7 Legendary Classic Hunting Rifles That Defined Deer Hunting | Winchester, Marlin, Savage Ranked video from Scoper 360°.
Summary:
Ranking the best classic hunting rifles that shaped North American hunting traditions. From the Winchester Model 1894 to the Remington 700, we tested which lever-action and bolt-action rifle earned number one for versatile hunting performance across terrain, distance, and game type.
My "honorary sister" sent me this yesterday.
The original post was posted on Reddit and it involves a principal at a school regarding a 4th grader's parent wearing a Godzilla t-shirt.
Here's what the parent posted:
Was wearing this tshirt when I picked up my 4th grade son from elementary school. Principal pulled me aside and said it's inappropriate. "It implies violence and destruction." and said I should exercise more caution when choosing what I wear to an elementary school.
Here's the shirt:
I've always felt that many people involved in our educational system, including teachers and administrators, lacked common sense and some are just plain assholes. This has to be another good example.
Some of the comments at the original post are hilarious.
Something is happening in regards to the Iran war causing President Trump to return from Camp David to the White House.
Benny Johnson posted a video on this development:
Ruger 10/22 Years to Avoid — and the Exact Year the Quality Died video from Ivan's Journal and Ivan Jackson.
Summary:
I've watched guys walk into a gun store, point at a 10/22 on the rack, and say "just give me that one," like every year of that rifle came off the same line with the same attention and deserves the same price. Some of them are right. Some are paying twenty or thirty percent too much. And a few, the ones who know to look, are walking right past early production examples that have quietly become desirable on the used market without anybody making an announcement about it.
10 SHOCKING Facts About the Ruger 10/22 Most Owners DON’T KNOW video from Gun Go.
Summary:
10 SHOCKING Facts About the Ruger 10/22 Most Owners DON’T KNOW
Sad news from Hollywood.
Actor Gerrit Graham has passed away at age 77.
According to The Hollywood Reporter:
Gerrit Graham, the interesting character actor who appeared in Phantom of the Paradise and three other early films for Brian De Palma and wrote the Grateful Dead song “Victim or the Crime” with Bob Weir, has died. He was 77.
Graham died Tuesday in an assisted living facility in Rhinebeck, New York, his ex-wife, Dede Taylor, told The Hollywood Reporter. The cause was complications from lung disease.
Graham also portrayed an aspiring country singer in Paul Bartel’s Cannonball! (1976); a computer nerd opposite Julie Christie in Demon Seed (1977); the abusive boyfriend of Susan Sarandon’s character in Louis Malle’s Pretty Baby (1978); one of the scheming salesmen in Robert Zemeckis’ Used Cars (1980); and the foster father of Alex Vincent’s Andy Barkley in Child’s Play 2 (1990).
Used Cars has to be one of the funniest movies from the 1980s. If you have never seen it, I recommend finding a copy. The movie stars Kurt Russell and Jack Warden.
To read more, go here.
Here's the trailer for Used Cars:
Last evening, we had an area-wide power outage that lasted for several hours. It may have been weather-related as we had a thunderstorm last evening.
I went to bed about 45 minutes earlier than usual and when I woke up, the power was on.
According to the McKinley County Sheriff, who posted this on Facebook:
All of Gallup is without power. We believe this is a PNM feeder issue. We do not have an estimated time to restoration.
We will update this post when more is known.
We have received reports that Thoreau, Jamestown, and Gamerco are also without power.
Thoreau is about 15 miles east of Jamestown.
I joked on our Jamestown Community Facebook page that the dilithium crystals failed. (Trekkers would know about dilithium crystals.)
This is an area map of the outage:
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| Above, wearing my Stetson at the El Rancho Hotel restaurant. |
In some regions of the U.S. law enforcement officers sport cowboy hats.
In the Gallup, New Mexico area, many (including me) have cowboy hats. I have two, with one being a Stetson. Since I live at 7,000 feet above sea level, the air is thinner and those hats offer protection against the sun's rays. They offer more protection than do baseball caps. It is interesting that quite a number of the area's Native Americans also wear them.
