Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles If you were to start over today

I wouldn't change a thing. Buying/selling/trading has been a lot of fun for me, getting to try new rifles/cartridges.

But if starting with no rifles right now, I'd buy:

A 7RM/7STW/etc custom for elk/deer
A 30-06/300wm/etc custom for elk/deer
A Cooper in 6ppc for shooting tiny groups at the range
A nice AR for fun
A 50 for fun
A custom 10/22 and nice bolt 22lr
A trio of precision rifles for LR work, 260, 7RM, 338RUM.

Fast twist 243 an 870 a 10/22 and whatever bigger one I decide on

And then I would get stupid and start building and trading and never end up satisfied like now lol

I really don't think I'd change a thing because I have never come back from a hunt with an unpunched tag because of what I was carrying.

And no matter what I had in my hand, it was no trick to kill anything if I shot straight.In short,anything within reason that I tried worked and gave me the distinct impression the animals did not stand a chance.

What I have learned is that field marksmanship,good bullets in the right place, and smart hunting are far more important than the chambering of a rifle.

I'd take a Model 70 fwt, in 30-06 or 270.

I am in that camp, with a preference for a 270. If I could do it over again there are at least a couple rifles I should have just kept and dispensed with trying all the others.

I'd buy a bigger safe, and just keep most anything worth a crap.

I wouldn't change a thing. It's been a fun ride so far. Experimenting with different rifles, rounds, scopes etc. has provided a life time of interest and fun for me. I think it's called being a hard core rifle loony. I may need counseling, naw just another glass of cab.

Kimber Montana in 223 and a custom 7-08 on a 700 with a Mcmillan stock.

Throw in a 22lr and I'm done

This, my friends, is why we proclaim ourselves rifle looneys

The trouble is today's knowledge would only be effective if I could go back in time. I would go back to the 60's and buy boatloads of those beautiful Damascus shotguns that folks dumped because they were not amendable to smokeless.

Starting today, I'd buy everything with a wood stock. All of those will be tomorrows classics when all of the racks carry nothing but plastic.

I'd pick up a Remington 600/660 .308 and be done with it.

Nothing different that what I already own.

This idea, except I may, or may not, choose something different on the big end. 7-08, 30-06 and 7mm Rem Mag would be candidates.

I'd start out with a stainless .308win. purely for practicalities sake until I could fill in the rest of the gaps.

That's about where I'd begin too. Maybe not stainless and must be stocked in "nice" wood. My first "real" rifle was $88 new, the second $200 new, .308 & .270 respectively. If $ was no object I'd probably take a hard look at a Dakota but when I came to my senses I'd go with a Kimber. It might take me days to decide 308/30-06..... but I do like a .308. Considering inflation I think a good solid rifle is actually cheaper now than back in the day.

.22 LR nuff said.

6X45 or 47 just because the .223 isn't legal in Colorado for big game and possibly some other states I might hunt. With 55-70 grain bullets it plays hell on varmints as well. 80-100 grain for deer and pronghorn.

.270 Win for everything else and just because I like it.

.375 Ruger or H&H for if I ever want to hunt DG in Africa.

I could make do with a 223, a 308, Tikkas would do fine. A 12ga Rem 870. A 22 pistol, either Ruger MKII or S&W 17. A 22 Rifle, a Ruger 10-22. And a Glock 19.

22, several
222
223, at least 2, 3 is better
223AI
7-08
308
30-06
300 Mag
7 Mag
338
375


So Im a slow learner...........

Are we including scatterguns?

K-80 tube set with 30's
K-80 32 inch sporting
1100 sporting
1100 skeet
1100 Trap
11-87 field, 26 inch tube
870, about 3
Citroi 16 gauge, Gran of course
11-87 20 bore
1100 20 bore

That "might" cover it, Im sure I forgot some stuff..