Centerfire rifles - your path

[northernmaineguide]

A .223/ 7mm08 will cover about all general hunting. If your going after Elk/ Moose or big Bears a 30/06 with a 180/220 bullet will finish the list.......

 

[Bonasababy]

Used to own and/or shoot:

Glenfield pump 22
Chipmunk 22
Ruger 1022
H/R bull barrel 223
Winchester 94 30-30
Marlin 336 30-30 (banquet winner)
Remington 742 30-06 (jamomatic)

Still own
Gamo air rifle
Remington stainless model 7 7mm-08
Remington 700 Mtn Rifle 30-06
Winchester 94 Big Bore .356

Plus a traditions Vortek Backcountry 50 cal MZ, an Ithaca 37 12 rifled deerslayer slug gun, and a Remington 870 20 youth turkey gun I have a 20 rifled slug barrel for....if they count.

 

[MrCarbine]

Four of my most used:

Winchester M70 Carbine (push feed) 308 Win


Winchester M70 Featherweight (push feed) 7x57 Mauser


Weatherby MKV Lightweight 280 Rem


BSA CF2 222 Rem (what I call my farm rifle )


Enjoy

 

[Don Fischer]

Pretty obvious most of us are more shooter's than hunters! I too, have more rifles than I need but getting better at not overdoing it. Today I have a 22RF and 22RF mag. 243, 25-06, 260 Rem, 6.5x55, 6.5x06 and a 30-06. I don't hunt anything I'd actually need more than that 243 for but my go to these days are my 6.5's. Don't hunt in any country where anything might harm me out there! Like my 30-06, inherited from a very close friend. 1903 built by Paul Jaeger in 1945. Finally came to the conclusion even my 243 with the right bullet will work as well as the 30-06 if I do my part. But only thing I look for with the 243 is coyote's at the largest!

Years ago living in Montana I had about 20 different rifles. Had a 7mm mag I'd got in Germany, let face it back then it could do it all! Well got out in Montana in Grizzly country and lost my nerve so along came a 338 win mag! Of course it was to much for shooting ground squirrely so entered a 222 Rem. Sorta of made my 243 useless! had always wanted a 25-06 and down the road I did get one. But in the mean time went through a 280 Rem, couple 308's, couple 7x57's and a 6.5-55. oh yea there was a 300 win mag along the way too, and I'm sure other's I've forgotten. Ah, a 22 Hornet! Opps, forgot the 270 win and a few 223's!

Then somewhere along the way I got old and realized I didn't care for recoil much which brings me up to date. If I was simply a hunter I'd probably only have my 22 mag and 6.5x55. I've managed to kill three elk with three shots with my 6.5x06 and don't shoot much past 250yds. I think my 6.5x55 with the same 140gr bullet would do as well, probably the 260 would also! Oh damn. Forgot I still have a 308 too!

Shotguns don't count here do they? I have six of them. 2-16's an AyA and mod 37, a 20ga CZ, 2-28's AyA and a CZ and a 410 AyA.

 

[buckslayer5676]

I wish I had the funds to afford more, but honestly I have now more than I use on a regular basis.
Ruger 10/22
CVA Optima V2 .50 cal muzzle loader
Winchester model 94, 30-30
Remington 700, 30-06
Tikka T3x compact .308 Win
I hunt mostly with the Tikka as it is about 3/4 inch longer than my model 94. It is a pleasure to carry in the woods all day, and very quick and agile to target.

How is the recoil on the Tikka Compact 308? I can't seem to source a limbsaver pad for the Compact stock. Thanks!

 

[sclancy27]

I've owned 1 "big game" rifle since I was 14, Winchester Model 70 in 270 Win.

 

[Wolfshead]

How is the recoil on the Tikka Compact 308? I can't seem to source a limbsaver pad for the Compact stock. Thanks!

I don’t find it too bad.
I only really notice it after 8-10 shots at the range.
Out hunting I don’t notice it at all - so focused on the shot and it’s results I guess.
I too would like a limbsaver, but as you have stated, I can’t seem to find one either.

 

[Mallardsx2]

I’ve never understood overloading the safe with big game hunting cartridges. You can shoot them a few times a year, but they just aren’t that pleasant to shoot.

I live where there are lots of varmints, so I have lots of varmint guns that I shoot regularly, from 17 HMR to 6mm Remington…





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I stress out over keeping track of what reloads shoot out of what 6 or 8 guns we have. That would give me a seizure! Lol thanks for sharing.

 

[buckslayer5676]

I don’t find it too bad.
I only really notice it after 8-10 shots at the range.
Out hunting I don’t notice it at all - so focused on the shot and it’s results I guess.
I too would like a limbsaver, but as you have stated, I can’t seem to find one either.

