Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters If You Could Only Buy One Center Fire Rifle...

Back in the 70's and 80's even up into the 90's the Remington 700 had a reputation as the most accurate out of the box factory rifle available (domestic). I forget which gun writer said this but his remark was that Remington made the best factory barrels in the business.

Either a model 70 or 700 SS in dirty ought six.

A stainless m70 classic FW in 30.06, drop it in an EDGE and top with a 6x36 with dotz. There isn't much I wouldn't hunt with that.

While not the only choice, it is the one I made.

Add to the description; Winchester Model 70 SS Classic FW in a synthetic stock, with a removable NECG peep sight and a spare 4x scope and you are where I choose to be.

Buying one CF at a time is the obvious way to deal with this hypothetical.

years ago my wife bought me the only rifle I would ever "need"; Ruger #1 in 7 mag. Put on a Redfield 2-7 as that suits my style. There are lots more that I want and have obtained. A bud has a Browning hiwall in 30-06. It is hard to fault that, except maybe the long barrel in certain brush situations. I have to admit that when I had only the one rifle I could hit what I wanted at any reasonable range. What I really want is at least one of each caliber and style rifle, but I can't carry them all.

IQ tests are a lot about patterns. How's this for a pattern?:

270 FWT:


30-06 FWT:


338 Win mag:



375 H&H magnum:



My only problem with this type of thread, is deciding which one I'm going to say I would pick.......this time...

This Springfield 30/06 with 2.5-8X scope fits the bill pretty well.

This Ruger 308 will do just as well in a little lighter package.

My P64 338 Win Mag....



Nothing much else I'd need or want for anything, anywhere.

My 700 Classic 35 Whelen is the only rifle that never needed to be glass bedded. Just a slight trigger adjustment and I can hunt anything except African Big Five. I think it would work on lion.
It can work on varmints by shooting pistol bullets.
I think it is perfect for North America.
whelennut

If I had to have one, it might be a 7mm-08 700 mtn rifle, with floorplate, and a leupold 4 or 6x fixed in talley lw low rings.

308 would make more sense, because I could buy a case of ammo for $600 (fmj)

I would probably go for the 7mm-08.

Sycamore

Well, like some others here, I may already own it:



SigArms, SHR-970 30-06 (also have a 6.5 x 55 bbl for it). Pretty sure it's set up with a Burris FFII 3-9 with the Ballistic Plex. Then again, it might have the Zeiss 3-9 (Early Conquest?) but I think that's set up for the Swede bbl. Leupold QR mounts.

Shoots good too, even with "cheap" factory stuff.

Sight in target for that hunt:



Now, if only Sig had not discontinued it and sold the remaining stock of barrels and such to some French firm who's website I can't understand. I'd love to get some other calibers.

Interesting choices all, very interesting as Sgt. Schultz used to say.

Ge

I'll chime in . . . .

Blaser - R93 or R8, take your choice. One rifle; many barrels.

The only one rifle discussion isn't that interesting.

The one more rifle is compelling.

.275 Rigby.

Do you mean this time or the other 500 times its been discussed?

What "model" Ruger 308 is this? I like it, a lot!

Good point

I just read the thread, I should have said Rigby 7x57.

Well my M70 30-06 gets most of my attention for big game. In fact the plastic stocked 700 may just go down the road so the old '06 is once again my only rifle. I don't feel handicapped at all.

Only one?

9.3 x 62 built on a 1909 Argentine Mauser

If I could only buy one, then SHTF.

I'd take an AR and deal from there.