No matter what is in your gunsight, whether it’s varmints or big game, there are plenty of classic hunting rifles available at Rock Island Auction Company.

While the AR platform has grabbed all the attention in recen years, it's seldom a substitute in the field for a lever action or bolt action hunting rifle. If you are looking for something new to carry into the woods or across the savanna, Rock Island Auction has a range of classic hunting rifles for sale every aspiration.

An exceptional version of a classic hunting rifle, this factory game scene engraved Blaser Model K95 Luxus Stutzen rifle with Schmidt & Bender scope is chambered in .308 Win Mag. Available this June.

Pre-64 Winchester Model 70

Since we're looking at truly classic hunting rifles, why not start with a legendary bolt action? The pre-64 Winchester Model 70 was the gun of choice for outdoorsman and author Jack O’Connor, and author Roger Rule wrote a book on the gun, with the title declaring it “The Rifleman’s Rifle.” Wayne R. Miller, writing for the Ohio Gun Collectors Association, concluded “The pre-64 Model 70 Winchester certainly must be included in the top 10 greatest firearms ever produced for sporting purposes anywhere in the world.”

A gold inlaid Pre 64 Winchester Model 70 bolt action Safari rifle in 375 H&H Mag, a reliable variant of one of hunting's most powerful rifle platforms.

While the modern Winchester Model 70 is a fine gun, the pre-64, manufactured from the 30s to 1963 except during World War 2, was known for the beauty of the wood stocks and the hand-fitted parts that showed an amazing degree of craftsmanship. As the 1960s dawned, many of the craftsmen were starting to retire and more machines were brought into the manufacturing process making the degree of workmanship evident.

The guns manufactured before World War 2 didn’t have a scope mount, but that changed when production resumed after the war.

Classic hunting rifles for the everyman, the pre-64 Winchester Model 70 could be found in multiple chamberings.

Blaser R-93

A comparatively recent entry on the pantheon of classic hunting rifles, consider the straight pull bolt design of the German-made Blaser R-93 and its reputation for accuracy. The modular R-93, designed in 1993, has a proprietary scope mount that allows an optic to be mounted on a quick-change barrel. About 200,000 of the R-93 were manufactured before it was discontinued in 2017.

The Blaser line of straight pull actions offer classic hunting rifles for the modern sportsman, like this R93 example.

This Blaser offered pictured above is chambered in .270 Winchester, a classic cartridge that debuted in 1925 for Winchester’s Model 54 bolt action rifle. The round is based on the .30-03 round for the Springfield Model 1903, and gained popularity as a hunting cartridge after World War 2. Jack O’Connor, who was mentioned earlier, praised the round in “Outdoor Life” magazine as did fellow outdoor author Townsend Whelen, who was a proponent of the .30-06. Despite his dislike for O’Connor, legendary outdoorsman Elmer Keith couldn’t disagree with his rival’s assessment of the .270 round.

From vintage icons to modern classics in the making like the Blaser R8 Professional, Rock Island Auction Company offers classic hunting rifles from every era.

The SR85/88 is the predecessor to Blaser's world renowned straight pull rifles. Though this model is a more conventional turn bolt rifle, it retains Blaser's quick change barrel system in which the optics are mounted to the barrel. This ingenious system allows for barrels to be swapped at will without shifts in zero.

A game scene engraved Blaser SR850/88 bolt action rifle.

Ed Brown Bolt Action Rifle

Ed Brown hung up his shingle as a gunsmith in 1968 on a part-time basis and also became a championship shooter along the way. He incorporated his business in 1992 focusing on manufacturing M1911-style pistols and conversion parts, but also producing some fine examples of classic hunting rifles.

When making rifles, he made his own bolt actions and built the guns on computer machining equipment to meet the specifications of custom orders for the right- or left-handed shooter. The gun isn’t flashy, with its utilitarian synthetic stock, but it shines in accuracy. Plus chambered in .300 Win Mag, it is terrific for at taking long shots at pronghorn antelope in the desert and brings adequate power for tackling larger game like moose.

A classic hunting rifles from Ed Brown, this bolt action is chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum, has a mounted Nightforce NX5 8-32x56mm scope.

Winchester Model 52C

Manufactured from 1920 to 1980, with 125,419 produced, the Model 52C was known as “the King of the .22s” and is one of the all-time classic hunting rifles for rabbit, squirrel, pests, or plinking. The “C” model was made from 1947 to 1961 and had a reputation as accurate and reliable with its redesigned and fully adjustable, vibration-free, short movement trigger. When first introduced, Winchester advertised the Model 52 as having the same feel as the Springfield Model 1903 to attract World War 1 veterans.

During design of the Model 52, Townsend Whelen, an Army officer assigned to the Springfield Armory who would go on to be an outdoor author, wrote to a Winchester official, “Your rifle is so efficient and so suitable for the purpose that in my opinion it is bound to become at once the standard rifle for gallery practice in the National Guard, Schools, Colleges, and Civilian Rifle Clubs.”

The Winchester Model 52C, one of the classic hunting rifles of the 20th century. This example was manufactured in 1956, is in near new condition and mounted with a Leupold M8 4X scope.

Ruger No. 1

When Bill Ruger introduced the modernized falling block, single shot No. 1 in 1967, he considered naming it the “Victorian” as a nod to the Farquaharson rifle of the 1870s. Though it was chambered in numerous calibers, the first No. 1 left the factory in .308 Winchester and the model quickly became one of the classic hunting rifles of its age.

The Ruger No. 1 earns a high spot on any list of classic hunting rifles.

