Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles One rifle... one scope...one caliber...one load... which one?

I own a .338 Win Mag, though I have never hunted with it. It is a damn good round. In fact, I'd certainly rate in within the top five all time hunting rounds.

My top five big game rounds would go something like this but not in order of preference: .270 Win, .308 Win, .30-'06, 7MM Rem Mag, & .338 Win Mag.

Jeff,

Kinda. It's my five-year-old daughter's nickname. That kid owns me!

This is easy. A Winchester pre-64 Model 70, with a VX III 3-9 variable, in .30-06 using 180 grain Core-lokt.

But what if you needed to buy ammo the evening before a hunt?

My Remington 700 TI in .308 win with a Leupold 2.5x8 vari x 3 scope shooting 165 grain TSX's.

Seems like at least 1/3 of these posts include the venerable 2.5x8 VX-III! Or Vari-X III.

-jeff

Jeff,
I only have one 2.5-8X, it is on my 325

I think more 2.5-8Xs are in my future, I like the scope size, eye relief, etc. very much.

Jeff,

I think there are a lot of good scopes on the market. But Leupold is made in America, and the company has an excellent warranty program, not that I have ever had to access it! All my scopes, save an old Redfield Ranger 2x7, are Leupold models. I even have an old Vari-X II 4x12 atop a 7MM Rem Mag that is excellent.

I suppose one could pay quite a lot more for excellent German optics, but in all honesty I doubt I could tell the difference between the Leupold Vari-X III and a Zeiss. Hell, I can't even tell the difference in quality between the old Vari-X II and the newer Vari-X III models. BTW, the old Vari-X II was a damn good scope and probably the standard by which others were measured. But that is merely my not-too-well-informed opinion. I just want a clear scope that's 100% reliable and will not fog! Other than these criteria, what would justify spending hundreds more???

Agreed! All my hunting rifles have 2.5x8 Leupold's on them...

-jeff

Jeff,

In my estimation, all things considered including value, it's hard to beat Leupold!

If I was to limit myself to one rifle, it would be a 308 Winchester. I would build it on a good Mauser action using a feather weight contour barrel, stainless, 22" long with a 12 inch twist. I would utilize the standard military two stage trigger worked to release at 3 lbs. The safety would be the Buehler wing type.
I would stock it in straight grained walnut but might have a synthetic stock waiting in the wings for those really wet, soggy hunts.
I would mount a band ramp front sight and a small and simple rear aperture attached to the rear scope mount base. The scope bases would be Weaver steel. The scope would be a Leupold 2-7 in Weaver rings.
This rifle would be 100% reliable. I would be able to have spare parts such as extractor and firing pin on hand and know that, in the highly unlikely event I needed them, I would be able to change them out with no tools.
I would load 150 grain conventional bullets for deer/antelope and 180s for elk. 125 Speer TNTs would be my varmint choice. I would shoot this thing enough there would be a real possibility I would wear the barrel out so I'd chamber a second one to be ready for it; just in case.
This makes so much sense, I might have to get started on it for next year. GD

Best get going then!

Sounds like a neat package. Why are you so into Weaver rings and bases? An honest question; you just don't hear them come up often as the ring of choice. I've not messed with them much.

-jeff

Rem 700 Stainless Mnt Rifle,( sako if cost not a factor) 280 Rem. with 160 grain Partion. 6x42 leopould.

Rifle= Reasonable cost and wieght,Laminated very durable and a lot easier on the eye than plastic stocks. Which i own a few of.

Caliber= will readily kill any thing that walks in North America, fairly flat shooting with out excessive recoil and muzzle blast. I have shot and have seen shot a lot of game with the 160 grain partion from 7x57, 280 Rem,284 Win, and 7 RM. and
it just works very well.

Scope= All the power you need for big game and you can still pick up a running whitetail fairly easy, cross hairs do not blot out the target as some 4x's do at 400yards and most important of all you in all likley hood will never have a poblem with this scope the rest of your life unless you drop it 20 feet on to a rock. These fixed power leopoulds almost never come back for repairs according to thier employees. And a joy to look through.

Duckshoot,

I have been shooting a 7MM Rem Mag for 35 years. However, if I had to do it all over again I would probably go with the .280 Rem. I love 22" barrels, I am OK with 24" barrels, I am not sure I would want to lug anything larger. A properly handloaded 160 grain Nosler out of .280 REM with a 22" barrel ain't but maybe 250 maybe 300 FPS slower than the same out of a 7MM Rem Mag...with a longer tube!

And I agree, a 160 grain .284 projectile out of most 7MM rifles is more than enough for all of North American ungulates.

greydog,

I like your reasoning! When the real huntin' commences, it's damn difficult to beat a .308 Winchester with a 22" barrel. It's a combo that was made for makin' memories of successful hunts!

Rem 700 cutomized(I'll skip the details)~6.5lbs, Leup4.5-14x40LR(30mm tube)w/M-1s, 284win, 120TSX.

Already have it. Kimber Montana in 270 Win, topped of by the Zeiss 3.5x10x44 conquest, shooting 130 TSX's over 4831sc. I am really loving this rifle, the others in the stable are feeling a little left out, as this one goes hutnign with me so much.

I've been thinking hard on this since Jeff started this post waffling back and forth a really big rifle like my 375 H&H which weights 9.5 pounds and possible a lightweight 308 and decided on neither.
My one and only rifle would be my Left handed Mod. 70 in 30-06 loaded with 180 partitions. This rifle shoots this load very well. The scope would be a Leupold VX-2 3x9 or VX-3 2.8x8. Everyone keeps talking about those VX-3's, i guess I'm going to have to try one.
Currently this rifle wears an Aetec 2.8x10 and weights about 9 pounds so I would have to trim some weight off of it.
This is a tried and true combination for deer, black bear and elk as far as I'm concerned.

Doc

Make mine a CRF M70 stainless FWT in 300 WM in a nicely figured walnut stock, Matte silver VX II 3-9 x 40

and I'll just shoot 180 grain core lokt's, cause they work, they are cheap & they shoot well in my immaginary long action magnum FWT.

Great thread. Mine would be what I have now...

Rem 700 - 30/06; HS Precision Stock, Leupold VX-III 2.5x8 with 180 grain Nosler Partitians.

I have a great deal of confidence in this rig, but am experimenting with other bullet choices.