one rifle for everything

[petenz]

Do any of you guys ever get the urge to sell everything, and just use one rifle for all your hunting and shooting? Or maybe one varmint rifle and one hunting rifle?

If so, what would it be?



I sort of like the idea, for the simplicity of it. Once you sorted out a load you'd only have 1 powder, bullet and primer to deal with, one set of dies. You'd also become very familiar with your rifle and get to be pretty good with it. I've noticed that when I stick to using just one rifle a lot, shooting it becomes natural and my accuracy improves greatly.


For my 'one hunting rifle for everything' it'd either be a custom remington .260 or .280, sporter weight, mcmillan remington sporter stock, 24 inch barrel, leupy Mk4 3.5-10x40 scope, I'm not really into shooting animals past about 600 yards and I do all my shooting with sporter weight rifles as it is so this would suit my needs well enough

Thoughts on the theory?

 

[JRu]

I'm in the process of doing exactly that. During the last couple of months, my gun cabinet has seen the departure of a good 1/2 MOA Savage 110 FP Tactical in .308Win as well as a TRG-42 338LM , leaving just my Weatherby Vanguard in 30-06 to work with.

I went for a heavy barrel contour for a hunting rifle but a relatively light contour for a target/LR rifle -- a Shilen #5 Light Varmint, 26", 1:9" in 7mm Rem Mag. With the 2.4 - pound walnut stock with an adjustable buttpad, the rifle sits at 11.2 lbs ready to shoot, 10.3 without bipod and hopefully that'll drop to around 9.5-9.9 once finished with a High Tech Specialties stock.

The 3-12x56 Zeiss only has around 7 mrad ( 24 MOA ) on the single- turn turret but I've got 5 mrad ( 17 MOA ) more on the mil-dot reticle should the need arise. I went for this scope because of weight ( 23 oz ) and optical quality. My S&B 5-25 is just too heavy for a rifle such as this and has to go.

Invested heavily on reloading just 7RM, too; Redding body die, Redding comp micrometer seater, Redding comp shellholders, Lee collet neck die, etc. With brass, VV N165, CCI250, VLDs and Accubonds I'm GTG.

It's still work in progress because I want to bed the Talley Lightweights to the action, before I screw the scope on for good. So far, I've only put it together once to take a couple of photos before I disassembled it for painting the barrel.

 

[royinidaho]

petenz,

I did that but exactly backwards. When I came to Idaho in 1966, being a Jack O'Connor reader I whent with a 270 Winchester. A 24" Douglas sporter barrel was fitted to a Brazilian 1908 Mauser action with a Timney trigger. I did the Fajen thumbhole stock myself.

That was the only rifle I had for until 2002. We knew each other quite well. Nothing escaped us. From chucks, jack rabbits, grouse, coyotes, deer and moose.

90gr Sierra bullets for the small stuff.

130 gr Sierra boat tails for every thing else.

It was a very good system. Its said "beware of the fella who has only one gun."

The nifty thing was that the 90 grain bullet shot 1/2" to the left of 130gr load @ 100 yds. A sharpie mark on the the Leuy VX-II was all that was needed when loads were changed. Over the years we figured the drop chart in the ol' knoggin'. Never had such as thing as a paper chart.

However, the system was good only to 420 yards. @ 425 yds chucks were safe.

Major mistakes were made by not having the scope power setting where I tho't it was, as in on 3 when I assumed it was on 9. Between that and the "fever" I missed a trophy buck.

 

[soren]

I would say get a .280Rem. or a 7mm mag. if I only had one big game rifle.

 

[Boss Hoss]

You should be put in the stocks and publically flogged like an oaf for blasphemy!!! Just to suggest and Idea is so vile and so revolting it makes me Sick!!

































I would use my Warp 7 which is based on the 300 Win with reduced body taper and sharper shoulder necked to a 7mm.

 

[Kevin]

.284 Win to me is the perfect do everything cartridge.

Capable of taking most game animals out to a distance of most rangefinders and shooters capabilites.
Could be competative in a variety of classes and competitions.
Moderate recoil
No fireforming
Uses very little powder
Good barrel life
Great bullets and brass readily availiable

 

[stxhunter]

300wm

 

[rtv900]

280 remington - well maybe a 375H&H (or two) - well then again maybe a 7mm (maybe a couple or so) - well I really like a 300 RUM (two is even better) - but I have so much fun with my 243 (and a backup or two) - then again my 223's are a blast too. Oh who could do without an AR15 or so.

Oh, I just cannot do it. I will have to keep my guns - maybe even get some more.

 

[specweldtom]

If it just had to be, I would take a stainless .340 Wby at about 9 lbs with a 3.5 x 14 LPS scope. (If I could find one).

No surprise if you check my signature. Tom

 

[soren]

This really isn't a realistic post for most of us here. My first rifle aside from a .22 was a M94 30-30. I still have it. It hasn't been shot in a while. I got a .280 Rem. 700 next, then the sickness set in......gun)

 

[specweldtom]

This really isn't a realistic post for most of us here. My first rifle aside from a .22 was a M94 30-30. I still have it. It hasn't been shot in a while. I got a .280 Rem. 700 next, then the sickness set in......gun)

Good point. The first centerfire rifle I ever shot was a M1 Garand, courtesy of the Navy. I had no idea anything could be that powerful. I was hooked. (I think maybe that was when the voices started to speak to me).

The 30-06 Garand would be a close second to the .340 as an all-around rifle. I used to hunt with one. A rugged, accurate rifle with a great set of iron sights.

****, I'm hearing the voices again. Tom

 

[gbp]

Not that I ever would but if I had to my 280 would be the one I kept

 

[silvertip-co]

LOL I just did as you said. Just sold my last extra rifle today. I sort of hated to get rid of them but this economic thing in the country hits everyone equally. I got good prices for 4 rifle and the guys who bought them wee happy they got good deals. I kept a LH Savage .223 for varmints, and kept my 26" bbl Model 70 7mm Rem Mag for everything else. Now I can take some of the money and buy a truck load of ammo Only thing is my gun cabinet is still full

 

[NCMTNBOY]

Do any of you guys ever get the urge to sell everything, and just use one rifle for all your hunting and shooting? Or maybe one varmint rifle and one hunting rifle?

If so, what would it be?



I sort of like the idea, for the simplicity of it. Once you sorted out a load you'd only have 1 powder, bullet and primer to deal with, one set of dies. You'd also become very familiar with your rifle and get to be pretty good with it. I've noticed that when I stick to using just one rifle a lot, shooting it becomes natural and my accuracy improves greatly.


For my 'one hunting rifle for everything' it'd either be a custom remington .260 or .280, sporter weight, mcmillan remington sporter stock, 24 inch barrel, leupy Mk4 3.5-10x40 scope, I'm not really into shooting animals past about 600 yards and I do all my shooting with sporter weight rifles as it is so this would suit my needs well enough

Thoughts on the theory?

NO!

My 280 Remington BDL/DM has been my main hunting rifle since 95' , but I enjoy picking up new guns and hunting with them. It will never get sold, but I can't promise it, that I won't hunt with another. I'm faithful to my wife, but skirt around on my rifle.