Ruger wanted the gun’s action to be compact so the hammer and spring moved inside the receiver. Along with a compact action, the gun could handle heavy rounds and shoot them accurately. With no bolt involved the gun could be used by both right- and left-handed shooters. Lenard Brownell, who was involved in the stock design, has said he tried to blow up the gun during development but never succeeded.

The Ruger No. 1, one of the classic hunting rifles that continues to be fielded around the world today. This 2007 manufactured example includes an Swarovski Habicht 1.25-4x25mm scope and is chambered in the hefty 450/400 N.E. 3"

Winchester Model 1894

Any list of classic hunting rifles needs to include the Winchester Model 1894. The John Moses Browning-designed Winchester was the first lever action rifle put on the market for smokeless powder cartridges, the .25-35 Winchester and the .30-30 Winchester. About 7.5 million of these Winchester long guns have been made. It's commonly said that hunters have taken more whitetails with Model 94s in .30-30 than any other gun/cartridge combination.

A pair of Winchester Model 94s, two classic hunting rifles from history's most popular lever action platform.

The .30-30 is a classic American caliber and with more power than Magnum handgun cartridges. First appearing in 1895, it is the most common chambering in lever action rifles, and the Model 1894 is a huge reason why.

Classic hunting rifles chambered in classic calibers, this lot offers a pair of Winchester Model 1894 rifles in .30-30. The rifle at top was manufactured in 1908, while the one below it was made in 1952.

Marlin Lever Guns

Including at least one Marlin in the list of classic hunting rifles is a no-brainer. The Marlin Model 1895 rifle fires using the same system as the 1893 but had a larger receiver, barrel, and magazine for the larger cartridges it was designed for. Marlin manufactured 18,000 over 22 years of production.

An engraved, gold and platinum inlaid Marlin Deluxe Model 1893 rifle, a popular predecessor to the Marlin Model 1895.

The most powerful lever action rifle when it was released in 1965, the Model 444 was meant to hunt game across North America. It shares the same lever action as the Model 336 but was modified to handle the .444 cartridge that was developed from an unfinished .30-06 cartridge case loaded with a .44 Magnum bullet. In later years, the bullet loading weight was upped from 240 grains to increase the round’s potency.

Two classic hunting rifles by a classic gun maker. The Marlin Model 1895 at top is chambered for .45-70 and has a 24-inch part octagon barrel. The Marlin Model 444S rifle below it is chambered in .444 Marlin and was manufactured in 1978.

Ruger Model 77

The Ruger Model 77 is all things to all people, with multiple cartridge chamberings and numerous variants, ranging from the Safari Magnum, to the Varmint Target, and the Compact. Based on Mauser’s bolt, this bolt action rifle was released in 1967, just a year after the No. 1.

These classic hunting rifles are typically chambered in .416 Rigby, a cartridge designed in London in 1911 for big game hunting. Fast-burning Cordite, only patented in 1889, serves as the propellant for taking down thick skinned animals like the Cape buffalo, elephant, or rhinoceros. The cartridge fell out of vogue until the 1960s when it was revived. A strong action like that of the Model 77 was needed to handle the pressure put on the gun by smokeless powder rounds like the Rigby. The Rigby matched the performance of Nitro Express and led to a reconsidered interest in big game hunting when it waned after World War 2.

Classic hunting rifles with some kick, this Ruger Model 77 Magnum bolt action rifle is chambered in .416 Rigby and is mounted with a Zeiss Conquest 3-9X40 MC scope.

Savage 1899 and Savage 99

Savage is another name that is synonymous with classic hunting rifles. This classic rotary magazine gun has a squared off breech block and a cocking indicator. The revolving five-round magazine with one in the action was known for its reliability. The rifle was renamed the Savage 99 after World War 1.

One of the classic hunting rifles from the early 20th century. On the lower left of the receiver of this engraved Savage Model 1899 rifle is a cartridge counter.

Without a tubular magazine it could fire aerodynamic spitzer rounds that were faster and flatter shooting. The rifle was made to handle the pressure from smokeless powder and were originally chambered in .303 Savage but eventually were configured for more than a dozen different cartridges.

Two classic hunting rifles from a bygone era. The Savage 99, with a Leupold M8-4x scope, is in .358 Winchester, offering power and reach based on the .308 Winchester case. The Savage 1899 is chambered in .25-35, originally created for the Winchester Model 1894 as one of the first smokeless rifle cartridges. It is capable of taking deer, moose, and elk.

Classic Hunting Rifles for Sale

Looking for an accurate and potent firearm for the woods, mountains or savanna? Rock Island Auction Company is the place to find it, from the high-powered Ruger 77 to the plinking Winchester 52c, they are all here. Find classic hunting rifles for sale, often with optics already in place and a variety of chamberings, for the very selective hunter to find that gun they need to harvest their quarry.

A modern classic hunting rifle in the making, this Cooper Arms Model 54 bolt action rifle is equiped with a Swarovski Z3 4-12x50 scope.

Sources:

Marlin Firearms, A History of the Guns and the Company That Made Them, by William S. Brophy

Collecting Winchester Pre-64 Model 70 Rifles, by Wayne R. Miller, Ohio Gun Collectors Association

Winchester Model 52: Still Sweet after 100 Years, by Jerry Lee, Gun Digest

The Classic .270 Winchester for Modern Use, by Craig Boddington, rifleshootermag.com

Musing the Ruger No. 1, by Stan Trzoniec, Rifle Sporting Firearms Journal

An Ode to the Ruger Model 77, by Philip Massaro, American Hunter