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

If I choose from what I already own a .30-06 Model 70 All Terrain SS Featherweight and a .338 WIN MAG in a M70 SS Classic for heavier stuff.
I have a Leupold 2.5-8x36 VXIII on each of them.

If I wanted to fool with it I could screw the original 270 barrel back on the Featherweight and get a little better long range marmot gun.....naw!!!

I would probably choose a Winchester M70, either classic stainless or extreme weather, in 300 Winchester Magnum. I'd mount a mid-range variable scope. Shoots flat enough for all of the plains game, hits hard enough to take care of bigger critters if time and range permits for a precise shot.

For a "heavy", I'd go with a Marlin 1895 Guide Gun in 45-70. I figure that if I need a heavy caliber gun I'd probably want something that could shoot fairly quickly. For close cover, it would be handy and quick. Big bullets would leave big holes, making tracking easier when a quick shot doesn't end up perfect. Also, using 400gr bullets, might be able to save your bacon when you piss off some moose or bear.

The two rifles would be exactly what I used from 1961 until 2002 when the .338's recoil finally drove me to a lighter caliber rifle:

1) An extremely accurate .22 rimfire long rifle for squirrel hunting & target shooting.
2) A pre-'64 Model 70 in .338 Winchester Magnum for all big game.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

There is nothing wrong with that choice for Canada from my perspective. I do not hunt coastal bear, but large black bears will succum to either of those. Moose just seem to drop right there with an 06, and 257 roberts is flat for open country.

What do you hunt in Aussie
Randy

Of the rifles I own, and the javelina to coastal brown bear criteria, I would probably go with the 257 roberts 338 win mag as I have great confidence in both. In a month I will have completed an African plains game hunt with th 3006 so it may step up in my confidence level, at least I expect it to. As the shootists wife said when he told her he was buying his last rifle..." as long as its a 30-06..."

Randy
I am also expecting some drt bullet failures from TSX 165 gr hehehe

Tikka T3 lite .223 and my CZ 550FS 9.3X62, or one of my six 30-06's and forget about the second rifle.

Thanks Dober. I've thought about dumping the 280 for a 25-06 but the 280 is just too good to dump and could probbly do everything with either rifle though the 338-06 might be a little big but with the selction of bullets out there now could be done.

As far as scope one is a Leupold 3x9x32 compact and the other is a 3x9x40. They should be matching but on the 280, 3x9x40 seems to make more sense. The reason for the 3x9's is here in the Northeast the ranges could get up close and personal and the 3x setting is nice when still-hunting the thickets

The practical man, or women, would have stainless barreled Kevlar stocked bolt action rifles in 30/06 and 375 H&H and be set up to hunt anywhere in the world.

But most of us don't hunt for any practical reason. It's our hobby... Walnut and blued steel are prettier.

Then there is the issues of personal recoil tolerance, and what what size critter and distance to it are you hunting. For someone who needs minimum recoil a 223 Rem and a 243 Win may be best.

It's all personal choice...

idahoguy101

For me I'd go with my trusty 270 w/2.5-8 leupy as my basic do it all rifle. The other choice for me would be a 22-250 and it would take honors as the light, as I've really no need for a heavy. But.....with the OP's intent for this thread, the 270 would be the light and I'd pick up a 375 ruger in the hawkeye platform and call it good.

Mark,

The .25-06 has a Garret Arms (now defunct I think) composite stock that has been in place for about 25 years, and the .338 is fitted to a stock of VERY tight-grained black cherry. That stock was fitted to that barrel and action in 1975 if I remember correctly. Never had a problem with either one!

I enjoy your interesting posts,
M Bell

Light rifle: Ruger Hawkeye in .270 Win
Heavy Rifle: .375 H&H built on a commercial Mauser action or Ruger Hawkeye African in .375 Ruger

The only two hunting rifles I have:

Rem 760 in 6mm w/ a 4200 3-9, got the rifle for xmas when I was 12.

Savage 110 in 300wm w/ 4200 2.5-10, got the rifle AND an ior scope at the fun show for $550, sold the ior scope for $750.

For me it woud be a pre 64 fwt in 30-06 and a Mauser 375 H&H..That was an easy one.

If it is just North America, as the OP specified, then it is a .257 Roy in a ULA and a 338 Win Mag in Model 70.

But if I change it to include Africa, then I drift up to a 7 mm Rem Mag and a 375 H&H, both in Winchester Model 70s.

AR-15 - hoot to shoot

284 win - preferrably on a M-70 SA - this is about the perfect all around gun - maybe just a smidge shy of a 30-06 - with RL-17 maybe not.

sako finnlight in 3006 on the low side and a 9.3x66on the big side, if it doesn't show up then I will go back to 375HH, any rifle I carry has to kill a moose cleanly.

My current two rifle battery

1. Kimber Montana .308

2. Ruger 77 Mark2 .338 win mag.

Finnlight 6.5x55 and a Sako 9.3 of sorts, or if non metric 260 Finnlight, Sako custom 338/06.

If forced/wanting factory ammo options, change calibers to 7/08, 338 Win Mag or could subsitute 375 H&H.

Leupold 6x36 on light rifle and Fx-II 4x33 / Zeiss 4x32 on heavy both w/German #4 or German #1 reticle.
Second choice option, a 2.5-8x36 Leupy or Zeiss 2.5-8x32.

Bullets - Accubonds for light rifle then Partitions /Barnes TSX for the Heavy rifle.

Think that about does it. Nice to have others...

Pre-64 Model 70 in .30-06 and a Remington Mini-Mauser in .223 Rem.

Light Rifle - 22 CHeetah Custom - shooting 53 grain Barnes bullets at over 4000 fps - for everything deer sized and down.
Heavy Rifle - Sako Model 85 Stainless Synthetic 375H&H for everything bigger.