What’s your beater rifle?

[Standard Velocity]

Some of us have nice rifles and some of us have utilitarian rifles. Many scoff at “safe queens” and deride those who are overly concerned by the odd scratch on their shooting tools.

I don’t mind scuffs and scrapes from honest hunting but rust is just neglect as far as I’m concerned. I like my finer rifles to look cared for and keeping blueing blue can be a challenge in the field.

My “beater” Remington Model Seven is inexpensive, compact and handy. I don’t mind hunting in the rain and find it to be pretty productive. This rifle is, however, blued and the first fleck of rust was off putting. The fact that it’s an inexpensive rifle is really beside the point; you have to take care of your stuff.

So this year I have bought a plastic stocked, stainless steel Tikka to serve as my beater. A Leupold 2.5-8 tops it off and the 22” barrel may get trimmed to 20”. No emotional attachment and reasonably impervious to the environment.

What do you all trudge through rain, snow and sleet with?

 

[Jeffrey]

Stainless Ruger Scout 18.75” barrel with replacement Ruger polymer stock to save 12oz of weight. 5 round dbm. Aftermarket flush swivels from Grovtec with a CW style sling from Andy’s leather.

Standard Velocity that Leupold VX3 2.5-8X36 is an excellent and underrated scope. I think I might have to get one with a German #4...

 

[Bullthrower338]

Besides a bunch of AR’s and AK’s that I class into beater rifles, depending what I’m doing or intend to shoot, my beater is a M700 ADL 7 Mag with a Leupold Vari-x II. Got a couple Varmint caliber beaters also.

 

[Ray B]

1960 Winchester M 70 Alaskan 338 Mag. Stock epoxied back together with cross-bolts following being rolled over by a horse. Been there and it shows.

 

[Luvthunt]

Rem 700 in 340 cal with a Brown Precision stock. Been there and back float trips , horse back., back packing and safari lorry abuse. Taken a beating and keeps on doing the job.

 

[Major Khan]

Not a beater , but l have been using my Belgian 12 Bore double barreled side by side shot gun non stop since 1959 . It used to be my only personally owned firearm until 1996 . From 1961 to 1970 , l used it as a back up gun for guiding clients for shikar , during my career as a professional shikaree in Nagpur , India .
However , l will not call it a " beater " , because l have taken EXTREMELY good care of the gun since 1959 . I always clean it up and give it a nice oiling every time , l come back from the field .
I firmly believe that your equipment is meant to be used , but not abused .
I only use Eley cartridges in it and Hull cartridges . For a 61 year old gun , l do not think l could have maintained it better .

Even last cheetal deer season , it did not let me down . I shoot it every week end and hunt at least 6 times through out the year with it .

 

[Standard Velocity]

View attachment 331294


1960 Winchester M 70 Alaskan 338 Mag. Stock epoxied back together with cross-bolts following being rolled over by a horse. Been there and it shows.

Though I’m sure this rifle shows some scars I do believe you and I have different definitions of “beater”.

What do your fancy rifles look like?

 

[35bore]

View attachment 331294


1960 Winchester M 70 Alaskan 338 Mag. Stock epoxied back together with cross-bolts following being rolled over by a horse. Been there and it shows.

Love it!!!

 

[Standard Velocity]

Not a beater , but l have been using my Belgian 12 Bore double barreled side by side shot gun non stop since 1959 . It used to be my only personally owned firearm until 1996 . From 1961 to 1970 , l used it as a back up gun for guiding clients for shikar , during my career as a professional shikaree in Nagpur , India .
However , l will not call it a " beater " , because l have taken EXTREMELY good care of the gun since 1959 . I always clean it up and give it a nice oiling every time , l come back from the field .
I firmly believe that your equipment is meant to be used , but not abused .
I only use Eley cartridges in it and Hull cartridges . For a 61 year old gun , l do not think l could have maintained it better .
View attachment 331295 View attachment 331296 View attachment 331297 View attachment 331298 View attachment 331299

Even last cheetal deer season , it did not let me down . I shoot it every week end and hunt at least 6 times through out the year with it .
View attachment 331300

Also a pretty pretty nice gun to allow it to be abused. That does indeed look to have been treated well.

