Do all rifle???

Okay here is my two cents. I have built bolt guns in 270 win, 284 win and 338 win. All Remage barrels on Rem 700 LA receivers. The 270 win I built with a 1-8 twist barrel in order to shoot the 170 Bergers and alike. It has a 26" barrel and I am getting 2,930 fps with the 170's. Make this an entirely new rifle from your dads 270 1-10 twist rifle. The 284 has a custom long throat loading out 197 SMK's to almost 3.5" Coal. It shoots 180 Bergers at 2,900 fps. Then there is the 338 win Mag 26" barrel. I get 2,850 out of 250 gr and 2,500 out of 300 gr bullets.
A friend of mine used some 270 win hand loads, 140 gr Ballistic tips on a buck. He was getting just over 3,000 fps out of his 22" barrel. He took a 150 yds shot on a big buck. Perfect shot just behind the font shoulder about 5" down from spine. The buck did not even take a step DRT. When he was dressing the deer he noted that the concussion form the bullet actually broke the bucks spine.

Here is the bottom line everyone of the above rifles loaded with good bullets will kill anything it hits, provided it hits it in the right place. Deer Bear, Elk, Antelope. They are a scale of magnitude. Really how much energy do you want the bullet to have to work with. Will a 270 win kill a bear. Absolutely. It is all about shot placement and the bullets you are using. The bigger the bullet the more energy you are going to put on target. The more leeway you are going to have on producing catastrophic damage. Basically you are going to have a bigger kill zone.

all things being equal If it was just one rifle,, it would be a 270 win with 1-8 twist barrel. Bullet's and component everywhere, and when you want something Speacial you can hand load anything. Moderate recoil and plenty accurate. Now if I was hunting Bear regularly or other dangerous game I would be wanting the 338 win mag. The 338 win mag is just a great cartridge . Very efficient, lots of ammo and components. A well placed 270 will do it but I would still want more energy on target and it would fit the bill.

In the middle is my 284 win l I love it accurate as hell. Problem is you are not going to find any off the shelf AMMO for it. It's all hand rolled. So if it were me and you were picking middle ground I would go with a 300 win mag or a 7mm Mag. Again great AMMO selection and they in turn will take anything.

in the end it is what you shoot best. That comes with practice and nothing can replace shot placement.
 
Depending on the max range one is willing to harvest at, the 6.5 Grendel, or 6.5 Creedmoor, or 6.5-284 will for fine for the specified game.
 
Naturally we need to keep in mind the OP"s original Q...which was

If you had to choose one rifle to hunt everything from antelope to elk, what would it be?
 
If you had to choose one rifle to hunt everything from antelope to elk, what would it be? This rifle must use components that are readily available. It must also be a caliber that is inherently accurate. No need to waste 600 rounds of 1000 round barrel life doing load development. I want to build a rifle but can't decide what to build.

Personal preference, but a 30.06 is hard to beat for a 'do all'
 
If you had to choose one rifle to hunt everything from antelope to elk, what would it be? This rifle must use components that are readily available. It must also be a caliber that is inherently accurate. No need to waste 600 rounds of 1000 round barrel life doing load development. I want to build a rifle but can't decide what to build.
270 wsm. Just big enough without extra recoil. You can get a 130 gr to 3050-3300 fps. At elk attitudes, 7500', it carries 1200#'s to 1000 yards. Flatter at 500 yards then my 300 wm or 7 RM by .6 mils. My 270 wsm has taken a cow elk, a couple mule deer and white tails all 1 shot kills. I would look at the model 70 Tungsten in 270 wsm. Put in a Timney trigger and bed it and done. For a little better performance out pasted 600 yards a 7 RM 8T with a 180 vld-h. Getting 2944 fps, very good LR ballistics with only slightly more recoil.
 
I'm hoping you'll have the opportunity to own more than one rifle.
Think of golfing or fishing. I don't know anyone who goes with only one club or rod. When I fish Lake of the Woods I have at least 4-6 rods in the boat.
That said, pick a cartridge based on what you'll hunt the most. If it's mainly deer or antelope I'd go with a .270 win. or .280ai. You're going to find more ammo selection with the .270win.
If you're hunting primarily elk, I'd go .300 win mag.
Be sure to pick a bullet for the animal you're hunting and be able to shoot it well. Don't shoot beyond your capability and equipment.
Good luck.
 
There are a lot of opinions stated here, and I have many of the calibers listed in this thread. I have four 6.5 calibers and my 6.5 RemMag is one deer killing S.O.B., but I'd take my .26 Nosler for elk. My Creedmoor, I'd rank below my RemMag and I'd use the Grendal in a pinch for deer. My .300 and 338 RUMs and .338WM are way too much to be considered for everything. I'd rank my .243w with the 6.5CM. The .26 Nosler, 7mm RM, .257 Roberts, 8mm-06, .30 Gibbs, .300 SAUM, 280AI, .350 RemMag, 35 Whelen, and 25-06AI .45-70, and 40-65 are candidates. I'm sure I could kill an elk with my .17 Rem, 32-20, .204 Ruger, .22 hornet, .223, .22 Valkyre, .220 Swift, or 22-250 if I had to. But what stands out is the good old 30-06. I can shoot bullets 100 to 220 grain factory bullets and lighter if want to try some .311s. I cast bullets for my .30 Carbine that I can use, loaded down for potting rabbits or grouse. I also cast 176 and 190 grain bullets that duplicate the good old 30-30W which has killed many elk. Also if you need a heavy solid, in a pinch, you can seat a 220 gr. round nose backwards. The same argument could be made for the .308W, but I prefer the 30-06 because of its larger capacity and faster twist. Yep, if I could only have one rifle, it would be a 30-06! Could I also keep a .22LR pistol. Holy Crap, I just started another argument!!!
With the plastic sabots you can even push a 55 gr out of the 30-06....at a blistering pace!
 
In my mind, this should above all be a practical rifle, with durable components, shooting practical ammo.
It makes me think of Cooper's Scout rifle, but with a primary hunting purpose.
It should be able to hunt all over the US and be a light gun in Africa.
It should be handy and versatile and cost should not drive the decision.
It should be big enough to be comforting if hunting in bear areas.
It should have back up sights.
I would want a caliber sold everywhere.
I would want a suppressor or muzzle break option.
I would like it to be reasonably comfortable to shoot often.
For this rifle, ballistics matter, but not as much as logistics.

.300 win mag.
Stainless with Cerakote or nitrided finish.
22-23 in barrel.
Game Scout or similar stock.
Nightforce 4-16 ATACAR or some other versatile scope.
Built to handle heavy Berger's, but fine to shoot a 180 gr box of whatever is on the shelf at Walmart when I want/need to.

If I built it, I would not have an excuse for much more. It could probably be bought from Sako cheaper than built.

Ahh, but where is the fun in practical?
 
If you had to choose one rifle to hunt everything from antelope to elk, what would it be? This rifle must use components that are readily available. It must also be a caliber that is inherently accurate. No need to waste 600 rounds of 1000 round barrel life doing load development. I want to build a rifle but can't decide what to build.
30-06.
 
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