I have always liked the look of classic sporting rifles, specifically, bolt action rifles with iron sights that resemble something Val Kilmer would carry hunting lions in Tsavo. In fact, I've never quite liked the unsighted look of bolt rifles that are meant to only mount a scope. I am not quite sure why - perhaps it was because the first rifle I ever shot was a single shot .22 LR with iron sights. In any case, I have been thinking about a potential rifle setup that would lean that direction and while I probably don't need another rifle, it's something that's been on my mind and that I managed to talk myself off the ledge this weekend.

I have two bolt action rifles - a 1970s Ruger M77 Tang Safety Model in .270 Winchester that belonged to my grandfather, and a Ruger 77/357 in .357 Magnum, but only the 77/357 has iron sights. I had a scope on it for the longest time as I would take it to Big Thicket National Preserve to hunt since it was my only rifle that was straight-wall compliant (a requirement in BT). Once I upgraded my straight-wall setup to my Henry H9 Provider in .360 Buckhammer, though, I took the scope off the 77/357 and equipped it with a red dot to make it a light, quick handling carbine.

I got it in my head, though, that when I go to hunt SHNF (no straight-wall requirement), it would be nice to have something with iron sights (ruling out the .270) and with a little more range and thump than either my .35 Remington or .360 Buckhammer could provide. With the classic sporting rifle idea buzzing around in my head, I naturally landed on the concept of a bolt action .308 Winchester with iron sights. While not quite as flat shooting as the .270, the .308 can push heavier bullets and still be flatter than a .35 or .360 while having manageable recoil, making it feel like a great all-around setup. Additionally, I liked the idea of having a rifle in .308 that could double as a range rifle and could be dialed down, have moderate recoil even with full power loads, and that would be fun to reload due to the availability and price of components for the cartridge. I have to say that I made it pretty far down the rabbit hole with this idea and spent more time than I am willing to admit researching .308s with wooden stocks and iron sights. I also did quite a bit of digital window shopping, pouring over listings for vintage Parker Hales, BSA Hunters, Midland Gun Co 2100s, Mossberg 800As, Sakos, Winchester Model 70s, and Ruger M77s.

All that was in my mind this past weekend when my wife and I made a trip to visit my parents in East Texas. I thought I would free up a spot in the safe for a potential .308 by leaving the .35 Rem with my dad. Before the trip, though, I had loaded some hot .357 rounds intended for plinking in the 77/357. We got in Friday night and after coffee the next morning, I decided to go on a walkabout of the 16-acre woodland property. I took the .357 and my 50-round box of handloads. I walked down the path to the field on the backside of the property and climbed up the 10-foot-high dirt mound that we had always used as a backstop when target shooting and sat down for a while just to enjoy the morning while overlooking the field and pond.

After a while of enjoying the warm morning that would periodically shift towards cool when a breeze would blow through, I decided to do some plinking with the 77/357. I was using 158gr Hornady FP-XTPs and a near max load of H110 according to the Lyman book. I had tested this load before, so I knew they would cycle cleanly and safely. I started plinking away at old and broken flower pots, hitting them with ease. I also practiced some rapid cycling and shooting drills and it was a hoot to run the bolt with my palm since there wasn't a scope to get in the way and force me to grip it instead. This was actually how I had envisioned running the .308 that I had in my head that I needed. I thought about walking back to the house and taking the red dot off the 77/357 and just running the irons, but then I remembered why I had put the red dot in the first place. Ergonomically, the irons didn't quite work for me, as I would get a serious helping of jaw-slap every time I pulled the trigger.

After shooting and reloading two magazines worth, I walked over to where I had been shooting and was a little taken aback by the damage to the earth. There was a long and deep gouge in the ground that looked like someone had shot the ground multiple times with 12ga buckshot - all from fewer than a dozen rounds of .357. Culturally, we often tend to think cerebrally and abstractly that bigger is always better, but I find it's always helpful to re-calibrate with real world data. It was at this point that I started to reflect on this idea of purchasing a new rifle and began to ask myself what exactly I was really looking for in a rifle. What I started to realize was that I wasn’t really after a specific aesthetic or more capability. It was a way of being in the woods that I was after - moving quietly with a handy, light, iron sighted rifle. And that's when I realized that the setup was something I could achieve with what I already had in the safe. The 77/357 was out due to the ergonomics issue I mentioned, but my Marlin 336 in .35 Rem with a skinner sight, quick-detach Talley scope rail, and higher B.C. Hornady FTX bullets would actually be right on brand for what I was going for.

So, instead of leaving the Marlin 336 with my dad, it ironically ended up being the rifle I brought back with me. While the classic sporting rifle idea continues to live on inside my head in a maybe one day kind of way, it's interesting that after all that, this was one of those classic instances where the thing you're looking for is what is right in front of you.