RV Travel asked in a poll article, "Do you own a cowboy hat?" As of this writing, 59% of the responded with yes.
The article begins with:
The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) police department updated their uniform policy awhile ago and it’s drawn quite a bit of attention. This change allows on-duty officers to sport cowboy hats, aligning them with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, which permitted the iconic hats earlier.
Now, the officers proudly showcase their cowboy hats on social media. That caught the eye of none other than Deion Sanders, the famous football coach and avid cowboy hat enthusiast. Sanders was so impressed that he offered to cover the cost of hats for the entire staff. However, Police Chief Mahoney clarified that officers would continue to buy their own hats, as these are considered optional accessories.
While the hats add a stylish touch to the officers’ uniforms, their purpose goes beyond fashion. Chief Mahoney pointed out that the wide brims provide excellent protection from the sun, which is especially beneficial during outdoor events like football games and concerts.
To read the full article and participate in the poll, go here.
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| Above, record amounts of trash has been recovered from Yellowstone's thermal areas like this one. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Yellowstone National Park has been enjoyed by visitors for generations.
Where else can one see beautiful vistas, animals, waterfalls, geysers and thermal areas? Unfortunately, some people have no common sense or respect for the natural wonders.
Trash has been recovered from thermal areas that people carelessly tossed in. The park has broken it trash cleanup record this year.
According to an article in RV Travel:
Yellowstone National Park has set a new record for trash recovered from its geysers and hot springs. And the park’s geology team has some remarkable additions to its collection of lost and discarded belongings.
Last September, RV Travel reported that park workers had recovered more than 13,000 pieces of trash, 4,000 rocks and sticks, and 300 hats from Yellowstone’s hydrothermal areas.
This year, the trash count has soared.
By early September, workers had collected more than 20,100 pieces of trash, 5,600 rocks and sticks, and 280 hats. The U.S. Geological Survey calls 2026 a record-setting year for debris removal.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, my 1962 vintage Winchester 94. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
It begins with:
I don’t have a favorite deer rifle, but I used to. It was a Model 94 Winchester that I got in a trade when I was 14. All the cowboys in the movies had lever-action Winchesters, so that was reason enough to want one. I can’t remember all the details of the deal, but the kid I swapped with drove a hard bargain. Among other valuable items he skinned me out of were a pocket watch that didn’t work and a model airplane engine that wouldn’t run.
The rifle was in pretty sad shape. It came with three cartridges, one of which I fired to make sure the gun would shoot. Actually, the rifle’s rusty metal and battered wood were among the reasons I wanted it. Even at that tender age I was a budding do-it-yourselfer and had visions of renewing the rifle to gleaming steel and glistening hand-rubbed wood.
What I mostly learned from that enterprise was that lever rifles are a lot trickier to reassemble than they are to take apart. When I finally got it back together it didn’t look much better than before and was certainly not what I had envisioned. But l had a deer rifle and it was my favorite, even though I never shot a deer with it.
To read the full article, go here.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury let these plans slip to supporters.
The Pinon Post reported:
Democrat U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico is openly telling supporters that House Democrats are already preparing for “in-depth oversight and impeachments of administration officials” next year if voters hand the party control of the U.S. House in November.
The comments came in a video circulating on X this week, in which Stansbury tied Democrats’ ability to pursue the plans directly to the outcome of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
“We in the House are gearing up in terms of our planning for oversight,” Stansbury said in the video. “I know many of you are deeply frustrated that this administration is not being held accountable under the law.”
She continued: “We are gearing up for next year and the President is damn right that we are going to be conducting in-depth oversight and impeachments of administration officials next year. So we are in the process of planning for all that.”
Stansbury did not identify in the clip which Trump administration officials Democrats are considering for impeachment, nor did she specify potential articles or alleged impeachable conduct.
What she did make explicit was that the plans depend on Democrats winning control of the chamber.
To read more, go here.
Range Report: Winchester Model 1894 - An iconic .30-30 lever action rifle video from Texas Gun Vault.
The video was filmed two years ago.
