one rifle

[ronnie1972]

if you could only have 1 rifle. which caliber would you pick? this is a question that i have been tossing around. rifle would be used for antelope,deer,elk,bear, and moose.
looking for a flat shooter, barrel length max 26 inches. with long range capability, when i talk long range i am talking 8-900yds max. rifle will be used world wide and i do reload, i am open to any suggestions with bullet weights, or type of bullets
so what do u think

 

[Birddog75]

300 win mag.

 

[jbroadnax]

7mm wby. shooting heavy, high bc bullets.

 

[wadevb1]

The first two answered correctly.

More correct answers to follow, I'm sure.

 

[ronnie1972]

i have a 6.5wby, a 7wsm already.
but it feels like i need one more rifle, the best all around rifle or maybe i am just addicted to guns...
please send some more options for me to consider

 

[sp6x6]

I asked myself that ? 20+ AGO. picked up a 340 WM. It did everything I wanted, didnt make it on any far off hunts. But first season I ONE shot drt, 6x6,bear,deer,coyote, I shot gophers with it.Now my 16 yr. old son is giving it a go. I replaced it w/338NM 7-2 OZ.BARE. pUT 3@ 6/1/4 @1003. Hope it treats me 1/2 as good as the WM. One of the only animals I did not put down on purpose, was a moose I got no shot on with bow , facing at 30 yrds. I PASSED 18 bulls and I caught this bull at 90 yrds with my trusted 340, I was 1/4 mile from my bow. So I let him have it offhand, he was next to a pond and I did not want him in there or thick timber, he walked toward trees a few steps and I heard him couph. Then he turned towards the pond and laid down, not much later his massive 51'' head followed, after 28 yrs. putting in I had my Montana moose.Was able to get cell coverage and by dark had the whole family there, son was eight. My son wrote me a poem on the way home that night,''From the marshis green to the feelds of yellow the moos hunter below to the brown ferd felow. I get to apply again this year

 

[RockZ]

I've got everything from the 204 ruger to the 338 laua improved and they all have their place.
For a low recoiling ballistic marvel I like the 6-284
For long range energy I like the 338 lapua improved
I'm presently building a 7-300win ackley just for fun-I figure it will give good ballistics with the 162 amax,moderate recoil,and good energy to 1000yds.

But for an all around round I have to go with the 300win mag.
It has good accuracy, energy and ballistics as well as availability of ammo.
It's not fancy but it's a great all around choice.

 

[ronnie1972]

that sound familar i have several wildcats as well
257stw,6.5stw,6.5/06
love the 6.5 for the b.c.. but i do not want to be under gunned when i go on my moose or bear hunt, i know its all about shot placement, but i think i would like to have the heavy bullet as well. with these wildcats i shoot if ammo is lost from plane travel, i will not be able to find any ammo for rifle

 

[strombeckj]

7mm SAUM or WSM in a LA, manageable recoil, great selection of high BC bullets that can be seated out.

Factory load 300 win or 300 RUM

You can pre-ship your ammo to make sure it arrives

 

[midnightmalloy]

7mm/375 ruger. With 180gr bergers at 3150. If its one gun have a wildcat. I got a 280ai and I'm thinking hard about this one.

 

[Outlaw6.0]

I've got everything from the 204 ruger to the 338 laua improved and they all have their place.
For a low recoiling ballistic marvel I like the 6-284
For long range energy I like the 338 lapua improved
I'm presently building a 7-300win ackley just for fun-I figure it will give good ballistics with the 162 amax,moderate recoil,and good energy to 1000yds.

But for an all around round I have to go with the 300win mag.
It has good accuracy, energy and ballistics as well as availability of ammo.
It's not fancy but it's a great all around choice.

Sometimes I wonder if Rock can read my mind

Like he said, I have everything from 204 to 338 RUM up to 458 Lott (including the 6-284), all bought with a specific purpose... some of which I cannot remember

I'm really going to have to +1 here

.300 Win Mag

 

[Rocky Mountain]

300WSM can be built short and light making it ideal for very short range to 600 yard on the big stuff.
I built for a friend a 300 WSM with a long throat in a Rem model 7, 24 inch fluted barrel, McMillan edge stock. This rifle shoots the 208 Amax 2850fps for the longer shots, these are loaded singly as they are to long for the mag but that is not an issue when shooting long and he uses the 200-220gr for a mag fed load for up close shots at the big stuff. We ended up having to use winchester 780 ball powder for the mag loads as the big 200-220 are seated pritty deap to fit in the mag but it works great offering everything in one light handy rifle.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

First choice would be either a Tikka T-3 Light in 338 Winchester or a remington 700 in 338 RUM. Don't have a second choice.

 

[LouBoyd]

I can't conceive of any event which could cause me to own only one rifle and not kill me in the process.