Being a old M-14 guy my hunting rifle is a BROWNING BLR .308. Easy to shoot and reload.

The BLR rifles are incredibly good rifles, actually excellent rifles. I like the .308 Winchester (7.62 x 51 NATO) very much. The recoil is minimal and the cartridge can reach out and touch. I like the BLR Browning rifles, and also the old Savage 99 lever guns and the Winchester 88 guns. The older Marlin lever guns are also good rifles. Then, as you mentioned the .308 is easy to load for with a wide range of bullets and powders. Anyway, I never had a beefy shoulder and as I get older the larger cartridges are just punishing to shoot. I also noticed when my shots weren't where I wanted them with my 7mm Rem Mag it wasn't the rifle. I started anticipating the shots and began to flinch. Even knowing the problem I couldn't hold and squeeze which sucked. So that rifle now sits in the safe.

Shooting the mighty .700 Nitro Express double rifle. 1,000 grain bullets moving at 2,000 feet per second. Round cost $125 per shot and the gun cost $250,000.

Many years ago, a couple of the local good ole boys here came into the hardware store and told the owner they wanted to buy the biggest rifle he had. Don told them he didn't have one in stock but he could get them a Winchester Model 70 Safari Express in .458 Wincheter Magnum. So the brothers put their money down and Don ordered the rifle. It can in a few weeks later and the brothers picked it up along with a box of shells for it. They came back the next day and told Don they wanted their money back. They only shot it once and it rattled the both of them pretty good and the other brother didn't even want to try shooting it. Not exactly what you would use around here for deer and hog hunting.

I've got a Ruger 77 in .270 (necked down 30-06) but with the brushy condition here did most of my hunting with an old Marlin 336 .30-30. That and my Belgian Browning A5 12 ga. Also carried my S&W 6" Stainless 686 in .357 with the old walnut target grips in a shoulder holster so I could get at in my chest waders. Never can tell when you will run up on a hog in swamp while duck hunting.

To me the beauty of the .270 Winchester cartridge is how flat it shoots. I figure it this way, when a cartridge is approaching its 100 year birthday and still as popular as it was when it was released it has to be a really great cartridge. I would guess where you are, on the Georgia coastal areas that 30-30 would suit all of your hunting needs.

Ron

 

If I remember right, the 150 gr. .30-30 when sighted correctly gave you a 3" target window @ 100 yards. 1.5" high at fifty and 1.5" low at a hundred. Here in the palmetto scrub (unless you're sitting on a road, clear cut, or RR tracks which is good for the .270) a hundred yards is about all you get. I've always loved Brownings but was sad to see them move production to Japan. I'm at least the 3rd owner of the old A5 and shot many a dove and ducks with it over the years since getting it in the 60's. My hunting days ended ~15 years ago.

 

Here in the palmetto scrub (unless you're sitting on a road, clear cut, or RR tracks which is good for the .270) a hundred yards is about all you get.

During my younger days I hunted West Virginia extensively as here in Ohio deer hunting was limited to muzzle loader or shotgun slug. Better today opened to most pistol caliber rifles. Anyway, West Virginia was about the same and I would joke with my friend how the 30-30 Winchester was the West Virginia State Cartridge and 30-30 ammo could be spent like money. I see the 30-30 as an excellent 200 yard cartridge and like you, everything I took in West Virginia was a 100 yard or less shot and most inside 70 yards. I used my old Ruger 44 Carbine and a few times I went with a Marlin 444 lever gun but went back to the 44. It was, in a rifle, an ideal 100 yard cartridge and after the first 100 yards a 240 grain bullet dropped like a rock. It was also popular for wild hog.

Ron

 

A relative's wife hunted with the Ruger 44 Carbine. Never paid much attention to the ballistics. Did know a couple of guys that used the .357 in the Marlin 336. When I got the S&W I also looked at the .44 and had shot a friends but went for the .357 so I could also shoot the .38 which I have a 4" Nickel Plated fixed sights Taurus in. I do have a black powder Remington .44 in stainless with 8" octagonal barrel and target sights. Never could get that thing to shoot right but it sure looks good. LOL Also have a few other BP pistols but never did get the .32 percussion Pennsylvania wall hanger I always wanted or any other BP rifles. Never really cared for the new "inline" BP hunting rifles they started making just for the BP hunting season.

 

We had a good shoot of specs this evening over decoys. Will be trying for Canadas or Mallards over next couple of days. I took up archery 6 years ago for big game and enjoy my hunting much more.

 

Since this thread has become a kind of firearms dump, here is one of the most Russian things ever...

 

The RPK is a hard fully automatic rifle to destroy. Actually anything designed by Kalashnikov is hard to destroy. While I was in Vietnam I saw my share of AK47 rifles and the SKS as well but never got to fire an AK47 on full auto. I have fired M16A1 till the barrels were smoking hot. Just something about an AK.

Ron

 

The RPK is a hard fully automatic rifle to destroy. Actually anything designed by Kalashnikov is hard to destroy. While I was in Vietnam I saw my share of AK47 rifles and the SKS as well but never got to fire an AK47 on full auto. I have fired M16A1 till the barrels were smoking hot. Just something about an AK.

Ron

They have a series of videos where they shoot out automatic rifles. Some of them survive surprisingly well, some explode.

 

They have a series of videos where they shoot out automatic rifles. Some of them survive surprisingly well, some explode.

