Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Suggestions on reducing number of hunting rifles

I have less deer rifles than most on here but more than I need and frankly it’s a hassle to load for several different rifles. I’ve got a few lever actions in 308, 356 and 35. Of my bolt action big game rifles I have the following-

Sako A7 Coyote in 243
Tikka T3X in 7mm-08
Remington 700 ADL in 30-06
Winchester Extreme Weather in 300 WSM

I’m going to keep the 30-06 as I’ve had it since I was a teenager.

Thinking of throwing the ‘06 in a lightweight composite stock like a McMillan Edge or AG Composite, getting it cerakoted or hard chromed and making this my “do all” gun. Any idea what a stock Rem 700 ADL in an Edge would weigh without a scope or rings?

Then I’m thinking of selling the 7mm-08 or 300WSM and use the one that is left as my backup rifle for any big game that I may do, primarily deer but also occasional elk, bear or pronghorn etc...

The part I am trying to decide is whether to sell the 7mm-08 or the 300. Thoughts?

Thanks,
Mike

Sell the 300

Ditch the 300.

Sell 2 of the 4. Pick between the 7-08 or .243 for your uses...

“Any idea what a stock Rem 700 ADL in an Edge would weigh without a scope or rings?”

Sixish, depending on barrel profile and length. MR will be a little under, sporter or mag a little over.

All u need is the .243 and 30-06

It’s a factory Remington 22” sporter.

Thank you

Just my opinion, If you don’t shoot game past 500 or 600 yards
Then There really is no need for magnum
Even then, You’re well Covered with 243, 7-08 and the old faithful 06.

I'd send the 7mm-08 down the road and keep the whizzem but im a .30 cal guy, you definitely dont "need" them all and could actually get by with 2, keep the 243 and your old faithful 30-06 and you would be golden 👍.......Good luck..Hb

Of the choices, I would ditch the 243.
Since you are keeping the 30-06, the 300 could go too.


But, I have only ever sold one gun.
A 270 Savage taken as collateral, never fired,
And sold cheap to a kid.

What makes the most sense with the info given is to keep the .243 and the '06.

I personally would probably keep the '06 and the 7mm-08.

-Jake

I'd send the 300 down Whizzem River, use proceeds for upgraded stock for the '06.
Sell the 243, as your 7mm-08 would serve better for a backup as elk / bear are on your list.
However, your '06 will do it all without any fuss.

Good Luck !

Thanks all. Sounds like the 300WSM is the one to part with.

The 243 is the most accurate rifle I’ve ever seen and it’s just flat out fun to shoot so I will keep that one for the range, varmints and deer.

The 7mm-08 and 30-06 will cover pretty much everything else I’m ever going to hunt.

Hoping the bare 30-06 in lightweight stock will be well under 7 pounds but will see.

Good plan ! Post a photo of your '06 when restocked, would like to see it.

These cutting down to a minimum number of rifle threads are really starting to get my attention.

Keep the .300.. 7-08 isn't much...

But really that is not a lot of big game rifles...

If you get it that light it'll feel just like the 300 WSM when you shoot it

Those would be my two rifles if paring down required parting with a few bolt guns.

Six rifles for deer hunting is still a little ways from the minimum. I only have three, but wouldn't mind adding an aught six for my BIG gun. Something like a Fajen stocked 03A3 maybe...or 700 BDL.

I've thought of downsizing too, but lost everything in a boating accident.
Fish finder said 387 feet when it happened.
Now I have nothing....
So bummed.

For BG hunting I suggest a primary rifle for one of the following, 270, 280, 7-08, 308, or 30-06. Nothing bigger is needed until you get into 375H&H territory. Have a second rifle that is very similar but less “tricked out” for a different cartridge from those listed. Use it to loan or as a back-up. I have had my primary rifle go upside down shortly before headed out for hunting. Sell everything else and fund great optics, stocks, etc.

For your primary rifle spend the dollars and buy the Proof stock from Stock’s. Am buying one for my own use. Get the primary rifle set up so it is “just right”.

If you simply must own another rifle the get a similar 204 or 223 and attempt to wear it out. DONE !!!

Spend money shooting and going hunting.
It took me until I was well into my 60’s to learn all this.

You lost me at you want to keep the pos rem 700....

This is good advice for all of us 👍 but in my case easier said than done as i am a rifle whore 😁.....Hb

243 and 30-06.

All you mentioned was deer, so we'll go with that, and the '06 is off the table.

The .300 is the easy one to cut.

I'd be inclined to keep the Sako, because it's a Sako and likely a bit nicer than the Tikka more than because of the cartridge. I personally don't care for mags that hang down. You may just want to keep the one that fits you best, and you should keep a spare at least because stuff happens. If you don't really like either all that much, sell all three and buy something you really like, maybe in a very light version like a Fieldcraft. I'm trending towards light and handy myself and have picked up two .24 calibers that weigh around 7lbs or a bit less, and like the concept a lot after a couple seasons.

I won't buy another 700, but my 1st rifle was a 700 ADL in 30-06 that I bought new in 1975. I haven't hunted with it in years, but won't sell it either. I can understand where the OP is coming from.

