Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Any 2, but only 2, hunting rifles...

So, just for a little semi-serious fun, what would you set yourself up with if you were limited to 1 light rifle and 1 heavy rifle to hunt North America (as in Mexico to Alaska). Please limit your choices to factory or close to factory rifles meaning different barrels, triggers etc are OK. Full blown custom creations are not. The only other rule is that you would have to be able to use some sort of generally available factory ammo. I think the various improved cartridges are OK so long as they can shoot the unimproved version in a pinch.

I'll go first:

LIGHT RIFLE:
For a light gun I'm looking for a handy and flexible rifle that doesn't do it all, but does "most". I'm thinking a Remington Model Seven Stainless or Kimber Montana in 7mm-08. 20" or 21" barrel. Light and short, either one would be fine from a treestand (by that I mean a stand closed in by greenery where shots are usually 10-50+ yards, and the deer can see your breath if you're not careful) and could still reach out and take an antelope from farther than I want to shoot. Ballistics range from a 140 grain spitzer at close to 3000 fps for the factory "light magnum" loads to a 175 grain load at 2500+ fps (Speer manual). I don't have the bullet drop or energy figures handy but obviously they should be pretty good. Add a Leupold VXIII 2.5-8 and you'll have a package that weighs about 6.25 to 6.5 lbs scoped & loaded. Keep in mind that the 7mm-08 can use light bullets for varmints too although this is no dogtown gun. I like something like the Hornady Interlock 154 spirepoints for general use, and the 175's for anything requiring maximum penetration. Clearly this combination can handle more than deer. I've never shot a moose although I have seen them up close. It seems that a 175 A-Frame, Trophy Bonded, etc. @ 2500 should get through the vitals on an incoming, broadside or quartering away moose. I don't know if I would trust it to get through a shoulder first or for a "Texas heart shot", but I could hunt with it. Thats more than I require from my "light" gun, so maybe a smaller caliber might be a better choice.
If money were no object I think I would mount a top quality 21" barrel(a little heavier than factory) on a Kimber, have all the internal parts teflon plated and call it a day. I would also consider the 7mm-08 AI that Kenny Jarrett promotes on his website, .284 Winchester, or even the 7mm SAUM if I went with a Remington product.

HEAVY RIFLE:
Here I'm looking for a rifle that can do the scary work like stop a big bear, and can still reach out if my elk hunt becomes a long range thing. There are some nice heavies (35 Whelen, 9.3 x 62, 45-70) that fail the second requirement. There are still some good ones left though. I think I would go with a CZ bolt in 375 H&H with a 22-24" medium weight barrel. Loaded & scoped it should weigh 8+ lbs. I would like a stainless barrel and then have the entire gun treated with a durable black satin finish inside and out and have a nice big 2.5-10 or similiar scope mounted on it w/QD mounts. NO single set trigger. It would be able to take deer neatly with light loads, and handle everything else with factory loads. I would also consider 338 Winchester, 358 Norma, and a few others. The rifle would have to have express style open sights. Keep in mind that to me this is still a sporter, not a full blown heavy barrel Safari gun.

Anyway, please post your choice for one or both rifles. I hope to get enough response that I can learn from other points of view. And have some fun too.

Kragman1.

308 in a medium heavy contour. McMillan A5. Variable scope of choice.

17 HMR. Savage BTVS or custom.

25-06-Nikon Monarch 5.5X16X44 with plex reticle
300 JARRETT OR MAYBE A 325WSM with my Leupold LPS 3.5x14x50 WITH PLEX RETICLE.

.30-06 - 110 grain VMax to 200 grain Partition

.375 H&H - 235 grain Speer to 350 grain Woodleigh

actions, barrels, scopes, etc. is all secondary....

7x64 Brenneke, DWM 98 action, Timney Trigger, Lonewolf Stock, LW Barrel 23", trued, Leupold STD mounts, Weaver 4,75x40 GS

140 grain TSX @ 2950 fps

9,3x64 Brenneke, DWM 98 action, Timney trigger, laminate stock, 22" barrel, ghost/post sights

286 grain TSX @ 2450 fps

Both rifles bead blasted and parkerized.

I have the 9,3:



That said: I love my Marlins.

Staying within the criteria and spirit of the OP's thread, here are my choices:

Light Rifle - Ruger 77 (check, they made them) in 7x64 Brenneke.

Heavy Rifle - Sako 85 Hunter in 370 Sako Mag. I would have gone with one of the Ruger cartridges (375 or 416) but I don't like the bullet selection in the factory ammo that is currently available.

Light : A Win 88 in .308

Heavy : Marlin 1895 in 45-70

Gophers to Grizzlys

.358 Model 7

.325 WSM Kimber Montana

A classic and very useful choice of calibers.

I would have to choose my Ruger #1 in .25-06 and my Winchester M70 in .338WM.

Can't think of much I couldn't do in N. America with that combination.

I think I could do lots worse than what I have in the safe right now.

Light Rifle
Tikka T3 Light Stainless in .308
Leupold VXIII 2.5-8x36 B&C

Heavy Rifle
Weatherby Mark V (slightly massaged by a smith) .340 Wby
Zeiss Conquest 3x9x40 Rapid Z 600

"Heavy" can mean different things to different people. African "heavy" is another beast entirely, particularly if one is thinking along the lines of a stopping cartridge. For me though I don't really see myself even trying to shoot at something a .340 can't drop and with it's favorite 210gr TSX it's every bit as flat as my 7mag with 150's. If I really did want a "anything" heavy it'd probably be a .416 something or other.

I have several 2 rifle combos to choose from. I'm actually doing 3 - 30-06, 7mm RM, 375 H+H. I'd be real comfortable with a 7mm RM/30-06 and 375H+H.

Browning x-bolt stainless syn in a 7mm-08 and a 300wsm in a Sako greywolf.

since your question asks about: 1. rifles only and 2. hunting all of north america, i'd select the following:

1. .22 cal ruger 10/22 with a nikon or leupy 4x scope

2. a ruger hawkeye s/s in 30-06 shooting 180gr partitions. if i'm hunting big bears in ak i'd have to have a guide and he'd have the cannon i hope.

This one



And I'd buy some form of 375 H&H that was CRF and had a real safety and be done with it.

223Rem & 30-06

Browning BLR .308 2.5x8 Leupold 150-180gr loadings depending on what I was doing, even lighter varmint handloads if I had to.

Marlin 1895G 45/70 XS Front blade, Brockman's pop up peep rear base, Leupold 1.75x6 300gr JHP to 540gr hardcast for the really nasty stuff

I will choose from what I already own (and have tuned) a .270 WIN in a pre-64 FW for my light rifle. A .338 WIN MAG in a M70 Classic for my medium bore (heavy North American rifle). I will put a Leupold 2.5-8x36 VXIII on each of them.

Between my Kimber Montana in 257 Roberts and CZ 550 in 9.3x62, I should be able to take it all.

My 270 winchester remmy and 35 whelen cdl. Maybe the my new 375 H&H but it hasn't been proven yet. All remington's too.