Chime in if so. Not expecting many replies

I was down to just a .22 and a .30-30 for a couple years once. Sold the rest to pay some bills and buy Christmas presents for my kids when times were tough.

Just one rifle?

What's the fun in that?

I was wondering where to put "another rifle".

A safe that I can put where I want it and move it myself!

Who is going to count to six for you?



Travis

BTDT, not going back there again. One rifle just can't do it all, not unless you can switch barrels easily.

Never happen.I tried......even if I were down to "one",I'd have at least two of them.

It would not be possible for me to get down to only one rifle, I think 3 rifles could cover my hunting pretty good as my minimum, hopefully it will never come to that ...........Hb

The only time I was with one rifle is when I was about 10 and my folks bought me my first, a Westernfield 22.
Been adding ever since.

1 big game rifle at the moment here - Rem 700 .308. It does everything I need in a hunting rifle. It is supplemented by a .22 and .223 for small game and cheap range practice, so I may not count depending on how strict your criteria are.

My custom 280AI. Deer, elk, maybe pronghorn one day, cats, black bear if I happen to see one. No need for anything else

I also only had one rifle for a time, at age 10, a Marlin 25 Santa brought me, since then I have been Blessed enough to keep a well stocked safe.
But If I had to choose one , the Ruger 7x57 I have would cover me perfectly fine. PDs to elk.
But the wife would need a gun so I would have to keep the .300 ( for me to carry) , and the goats tend to be wary here, so my .260 Is a necessary item( custom built long range set up) and the .243 is also needed so on and on it goes........

What does need have to do with it?

I did pretty good for a long time....only had one big game rifle at a time in the following order:
Remington 700 BDL 30-06 (1968)
Custom Mauser 93 7x57 (1970)
Mauser (new commercial, can't remember the model) 7x57 (1971)
Remington 700 BDL .280 Remington (1974)
Ruger #1 .375 H&H (1984)
Remington 700 Classic .350 Remington Magnum (1991)
Remington 600 .350 Remington Magnum (2004)

...then something happened...when I bought the next big game rifle I didn't sell the Model 600 and they just started "accumulating"....

If I could get back down to one it would be a Remington Model 7KS in .350 RM...that would cover just about everything big game wise for me...

Bob

Pizzed myself...

I find the mere suggestion seditious.....

.22lr, .223 Rem and a .300 Win Mag.....I could get by with three rifles at the bare minimum.....Hb

Been working "toward" that goal for a couple years. Just can't get there... Get close and then something catches my eye... And then something else... and...

Nope!

Not now. Maybe later when I'm REALLY old.

It's not that I need more, or that I'm accumulating a pile of stuff. It's because I enjoy messin' with 'em. Once I get one put together, work up a load, and shoot something, it either goes in the keeper pile or goes down the road so I can start on the next one.

Now that I have a bunch it's hard to let them go. Could I....yes if I had to. Only had an 06 for the first 10 years. Hunting was pretty simple, going out? Grab the 06. I sometimes think I should work/sell my way back to that....then I slap myself and come to my senses. I do have friends that have only one though.

Not only no,but HELL NO!

Even when I was 14 I had more than one.. Now days, with my very favorite calibers I try to have at least two..

I'd like to figure out how to get down to 100, can't see any way to get down to 1.

This is probably the wrong crowd to ask that question. I just keep buying bigger safes. Bet I'm not the only one.

Normally dont give threads like these a thought..but i got into the wild turkey early today..

soo, if i had to have just one..300 weatherby, only covers big game, if it had to cover everything i suppose the world would be in a [bleep] place and i'd just use it on myself

I would have trouble getting down to 1 dozen.

Chit!!!
I've got 3 models that I own exact duplicates of. One of them I have 3 identical rifles, caliber and all.
One!!!
What a hoot. Love these guys.
One!
LOL!

I can only shoot one rifle at a time, so theoretically, yes I could get by with one good rifle.