Summary:
In this Range Report, I have the opportunity to shoot and review a truly iconic piece of American firearms history, the Winchester Model 1894 chambered in .30-30 Winchester. Opportunities to spend time with rifles like this do not come around very often, making this a particularly special experience.
The Winchester 1894 is one of the most influential lever-action rifles ever produced and played a significant role in American hunting and firearms history. As someone who appreciates historically significant firearms, I was excited to get this rifle out to the range and see how it performs more than a century after it was built.
Despite being an antique, this rifle continues to function remarkably well. Its reliability, smooth action and surprising accuracy are a testament to the quality of its design and craftsmanship. Join me as I take this classic Winchester to the range and see why it remains one of the most celebrated lever-action rifles ever made.
This video documents my personal thoughts, opinions and experiences with this firearm. Yours may vary.
NOTE: The rifle shown was made in 1912.
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| Above, Six Mile Canyon Road yesterday. Photo by Nandoh Munoz. |
The idea was to go either on Monday or Wednesday to do the shooting. Larry Lucier was going to come along.
The rains started on Monday and continued everyday since. More is expected today. The area where the shooting area is located is now a swamp.
We would drive out there in Larry's bus, but the dirt roads would be muddy messes and the chances of getting the bus stuck in mud would be high. Even Six Mile Canyon Road, the main road for getting to the shooting area is a muddy mess. It flooded two days ago with the culverts overflowing. I wouldn't even attempt driving in those conditions with the Jeep.
Larry's wheelchair would also probably get stuck in the mud at the shooting area. As things turned out, his wheelchair broke yesterday, so it if broke in muddy conditions at the shooting area, that would be a double whammy.
I guess things will have to wait.
Top 10 Dirt Cheap Lever Action Rifles Every Survivalist Needs Before 2027 video from GUNS360.
Summary:
You don’t need an expensive tactical rifle to put together a practical survival setup.
Lever-action rifles have been hunting game and serving outdoorsmen for generations, and some of the most useful models are still surprisingly affordable.
In this video, we’re counting down 10 budget lever-action rifles worth knowing before 2027, from inexpensive .22 LR camp rifles to .357 Magnum and .30-30 Winchester centerfire options.
The lineup includes the Rossi Rio Bravo, Henry H001, Rossi R92, Heritage Settler, Henry Big Boy Steel, Mossberg 464, Browning BL-22, Winchester 9422, Rossi R95, and Citadel Levtac-92.
Some prioritize cheap ammunition and small-game utility. Others give you centerfire hunting capability, compact dimensions, dual-caliber flexibility, or modern optics-ready configurations without pushing into premium custom-rifle territory.
We’ll break down what each rifle offers, including weight, capacity, action design, caliber choices, optics compatibility, field practicality, and approximate pricing.
Whether you prefer a traditional walnut lever gun or a modernized tactical-style carbine, the goal is the same: get maximum practical value without spending premium money.
Which budget lever action would you choose?
The History of Repeating Arms Gun-Control Groups Don’t Want the Courts to Know video by NRA.
Summary:
This episode of NRA’s The Armed Citizen Podcast refutes one of the biggest false claims gun-control groups and the politicians they support repeat ad nauseam by asserting that the Founding Fathers could not have imagined the AR-15.
The historical truth is, as Joe Greenlee, director of the Office of Litigation Counsel at the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, explains, repeating arms were definitely known to the Founding generation—and to generations before.
Haaland the chicken-hearted: She's ducking this debate after not agreeing to KOB's October 8 debate after allegedly initially agreeing to it.
Apparently, she's using Joe Biden's 2020 strategy of hiding in her basement and not defending her record and her proposals.
Candidates should earn their election, not entitled. Her entitlement is off the charts.
Why Senior Shooters Are Ditching Heavy-Recoil Rifles and Choosing These video from GUNS360.
Summary:
Getting older doesn’t mean giving up hunting, range days, or the rifles you enjoy shooting.
For many experienced shooters, the real problem isn’t accuracy—it’s recoil, rifle weight, stiff controls, uncomfortable stocks, and the fatigue that shows up after a long day behind the trigger.
