Rifle esthetics?

Border

Well-Known Member
I don't know about you lot but the look of a rifle is almost as important to me as the way it shoots and handles. As I'm sure you all know the basic utilitarian bolt action repeater has been around for over 100 years. The only real accepted new kid on the block is the Blaser R93 and that isn't an oil painting. Walnut and blued steel have their devotees and stainless/synthetic float others boats.
Manafacturers are queing up to jump on the Blaser bandwagon, the problem is to me, personally at least they're all pig ugly. Some examples
Merkel KR 1 and Helix
Krieghoff Semprio
InnoGun
Strasser models
Lynx
And although they are conventional bolt actions the Steyr Pro Hunter series do nothing for me, unlike the SSG variants.The Mauser MO3 gets the thumbs up as does the Sauer 202 series, being bolt guns with interchangeable barrels and a cock/decock(MO3)
What do you think? How long will the uber technical new super duper rifle remain popular compared to the humble bolt? Me, personally I have 2 Sako 75's and a Rem 700.
 
i also have 2 75's 1 is a finlite then a tikka 690 dlx an ansuhtz and just getting a mannlicher classic half stock.
Yes looks count.
Don't mind plastic 1 bit but don't like military looks.
 
Love the look of my Mannlicher Classic Half Stock, lovely wood & blued. Not a fan of synthetic or military types either, personally I think the conventional bolt action will be with us for some time to come.

Chris
 
Two M03s and a Sako 85. Sako is sexy and the M03s are "Vorsprung dur Technik".

Bottom line is that I will eventually drop my Sako and just add barrels to the M03 (I have wood & synthetic).

Break down for travel, QD mounts that really do hold (combine with a good scope and zero change isn't an issue between settings), and a manual cock that's much better than a safety.

Stan
 
Yes they have to look good,but have to be used too.
Blue and wood is the way to go.:D
I think a lot of Blaser users shoot in the dark(or they should do):D
 
+1 on looks. I reckon it's hard (impossible even) to beat a classic CRF sporter ('98,1640,'96,M70,550,M77 but not zkk - don't like the matt) with a fancy piece of walnut high quality chequring and nice bolt handle. I think anything less than 22" of barrel looks wrong, as does a moderator, as does anything that is not blue and walnut.

A lot of Sakos look good, but I reckon Sauer 202s are down there with Blasers, and even the M03 is unfortunate.

I do rather fancy a classic lever action though, but not the but ugly ones from Ruger, Savage or the Winchester 88. They've got to be a '73,'86,'92,'94, 36/336, 95 etc. yeah I may have missed some...
 
Yes they have to look good,but have to be used too.
Blue and wood is the way to go.:D
I think a lot of Blaser users shoot in the dark(or they should do):D

Oh dear, he we go again.....I can see this thread descending into a slanging match already ;)

Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that places beauty above everything else.

With the rifle, I value accuracy and reliability far more than beauty. I don't want to have to worry about my rifle getting wet, scratched or otherwise abused. It's a tool for doing a job.

But then again, I own a Blaser :D

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willie_gunn
 
Hi Willie, I do agree to a certain extent. Where guns are concerned I have always thought that our American cousins put practicality above appearance, probably stemming from the Old West days, whereas the English have placed appearance and practicality together. I have a very pretty Heym 44B in 7x57 and it gives me great pleasure to take it out for the odd stalk. Rather like my English side by side shotguns if there is nothing about I can look at the guns and enjoy the craftmanship, I seldom do that with the Beretta 391!!
Hope the exquisite 28 is still doing its stuff!!
 
Hope the exquisite 28 is still doing its stuff!!

It most certainly is! I am almost at the point of selling both the 12 and the 16 bore as they've barely been out of the gun cabinet this season.

The 28 really has been a revelation. On Saturday it even got to the point of our shoot captain telling me I was "in danger of becoming a seriously good shot" after I dropped a high crossing pigeon while he looked on :D The look on another guns face when I told him it was a 28 bore, not a 12, was a picture!

Moments like these are all too rare so I savour them when they come along ;)

willie_gunn
 
Aesthetics, to me, have to be a balance between form and function. Therefore I love that my Sako Finnlight will do well under an inch at 100yds, especially at that price (I bought it well!), but I prefer to look at my Parker-Hale .308 which has wonderful wood, it is really pretty.Parker-Hale stock.jpg

One of these days I will probably put my Finnlight into a laminate stock!