If you want to get down to one rifle, just have a couple of sons and I assure you, you will no longer own anything in your safe.

I agree, wth!!!!! I leave for a month and come back to this chit...

Had just one rifle for many years. It was a Browning semi-auto .22. Not much good for big game...

Now there is no reason for me to have just one, regardless of cartridge, so I have almost all I want.

Well, maybe scratch the "almost".

All I have for hunting is a pre-64 Model 70 in .30Gov't06. Killed a LOT of stuff with it, small to big. Tons of different loads and bullets for it. Always put a bit of stock in the "Beware the man with one rifle" thing. Got a safe full of other stuff, though, mainly cause the gubmnet don't like it, so I want some...

Amen..

The only time I had one rifle, was when I got my first rifle.

That was in the mid 1970's. It was a Winchester 670A 243Win, with a Tasco 4X scope.

I have one wife. but cant get by without a few rifles.
bare min if I had too. .22, 308, 7x57, 30-06 and 375 H&H.

Currently I only own one rifle. My Remington 700 .30-06 BDL. I just bought a Win. model 70 .270 but that is for my son. I've only owned one rifle for the last few months after unloading several others to pay some bills. I don't plan on staying with just one but I don't know if I'm looking to add anything this year either.

I'm getting close to having one rifle per rifle type; that is, one bolt, one lever, etc. that doesn't count the dozen or so I have that are family heirlooms and, thus, don't count against the "one rifle" tally. How's that for creative accounting?

Since January 1 2015 I have only purchased 4

Ruger 1A 280
C Sharps 1875 45-70
Ruger Old Army
Ruger 1022

That's less the 1 per week......

Flyer

If I wanted, I'm certain I could hunt everything I'll ever want in the "big game" category with a 30-06.

Oddly though, I don't even use one anymore.

Well I am down to one safe now... so I am working towards that goal.

I could never get down to one big game because I have my 3006 and the sav 99 308 my dad gave.

I predict a gun splurge when you PCS stateside. Book it!

Yep. Pre64 model 70 in 270 . Over the past year sold or gave away dozens just wanting my favorite. Can't say I will keep it that way, but going to make the effort

Once again, I would have trouble getting down to one safe...but it is a nice thought.

Thanks to this thread I don't feel so guilty for having more than I "need". Whew, that was a close one!

I started with one and held steady for 10 years, a 1998 Remington 700DM LTR in .308 that I literally shot the barrel out of. I fitted a Leupold Mark 4 LR 3.5-10x40mm M1 Mil-dot scope, Vias brake, tuned the factory trigger and proceeded to feed 6k+ rounds down the tube at everything from whitetails to woodchucks.

Down to one? phkk that. I bought my 1st at 14 the 2nd at 15 center fires that is. Used to put money in a passbook savings acct., but the bank just uses your money and pays jack for interest. Good guns appreciate and fairly quick at that. Get better interest on guns than cash while you use and enjoy them. These days I usually sell one before I buy another or if I can trade right which don't happen very often. Wrestled with this for along time and have come to the decision to enjoy them until I retire then cut back, spend the proceeds for more hunting and fishing trips. My guns are a savings acct that I enjoy building. Hey you asked . Magnum Man

I'm always working on my next ONE.

I can realistically get down to 3 rifles.

Tikka 270
Tikka 223
Savage 22

Sorry its the best I can do. My 270 is for hunting most critters now. The 223 and 22 have a large supply of ammo and though get used a lot now are mostly for future reference.

Shod

I have one rifle per purpose.
and I can come up with LOTS of specific purposes. like a turkey rifle, fox, squirrel, fox squirrel..... I have more purposes than rifles really.

in all seriousness I do have 1 rifle that I do my big game hunting with. ruger .243 I've had since I was 16. I call it the death ray

Being friends with shortactionsmoker means I'll never own just one rifle...

I'm "almost" down to one wall. That's gotta count for something. ..

