Rifles for a lifetime?

[1_pointer]

Though I agree 100% with the notion that a hunter with one rifle will become ultra familiar and effecient with that rifle I do have a question. What does one do if that one rifle breaks while on a hunt? Opinions/thoughts?

I'm wanting to stay relatively minimal when it comes to the gear I accrue as that money, IMO, would be better spent for more tags. What I'm contemplating is to build/buy 3 rifles which overlap niches, so as to always have a backup in case one breaks. Here's what I'm thinking:
Gun #1: 6X45 or 6-250 for varmints and would work for deer at appropriate ranges.
Gun #2: Something from a 6.5 to 7mm on either the -08 or 284 Win case. It would cover deer sized game and even elk with the appropriate bullets. This one's to be relatively light for the sheep/goat hunts we all dream about.
Gun #3: .338 Win Mag (what I now have) for elk, big toothy thngs and more than enough for smaller big game.

Thoughts/Opinions?

 

[Lostagain]

Yea, that'd work ok.
The only thing ya really need is an expandable gun cabinet, ideally it should have 3-5 empty spaces and expands as you keep adding rifles. No such thing as 'too many'.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

I'm not much for wildcats, myself, although I've never forgotten ammo on a hunting trip, so the old "can't buy ammo in the boonies" doesn't worry me. I'd just go with a .243 (what do you gain with a 6-250?), a .270 WSM or 7mm WSM and a .338 and be quite happy.

 

[T Bone]

22-250
270 or 30-06
338

 

[Dick Reece]

22 mag
223 0r 22-250
308
300WSM

What else could possibly be needed ?

Give me time,I'll think of something.....

 

[KC]

1_pointer:

I agree with a .338 Win mag on top. Federal offers a 250 grain Nosler Partition in its' HIGH ENERGY line that has the best performance of any among the traditionally biggest calibers.

I'm a loyal 30-06 user, so I have to champion that caliber for the mid-range slot. I use Federal "Classic" 125 grain for antelope. Federal "Premium" 150 grain BTSP for deer. Federal "High Energy" 180 grain Nosler Partition for elk. These loads have essentially the same trajectory. So you can switch your load to match the game without adjusting your scope.

I use a .223 on the bottom. I just took a coyote at 250 yards and he dropped instantly. But .223 is too small to legally use it for anything but small game or varmints in Colorado. The ammo is too expensive to use on hundreds prairie dogs. Although it is fun to watch those cute little critters turn into a red haze.

So I guess I would go with a .243 or 6mm as mentioned above for varmints and the smallest critters in the big game category.

I will add that a .22 mag is just too fun not to include one your your battery. The ammo is cheap enough that you can shoot all day for a few bucks and those Nosler Ballistic Tips that Remington offers, produces some really good effects on prairie dogs too.

KC

 

[brokfut]

My 3 gun battery consists of the 25-06, 280 Remingtion and the 30-338. I "roll my own", so ammo can be tailored for the hunting situation. The 30-338 as a wildcat is really a great long range big game getter. It is a 500 yr mulie/elk gun for sure.

 

[JB Florida]

Those 3 are perfect for ANYTHING in the US & Canada

Good choice.

If you will ever go after something in Africa
swap the 338 for a 375

 

[Jack O'Conner]

If everyone were exactly the same, we'd all have bolt action 30-06 rifles, 12 gauge pumps, and a 22 auto-loader carbine. But alas, we are a nation of diversity.

Just to be old fashioned, I'd go for:
real big game: Mauser in 9.3mm X 62
medium game: 99 Savage in 250-3000
varmints: Winchester 70 in 220 Swift
shotgun: Fox double barrel 16 gauge
Jack

 

[tnctcb]

if i were ever forced to use a bolt 30-06 i would stop hunting. i just think they are good for everything and best for nothing. as soon i get mine from moosie i will own one but its a BAR and being a browning man i think everyone needs a BAR.if i would pick 3 rifles i would say .223,.270 or.270wsm and a .338.

KC maybe im misunderstanding your comment but i can buy 223 ammo alot cheaper than 22 mag or 243

 

[danr55]

Not being one for wildcat cartridges,, well, not exclusively anyway, I always take at least two rifles on every hunt. Usually, one of those is a standard caliber. That way, I'm covered on all fronts.