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Thanks for the feedback! Nice looking rifle. Is that the 20" stock barrel that you just had threaded and the compact stock that you painted?

 

[Irrelevant]

Started with my grandmother's Savage 340 30-30. She'd gotten it in trade for a bear rug from my Great Uncle, who'd used it at part of his black market wildlife meat procurement business. I.E. poaching/market hunting
Remington Woodsman 740 .308 I asked about this gun my grandfather had in a closet, he said it always jammed, I tried it, it jammed, I tried to clean it, failed, took it to a gunsmith to clean, then it shot great for about 2 seasons then started jamming again. Never shot again.
Interarms Markx .300 WM: inherited from my grandfather. Kicks like a mule (to me), missed my only WA branched antler bull with it because I flinched so bad. Took a couple of deer then called it quits.
Tikka T3 Lite .270: Bought shortly after college and have used exclusively since.

 

[Wolfshead]

Thanks for the feedback! Nice looking rifle. Is that the 20" stock barrel that you just had threaded and the compact stock that you painted?

It’s the stock 20” barrel with electrical tape on the muzzle to keep foreign matter out of the barrel.
Yes I painted the factory stock. It’s very easy to do with spray cans and a sponge.

 

[shrapnel]

I stress out over keeping track of what reloads shoot out of what 6 or 8 guns we have. That would give me a seizure! Lol thanks for sharing.

People stress more than they need to about their reloads. I have as many as 5 guns in each caliber and shoot the same load in all the guns. It would be too hard to have a different load for every gun and I have found it isn’t necessary and I can still hit prairie dogs at most distances. It is easier to have bulk ammo of one load and keep the loaded ammo in a reasonable space…

 

[canadianrifleman]

I’ve dabbled around the firearm world plenty in my life, but centerfire bolt guns have been my focus for decades, they’re just what I’m most interested in.

I’m relaxing on a Sunday, and @brockel's post about his chamberings inspired me to see if I could recall all the rifles & barrels I've had along the way, centerfire bolt gun only. To the best of my recollection:

223 (7x I think)
223 AI
22 BR
22-250
22-250 AI
6BR
6 Dasher (10x I think)
243 (2x)
6 Creedmoor (2x)
25-284
257 Weatherby
6.5x47L (4x)
260
6.5x284 (2x)
6.5 PRC
270
7-08
7-08 AI
284
280 AI (2x)
30-06



I expect I'm forgetting something in there, sometimes I'll go through old posts of mine looking for something and see I bought or sold an item I can't recall owning. Some of the above was churn for certain, and there's a rifle or barrel in there that got sold without being shot for various reasons.

Nothing too crazy on the chambering side, I never did different for the sake of different but I was willing to stray a little off the beaten path for certain attributes. Shooting is my focus so making the logistics as straightforward as possible has been my MO, with an aim at quality brass availability and efficiency.



What I actually use now:

223 - hunting weight

223 - PRS style build

22 BR - hunting weight - as much as I LOVE this rifle I’d consider a slightly faster option (22 GT, 22x47L, or 22 Creed) for increased magazine options, greater range for terminal performance, and less wind drift. When I built it I was trying to split the difference between a 223 practice rifle and a higher performance lower volume chambering, but I ended up with a dedicated light 223 again anyways.

6 Dasher - PRS style build - I often have two of these setup at once, one with my current match barrel and one with an older barrel for practice and play. I have two fresh barrels ready to go and plenty of older ones with some life left.

243 - hunting weight - this is a factory 1-8” Tikka and I haven’t fully wrung out the barrel for accuracy testing. If that barrel doesn’t meet my expectations it’ll get rebarreled as a 6 Creed

6 Creedmoor - NRL Hunter - this is a factory Seekins for competing in NRL’s factory division. I’ve also taken multiple elk with it. Once I get the factory Tikka fully set up I plan to use this just for competition and loaning out.

If it isn’t for dedicated competition use it is probably suppressed. I may dabble with running suppressed for PRS here sometime, I’m undecided.



Setup’s I have some interest in adding at some point (not a ton of urgency on any of these):

223 - mid weight - something in the 13 lb range for a range toy that isn’t as heavy as the PRS style builds with some adjustability.

6 Dasher or 6 Creedmoor - mid weight - same as the 223, I am introducing more people to shooting these days and these two would be exceedingly friendly and adjustable without being as heavy and long as the full PRS builds.

Faster 22 - extra light - my hunting setups are in the 9+ lb range and an extra light build for certain hunts has its appeal. Pretty expensive way to drop overall weight though.

Faster 22 - hunting weight with wooden stock - I haven’t used a wood stock anything in ages, but for some reason I’ve had some interest in doing so in the last year.