In this video, we’re looking at 10 low-recoil and easy-handling rifles senior shooters are turning to in 2026, including the Tikka T3x Lite Roughtech, Ruger American Gen II, Springfield Armory 2020 Waypoint, CVA Cascade SB, CZ 600 Alpha, Savage 110 Ultralite, Henry Long Ranger, Smith & Wesson FPC, Marlin Dark Series Model 336, and Ruger Precision Rimfire.
These rifles approach comfort in different ways.
Some use factory muzzle brakes and thick recoil pads to reduce shoulder impact. Others rely on lightweight construction, adjustable stocks, short bolt throws, pistol-caliber chamberings, or virtually recoil-free rimfire ammunition.
We’ll break down which designs are easiest on aging shoulders, wrists, backs, and hands—and why stock fit and rifle ergonomics can matter just as much as caliber.
Whether you’re looking for a softer-shooting hunting rifle, a lightweight range gun, or simply something you can enjoy for hours without feeling beaten up afterward, there are more good options than ever.
Which one would you choose for your next range day or hunting season?
.357 vs .30-30: The Biggest Lever-Gun Mistake Buyers Make video from GUNS360.
Summary:
The .357 Magnum carbine vs .30-30 Winchester debate looks simple on paper—but muzzle velocity and energy numbers don't tell the whole story.
These two cartridges can live in remarkably similar lever-action rifles, yet they're optimized for very different jobs.
In this video, we break down the real differences between .357 Magnum and .30-30 Winchester, including muzzle velocity, downrange energy, recoil, effective range, magazine capacity, ammunition cost, .38 Special compatibility, optics, suppressor use, and rifle pricing.
A .357 Magnum lever gun offers mild recoil, higher tube capacity, inexpensive .38 Special practice, and a compact, fast-handling platform. For frequent range use and short-range applications, that combination can make it incredibly appealing.
The .30-30 takes the advantage when distance and rifle-level ballistic performance become the priority. Its bullets retain velocity and energy substantially better downrange, which is why the cartridge has remained synonymous with the American deer rifle for generations.
We’ll also compare popular lever guns including the Rossi R92, Rossi R95, Henry Big Boy, Marlin 1894, Marlin 336, Winchester 94, Henry Side Gate, Marlin SBL, and Dark Series.
The biggest mistake isn't choosing .357 Magnum or .30-30.
It's buying one based on a ballistic chart without considering where you'll actually shoot it, how often you'll practice, what ammunition you'll use, and how much the complete setup will cost you over time.
So which lever-gun cartridge would you choose: .357 Magnum or .30-30 Winchester?
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| Above, Loeffler's Guns Etc. in Grants, New Mexico. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
There are some things that gun owners can do with their guns. There are also some things that gun owners should not do.
One thing they should do is to have a good gunsmith.
I made use of a gunsmith at Loeffler's Guns Etc. in Grants, New Mexico a few years ago. He knew what he was doing and was reasonably priced. I would use him again, if need be, as I was pleased with his work.
That is the topic of an article in the online NRA's American Rifleman.
It begins with:
Since the early 2000s, perhaps maybe a decade or so later than that, people have taken to building their own guns (look at bolt guns using a Savage/Remington barrel nut system or the ubiquitous AR-15 platform) or doing small tinkering jobs (like installing sights, triggers and many other aftermarket parts). While that’s been good for the industry as a whole, as it contributed to the growth of a huge aftermarket of accessories and new components over time, not every job needs to or should be a DIY job, and it pays to have a good gunsmith. Here’s why.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, the gun department at the Albuquerque Cabela's. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Since I moved to New Mexico eight years ago, I have purchased three firearms. Two were shotguns and one was a rifle.
The shotguns were a Remington 870 Express purchased at a Lake Havasu, Arizona gun store and a Winchester Model 12 purchased online through Guns.com. The rifle was a Winchester 94 (now my favorite gun) from a gun store in Albuquerque, New Mexico. If one could call the Winchester 94 my "grail" gun, that would be an accurate description. I had been on the lookout for a pre-64 rifle for a while.
