them and except for personal preference I gotta go along with it.

[canid]

not my kind of list; doesn't include the 7mm remington mag.

[RobertRogers]

.300 Savage model 99 HAS to be in that list.

IMHO of course.

[tacmedic]

327

I'd have to add the Sharp's Rifle to that list.

As well as the Brown Bess musket.

328

Not that they were the best guns in the world, but they were pretty historically important weapons and were used for a long period of time.

[RBB]

The list is incomplete in that it fails to include "Esther," the model 94 Winchester used by four generations of my family to bring home deer, moose, and caribou.

This gun knows more about hunting than most of the people on this list.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/pjjgirard/OldEsther001.jpg

While this rifle has obvious shortcomings in caliber and age, it consistently brings home meat. The rifle is uncanny. Whoever, in our family, is carrying old Esther - is most likely to get a deer.

[trax]

Man, what are they basing these lists on? When they say "top ten" they can't be referring to most commonly used I don't think because I bet just for cartridges that list would go: 30-30, 30-.06, .308, .303 (the order of the first two might be reversed) before anything else for big game anyway, over the last hundred years or so. And I'm throwing the .303 in there if they're looking at other countries than the US.

[Rick]

I'll be sure and let American Hunter know how you all feel. They'll probably print a correction to the article with the changes.

[trax]

Well heck yes. No, seriously, I'm pretty sure that the .30-30 and the .30-.06 are the two most common cartridges over the last while. People shoot what they can afford mostly, I'm just wondering what data their list is based on.

[Rick]

It didn't say the most common.

[trax]

What makes them the top ten????? Usually can't get you to stop and today you're just hoarding your info...yeeesh.

[Rick]

For the rifles it just says, "one gun that can do it all, or at least one that would satisfy us forever."

For the shotgun, it says, the list is based on, "function, innovation, value, classiness and subjective personal fancies."

For the ammo it talks about each one individually. The .308, for example, was judged the most accurate and efficient round ever devised.

They said the .30-06 wasn't in the number 1 spot because it was so good at everything that it's the best at nothing other than retail sales and killing Nazis (their words not mine.).

As for the .30-30, it made one writer's list but not the article's final best.

[trax]

Interesting, because I have no problem with any of those firearms, they're all fine, and yet I think I disagree with some of their thinking. Note the Marlin 336 is on the list and I automatically assume that's in .30-30. I think a lot of people would agree with their appraisal of the .30-06 for killing Nazis and those people would probably be WW2 American veterans. I think if the retail sales for .30-06 ammo is that good it's because so many fellas own them, (brought them home from a number of different conflicts?) I don't believe there's one best ever caliber or ammo ever devised,personally.

(On the other hand, there isn't a gun on those lists that I'd say no to if someone handed it to me and said "yours to take")

[Rick]

Brought them home or were so impressed with the .30-06 that they purchased something to shoot it as soon as they got home.

I walked into a guy's house one day and a Thompson was hanging over his fireplace. Beat up a bit but still in great shape. It turns out he had carried it from the time he landed in the ETO until the end of the war. I asked him if it was operational and he told me the fire pin had been removed and winked.

My dad said when they captured a town in France, all the weapons, civilian and military, were confiscated and turned over to the FFI. Once they were in Germany all of the weapons were placed in a large pile. The guys were told if they wanted any of them to send home they could have them. His armored unit spearheaded the drive across France and Germany so they captured a LOT of towns.

[dragonjimm]

field and stream voted the 06 as the best all around caliber. not perfect for everything but if you wanted one gun to do everything with. it would be a 30.06 second place was 30.30

cut my teeth with a .06 a remington 742 woodmaster my dad still has that old b@$tard.
i prefer my .303 british it has several things in common with esther.;)
in fact several deer have died of fright just knowing it was in the woods:D

[dragonjimm]

isnt the remington model 70 a 7mm mag or is that just one caliber available?

[canid]

isnt the remington model 70 a 7mm mag or is that just one caliber available?

from wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Model_70):

"...Over the entire production of the Model 70, chamberings have included: .22 Hornet, .22-250 Remington, .223 WSSM, .225 Winchester, .220 Swift, .243 Winchester, .243 WSSM, .250-3000 Savage, .25-06 Remington, .25 WSSM, .257 Roberts, .264 Winchester Magnum, .270 Winchester, .270 WSM, 7mm Mauser, 7 mm Remington Magnum, 7mm WSM, .300 Savage, .30-06 Springfield, .308 Winchester, .300 H&H Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, .300 WSM, .300 RUM, .325 WSM, .338 Winchester Magnum, .35 Remington, .358 Winchester, .375 H&H Magnum, and .458 Winchester Magnum..."

though i don't know how you would call a rifle chambered at once in .22 hornet and at another time in 7mm mag the same model. boggles my little mind.

[Jason_Montana]

I think those lists are pretty spot on. I'd add the Beretta AL391 Urika to the list, and maybe a Parker Bros sxs. But, I think the rest are pretty good though. Glad to see the .375 H&H mag so high up there.

[FVR]

One of my favorites.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v171/FrankV/MVC-035S-1.jpg

[RBB]

The list is incomplete in that it fails to include "Esther," the model 94 Winchester used by four generations of my family to bring home deer, moose, and caribou.

This gun knows more about hunting than most of the people on this list.

While this rifle has obvious shortcomings in caliber and age, it consistently brings home meat. The rifle is uncanny. Whoever, in our family, is carrying old Esther - is most likely to get a deer.


Esther was made in 1904. My g-grandfather purchased it from a German national in 1914. It was the only rifle my grandfather, and my uncle, ever used. My grandfather, too poor to buy my grandmother a ring when they were engaged, carved her name (Esther) in large letters on the stock to show grandmother he was serious. Though I own six deer rifles (and have owned many more), Esther has always been my best deer killing machine.

A few of "Esther's" exploits over the years: Killed fourteen moose, one of them a one handed "jump" shot. Shot six caribou before they disappeared from Minnesota in 1918. Made a 1/4 mile one shot kill at a running 12 point buck - a perfect (aimed) neck shot. At least three neck shots at a deer running away from the hunter (deer hunters will be aware of how small a target this is). 1/4 mile one shot bear kill - from the top of a fire tower.

At one hundred yards, Esther can, from a rest, do a group which factory 30-30 specs advise is not possible.

I like other guns I own. I love Esther. It would be the first piece of property I would rescue if my house were on fire.

[trax]

Rumor has it I've done a bit of hunting in my day, who knows? But Esther has my admiration and respect, so do the guys who've been giving her the "squeeze".

[trax]

i prefer my .303 british it has several things in common with esther.;)
in fact several deer have died of fright just knowing it was in the woods:D

Yeah, moose just give up and die when they hear I'm up there with a .303 Brit :D

[FVR]

If my house was on fire, as long as my family was safe, the fire can burn it all. Just not going to risk my life for a tool.

But I do understand the connection to a particular firearm, or knife.

[RBB]

Yeah, moose just give up and die when they hear I'm up there with a .303 Brit :D

I recall my grandfather saying it would be a good thing to have a little more powerful rifle for deer. I asked him, "How about moose"? He said, "No, 30-30 is plenty good for moose, moose can't run on three legs."