EMERGENCY!!! Returning to the dream of one hunting rifle…

[Rie Bread]

I'm going to be the A-Hole here....
Perfection is highly overrated. I'm a one rifle guy shooting the wood stocked production rifle manufactured in the 1980's. I bought it used 30 plus years ago as a 16 year old . I've seldom gone to a Public range. Obsess about your time in the field pursuing game in the same manner you want to mentally self abuse yourself over miniscule differences in caliber, trajectory and velocity.

Nobody cares if you shoot a 1/2" group or a 1" group at 100 yards off a bench. Show me the coyotes you killed this winter or the pile of ground squirrels you applied that accuracy to. Spend your money to apply for hunts or save up for unpaid time off from work. A lot of what people call OCD is pursuing other people's approval. Put that effort into improving your abilities in the field and it will pay off in much more rewarding fashion.

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Agreed. I shoot a cheap scope/rifle combo. It groups terribly but Iv not missed a deer or elk with it under 300 yards.

A 30-06 with a 22” barrel +6” non direct thread can with a swaro 2.5-10 z3 would be my vote.

My current set up is a rem 700 22” .270 with a timney trigger, bedded alum frame stocky stock(meh) and it will get a swaro z5 cause it shoots quite well. It’s unthreaded but when I maybe replace the barrel someday it will be threaded.

My gun from teenage years is a rem 710 30-06, I just upgraded the scope to a mid 1990’s Leopold 3-9. Always come out when the snow is falling

 

[Lostinthewoods]

My recommendation: Tikka T3X Roughtech or similar with a Cerakoted barrel in .30-06 or .300 WSM, or if you want to get real funky, rebarreled to .338-06 or 35 Whelen. Stick a Swaro Z5 or a Trijicon TenMile on top. Go forth and prosper.

I did something close to this.

Tikka T3 in .270WSM and a meostar scope.
It's killed everything from raccoons to elk.

 

[Sheltowee]

I did something close to this.

Tikka T3 in .270WSM and a meostar scope.
It's killed everything from raccoons to elk.

.270WSM would work just fine. Truly, any round moving a 140-225gr. bullet between 2700 and 3100fps at the muzzle should be usable as an all-around North American big game cartridge. That is... a pretty wide band of options.

My question is what kind of sociopath only wants *one* rifle? I'm aiming for an even half-dozen in various flavors of .25 caliber alone.

 

[Caseknife]

Thinking of building a 35 Whelen AI just for SnG's. Already have enough variation/duplicate performing chamberings to kill anything in NA, but when you have an itch, it needs scratched. Now the thought of only one rifle kind of makes me sweat a bit.

 

[TOGIE]

almost 10 years on a used savage 30-06 with a dinged up 200 dollar scope as my only hunting rifle. groups quite well and the several times i've muffed a shot it was my fault, not the rifle or scope.

i'm not gonna knock people for part of their hobby being their firearms and/or hunting rifles but i can't fathom spending the kind of time and money some people do dickin around with that. i check zero every year with a handful of shots and other than hunting i never touch it.

whether or not your rifle can be a "do it all" rifle is rarely dependent on the rifle but rather on your willingness to just stop thinking about it and use one rifle.

 

[Jbotto]

almost 10 years on a used savage 30-06 with a dinged up 200 dollar scope as my only hunting rifle. groups quite well and the several times i've muffed a shot it was my fault, not the rifle or scope.

i'm not gonna knock people for part of their hobby being their firearms and/or hunting rifles but i can't fathom spending the kind of time and money some people do dickin around with that. i check zero every year with a handful of shots and other than hunting i never touch it.

whether or not your rifle can be a "do it all" rifle is rarely dependent on the rifle but rather on your willingness to just stop thinking about it and use one rifle.

Quit bringing reason and common sense into this. We, the afflicted, aren’t having any of it!

 

[AckleyHunter]

25 creedmoor
18 inch barrel
4 squared suppressor
Peak 44 stock (hunting only)
Pure Prescison stock (hunting/NRL)
Tikka action (smooth and locks on safe)

 

[kiwi hunter]

I have 3 big game rifles only. A 7mm-08 I haven’t used in years, 300 win mag for deer and 338 win mag for moose elk bear. I could easily cut it down to one rifle. Probably stick with 300 mag. Im
Lucky mine shoots my fast 165 had loads and 180 factories in the same spot. So I use the 165 for deer and if I want to use it for bigger stuff I shoot the 180’s. Now we won’t even talk about my obsession with varmint guns lol. Couple 22’s, 22 mag, 17hmr, 22x250x2 and next gun I want is a 17 hornet

I have one for sale, 17 hornet that is But it's in good old NZ.

