The crowd I hunted the Poconos with all shot bolt actions or a couple lever actions . But we ran into a lot of locals that had a specific deer rifle and a specific bear rifle . Generally they were both Remington 760’s in 06 with see thru mounts and a 3-9 or 4-12 Tasco or Simmons on top . And as a rule their deer rifle shot 150 or 165 CoreLokts and the bear gun shot 180 or 200 grain CoreLokts . Personally I’d have used 165’s for both and a single rifle no see thru mounts and a 2-7 or 3-9 Leupold Vari XII but not on a 760 I’d prefer a 700 Mountain rifle .

Craig, I've used my 760 carbine in 280 Rem for many deer, several bear, and moose. When I walk out the door, I'm reaching for it every time. No see through mounts but a nice Zeiss scope with Talley mounts. Great combination. Remington pump rifles have been popular in the Poconos for a long time.

We may have crossed paths . You are most certainly in the minority of the 760 users I crossed paths with . Our center of operations back then was Newfoundland and Hamlin to a lesser degree . FWIW I ran it three or four guys that had one of the later Remington pumps the 7600 I think it was all in 35 Whelen . I killed more deer in PA with a Remington Model 7 in 260 REM than with any other cartridge . Never did kill a bear up there .

I'm glad not all of us have the same likes/dislikes. Prices for the favored stuff would be astronomical. I won't buy any gun that is overpriced, regardless how much I want it.

I love ejectors for hunting. I've ordered two made to order 30" barreled .410s for doves and quail in the last few years. Both were ordered with ejectors. I never have an empty to hit the ground unintentionally, whether hunting or shooting sporting .....never.

I like recoil pads on my S X Ss, too. Not for recoil attenuation, but to protect the butt when I put it on the ground in a dove blind, or the wet steel floor of a pit blind in a rice field. It keeps the butt from sliding and slamming the gun to the floor, denting barrels and scratching stocks, too. I also almost always need more LOP on vintage guns, and a period appropriate recoil pad works to do that perfectly.

One more thing I won't buy is a gun without checkering, no matter how pretty the wood is. They just look unfinished to me.