What is the most hated deer rifle you owned ?

[Oak_Leaf]

1981-ish model 700 BDL in 300WM. That was when brakes, earmuffs and recoil pads were not part of my shooting knowledge. That thing was like a bad hangover - you know it's gonna hurt, but you load up anyway.

 

[Rosebud]

I am not trying to hijack this thread, but hopefully helping anyone who does have an early model Remington 740 or 742. I have read a lot of the replies on this thread about the inaccuracy of these autos. About a year ago I refinished a 1959 Remington 740 in 30-06 for a friend. It was his deceased brother's rifle and in really poor cosmetic condition. The rifle stocks looked like they had been dragged a long distance down a dirt road behind a truck!!! When I finished with this rifle, he asked me to mount a scope on the gun for him as he was planning on taking it deer hunting with the next couple of months. He gave me some of the ammunition he was planning on hunting with to do the sight in. He gave me only one box (he's tighter than bark on a tree), so I used some of my reloaded ammunition to get this rifle sighted in, and then fine tune to his ammunition. Well... I went to two boxes of my reloaded ammunition, both some 180 and 150 grain bullets. This rifle would shoot all over the place. Finally I gave up trying, I figured there was something wrong with the scope. So he sent the scope back to the factory and they replaced the scope. Now we are back to square one with the new scope. Again I tried to get this rifle sighted in, only to find the same situation, point of impact was kept to within an 8 inch circle no matter what!! Now I am really POd with this thing and the "junk" scopes. So I decide to put one of my trusted Leupold scopes on it and give it a try again. Same thing. This rifle was "not" going to get the best of me and I started doing some research. I found an interesting article published by Wolfe publishing about the accuracy problems with the Remington 740 and 742. The article stated that the accuracy issue was due to a design flaw in the rifle. The article stated that what Remington did was design the fore end to be tightened to the rifle by the fore end screw and tightening that screw so that the fore end tightened against the front of the receiver. In principle this makes sense, but... in doing so this process also puts upward pressure on the barrel. The fore end wood on these rifles is thin, recoil will cause them to flex and move. Plus again there is the upward pressure on the barrel that would change as the barrel would heat up and cool off as well as climate change/s. I have attached this article to this post. It shows an accuracy block that was made by Williams Gunsight company. This block went in between the gas block on the 740/742, the fore end wood and the fore end screw. This block got sandwiched between these three and took the pressure away from the fore end and the received. I do not believe that this block is still manufactured, but the dimensions for this block are included with the article. I know that I personally could make one of these blocks with the limited tools that I have in my basement. I definitely know that this block could easily be made in a machine shop with not effort or time at all. I apologize to the OP for this long reply. I do hope that it helps those 740 and 742 owners.

Very helpful!

 

[c_bass16]

Funny…….this is my story almost exactly. Did yours have a weaver 4x scope? Maybe I bought that *** . Couple years later I bought a brand new stainless m700 in 270 win and vx2 3-9. Thought it was the last rifle I'd ever need. 30 years later it shoots maybe kinda almost moa with my best hand loads, but that thing was a tack driver compared to the old .243

not quite.
Mine had a Simons optic I think and then I bought a Bushnell 4-18 from walmart. Didn't help.
I remember going back to the house and putting a paper plate on a hay bale at 100 yds and litterally shot like a 4" group. Didn't even know any better.
99% sure I had a box of Winchester 100gr PowerPoints and 95gr Ballistic Silver tips and both were about the same.
This was probably around 1997 or 98.
It wasn't till around 2008 that I finally got around to tearing the gun down and rebuilding it into fully custom 6x284 and I've never looked back.

 

[7MMMagnum]

Not bashing the caliber but maybe those that try to shoot something they cannot handle. Spending time with shooters at the range, have had two occasions to watch a shooter flinch so badly they could not hit a 12" x 12" target 3 out of 4 tries at 100 yds. Both were shooting 300 magnums without muzzle breaks. I feel it is unethical to shoot game with something that you can not shoot accurately at the range. And those that can shoot the big magnums accurately without a muzzle break, Kudos to you.