I'm down to one, but I use the counting method of my son when he was a tyke.

One. Another one. Another one.

I'll never be down to one. From coyotes to brown bear, I need a few different rifles. They all serve a purpose to me.

From 1996 until 2004 had a .300 win. in Rem. classic also a Win model 64 in 30-30. plus a muzzle loader. that is as close as i have been .

I was when I got divorced. It was a Custom Rem in .280Rem.

My BIL has one rifle. He doesn't hunt deer much and that's the only big game he hunts. It's a Rem SS M7, in .308

damn!! I am very impressed! Congrats on a fine collection......Hb

Good Gawd.....you can't be serious can you?

Thats a lot of Rugers right there!!! Impressive.

I do not like to shoot at paper targets, varmints or hunt very large game therefore I own just one hunting rifle with two different scopes for it. There are plenty of other items I rather own and enjoy.

I set out on that path and commissioned a rifle for the cause. As such, I am down to the custom on a pre 64 chambered in 280. 1 semi custom mod 70 in 300. A kimber 84m in 308 and a Browning 1885 in 22-250. I also have a custom 10/22. The only one I am not partial to is the 1885 only because I have not owned it long enough nor shot it. With the proceeds from the other sales I upgraded optics.

I built the 280 as my do all. I just can't let the others go.

Imagine 1 AR w big clip could replace all those one shooters! Lol. Nice collection. Missing K1-A Swede

As predicted - few have "arrived" - yes agree you can only effectively shoot one rifle at a time. I was an accumulator once, and chose to liquidate my "savings account" during a set back in this recession. My credit score remains intact. Have bought n sold dozens and down to two. Think about those sold off at times but not planning to replace all either. It's subjective.

Nice seeing a few guys who actually "survived" getting by with just one

Proves it Can be done - though the addiction is strong so few will likely make do w only one high power long gun.

I could do it. And easily...

But I don't wanna. I love rifles.

Can't see being without a Savage 99.
Ditto the Sako L461..
Double-Ditto the do-it-all Model 70 25-06...

The rest of the herd are either family stuff that aint' going anywhere, or impulse buy fluff that might or might not hang around.

Am starting to attach to the recently acquired M70, .300 Holland.
While short of perfection, it comes closer than most...

Can't think of any real reason to feed two fast .30s, but the Remington has been around long enough, and don't owe me nothin'...

I'm there

I sold off another one 2 weeks ago, so I only have 1 rifle I would take hunting.

Down to Blaser R93 with barrels in 22LR, 308, 300 Win Mag, and 9.3x62

I do have a muzzleloader (NULA), and a .22LR (NULA)

It's all I need or want. Done buying

ROughing it I see

I would be set as well, good job

I am in the process of getting ready to sale some more rifles. When I'm done I'll be down to 4 rifles.

A 223 Tikka T3 superlite and Davey Crocket 22 that I've acquired for my 8 year old daughter. The 223 gets a fair amount of use from Dad.

For Dad its a 270 Tikka T3 lite and a Savage 22

Everything else is going down the road.

Shod

I just got down to 2 safes from 3. Don't see one rifle anywhere in the near future...

I could get by with my .284 for everything, if I had to.

not counting 22 rifles I can see myself down to 2 rifles Sako 75 and Model 70 , I have 2 to sell and hopefully they will sell soon.

65BR, If .22 RF's and a .233 Rem. for varmints are excluded, then "YES"! There are other rifles in the safe, for lenders, grandkids,ect. But have hunted with one rifle since spring of '90. memtb

edit: If it had to be one only, then cast bullets in my "hunt'n" rifle could take the place of the little rifles! memtb

Good posts. Cooper - you only need to add a 6BR and 6.5x55 bbl and change username to Blaserfan and you're set

'06, hands down

Probably will get a 223 someday and will be my last.

I have sold a lot of rifles to buy others. I will regret selling my Coopers the most.