These days more people are making good use of the Internet to find that one (or more) firearm they've coveted.
The NRA's American Rifleman online magazine posted an article on hunting for the "grail" gun in the modern era.
They begin it with:
There’s accumulating guns—and then there’s collecting. The thing that distinguishes the latter from the former is that there’s generally a theme to a collection. It’s not that one’s better than the other, and there’s often a fair bit of overlap, but collectors generally have a running list in their head of desired acquisitions; the next “Grail gun” to add to the safe, if you will.
This used to be more difficult in the olden times. However, along came the various web forums, whether brand-centric, themed around a certain type of shooting sport or hunting or specific to a state or other geographic location. Collecting, say, Rugers or Smith & Wessons became a lot easier when you could peruse the buy/sell/trade board on a Ruger or Smith & Wesson fan site.
Then came the auction sites. If you weren’t aware, in its earliest days, eBay actually allowed the listing of firearms before getting cold feet at the regulatory and political morass and pulling out in 1999. The market vacuum was quickly filled by specialized firearm-auction sites. These days, if one has a sufficient bank balance and some leisure time to surf the internet, a lot of the drama and suspense has been taken from the previously intriguing hunt for the next piece in a collection.
While this is convenient, it somehow feels less than—well, sporting.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, Gregg Hull. Official campaign photo. |
If you thought that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was bad, you ain't seen nothing yet if Deb Haaland is elected governor of New Mexico.
To put it bluntly, she's an inarticulate buffoon. That's putting it nicely!
That's why I am supporting Gregg Hull for New Mexico governor.
From the Hull campaign website:
Gregg Hull is the proven leader Rio Rancho counts on. A longtime resident, entrepreneur, and family man, Hull has taken on the big challenges to improve public safety, grow the economy, invest in infrastructure and increase the quality of life for Rio Rancho Residents.
Gregg wants the same success story for New Mexico, and he is ready to work together with all New Mexicans to write our next chapter. Combined with David Gallegos’ extensive legislative experience and deep understanding of New Mexico's regulatory landscape, this ticket offers a stable, results-oriented alternative for our state's future.
To join the Gregg Hull campaign for governor or for more information, go here.
Yesterday, I spent the whole day indoors at home. It started raining in the morning and continued throughout the day.
It was not too heavy, but it was continuous here in Jamestown.
In Gallup, in the meantime, got flooded by the storm. The water flowed like a river on Historic Route 66. A friend said the storm drain system is antiquated and is badly in need of being modernized with water from the surrounding hills flowing down into the downtown area.
Hopefully, it will either cease or taper off within the next few days as I have to go into town to pick up some meds.
Overnight, I was awakened by a heavy downpour around 2:30. Good thing I went to bed at 8:00.
Here's a video from KOAT News:
25 Guns You Should NEVER Sell! video from Gun Addicts.
Summary:
Some firearms are more than just tools—they can become pieces of history, valuable collectibles, family heirlooms, or increasingly difficult-to-find examples of important firearm designs. In this video, we explore 25 Guns You Should Think Twice About Selling, looking at the history, craftsmanship, rarity, collector interest, and long-term appeal behind each one.
From legendary revolvers and classic lever-action rifles to military-surplus firearms, iconic sporting shotguns, rimfire classics, and historically significant designs, this list covers firearms that have developed strong reputations among collectors and enthusiasts.
We'll examine what makes certain firearms particularly desirable over time, including limited production, discontinued models, historical significance, original condition, matching components, unusual configurations, manufacturer reputation, and collector demand.
A firearm's value isn't determined by age alone. Condition, originality, documentation, rarity, production numbers, provenance, and market demand can all have a major impact on what a particular example is worth. Two firearms of the same model can therefore have dramatically different collector values.
Stay until the end as we reveal the firearms on our list that combine the strongest mix of history, rarity, craftsmanship, collector appeal, and long-term significance.
Why Nobody Shops at Gun Stores Anymore video from Ivan's Journal.
