My primary is a Christensen Mesa .308. Leupold VX5 3-15x44 on Leupold Backcountry rings. Area 419 Hellfire brake. Magpul bipod and Quake claw slim sling. Shoots well inside MOA with Sierra GameChanger 165s. Second in my heart only to the 1964 Marlin 336 I inherited from my Dad.

What are you carrying opening day?

My favorite deer rifle. My oldest 3 kids all killed their first deer & pigs with it.

I've killed several hundred animals with this rifle, my kids have killed a few too with it. I bought it used in the late 90's. Once I replaced the old scope & rings, it has been a great tool. Old ugly stock Savage 110 in 243 with a Lupe' 3x9x40. Works for 80% of the hunting that I've done in South Texas.



I have other rifles that I really like to hunt with, and they serve their purpose.

I consider this old ugly rifle a friend that I'll never part with.

Love it. That's exactly how I feel about my 336.

My favorite is a beautiful old Browning BAR in 30-06 that my dad bought before I was born. Used it to take my first deer. Used it a few years ago sitting in the blind with my dad when I shot my coolest buck.

Without a doubt my Tikka CTR in .308, Leupold VX5 HD, 3-15 x 44 with a dialed in CDS set up. I use it for all my whitetail hunting. It is best suited for a hunt I go on every year that is public land, walk in, no stand, no feeder, very little advanced scouting and the shots are 10 to as far as you can see kind of yardage. They're always on the move and in most cases need to be DRT. It's a little heavy for the 3-4 mile walk in, but with the Badlands set up on the backpack you don't really know it's there. It's a fun hunt, and this set up is perfect for it. As with all CTR's I been around this one shoots very tight.

Man I like that stock

Mesa Precision Arms 6.5 PRC with Swarovski 5-25x56 X5i and Atlas Bipod. I paired it with the Sig 2400 ABS rangefinder. Nothing is safe

So many Opening Day's and so many choices......"Opening Day" I will be carrying my Elite Impulse 31. For "Opening Day" of General Season (if I have any tags left) I will be carrying my Remington .270 with Zeiss Conquest 6.5x20 scope. For "Opening Day" of Mule Deer season I will be carrying my Rifles Inc. Master Series .280 topped with a Swarovski 5x30. For all my opening days I will using my Leica Geovid 3200's.
.270

.280

I have three favorites:

McWhorter 7mm08, Leupy VX3 B&C


Tikka T3X 6.5 CM, Bushy LRHS


Tikka 695 Whitetail, 7mm Rem Mag, VX6

Won’t be carrying it opening day of MLD as we will still be shooting red deer, but hopefully will by opener of general season. The rifle is a 50yr old Remington 700 in .243 that, not to quote Whiskey Myers, grandpa gave to my dad and he gave to me. It was sighted with a vintage Lyman’s 4x but upgraded to a Leupold VX-3 2.5x8 a couple years ago

I mostly carry my bone stock Tikka CTR in .260 Rem. Nightforce SHV scope and my handloads - 143 ELD-X running at a mild 2700 fps.




And just for something different, I'll carry my 7 Rem Mag. It's built on a Savage 116 action, Nightforce ATACR scope, Rifle Basix trigger, Shilen 1:8 barrel with a Nortwest Precision brake, Boyd's varmint stock pillar bedded and my handloads - 180 ELD-M running at a not so mild 2950 fps.

Hard to pick a favorite. Most of what I've killed the last 5 years has been with a Tikka CTR 308. Excellent rifle for just about anywhere.

This year I'm hunting in East Texas so I know the terrain I'll be hunting in. I'm hoping to blood my semi-custom Ruger Hawkeye 6.8 SPC 2. Have it loaded with 130 Interlock flat base at 2550 fps from 16" barrel. Kicks like an air rifle suppressed.

Here's my savage 10/110 .270 win

T3 Light in .07/08

to many to list

Favorite and ONLY. I’ve posted before about the rifle I inherited from my Dad 50 years ago. M70 3006, vx3 2.5 x 8 Leupold with 165 Partitions. He had a fixed 6x Weaver I wish I had kept. Sling and elsewise the same.
First pick is him in Colorado at 54, year before his heart attack.
The rest are me with same rifle. Same cap over many decades as well.

That is quite a chronology of deer right there!

Kids got me this one for Christmas. I haven't gotten any blood on it yet but it may be my new favorite.

I guess my all time favorite is my first semi-custom build I had done.
Remington 700 action, #5 contour 24” 1:8 twist brux, Manners EH-4 elite (CF), Timney, NF atacr 5-25, SiCo Harvester 30. Using my own loads with some 180gr Berger VLDs.
Although the scope makes it a bit heavy, it's what I toted around Colorado last year when dad and I chased the elk around.

Nothing fancy, mossberg atr100 in 308 and the mossberg plinkster for varmint

Winchester Model 70. .270.

Beautiful rifle. Beautiful deer. And an excellent picture.

Very nice. As classic as it gets.

Not exactly a rifle, but this is my current favorite. CVA .50 caliber muzzleloader pistol.

280 Ackley Improved