Well you can't win them all. Figure every now and then some fail but I figure the trick is how they do well right till things get ugly. I have fired an M16A1 till the barrel was smoking hot and had a newly chambered round literally cook off. Took about 30 seconds after the round was chambered in the hot barrel.

Ron

 

Well you can't win them all. Figure every now and then some fail but I figure the trick is how they do well right till things get ugly. I have fired an M16A1 till the barrel was smoking hot and had a newly chambered round literally cook off. Took about 30 seconds after the round was chambered in the hot barrel.

Ron

Generally, we are talking about hundreds of rounds in just a few minutes before flames and then nearly 1000 rounds before failure. He describes the failure as being caused by barrel expansion which then overpressure the super heated barrel as the bore diameter is decreased.

 

I can see where that would be a cause of failure. Yes, as fast as he emptied a magazine in went another. The rifle continued to function to the bitter end. Loved it when he had to slam buttstock on the bench to get the action open.

Ron

 

This should be included here, https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/21/entertainment/rust-film-accident/index.html To show that even a so called non firearm needs to follow the rules of safe handling.

 

No. 1 Rule - always check the chamber when picking up a firearm.
No. 2 Rule - never point it at anything you don't intend to hit
No. 3 Rule - keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot
No. 4 Rule - even prop guns are loaded and deadly

 

I can see where that would be a cause of failure. Yes, as fast as he emptied a magazine in went another. The rifle continued to function to the bitter end. Loved it when he had to slam buttstock on the bench to get the action open.

Ron

Kalashnikov's never die, only the operators. I've got a few Russian SKS rifles from the 50's. Very nice workmanship on the weapons.

Unfortunately there is now another death from a prop gun.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59006905

On a film set, a real-life tragedy has happened.
Police say US actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza on a film set in New Mexico. They were working on the film Rust.
Tributes have been paid to Ms Hutchins, 42, while Mr Baldwin is said to be distraught. One local paper found him in tears outside Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office.
An investigation is under way and we don't yet know what went wrong. A spokesman for Mr Baldwin said there had been an accident on the set involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks.

Blanks can kill you.

 

Unfortunately there is now another death from a prop gun.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59006905

#52 !

 

Kalashnikov's never die, only the operators. I've got a few Russian SKS rifles from the 50's. Very nice workmanship on the weapons.

Unfortunately there is now another death from a prop gun.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59006905


Blanks can kill you.

Caught that on the morning news. I have fired plenty of blank ammunition in rifle. A downside of USMC Recruiting is funeral details. You went to the armory and drew a M14 and blanks. The M14 used a BFA (Blank Firing Adapter) so the burning gasses, not pushing a bullet down a barrel would hit the gas port and cycle the rifle. Not much to a BFA but they allow a gas operated semi automatic rifle to cycle. Never saw one for the M16 but pretty sure they exist.

Obviously a prop gun can be dangerous as what just happened has happened before. Somewhere I have some .223 Remington blanks around here with the crimp. I also have some pretty neat 7.62 x 39 practice ammo which uses a wood bullet and about 1/2 the powder charge os a standard military round. They won't cycle my SKS but are pretty cool none the less. Pretty sure they are Russian manufacture.

Back to "blanks" for a moment, these guys have a full line of them. Below is an example of a 38 Special Blank.


If the prop gun is a real gun using only blanks the user can get an incipient separation in the brass just below the crimp resulting in that piece of separated brass becoming a projectile. While not supposed to work that way it can and does happen.


Ron

 

Caught that on the morning news. I have fired plenty of blank ammunition in rifle. A downside of USMC Recruiting is funeral details. You went to the armory and drew a M14 and blanks. The M14 used a BFA (Blank Firing Adapter) so the burning gasses, not pushing a bullet down a barrel would hit the gas port and cycle the rifle. Not much to a BFA but they allow a gas operated semi automatic rifle to cycle. Never saw one for the M16 but pretty sure they exist.

Obviously a prop gun can be dangerous as what just happened has happened before. Somewhere I have some .223 Remington blanks around here with the crimp. I also have some pretty neat 7.62 x 39 practice ammo which uses a wood bullet and about 1/2 the powder charge os a standard military round. They won't cycle my SKS but are pretty cool none the less. Pretty sure they are Russian manufacture.

Back to "blanks" for a moment, these guys have a full line of them. Below is an example of a 38 Special Blank.
View attachment 250881

If the prop gun is a real gun using only blanks the user can get an incipient separation in the brass just below the crimp resulting in that piece of separated brass becoming a projectile. While not supposed to work that way it can and does happen.


Ron

The Property Master/Armorer for the movie set has some serious explaining to do. The film was in the 1880's so it's likely the gun was some single action revolver. Alec Baldwin's role, even if totally accidental carries a high liability from the death and injury from his actions.

 

I used to shoot .22 crimp blanks with a Crossman .22 pellet. It would penetrate about 1" into a 2x4. Good rat round.

 

I used to shoot .22 crimp blanks with a Crossman .22 pellet. It would penetrate about 1" into a 2x4. Good rat round.

How did the rats feel about that?

Ron

 

Latest reporting is there was a live round at least one, on the set. When fired by Baldwin it went through the woman's body killing her and into the man. It wasn't a regular "prop" gun that has a cylinder restriction to not allow live ammo to be loaded, but a standard gun.

The movie set has, they say, had problems with that gun, so much so that the union workers walked off the set, and it was non union people working. They also claim that the same gun had 3 unintended discharges in the last week.