Your retirement rifle and caliber

[Noah Zark]

I'm not retired yet but soon to be, and have been selling firearms which no longer hold interest or otherwise have served their purpose, using the proceeds to acquire other firearms of interest, primarily chambered in straightwall cases. These include 357 Magnum, 44 Special, 45 Colt, 32-20 (well, almost straightwall), 327 Federal, 38-55, 405 Winchester, and 45-70. These are in a mix of single-shots and leverguns.

Bottleneck cartridges include the 6.5 Swedish, 30-30, and 30-40. I have multiple Swedish Mausers and a sporterized Danish Krag, multiple leverguns and single-shots in 30-30, and multiple "quality build" vintage sporterized Krags in 30-40 joined by a couple single-shots.

At halfway to 134, these will keep me busy. And I haven't listed the handguns and their cartridges yet.

Noah

[Rapier]

For a cast bullet shooter a 35 is hard to beat, a lot of choices in bullets, weights and velocities. I have a few 35 rifles in different chamberings, you can load them up to do about anything you want, for hunting.
Right now I am building myself a replacement for my Classic in 35 Whelen, on a 700 action with a 24” SS McGowen 1-14 twist barrel. The barrel is about 90% turned.
I will put the barrel in an old 700 action, trued, squared, cut .010 over, .250 lug, Jard single set trigger, HS Precision stock.

[tdoor4570]

In addition to the above post I went to as gun show a couple of weeks ago and found the No-1 item on my want list. walked in to a 1895 Winchester in 30 US Army that I could afford, it seems to be in really good condition and ready to go to the range .

In addition to above two posts I have picked up 3 more, CVA scout 45-70, CVA hunter 444marlin, and another P-17 Remington in 30-06 just finished restocking the P-17 with a stock from Boyds in blaze lam. can't think of anything I want now.

[dale2242]

I retired at 68 from full time work at the sawmill in 2010. they gave me a Ruger M77 in 223 as a retirement gift
I shot the barrel out in 6 years shooting sage rats.
I had the action rebarreled to 221 Fireball with a 26" Benchmark barrel.
It is a true 1/4"-3/8" gun on any day.

[bangerjim]

IF...................I ever retire, it will be ALL the ones I currently own now + any new ones that come along for the ride.

Why limit yourself to just one???????????????????????

[Camba]

No limits.
Just simply the fact that ammo and reloading components are getting more expensive and (for me, anyways, it makes it more expensive to feed multiple calibers) retirees don’t have extra income; unless they retire rich.


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[Camba]

I have settled with the 35 caliber. That means: 9mm, 38/357mag/max, 358 win, 35whelen, and of course, Ive got to have .22 centerfire, 7mm, and 30 cal, not counting my .22 LR/mag guns too.
For deer hunting I will use the 357 max and only use the others for paper punching.


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[Camba]

I am calling my 357 Maximum my retirement rifle/ caliber combination. The rest I could sell as someone already said it in previous responses.


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[bangerjim]

No limits.
Just simply the fact that ammo and reloading components are getting more expensive and (for me, anyways, it makes it more expensive to feed multiple calibers) retirees don’t have extra income; unless they retire rich.


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Most normal working people do not have "extra income" either! You spend your salary/money/income where your interests are.

I get rather upset with many older/retired people saying "I live on a fixed income". Most younger working people out here DO "live on a fixed income" also....their salary week to week. Pretty much fixed! They don't find extra money just growing in trees!!!!!

Nothing new at all, for most of us. Just something for others to whine about.

[GhostHawk]

To be honest, all of my rifles are Retirement rifles. Pair of nice 43/44 Moison's, a 53 SKS, then I got bit by the H&R/NEF single shot bug.

.223 Rem, 7,62x39, .300BO, 9mm (Stub job, but a joy to shoot and a nice light woods walking gun)
.357 mag that gets mag loads in .360DW brass, .444marlin, pair of .44mags, a .45 colt. Half a dozen shotgun barrels including one .30-30/20 ga combo that is my pride and joy.

I do wish I could get someone to build me a lightweight .32sw long.
And if I came across a .22 hornet at the right price it would come home with me.

Been a fun journey.

