Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters If you could Start ALL over - and ONLY own 1 Rifle + Scope ???

What Rifle, mounts, scope, and chambering would it be, if custom, list specs.

Kimber Montana
243 Winchester
Lilja 8 twist MOD84M contour
Talley LW lows
Leupold FXII 6x

weatherby vanguard 25-06 with 3-9x40 leupold vx-2


would do anything i need to do

Fwt 06,

I have three centerfires. Two 30-06's, both made in 57. One in a wood stock, another edged. Plus a Marlin 30-30 that I grew up hunting with.

Well obviously a nice rigby would be nice but of the rifles I can afford I would probably go with a Kimber in 308 with a Leupold 2.5x8 on it . On the other hand my remington 700 mtn rifle is a really nice rifle .

An Echols Legend in 300 Win Mag with a 2.5-8X Leupold...

My 700 Rem. in .300 Win. with is custom stock and barrel..A Leup. 4-12 would complete the picture.....

For sheer practical, I think a Kimber 84L Montana in .280 AI with a Leupold 3.5-10X, fine duplex, CDS. It would not be wrong to go with .270 or '06 in the same rifle.

It would be very hard, though, not to go with my heart .. I'm a .257 fan so I'll say Kimber 84M Montana, still, but in .257 Roberts with a 2.5-8X Leupold.

If I could have 2 rifles one would be a .257 and the other a .338.

Tom

My 1st high powered centerfire:

Mauser 1996 American
30-06 Spr
Montana Sling
TLWs
Leupy VX3 2.5-8x or FXII 6x 36mm w/ dots

I'm working on those last two this winter/spring. It's currently got standard low rings & a FFII 3-9x 40mm w/ BP.

Loaded w/ 168 NBTs & Hunter it shoots better than I can, though I can pop a water-filled milk jug on the first shot from a cold barrel out to 400.

Spend as I may on new customs this one is still the measure against which all my big game rifles are measured. I paid $359 for it brand new in '00.

EdM,

you need to add a little direction to your question. Are you asking what a person would use if he has the knowledge he now possesses or what it would be if we were starting with no prior knowledge?

Jim

I already did;
Kimber 84L Montana, .30-06, LOP reduced to 13.00",
Barrel shortened to 22", hooded front sight island folding rear, NECG removable peep sight.
Warne rings and bases,
Leupold VX3 2.5-8x36 scope, VX2 2-7x33 w LRD in rings.

If not that, my SS FFW '06 would go in an EDGE. The rest is done on it.

Love the choice, but is 243 enough for everything you want to do?

Not 260, 7-08, or 308?

Savage Mark II with Accutrigger chambered in .22LR, Simmons .22 Mag 4X scope, and a good sling.

It would be like this one, .30-06 on a commercial mauser, except Id put a Leupy 3x9 scope on it in Talleys�

It really depends on what it was being used for. We need a few more parameters.

Big game? The whole world? SHTF as reason for owning only one, or just desire to simplify? Stuck with it forever, or able to change later if moving around?

Montana 7-08 Leupold FXII4X

Any of the three you mentioned would be a tie for second place. Though...The 243 is my favorite cartridge.

I live in KY and have yet to be hindered with a 243 in hand. With the right bullet, I'd not be afraid to take it anywhere I'm going to go.

NULA 30-06 and a VariXIII 2.5-8

Easy. My early 1980's Featherweight Model 70 in 7X57 with a Leupold 2.5 x 8 would be the last one I would ever get rid of.
If it was good enough for K.J. Bell, and J.OC's wife, it would probably do to ride the river with.

Dang it Tom - I'm scrolling through this thread thinking 30-06 first, then commercial Mauser action... if factory ( vs. custom) - duh: Whitworth. Then you go and prost this - sheesh