I'm happier with Blaser system and wish I would've done it years ago

I'm down to one rifle now because last year I went through some sort of midlife crisis (I turned 40) and got rid of what I had and bought a 7mm Rem mag, .300 Win mag, .338 Win mag, and a 10 gauge shotgun. That fad lasted all of 6 months until I was tired of recoil and muzzle blast and sold the lot of them. I then happened on an unfired, like new Remington 700 BDL .30-06 that was made in 1967. I got it for a song at $450. I quickly fell in love with the rifle and gladly hunted with only that for deer season after putting a Leupold M8 4X on it and sighting it in for 165 grain Core-Lokts. Right now I think about what I can add but I'm not sure what else I really want as varminting just doesn't hold much appeal for me. Deer sized game, black bear, and an occasional Moose are my needs and they're pretty much met.

XXX XXX XXX Man I've NEVER seen that many #1s in any gun shop/store.

In AWE here!!!!!!!!!!

If I had to reduce to one it would be my Remington Model 30S in 257 Roberts. Not sure why but it is just so likable. Right combination of vintage looks and cartridge. Really smooth action too.

I've got two centerfire riles, both left handed Ruger Hawkeyes: 223rem and 308win.

I could easily get by with the hunting I'd likely do with a 22lr rifle, 308win rifle, and 12 gauge shotgun. Would like to keep the 44mag Redhawk I had Bowen work over and use the 223rem as cheaper practice and understudy rifle to my 308win.


Hmmm....long answer way of saying "No"

No, but I do have one hunting rifle, a Beretta Mato in 30-06. I have other rifles for other uses, but only one center fire for hunting.

I've done it before but that was a long time ago. I could do it again but see no need to. I enjoy the ones I own. This is a hobby for me and I think a good one. They don't cost anything while not in use, once cleaned they are basicly maintenance and hassle free. They will always have value and are somewhat like money in the bank. I don't have a whole lot but like the ones I own. I'll thin the heard done one day as my hunting and shooting decreases but hopefully it won't be anytime soon.

That's my dream...

I've been trying to do this for decades all to no avail...

Cooper _- you will be set. Agreed - good investment - well covered too

I'll likely never get down to one rifle. I don't see a need to and I have no desire to. Others milage may vary. I could have made every shot I have ever taken in 50 years of hunting from Alaska to Georgia with either a 22 LR or 30/06. I like hunting with different rifles varying the calibers and actions. I like buying an older rifle and getting it back in good hunting shape. I like taking a new rifle and changing it to suit my needs. It is not about whether or not I could have done the job with one rifle. It is more whether I enjoy carrying and shooting a particular rifle. Some days I feel like a single shot, some days an automatic and on other days it might be a bolt action.

While I have reduced the count in my gun safe in the last few years and will continue to do so by giving them to my sons, there are some firearms that I just like hunting with. I plan on keeping them until I can't hunt any more and then I'll pass them on to my sons.

Agreed

65 -

NO - I haven't been down to just one rifle since 1975. Don't plan to either. (or is it neither?)

I have always been a one-at-a-time rifle owner and after I started hunting African plains game that one rifle became a .300 Win. Mag. If I am hunting whitetail at less than 100 yards, I use the Remington Managed Recoil loads which duplicate the .300 Savage.

I think another good choice for someone who wants one rifle for all non-dangerous big game would be the 7mm RM and the Remington MR loads for whitetail. At 2710 fps for the 140 grain, I think these MR loads fall between the 7x57 and the 7mm-08.

I will never be hunting dangerous game, but if I started, I'd probably add a .375 H&H.

Thanks, I like it

I have:
22lr : BRNO #1 : Lightweight hungting rifle
22lr : CZ 453 : Heavy varmint, bench / plinking rifle
222 : Sako L461 : Varmint rifle
308 : Sako L579 : Larger Varmint rifle
30-06: BRNO ZG-47: Main hunting rifle
30-06: BRNO ZG-47: Secondary hunting rifle, building them as a matched pair. Just in case something goes wrong with the other.


