how many rifles do own and how many do we use to hunt with each yr

[jbm]

i own a few hunting rifles that range from 221 fireball up to 416 express and many of them end up sitting and not even used for that years hunting. a few hrs ago a very good friend and my best hunting buddy passed away and left me a few of his very nice hunting rifles and shotguns. i made my mind up for that hunting season to use 1 of these rifles and his reloads for all of my hunting that season. it was a single shot bolt rifle chambered in a 35 wildcat. some would think this would make for a hard hunt to use only 1 rifle to do all of your hunting that yr for antelope,mule deer,black bear , and elk . i did not find that to be true . yes i could not do any real long shooting but this never even came up that yr in any of my hunting and if it did i would just have to work with what i have .

from that season on i have started to pick just 1 of my rifles to use for all my hunting on that season. this has gotten me to bring out rifles now that have been left behind for to many years . they have been left behind for no good reason other then i had gotten something newer bigger better . but really my new rifle are not any of that but newer
to me.

after i pick just 1 of these left behind rifles i will then look at what i will be hunting that year
and try to work up a load that will work good in that rifle for all the game i plan on hunting and for ranges that i think i will be shooting them at.when it is all said and done the only real factor that is the hardest to plan for is the range. this is something i have been able to work with . that first yr of doing this it was that little wildcat 35 so any real long shooting would be out and it ended up never even being a factor. my elk was under 50 yrds
mule deer was the longest which was still under 200 yrds.

not sure if this would work out for all of us but it has worked out just fine for me so far and i plan on doing this for as many yrs as i can or till every one of my rifles gets a turn at a full hunting season

so how many of you think this would work for you or would not and why ?

 

[Ben Lamb]

Rifles are like fishing rods - each one has different applications based on terrain, conditions and likelihood of finding game.

At least that's what I keep telling my wife.

 

[bobbydean]

Hell yow! Most rifles do the job. There are snobs that prefer the right rifle for the right animal. Most rifles are capable with the right shooter.

Enjoy the your buddy's memory, Will be the best hunting season in your life! Shed a few tears in the mountains.

I own 4 rifles, A 243, another 243, 260 and 338

Do not shoot any of them enough!.

 

[Jorgy]

did my wife ask you to ask me this question? If so, I only own one

 

[bobbydean]

I would like Big Fins answer to this question!

 

[8andcounting]

18 and I use 1

 

[Dave N]

A few and one every now and then!

 

[Speeddmn]

I own 6 Bolt guns, 1 shotgun, 1 Semi Auto. They range from .22 to .300 WSM. I feel with correct loads and known distances I can take anything in North America. I do want to get a few more tho... For the kids ofcourse....

 

[TimeOnTarget]

I've been using one rifle for all my big game hunting for a few years now. I've found that I've become a better shot as I become more and comfortable with that rifle.

I couldn't tell ya how many I own to be honest.

 

[noharleyyet]

...sold one, gifted two...down to a full house....a pair of 300 mags and three sevens. Shoot, load/component tinker, and hunt all of em. No safe queens allowed.

 

[kansasdad]

Are you asking about how many the ATF knows I have, or how many I might actually have?

 

[mtmander]

I own 7 rifles(5 are Win M70 pre64's) and each has its use depending on where and what I am hunting.

 

[NoWiser]

I only own one rifle!! I borrowed my uncle's .243 for a few years when I was young. About 10 years ago I decided I needed my own so I bought a Tikka T3 Stainless in .270 WSM and put a Leupold VX3 2.5-8x on it. I also got set up to do my own loading.

Since then I've shot a bunch of whitetails, a mule deer, two antelope, a wolf, a moose, and the heads off of multiple grouse with it. No matter what I'm hunting, I feel like I've got the "perfect" rifle for it just because I'm so comfortable shooting the thing.

I have no plans to buy a new rifle in the near future, but at some point I wouldn't mind a 7mm-08 that I could borrow to younger hunters and any women that want to give deer hunting a shot.

 

[JCW]

4 dedicated hunting rifles, 30-30, .260, .270, and 300 win mag. Their used is dependent on where and what I'm hunting. This year the new .260 has gotten the call and taken 4 game animals, only have elk tags left so the 300 will probably be my choice moving forward. I ran out of time working up loads for my face-lifted 721 .270 otherwise it would be going for walks also.

 

[Rooster52]

More than I can use ,but less than I want.

 

[rmyoung1]

I started hunting big game 25 years ago. I was 12 and I killed a muley buck with my dad's 7mm Weatherby magnum. The next year I killed my first elk with the same gun. Dad then gave it to me. It's still my only hunting rifle.

 

[LCH]

Not sure.. I'll add them up:

(1) J.C. Higgins Bolt (.22)
(1) Remington Pump (.22)
(1) S&W MP15-22 (.22)
(1) Howa Bolt (.223)
(1) AR15 (.223)
(1) Winchester 1894 Lever (.30-30)
(1) Mossberg Bolt (.30-06)
(1) H&R Single Shot (.357 Mag)
(1) Winchester 94 Lever (.45 Colt)
(1) AR15 (.450 Bushmaster)

So I guess 10 rifles. Also got 6 shotguns, a muzzleloader, and a pistol. Hunt some with all but the pistol but the .30-06 and the .450 Bushmaster get the most use.

 

[Pinecricker]

Trying to get down to 2, my .300 Win. Mag. for elk, and a .270 win. for everything else, and occasionally a .223 carbine for when I don't feel like packing a heavy rifle. Oh, and one muzzleloader. This doesn't include rifles I own purely for collecting value or sentimental reason.

 

[mdhunter]

.260 Remington
.303
Two 6.5's x .284
6.5 x 47
.270 WSM
.300 WSM

How many do I hunt with? Usually just one of the 6.5 x .284's

 

[Ben Long]

Own 6. Use 1. 2 are on loan to beginning hunters, although come to think of it one has been "beginning" for 10 years now...