 

[Playtimefun]

I can't say that I have a deer rifles truly hate or for that matter even dislike... BUT... mention Simmons scopes and well that brings up bad feelings.

Years ago had a Savage M99 in 243. Gorgeous birch stocked gun that I bought from a farmer who shot coyotes occasionally from the back porch. Came with the first box of shells he had ever bought as the gun had been only fired 12 times. Put a Simmons scope on it in Winnipeg and sighted it in. Drove home to Swan River (300 mile drive) with the gun in a case resting butt on the floor and muzzle against the seat. Ran into a buddy and we went deer hunting the next day. He pushed a nice buck out to me... it was walking broadside at 80 yards with a doe. Bang... he kept walking... Bang... now he's fast walking. Bang... now they start running away from me. 4 more shots and on the last one they were probably 450 yards away all of a sudden they split straight sideways.

Buddy comes out of the bush. What the hell???? I said I have no clue. I mean I was rested on the hood of the truck. We scoured the area for blood. Looked and looked. Then finally he was like is the gun sighted in??? I said yeah. Did it 2 days ago.

Well shoot at that rock out there. There was a 3' boulder about 90 yards away. Bang... missed it. Bang... missed it again. Finally aimed in the ground before the rock. Hit it!!! The scope... just traveling... no loose screws or mounts... was shooting 3 feet high at 90 yards!!! Sold the gun ironically to the guy I was hunting with who refused to sell it back afterwards. To this day I won't even look through a Simmons scope at a gun show let alone own one!!!

 

[Rosebud]

I can't say that I have a deer rifles truly hate or for that matter even dislike... BUT... mention Simmons scopes and well that brings up bad feelings.

Years ago had a Savage M99 in 243. Gorgeous birch stocked gun that I bought from a farmer who shot coyotes occasionally from the back porch. Came with the first box of shells he had ever bought as the gun had been only fired 12 times. Put a Simmons scope on it in Winnipeg and sighted it in. Drove home to Swan River (300 mile drive) with the gun in a case resting butt on the floor and muzzle against the seat. Ran into a buddy and we went deer hunting the next day. He pushed a nice buck out to me... it was walking broadside at 80 yards with a doe. Bang... he kept walking... Bang... now he's fast walking. Bang... now they start running away from me. 4 more shots and on the last one they were probably 450 yards away all of a sudden they split straight sideways.

Buddy comes out of the bush. What the hell???? I said I have no clue. I mean I was rested on the hood of the truck. We scoured the area for blood. Looked and looked. Then finally he was like is the gun sighted in??? I said yeah. Did it 2 days ago.

Well shoot at that rock out there. There was a 3' boulder about 90 yards away. Bang... missed it. Bang... missed it again. Finally aimed in the ground before the rock. Hit it!!! The scope... just traveling... no loose screws or mounts... was shooting 3 feet high at 90 yards!!! Sold the gun ironically to the guy I was hunting with who refused to sell it back afterwards. To this day I won't even look through a Simmons scope at a gun show let alone own one!!!

Can't say I have any warm and fuzzy feeling towards them myself. I had a weaver 4-12 x 40 on a 270 that traveled to Wyoming for antelope, then pack in on horse back for elk for two weeks, back out for the 1st mule deer season. Came home after killing a antelope and mule deer. To hunt, and kill white tail. Never changed point of impact.

 

[GUNNNN]