6.5x284, 6.5 PRC, 284, 7 PRCW, 7 PRC - mid weight - one of the above chamberings in a 14ish lb setup for dedicated ELR use, and maybe to finally shoot the Nightforce ELR one of these years. I hesitate as I KNOW it wouldn’t get used much.



For everyone else, what path did you take, where’d you end up, and what’s still on the wish list?

I don't use many different calibers. My brother and I load ammunition commercially so after a while of staring at ballistics tables you kinda realize that almost all of the big game calibers run a projectile between 130 and 180 grains and from 2650 fps to 3000 fps. The only thing that matters ultimately are ballistic coefficients and terminal performance characteristics. I have a number of rifles but if I am hunting for big game (elk/moose) I shoot a 270 WBY Mag and I also have a general purpose rifle in a 7mm-08 that does most of the work. I am a hunting guide and I like the 7mm-08 for that because it is big enough to handle any of the big game species we hunt at reasonable distances. It rides around in the back of the argo and for that everything is short range, usually when tracking something or if I have to put down a wounded animal or for shooting nuisance bears in camp or wolves or coyotes. I can easily take a deer with it or take a kill shot on a moose if necessary. It gets scratched, it gets dragged through the bush and it just continues to do it's job. The 7mm-08 is a great all around caliber in my opinion.

 

[grizzly63]

I started with a brothers 243 win model 70.
Picked up a Win 70 264 win mag
Dads 270 win brought my first decent buck
Picked up a 444 marlin as it would fit well in my Hills hunting
Sold it after buying my first 300 win mag foreign outfit
Bought a Rem 700 300 WM that someone had been using in AK
Eventually replaced the barrel on that with a SPS takeoff- very accurate but
I always wanted a Sendero so in 2019 I got one in 300WM. Didnt pay enough attention to the Rem bankruptcy. PIA and eventually on third send in I got a little better rifle. After major changes I have a pretty decent rifle that will shoot.
Along the way I have picked up many others.
7.5x55 Swiss Pretty accurate
Whole bunch of Marlins I'm still collecting 336 in 30/30,375win,356win, CB's in 30/30,38-55,45-70 Few 336A's 30/30,35 Rem Cant seem to stop
Got birth year JC Higgins in 30/30 and 35 Rem
Fellow came along at the gun show with a JC Higgins 51 in 30-06 wanted 200 with an old scope. FN Mauser action
Damn accurate for a cheap rifle
Savage 340 in 30/30 cuz dad had one once
Savage 116F 338 Win mag. Nice
Savage 110 7mm Rem Mag
Savage compact 7-08 rem. Nice light rifle I can shoot pretty effectively off-hand. Last two deer with it.
Couple of Rem 788's 7-08 and 243 Win
Weatherby 257 and 6.5x300 Mag(the real one) 270 win
Too darned many to make which one to take an easy decision.
Fear the man with one rifle. He probably knows exactly what it will do.
I've started shooting a few pistols as well ,40 SW,45 ACP, 357 Mag and my Latest is a new model blackhawk 41 mag. Another option in the which one to take question.
Its all fun.

 

[mtmuley]

Fear the man with one rifle. He probably knows exactly what it will

I started hunting elk in 1979. I've used two rifles in that time. mtmuley

 

[TheTone]

Started with a Remington Mtn Rifle in 7mm-08 I picked up at a gun show when I may or may not have been around 11 years old. Shot most of my deer and a couple elk with it. It’s basically become my wife’s rifle now. If it wasn’t for her use of the gun I’d probably think about putting a different barrel and stock on it.

Next one I bought was a Rem CDL fluted in 264 win mag. It was some limited run and I’d always wanted a 264. I’ve shot a couple deer and pronghorn with it. I don’t hunt with it a ton. It has a nice looking walnut stock that is amazingly soft and easy to scratch or dent. I’ve always not shot it enough to really find an amazing load for it. I probably messed up when I bought it and didn’t put as good a scope as I should have on it. Not sure what this guys future holds as I don’t really see hunting with it much

Bought a kimber Montana 308 that was kind of my primary rifle for a couple years. It’s great for packing due to its light weight. It shoots good enough for me and I’ve never experienced any of the kimber issues some mention. I think I’ve only shot one deer with it.

Bought a tikka 6.5 prc this year because I fell for the hype around it. Put a good scope on it with the thought that this might be the last bolt action I ever buy and I wanted something modern and something to spin turrets on. So far so good with a couple animals but neither did anything to test performance. I’d like to change the stock on it at some point maybe more for esthetics than anything

I’ve also got an ugly Remington 30-06 I bought from a friend with the plan being to build off of it. That plan largely fell be the wayside and I’ll probably just sell it at some point