To the OP. I put my 700 in a McMillan Edge stock before I retired it and with a reasonable hunting scope in Talley lightweight mounts weight is right at 7 lbs. If you like the rifle that would make a good all around rig. But for about the same money as an Edge stock you could just buy a Tikka 30-06 and come in at about the same weight and have a better rifle. Retire the old 700, but keep it.

Personally I'd retire the 30-06 and sell everything but the 7-08. Then I'd replace the 243 with a 223. The 7-08 is a good all around choice. Nothing wrong with a 243, but it is too close to 7-08 in my opinion. A 223 does everything a 243 does on varmints and could be used on deer in a pinch. The 7-08 will take you from deer up to anything but big bear. I might let some of those lever guns go too if I needed to clear out some space in the safe.

30-06 and 243

Elect democrats

This does seem to be a popular topic here lately. And I’m guilty myself. However at 34 I realized with the family that opportunities to hunt were going to be limited as we have 5 little kids. So I started selling stuff and am now building a few files to hunt everything. Figured I could build 3 rifles with same stocks and scopes and just change around the calibers for what appropriate. Less having and less bullets/powders to keep around and more time being familiar with the rifle I hunting with. Not sure how it will work but time will tell. But spending 5-8k a year on guns will go along way towards going and actually hunting.

YMMV
David

This M700 in -06 had a Leupold 2-7 Ultralight and Weaver mounts and rings. In a Brown Precision stock and no metal work it came in at 7lbs 2 oz. It kicked way less than the post 64 M70 it replaced (which weighed 2 lbs more) with the same load of 180's because the stock was fit to me.

Forgot to mention I converted it to a BDL in the process.

Don't.

Sell the .243, .300, and 7-08, buy a .223 Rem and you'll be set for the USA and probably most of the world.

Your 700 probably won't weight much less with a different stock.

This.
Bob

A .308 can replace both!
HA!

My vote for best (though slightly altered) advice.


Jerry

Get rid of the one which you dislike to carry or shoot.

Near as I can tell you don't even have enough guns to consider selling any. You got a woman pissing at you? MB

Ditch the 243.

Have to agree with those that suggest ditching the .300WSM. If one really has to go.

Boating accident helps reduce inventory, as mentioned.

A more expensive option is divorce.

That's the one I'd keep.

Those would be my choices for keepers.

Keep the 243 because its your most accurate, or sell it if you need the money.
Keep the 30-06 because its your most sentimental.

Buy an all-weather 30-06 in a platform that you really like, and hunt that till you die. Use your original 30-06 when you want a little nostalgia. You should always have a matching redundant backup hunting rifle ready to go in the same main chambering that you run. You can't beat a couple 30-06 for that purpose.

The 06 is fine.. But if that is all I had, I would have quit hunting 35 years ago..

get robbed

I'm of the opposite mind set. If all I ever had was the 30-06 I had 35 years ago and never bought another rifle, I would have been able to hunt with much better equipment earlier than I did. Live and learn. Instead, I was an idiot and accumulated firearms like there was no tomorrow to the exclusion of "better other gear". Hey, I've enjoyed it; but, it wasn't the smarter way to go. To the younger guys, in my opinion, you are better off utilizing two or three calibers for as many years as you can all the while accumulating as good of gear as you can afford. There will be time to accumulate plenty of rifles later on. To each their own, that's just my take. If I knew then what I know now, I would buy a 30-06 and a 223 and start acquiring other top tier gear that will last a lifetime. I would probably end up exactly where I am now, it would just be done in a different order.

Big Sky, I agree wholeheartedly.

Id add however, if a guy would have quit hunting 35 years ago because all he had was a 30-06, he was never a hunter to begin with!

Only change I’d make to your 223/30-06 duo is I’d make mine a 243/270 combo.

I’m coming full circle myself as well. I don’t really regret anything, as I learned a lot by going thru the rifle roulette.

So, what rifles would you choose? Understand the caliber choices, but let’s drill down another level. Any specific details that you’d like to share?

Keep everything, even duplicates, and take them to ones grave.

Really? They could ban guns entirely and I'd go on hunting with a bow.

If it were me by my rules the '06 would be the first to go. I would keep the .300 WSM and punt the rest. The reason is I like stainless / synthetic for the area I hunt. Cartridge-wise, I like the 7mm-08 but I don't like Tikka and I don't like Sako, so those would have to go.

However, since you are not getting rid of the '06, I'd upgrade it from ADL to BDL with a stable, light, synthetic stock. Might be different where you're at, but where I live it rains a bit sometimes in hunting season and I've had wood stocks warp moving point of impact as much as 12 MOA .. and slowly return to original point of impact over months as the stock dried back out. .. essentially the reasons I'd prefer the Win 70 Extreme .300 WSM in the first place.

Anyway, I'd keep 1, sell the others, and get either a small caliber centerfire or possibly a .17 HMR.

Tom

Agreed! Thats exactly my first thought when i read that statement.....Hell id even hunt with a 6.5 Creedmoor if thats the only cartridge there was 😁😁......Hb

I keep thinking I am going to cut back and sell some of mine but its like they keep multiplying. Why just today another Kimber classic 308 followed me home. I really didn’t intend to buy another one. It just Happened!
Les

Heck, sell all of them and get one rifle that addresses you needs and wants.

Only you know how to rate the tangible and intangible variables for the decision.

And here I am thinking he needs to add a 257 Roberts.