I am not trying to hijack this thread, but hopefully helping anyone who does have an early model Remington 740 or 742. I have read a lot of the replies on this thread about the inaccuracy of these autos. About a year ago I refinished a 1959 Remington 740 in 30-06 for a friend. It was his deceased brother's rifle and in really poor cosmetic condition. The rifle stocks looked like they had been dragged a long distance down a dirt road behind a truck!!! When I finished with this rifle, he asked me to mount a scope on the gun for him as he was planning on taking it deer hunting with the next couple of months. He gave me some of the ammunition he was planning on hunting with to do the sight in. He gave me only one box (he's tighter than bark on a tree), so I used some of my reloaded ammunition to get this rifle sighted in, and then fine tune to his ammunition. Well... I went to two boxes of my reloaded ammunition, both some 180 and 150 grain bullets. This rifle would shoot all over the place. Finally I gave up trying, I figured there was something wrong with the scope. So he sent the scope back to the factory and they replaced the scope. Now we are back to square one with the new scope. Again I tried to get this rifle sighted in, only to find the same situation, point of impact was kept to within an 8 inch circle no matter what!! Now I am really POd with this thing and the "junk" scopes. So I decide to put one of my trusted Leupold scopes on it and give it a try again. Same thing. This rifle was "not" going to get the best of me and I started doing some research. I found an interesting article published by Wolfe publishing about the accuracy problems with the Remington 740 and 742. The article stated that the accuracy issue was due to a design flaw in the rifle. The article stated that what Remington did was design the fore end to be tightened to the rifle by the fore end screw and tightening that screw so that the fore end tightened against the front of the receiver. In principle this makes sense, but... in doing so this process also puts upward pressure on the barrel. The fore end wood on these rifles is thin, recoil will cause them to flex and move. Plus again there is the upward pressure on the barrel that would change as the barrel would heat up and cool off as well as climate change/s. I have attached this article to this post. It shows an accuracy block that was made by Williams Gunsight company. This block went in between the gas block on the 740/742, the fore end wood and the fore end screw. This block got sandwiched between these three and took the pressure away from the fore end and the received. I do not believe that this block is still manufactured, but the dimensions for this block are included with the article. I know that I personally could make one of these blocks with the limited tools that I have in my basement. I definitely know that this block could easily be made in a machine shop with not effort or time at all. I apologize to the OP for this long reply. I do hope that it helps those 740 and 742 owners.

Thank you brother for the information, the rifle I spoke of is long gone my wife now of nearly 47 years bought the gun for me before we married I hated to get rid of the gun but I've kept her for life and have never regretted one second of that decision

 

[Playtimefun]

Can't say I have any warm and fuzzy feeling towards them myself. I had a weaver 4-12 x 40 on a 270 that traveled to Wyoming for antelope, then pack in on horse back for elk for two weeks, back out for the 1st mule deer season. Came home after killing a antelope and mule deer. To hunt, and kill white tail. Never changed point of impact.

It's kind of funny... people don't have (in general) good things to say about Weaver scopes and yet the 3 old ones that I have seem to handle everything thrown at them perfectly fine!!!

 

[oilcan]

1980 Remington 700 BDL 30-06. I was 13 years old and that thing kicked like a mule, I developed some bad habits shooting it that took years to correct. Looking back the gun was probably fine it was all mental.

 

[Recon$$]

My dad's 300 WM. Thing sucks. Right when I wanted to give up a gunsmith shot it with some handloads his rifle liked and it worked. 15 years later he still shoots that **** thing that likes a total of two loads out of God knows how many I tried. Never in my life have I had so many issues trying to find a load.

 

[jglenn]

Easily a old 03 30-06 my dad had converted to a sporter but keep the stock. Almost tore my nose off when I was 12. Worst recoil was a ruger #3 in 45-70..short barrel and steel buttplate.. Owned it.for a month.. today I have a rem model 7 from the custom shop in 350 rem mag. Let's just say it doesn't take long to sight In off the bench....

 

[Upsidedownjack]

So, When will expect you to Sale "Your" Buagara 300 WM.
Give me a Call? MSG, E-Mail?

[email protected].
Standing BY️

 

[Rosebud]

It's kind of funny... people don't have (in general) good things to say about Weaver scopes and yet the 3 old ones that I have seem to handle everything thrown at them perfectly fine!!!

That was a 1981 vintage weaver. I bought it just for that trip thinking I would have to shoot further than my usual15 to 150 yards at the time. Killed the antelope at 175, killed the mule deer at little over two hundred. Had a chance at a bull elk at around four hundred but wouldn't shoot because I'd never shot that far before. If I only knew then what I know now.

 

[WMDM]

What's wrong with the Bargara? Have one (HMR-PRO) 300 WM. Is a Very nice shooter.

It refuses to eject. Tried replacing ejector/extractor still not working. I've had 4 Bergaras (3 Ridge and 1 HMR) they were all terrible. I'm over it!