 

[Sheltowee]

25 creedmoor
18 inch barrel
4 squared suppressor
Peak 44 stock (hunting only)
Pure Prescison stock (hunting/NRL)
Tikka action (smooth and locks on safe)

My next build is going to be almost exactly this, but a 20" carbon-fiber barrel and 25PRC.

 

[Nick87]

I hunted most of my life with only one rifle. A Browning Stainless A Bolt 7mm mag that my dad gave me when I was 12. It wasn’t until fairly recently that I bought some other rifles. I’m in the minority because I don’t care for the latest and greatest calibers. I would stick to some of tried and true calibers. A stainless tikka in 7mm mag or 30-06 would be my rifle if I could only have one.

I've got my old man's 7mm mag A-bolt. I often wonder if I should just sell the rest of the rifles and take that. Kills everything just as dead. Idk why those A-bolts aren't more popular. Smooth action and they flat out shoot.

 

[Southern Elk]

I've git NY old man's 7mm mag A-bolt. I often wonder if I shoukd just sell the rest of the rifles and take that. Kills everything just as dead. Idk why those A-bolts aren't more popular. Smooth action and they flat out shoot.

Took mine out a couple years ago and killed a mule deer at 430 yards.

 

[Nick87]

Took mine out a couple years ago and killed a mule deer at 430 yards.

Killed my first muley with my dads.

 

[Johnny Bravo]

I'm going to be the A-Hole here....
Perfection is highly overrated. I'm a one rifle guy shooting the wood stocked production rifle manufactured in the 1980's. I bought it used 30 plus years ago as a 16 year old . I've seldom gone to a Public range. Obsess about your time in the field pursuing game in the same manner you want to mentally self abuse yourself over miniscule differences in caliber, trajectory and velocity.

Nobody cares if you shoot a 1/2" group or a 1" group at 100 yards off a bench. Show me the coyotes you killed this winter or the pile of ground squirrels you applied that accuracy to. Spend your money to apply for hunts or save up for unpaid time off from work. A lot of what people call OCD is pursuing other people's approval. Put that effort into improving your abilities in the field and it will pay off in much more rewarding fashion.

View attachment 364688

Winner….keep what you have and call it a day unless you are going to competition and then it’s an entirely different conversation.

 

[CPAjeff]

I’m currently a one rifle guy, just can’t see the need to get anything else. Tikka T3X Roughtech 6.5 PRC topped with a Zeiss V4 - no can, just ear plugs. It’s not sexy, but it works for me. I’m about $1,500 into the whole package and it’s been the demise of bison, elk, antelope, mule deer, whitetail deer, coyotes, and plenty of prairie dogs.

 

[mtmuley]

I have a Remington 721 that was gifted to me by my Grandfather in 1966. The year I was born. Chambered in .30-.06. I find myself picking up this rifle a lot these past years. mtmuley

 

[Caseknife]

I have a Remington 721 that was gifted to me by my Grandfather in 1966. The year I was born. Chambered in .30-.06. I find myself picking up this rifle a lot these past years. mtmuley

Those and the short action version 722 were solid rifles. My hunting partner and his wife have a 721 '06 and a 722 300 Savage.

 

[mtmuley]

Those and the short action version 722 were solid rifles. My hunting partner and his wife have a 721 '06 and a 722 300 Savage.

Great rifles and actions. I look for them all the time. A guy I know has two early 700's in .222 Remington. I bug him. He won't sell. I have a 788 in. 222. One hole rifle. mtmuley

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Tikka 6.5 PRC. Put it in a peak44, McMillan game tracker, or rokstok. Chop and thread if it’s longer than 20”. Nomad ti xc can.

Im not positive I’d go bigger than 6.5 creed but you seem to to want to go that direction.

 

[NoWiser]

I bought my first rifle 20 years ago while in college and haven’t bought another since. Tikka T3 in 270 WSM. I originally put on a Leupold VX3 2.5-8x. A few years back I switched to a VX6 2-12 CDS but I may go back to the original scope. I liked it more.

I’ve killed countless critters with it. Everything from grouse to moose. It’s never left me wanting for another rifle. A 130 Barnes TTSX through the lungs and its lights out.

 

[TN2shot07]

I bought my first rifle 20 years ago while in college and haven’t bought another since. Tikka T3 in 270 WSM. I originally put on a Leupold VX3 2.5-8x. A few years back I switched to a VX6 2-12 CDS but I may go back to the original scope. I liked it more.

I’ve killed countless critters with it. Everything from grouse to moose. It’s never left me wanting for another rifle. A 130 Barnes TTSX through the lungs and its lights out.

That 2.5-8 has to be one of Leupold’s best as far as a simple hunting scope!