Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles An "Ideal Whitetail Rifle" for your home range?

Model Seven stainless in a Brown FS stock, 260 Remington, gets anything done that I need and makes me feel happy doing it.

But I use more 243 currently than anything just because we've got them around.

And really enjoy a 30 caliber for the end results.

Signed, Goldilocks

Ruger UL Boatpaddle in .30-06 for the piedmont.

Marlin 336 in .30-30 for the mountains.

T3 in 308 or 243 would get it done just about anywhere.

I stand hunt for 250lb + trophy whitetails in the steep heavily wooded mountains of Eastern Ky with reclaimed strip jobs mixed in for good measure so My Shots can vary from 50yds in hell hole thickets to 400+ yard shots that span across old clearcuts or open fields, I am a .300 Win whore so that is My cartridge of choice, I like light rifles so a Tikka T3x Superlite would be mighty hard to beat but there are many other rifles I could be satisfied with, Weatherby Mark V Ultralightweight or Remington 700 XCR II come to mind, also the Sauer 101 XT silver looks nice......Hb

Thumpers for me. I like hunting TX Whitetails up close and personal. A portable ladder blind is my favorite stand.

The following bang-floppers have all been a part of my arsenal in this category:

Remington Model 7 Custom Shop 35 Remington, McMillan KS stock.


Remington Model 7, 350 Rem Mag (This rifle hated me & beat the sh*t out of me every time we got together!)


Remington 600, 35 Remington


Remington Model 7600 Carbine, 35 Remington


But the OP used the singular term (ideal rifle), so if it comes down to one...,

Remington 788, 44 Magnum, Leupold Alaskan 6X


...but if I'm humping a backpack;

T/C Super 16, 44 Magnum. (Ear plugs, mandatory!)



DMc : )

My Sako AII in 308 Winchester with a Leupold Varix-II 2x7 fits the bill pretty well.

Like I wrote earlier about any mid capacity cartridge from .24to 30 cal will work fine. I have happily used several but mostly the 257 Roberts over the years. Having said that if I had to start from scratch I'd probably look for a nice Kimber 84 with killer wood in 308 a Leupold fx-4 or a vx2 2-7 variable and call it good. No need to reload just buy a box of federal or w-w 150 gr ammo at Wally World every 2-3 years and go hunting.

one of my pre 64 M70 fwts;
.270 with leupy 2.5-8x36
open sighted 06'

Oof, forgot about that one. Montana in 257 Roberts would be a dandy on VA whitetails. Scratch the Creed on my choice and make it a Bob. Just cause I've never had one and could avoid Creedville...

Maybe even a little nostalgia too..

I like my old model 70 in 270 win with a lipoid 1.5 x 5 vx3

7mm-08 or 6.5 creed would be my first choice. Probably use my Barrett Fieldcraft 6.5 Creed this year but thinking of building a 7mm-08 on a Win 70 Classic Stainless action with Basner Stock and Brux No. 1 or featherweight contour barrel.

Savage 99F in 300 Savage. Using 180 grain silvertips.....what can I say, this rifle loves them. Hasn't failed me yet.

You need to fire your picture taker...

The old "one rifle" question, with an "ideal" twist. My history of shots in the area we hunt ranges from 7 (yes, seven) yards to 475 yards. Would have to be my pre-64 M70 FWT in .270. Flat enough to make range estimation less critical, handy enough to make snap shooting , if not easy, at least doable. Currently wears a fixed 6x Leupold, but a 2.5-8x would make it ideal. I only carry it when it's cold and dry outside, but, there is no task that would make me feel under-equipped.

A light stainless short action rifle with a barrel 18"-20" with a synthetic stock and a 4x scope would be perfect for me.

Nice rifle. Lot to be said for the 300 Savage for most deer hunting. That buck doesn't look like he's missed any meals, or snacks or extra slices of cake

A plain vanilla 336 in 30-30 is probably all I need and sure would be practical. I don't own one though. Do have a 336SC in .35Rem. Been using my BLR .358 Win with a 1.5-4.5 scope on it lately.

Ruger M77 Mark II All Weather in .280 rem. topped with a Nikon 3-9x40 Monarch. works really well.

Remington 700 ADL in .308 Win, McMillan Classic, Leupold VX-II 3x9x40 with LRD in Leupold dual dovetails, and trigger tuned to 2 lbs = perfection.

I built up my ideal from a .308 Ruger stainless MKll, then I sent it to Brown Precision for a Shilen match grade barrel in 7mm-08 20" long in a #1 taper. Then it got a Kevlar stock tightly bedded with Decelerator pad and a full green camo paint job, then I topped it with a 1.5-6x42 30mm Zeiss scope. It has a camo nylon sling sewen closed to avoid the buckles. 7 pounds total.

Back when I thought that one rifle could do it all, mine was a 7mm RM built up about the same way as that 7mm-08. Then it took the scope to hit me in the forehead shooting at a deer when I was wearing a big down parka to convince me that if I wanted a light weight deer rifle, that it shouldn't be a magnum.

A stainless short action in something between .308 and .243, stainless barrel (~#2/sporter) at ~22", in a lightweight blind mag stock, lightweight mounts (DNZ), with 6x42 LRD....should end up between 6 and 6.5 lbs with slightly forward balance. Will work well from 1 yard to 400(+) with no adjustment or dialing and shoot well offhand. ....I've put a lot of "Ideal Whitetail Rifle"'s together over the past 15 years.

If the Fieldcraft had the same contour barrel on their short action at 22" as they do their long action I think it would be "perfection" (pretty good as is).