Summary:
There's a fellow who runs a little shop up near Providence who told a reporter something that stuck with me. He rang up more gun transfers for guys who bought their firearms somewhere else than he sold guns off his own shelves. His cut? Thirty dollars. And his own sales were down about twenty-three percent from a couple years earlier.
In this video:
The number that breaks the easy assumption: roughly fifteen million firearms sold last year, down five years running, but only coming off the historic 2020 buying spike, not a collapsing market
Why the number of licensed dealers still dropped from just under 53,000 to about 46,000 between 2021 and 2025, more than a thirteen percent decline, even while total guns sold stayed enormous
What sites like GunBroker actually changed: not shipping guns to your door, which federal law forbids outright, but stripping local dealers of the pricing information advantage they used to hold
The federal law fact that flips the whole story: every online gun purchase still has to route through a local licensed dealer for the background check and transfer, meaning the customer never actually left the shop, the shop just lost the sale margin down to a flat transfer fee
Why the explosion in licensed manufacturers, more than doubling to over twenty thousand in a decade, makes it mathematically impossible for any single shop to stock what buyers now want
How Dick's Sporting Goods and Walmart pulling back from firearms removed the casual, low-commitment on-ramp that used to bring first-time buyers into gun ownership at all
The real history most people miss: the corner gun store already died once, in the early 1990s, when licensing fees jumped twenty-fold and kitchen-table dealer numbers collapsed from over 240,000 to around 80,000 in just a few years, decades before the internet had anything to do with it
How rising state-level licensing and compliance costs are squeezing today's independent dealers hardest, since thin margins mean any new fixed cost disproportionately hurts the small shop over the chain
Why the January 2026 suppressor tax stamp elimination distorted late-2025 sales data, with buyers simply delaying purchases rather than abandoning the market, followed by a post-cutoff surge in applications and sales
The practical case for still using a local shop: fit and feel you can't get from a photo, the used rack for real bargains and hands-on inspection, gunsmith relationships, and honest math showing that once shipping and transfer fees are added, online savings often shrink to almost nothing on common guns
The important legal distinction between firearms, which must pass through a dealer, and ammunition, which in many states can ship directly to your door with no transfer required at all
The gun store didn't become obsolete. Its job changed, from seller to gatekeeper, the one place the law says you have to pass through. The owners surviving are the ones who stopped trying to beat the internet on price and started charging fair for what only they can offer: the transfer, the used rack, the smithing, and advice from someone who's actually handled ten thousand guns.
What's your local shop charging for a transfer now, and is it still worth walking in for more than just the pickup?
Note: When I bought my Winchester 94 at Ron Peterson's Firearms in Albuquerque in 2019, there were about 15 customers in the shop.
Yesterday afternoon, I took a drive into Six Mile Canyon of the Cibola National Forest near our community in New Mexico.
It was a nice day with warm temperatures despite the clouds. When I headed into the canyon, three vehicles were leaving the canyon.
I drove in and spotted a field covered with some prickly pear cactus. I decided to take some photos of them with the Jeep.
The photos are below:
The stuff that now passes as "music", particularly rock 'n roll, leaves me cold. So, to start off the week, here's a video of a classic rock artist.
To start off the week, we have the S.O.S. Band with their 1980 hit, "Take Your Time (Do It Right)." I first heard this song in June 1980 in Englewood, Colorado when I was in my hotel's bar. I was there to take a two-week damage appraisal class put on by GAB. The band is still active.
From Wikipedia:
The S.O.S. Band (sometimes styled S.O.S. Band; shorthand for Sounds of Success) is an American R&B and electro-funk group formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1977. The original lineup featured Mary Davis (lead vocals), Jason Bryant (keyboards), Billy Ellis and Willie “Sonny” Killebrew (horns), Bruno Speight (guitar), John Simpson (bass), and James Earl Jones III (drums).
The group rose to prominence with their platinum debut single "Take Your Time (Do It Right)" in 1980—a post-disco, boogie-funk anthem that reached No. 1 on the U.S. R&B chart, No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified gold. Their self-titled debut album S.O.S. also achieved gold status.