[sukivel]

To be honest, all of my rifles are Retirement rifles. Pair of nice 43/44 Moison's, a 53 SKS, then I got bit by the H&R/NEF single shot bug.

.223 Rem, 7,62x39, .300BO, 9mm (Stub job, but a joy to shoot and a nice light woods walking gun)
.357 mag that gets mag loads in .360DW brass, .444marlin, pair of .44mags, a .45 colt. Half a dozen shotgun barrels including one .30-30/20 ga combo that is my pride and joy.

I do wish I could get someone to build me a lightweight .32sw long.
And if I came across a .22 hornet at the right price it would come home with me.

Been a fun journey.

You NEED a 22 hornet in a H&R!!! I love mine!


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[Camba]

Ghosthawk,
I too got bitten by the H&R bug and also by the Henry single shot rifle bug.


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[kenton]

Most normal working people do not have "extra income" either! You spend your salary/money/income where your interests are.

I get rather upset with many older/retired people saying "I live on a fixed income". Most younger working people out here DO "live on a fixed income" also....their salary week to week. Pretty much fixed! They don't find extra money just growing in trees!!!!!

Nothing new at all, for most of us. Just something for others to whine about.

Most jobs you expect to get at yearly raise intended to at least help keep up with inflation. Even minimum wage gets raised every now and then for the same reason.`Unless you have a pension that increases yearly or is tied to a inflation index with each passing year your effective income is less and less. That is what living on a fixed income means.

And to the person who will surely proudly proclaim they never got annual or regular raises, I will be the first to congratulate on your declining purchasing power.

[Grantb]

I just retired after working as a biologist for 43 years; the last 26 in British Columbia. My first center fire was a Remington 700 in 30-06 and I have decided that I will keep it to the end. The caliber meets all my hunting needs and brass is easy to come by. If I need money in my old age, I will sell the 30-40 Krag, the numerous 303s and handguns, but the 30-06 stays.

[Anschutz]

I retired at 68 from full time work at the sawmill in 2010. they gave me a Ruger M77 in 223 as a retirement gift
I shot the barrel out in 6 years shooting sage rats.
I had the action rebarreled to 221 Fireball with a 26" Benchmark barrel.
It is a true 1/4"-3/8" gun on any day.

That sounds like a great little gun. I have a 221 in a contender pistol and it's great. No recoil to speak of. I need a 221 rifle to compliment it but my Hornet would get jealous.

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[tmanbuckhunter]

I guess you could say I already own it, my CPA Stevens 44-1/2. I have a 45/70 barrel I shoot silhouette with, a 40/50 Sharps Bottleneck barrel on the way for the same task, and a 30/40 Krag barrel D&T'd for a modern scope for hunting on the way. Can't see any reason why this gun wouldn't cover me for all my hunting and sporting needs from now until death do us part.

[Adk Mike]

I’m retiring this spring. Maybe sooner. My go to rifle is a Tang style Ruger 77 in 280. .It’s my go to hunting rifle.
My cast rifle is a low budget Sears branded Winchester in 30-06. I shoot it year round. Just a fun gun to have. I dropped the comb and installed a Lyman peep site. Maybe this year I’ll hunt with it some.

[3584ELK]

Probably send my 1886 Winchester in to Turnbull for an octagonal barrel and restoration...chambered in .33 Winchester.

[Blkpwdrbuff]

Well,
My .416 Wilson barrel and Savage 111 action went in to my gunsmith on Thursday.
I've got 100 .338 Win Mag brass, a 3 die set of Lee .416 Taylor dies and just need a mould from Accurate Arms and a Boyd's Laminate stock.
I plan on retiring April 30, 2023 so it all should be good.
The only bummer is my gunsmith is moving to Star Valley, Wyoming when he finishes this rifle.

[armouredtrooper]

I have and owned many rifles that I've let go of, including a pedersoli Sharps 45-70, much to my chagrin! Currently, I own a savage M10TR .308 that I use exclusively for deer in my province, but recently I've gone to the .54 cal side lock TC Hawken that seems to be my rifle for retirement. I have yet to harvest any game with her, I'm hoping this fall will be the year for me. Some day, I'd love to replace that 45-70 and never let her go.