I do like that it’s so easy to break a double down to get oil under the barrels. Taking the action out of the stock on a bolt action is almost certain to cause a change in POI.

 

[35bore]

Most of my rifles are what you would classify as "beaters"... I own one safe queen and even it shows that it's been used.

For ME, if it's an accurate rifle with a purpose, it gets used. 6 out of (u don't need to know my rifle count) are rattle canned. They are tools. Regardless of who or what is on the receiving end of any said rifle, I guarantee they don't give a crap how prestin the gun looks. Ugly doesn't matter as long as they preform.

 

[fourfive8]

A real junker for sure. A Savage Model 15-B 22 single shot with a pine, 2x4 stock and a barrel lopped off to 18" to remove a muzzle section with deep pitting and a bulge. The scope is a Weaver M 34 "Medalist". Kind of hard on the eye, but shoots surprisingly well after the barrel work.

 

[bruce moulds]

like the ammo holder.
bruce.

 

[Standard Velocity]

A real junker for sure. A Savage Model 15-B 22 single shot with a pine, 2x4 stock and a barrel lopped off to 18" to remove a muzzle section with deep pitting and a bulge. The scope is a Weaver M 34 "Medalist". Kind of hard on the eye, but shoots surprisingly well after the barrel work.

View attachment 331303 View attachment 331304

This entry may be the truest embodiment of the spirit of this thread. I aspire to one day reach the zenith of utilitarianism which you have attained.

 

[Chukar]

A real junker for sure. A Savage Model 15-B 22 single shot with a pine, 2x4 stock and a barrel lopped off to 18" to remove a muzzle section with deep pitting and a bulge. The scope is a Weaver M 34 "Medalist". Kind of hard on the eye, but shoots surprisingly well after the barrel work.

Just what the absolute he!! is going on here????

This post deserves a detailed story.

 

[jwood1284]

Not a “beater” in the truest sense, but when it’s downright nasty out I’ll grab my New Haven M70 .30 Govt. ‘06.

 

[WAB]

Similar story, M70 synthetic in .325 WSM. Metal Parkerized to satin black.

 

[Shootist43]

I bought my first 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser to use as a "rainy day gun." It came in a kit form from Century Arms and needed to be assembled. The stock was a plastic Ramline with see thru sights and a very cheap scope. total price in 1996 was $200. When I discovered how well the gun shot I began upgrading it. I have at least 5 times what I paid for the rifle in the first place invested in the upgrades alone. This rifle is still my "rainy day gun" but it is also my go to deer rifle. When I not shooting or hunting with it this rifle doesn't sit idly in the safe . It has fathered at least a dozen Swedes that will be or have been given to my grandchildren.

 

[Ray B]

Though I’m sure this rifle shows some scars I do believe you and I have different definitions of “beater”.

What do your fancy rifles look like?

Win M70 full custom by Al Biesen

 

[Wyatt Smith]

My only rifle that’s a true beater is my M16 style AR 15. I should say it’s the only one I beat. I use all my guns, but that one gets the least care/attention. My pre 64 30/06 goes with me a lot but it gets oiled and put back in the cabinet when I’m done with it.

 

[Mekaniks]

Mine is a post 64 (65’ prod) Winchester model 70 with a HS Presision Kevlar stock, 20” Douglass XX stainless barrel, all black Nitride coating. 3-9 Leupold VX-II in 2 piece Talley rings. Custom built in 338 Federal.
It’s lightweight enough to carry on a backpack, it small enough to pack in a small airplane or carry on a 4 wheeler, corrosion resistant enough to live on a boat in the saltwater, and enough horsepower to shoot anything I am after, accurate enough to get it done and not too much gun for for deer sized critters.
If the airlines loses it or it gets damaged beyond repair, I can replace it. It didn’t cost me a first born.
I have taken it to South Africa including the Kudu in my avatar, black and brown wildebeest, impala, springbok and jackel. Brown bear in Kodiak, caribou and deer all over Alaska.
That’s my “beater“