Yours in two minds, Simon
 
Aesthetics, to me, have to be a balance between form and function.

Have to agree with that. And as the old saying goes, 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder', so you'll likely get as many different opinions as replies.

Personally I'm a fan of wood and blued metal and here's my old nail that's still going strong.

Steyr-Mannlicher .308 'Varmint' with the semi-heavy candy twist forged barrel, ventilated fore end and stippled grip areas.

View attachment 4164

I'm still looking for a single shot break-action rifle a la Blaser K95 in 6.5x57R which might fulfill my 'perfect rifle' ideal for woodland stalking
 
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Hmmm well I do believe that my preferences are quite well know :D on rifles and traditional it is too. Even down to barrel mounted slings:-

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Which of course was the Old English way fo doing it. The majority have the frong slig loop'stud mounted in the forestok though I I can live with that as well:-

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Now I chose the Std over the Deluxe as I prefered the slimmer stock profile:-

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Also removed the sett trigger and fitted the Std curved blade.

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I was puzzled by the comment on the ZKK being mat as you can see this ZKK 601 is not except to the receiver.
 
Following what Orion said about a single shot rifle, I have to say that on the rare occasions when I take out the Heym it is an absolute joy. No mod, small S&B scope very light and precious little recoil from the 7x57. Also I heve never felt the need for more than the single shot, reloading is so quick. In any case, when most things are hit with this round they don't do a lot of running away.
 
Yep you sure do have some did looking rifles! What's the first one? I was talking about the recieves on the zkk - the rest of i is great and i love brnos in general, but i'm i'm never a fan of matt finishes anywhere - even if they are more practical!

Also find it hard to beat a schnabel (spelling?) forend for looks
 
What's the first one?

Harry that's my :-

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Medwell & Perrett

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And if I do my part it shoots well:-

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3 shots at 100 yards. POA middle of bull so POI was 1 1/2" high. Hornady 130 Gr SP .30 cal at 2800 fps.
 
Another one for wood and blued steel. I prefer the American classic style stock with longer forend. Many older English rifles have too short forends IMHO. Would like a Mauser style controlled round feed action. But do also like old Mannlichers.

Not a great fan of European hog back style stocks. And am also a fan of break action single shots and combination guns. And it must be left handed.

But if I was on the west coast with a big cull, I could see a stainless and plastic rifle for use on wet days being in the cabinet.
 
very nice - what action? 30-06? That gunsmith is just 12 miles away - are they still in business?

Ahhh Harry I believe they were gunmakers rather than Gunsmiths. As to if they are still together I don't know as it was a husband and wife team. They married after starting to work together, she was the professional engineer, and I was told that Nicky did the stocking and made the stocks:-

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That is the the chambering ................... yep rimmed .30 cal = .30WCF more commonly known as the 30-30 Win.
In a letter from here dated 13th Sept 2001 she informed me that the rifle was delivered in Febuary 1999.
 
Comments here relate purely to stalking / foxing rifles. I am ignoring specialist gear.

I have been through the whole range of rifles, CZ, Tikka, Sauer, Sako, and a Blaser with grade 9 timber and several barrels. Done it all and spent a fortune.

I like the Blaser, it is accurate, handy, strips down and travels very well. However, there is no doubt it is unnecessarily complicated and expensive. I will keep that Blaser with the 30/06 barrel only for trips abroad.

The other switch barrel systems that I have seen, (except the Sauer which is gorgeous) have been uniformly pig ugly.

For a guy hunting near home - within driving distance, a good conventional turn bolt rifle, with a top quality scope, synthetic or timber as you like, is hard to improve upon.

To my mind, the Sako 75 is near perfect as a general purpose hunting rifle. Drop box magazine that can be feed from top while in the action, good trigger which is easy to adjust, and as accurate as anyone can use in the field. Once you try to "better" that setup, you are well into diminishing returns. The same argument could be made for a number of other rifles - Heym, Sauer etc.

Brithunter, previous disagreements notwithstanding, you have a couple of gorgeous rifles there, the Medwell and Perritt is particularly nice.
 
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