But, I would love to have only one rifle.. but, it cant do everything.

I was but just bought a Vanguard

1tnhunter -

IMO every serious hunter should have a 'minimum' of 1 XTRA rifle as a backup or alternate.......

"stuff happens"

yep

I think these days, most outfitters will provide a rifle for you for a small fee.

Owning only 1 rifle is tantamount to a mortal sin!!

[spoiler][/spoiler]

That's why I bought the VG

Don't interpret anything as smart or critical.

I would not feel comfortable, used to, nor confident using someone else's rifle, trigger, scope, and maybe ammo.

Maybe just me but that's me.

I have not read the entire thread so my apologies if I repeat other comments

One rifle? One wife sure that works for me, one rifle why???? Just because I have a .223, .243, .25-06, .260, 6.5x55, .270, 7-08, .280ai, .303, 7.62x54r, 8x57, ,325wsm and .45-70 in the house (multiples of some of the aforementioned) doesn't mean there are not massive holes in my arsenal! I am actively looking at either a 9.3 or a .375 to start to plug the gaps.

Hope y'all hVe great weekends.

GRF

Re: Borrowing a rifle from an outfitter...

IF I were to pay an outfitter, I would HOPE he would have a properly equipped and appropriate rifle sighted in with a good optic. If not, I would say I had the wrong outfitter.....JS.

ANY rifle should have been proven properly zeroed before going after game.

So it is with the Beware of the Man with One Rifle slogan....as he should know where his only rifle is hitting

65 -

That is true but it doesn't change the fact.......

STUFF happens.

BTW - 65

If you can afford an outfitter.... you can afford 1 more rifle.

I've never HIRED an outfitter and over the years there have been a FEW times I needed to use a backup, or 1 of my xtra rifles, in a pinch.

One example:
Last year near the end of my deer season I tripped and took a hard fall, I & the RIFLE hit the ground hard.

I simply picked up another rifle and continued hunting. When I checked the first one, sure enuff the scope was off several inches. I know some who would have continued hunting w/o even checking their sighting. ( I know 2 guys that have done that) IF I had done that AT LEAST I would have wounded/made a bad shot or better yet, missed altogether.

Maybe just me but 1 good rifle AINT enuff.

Sweet mother of God!

Nice bunch of No. 1s.

One day hopefully I have a wall of them. You were at two once upon a time too.

I have Leupold QD's on my primary for a quick scope back-up. If the rifle fails, then I hope that my wife will hand me her .338 Win. for my shot. It would be too short in the stock,but I can adjust to that!!!! memtb

I tell my wife that I only have one rifle and only keep the safe door open long enough to get that "one" rifle out, when its time to go hunting.

For a couple of years I was just down to my custom .264. But the arsenal is growing again

Hell, I can't even get down to one muzzle loader. I have three (I think) maybe it's five... I need to do an inventory reconcilement.

It's nice to hear things are growing again.

My father only owned one, a 30-06.

When I was 12 and he was 42, he would not buy me any guns. He was cheap.

When he died at 90, I went on a gun buying spree with his money.

My favorite cartridge is a 7mmRemMag. If I only had one, that would be it.

That would be ONE of my 2.

"one is the loneliest number"

There now:

Montana 308

FX 6X

Done

Remington 700 BDL 25-06 classic stock, topped with a 6x18 Leupold this would take care of my need's.

Things do happen. What mounts and scope were you using?

personally don't believe one rifle but i am trying to thin the herd a little.My belief is a good rifle a back up and a loaner in the main hunting then need the varmit and might as well have one big incase ever lucky enough for a brown near hunt

Haven't been there since I was a teenager. Don't want to go back.

Nah, been starting my fishing rod collection again. A lot more time in the year I can spend fishing, fairly limited in how much time I can spend hunting.

I know what you mean about fishing gear Easy on the wallet, ears, shoulders, and I do love to eat fish.