Now, a comment on the "one man one rifle" ideal. That works great if you are thinking about a guy with several different types of rifles. For me, all of my rifles have the same length of pull, the same trigger pull and the same general trajectory upto about 300 yards (within an inch or so max..). For shots longer than that, unless I am extremely familiar with the rifle, there is a small trajectory chart, in a plastic bag, taped to the butt stock. I try to spend lots of time at the range, with any rifle I'm going to hunt with (that means between 300 and 500 rounds.. maybe more) in the weeks and months before the hunt. I load all of my own ammunition so I am involved from beginning to end. I find that the more I practice, the luckier I get with my shots...

 

[1_pointer]

Dan- I agree. If I were to do this, all guns would be set up with the generally the same specs.

 

[hunter405]

Hi, It sounds like we had a similar problem to solve. My first rifle was a 308Win bolt action but like you I wanted a little versatility as well so I got a 6mm Rem now I am planning something in the catagory you already have 338 for the big game I am leary of trying to take with the 308. I do not regret these two caliber choices for versatile loading options.

 

[Elkhunter]

Welcome aboard 405

 

[Dick Reece]

You guys can have all this one man-one rifle dreaming in one rifle,the Thompson Encore.Only thing is,you can't be adverse to a single shot.I've got a 22-250,308,and 45 muzzleloader barrel for mine, and I love it. At least with this setup you are essentially shooting the same rifle all the time,just changing barrels,and sometimes optics.

 

[danr55]

SE, The other thing you can't be adverse to is recoil.. Those things are terrible for recoil. I prefer a well fit bolt gun.. Thanks anyway..

 

[Dick Reece]

That's where you're misinformed, Danr.you can special order a custom rifle with a muzzle brake.Both my 22-250 and my 308 are bull barrels,which in itself reduces felt recoil quite a bit. My .308 is a custom barrel with a muzzle brake,which reduces recoil by 50%.Should I decide [I haven't had a chance to fire it,it was backordered at the custom shop for 4 months]that it still has too much recoil,I'll go to my neighbor the gunsmith and have him install a mercury recoil reducer into the stock of said weapon.At that point felt recoil won't be much more than a 22mag or 223.

I know one guy who ordered a "dummy" BOSS for a friends Browning,paid his friend extremely well for his original real "BOSS" sytem,and took it to a gunsmith and had him install it onto the 7mm mag bull barrel of his own Thompson Encore.He gets awesome groups with the gun,and expereiences very little recoil.

I am recoil shy to the point of flinching,so if these guns were that bad about recoil,I wouldn't own one.That's the very reason I custom ordered my .308 barrel.It's also the reason why I bought my 300WSM BAR,and insisted on the BOSS system. I used to have a safari grade 308 BAR with BOSS, and I could shoot compressed loads all day long,with no recoil effects whatever.If you're recoil shy,I highly recommend a BAR with the BOSS installed, it's like having a BB gun as far as recoil.

The only negative thing about the BOSS and muzzlebrakes in general, is they're loud as hell! That never bothered me, unless I miss.If I miss,there's no way to lie my way out of it,everybody in my group knows I've got the loudest gun on the mountain

.

 

[dgibson]

If I had to, I'd go with a 4-gun battery: .243, .30-06, .300WM, .375 H&H. But how many of those calibers do I currently own? One. That way I can tell the wife I haven't yet "completed my battery."

 

[DavidAk]

I've killed everything so far with my '06.
45+ deer, one moose, 4 caribou. I have a lot of confidence in it. Sometimes it's not practical to take more than one gun on a hunt, so I always figure I'll just take turns with one of my hunting partners if it breaks down. It's happened before, not often though.

I know there isn't one perfect caliber, but for where I hunt, the '06 is close. I feel comfortable hunting anything here with it, including big bears.

My brother uses a .300winmag, with the same results.

My dad gave us the guns when we were young, long before we were even aware of the many calibers and options that existed. We just headed out to hunt, never questioning. Now, after debating all the calibers and bullets and optics..I look back and realize ignorance was blissful!

Dave

 

[ELKCHSR]

I have an older 300 wthby, Dan has seen it.
The one I would like to get, would be that newer model of 50 cal. that the Navy seals get to use...It has all sorts of bullet gagets that go with it...LOL...That would be so cool to have...