Sorry for your bad experience at Gander Mtn. Sounds like the shop manager needs adjusting. I owned a Win 100 in 308 a number of years back. I had the extractor replaced three times before I replaced the rifle. I too remember a recall but I have slept since then. Good luck in finding you a good used rifle.
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I'm just curious as to whether you may have ever handled a model 100 (or model 88) before. I own both, plus a bunch of bolt rifles, but the model 100 is a very fine handling gun, along with the equally fine model 88, which is all but a twin (ala 7600 & 7400). The handling of any rifle (I've owned a bunch) is what makes it a keeper in my house.
I have read where you are a one shot kind of fella, don't even bolt in another round after shooting at a deer as a matter of course. I guess I'm not such a great hunter, as I always have another round in the chamber, whether it be a bolt, lever, or even a single shot (which I hunt with often) immediately after firing the first. Of course, I normally hunt where trees, branches, and thick cover abound; feeling something just might have gone remiss with my first shot. The concept of hunting with a semi-auto works the same way with me, as when I hunt with a single shot. I'd suspect many other hunters feel the same. But, I could be very mistaken!
Volunteer Hunter,I'm just curious as to whether you may have ever handled a model 100 (or model 88) before. I own both, plus a bunch of bolt rifles, but the model 100 is a very fine handling gun, along with the equally fine model 88, which is all but a twin (ala 7600 & 7400). The handling of any rifle (I've owned a bunch) is what makes it a keeper in my house.
I have read where you are a one shot kind of fella, don't even bolt in another round after shooting at a deer as a matter of course. I guess I'm not such a great hunter, as I always have another round in the chamber, whether it be a bolt, lever, or even a single shot (which I hunt with often) immediately after firing the first. Of course, I normally hunt where trees, branches, and thick cover abound; feeling something just might have gone remiss with my first shot. The concept of hunting with a semi-auto works the same way with me, as when I hunt with a single shot. I'd suspect many other hunters feel the same. But, I could be very mistaken!
I shot my friend's model 100 several times and found it, well...clunky. I think it's all a matter of where you grew up and what was put in your hands, when you were young. For the first 20-some years I hunted, it was with a bolt-action rifle and a barrel at least 22" long, or longer. What you call "good handling" guns were never part of the equation. To me, nothing else feels as right as a scoped, bolt-action rifle with a solid, one-piece stock. I never shot a lever-action or semi-auto rifle, except out of curiosity, until just a few years ago. A standard 30/30 lever gun with open sights would have been a serious liability for 90% of the hunting I did, growing up.
Out West, you're more likely to see a deer at over 200 yards, than less than 100, so a gun that gave "paper-plate" accuracy just didn't cut it, in my dad's book. All of our deer guns were measured by whether or not they shot 1" groups at 100 yards...those that didn't were rarely taken afield.
I do not claim to be a superb shot and you can read my footnote to see how I feel about shot distances. However, I have learned, through encouragement, example AND experience, that if you don't do everything in your power to make the first shot count, the speed with which you take a second shot is almost always purely academic.
Nowadays, I hunt in Indiana and I shoot a Contender 44Mag carbine, 44/40 lever-action, 50 cal ML, none of which are good for more than maybe 150 yards. Only the Model '92 offers a quick follow-up shot but the way I hunt with it, that doesn't do me any good because I never think to cycle the action. Again, I don't say this to sound holier-than-thou, or anything, but I'm too busy watching where the deer I just shot is going to die, right there, or after it runs a bit. I don't guess I ought to ever go hunting grizzly bears, huh?
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