Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game One Rifle only ?

How many folks do you know that have used the same rifle for Deer or Elk and have never wanted to use anything else? I have a friend that has used a old Remington 700 in 300 Winchester Mag for over 30 years and has never used anything else. It looks like a wreck. Scratched up and many dings and most of the blueing gone. Uses it on both Elk and Deer. It has an older scope on it. I don�t know what brand but it might be an old Weaver K 4. He also uses factory ammo in 150 grain bullets. And yes, he gets Elk and Deer with it most every year. It is also his only rifle with the exception of a shotgun. He scratches his head when he sees anything new and asks, Why do you need that new gizmo? Do you know anyone like this?.


30-30 Man

I know lots of Folks like that!

They all use a rifle chambered for one of the "Big Four" (270W, 30-06, 7mm Remmy Mag, or 300 Win Mag).

Some of these guys never, ever see game. Some do OK. A couple guys are really damn good and get eveything they see, and they see a lot of Game.

A buddy of mine in ID uses his 7mm for everything, Deer, Elk, Black Bear, Coyotes, Sage Goats (Pronghorn Antelope), and anything else.

He has a Leupie 4x on top.

He runs mules too (It seems to me that the Hunters who own mules are Really good at hunting and running the mules).

The game better watch out when he hits the woods!

BMT

Yeah Me. I only use my 30/06 for all typical North American game. I do own a 375HH but it was the required minimum for several species in Africa. It was my backup rifle in Alaska when I guided there. I also own a 458 Lott as my insurance policy in Africa while working. I don't consider it a hunting rifle though, only a backup or work rifle.

When it comes to hunting I can be found in nearly every instance with the 30/06. There is no doubt that the game totals from that rifle have reached over 1000 when the clients who used it in Africa as a loaner and the culling are added in. It has never failed to decide matters when the shot is properly placed. It's worked darn good even with less the perfect shots too. I do not recall a single animal being lost with that rifle.

So as your buddy asked you why do you need a new rifle. I can relate. The only real differerence is that I have an awsome custom reticle Leupold scope on my rifle. It also never had bluing to begin with because its stainless steel.

I know quite a few people like him -- as a matter of fact I'm nearly that way myself... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

My elk hunting partner only owns one rifle. An FN Browning 30-06 with the old B&L 2.5-8x fixed reticle scope with adjustable mounts. Swears by factory 180 gr Remington Core-Lokt's and kills elk every time he draws. He gets a kick out of me. "What rifle ya' bringin' this time Ed?"....

Sure, and I know a few who only own one pair of shoes too. So what?

I'm fortunate to know several great hunters that have one big game rifle, one a pre '64 in 270, the other gent's is also a pre '64 in 30-06. Would love to know the total number of game killed between those 2 rifles!

Heck, I'm starting to get there myself! My new custom 30-06 is gonna get the call for everything this year. But, I'll never get rid of my 338, or, 7X57!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Huntr

I only have and use one big game rifle, and that's a .338WM. Get my moose each year, so it's a very lucky rifle, I guess.

I have strayed a few times over 40 years but my Model 70 , .06 usually goes with me. I run mules to!!.

Besides a few fun guns and muzzle loaders, I only have three big game hunting rifles. A .308 that hasn't been used in quite a while, a 6.5 swede for antelope and the .06.

I'm tinkering with a Mrrlin44 mag carbine that I will probably use for elk next year in the timber.

I know lots of folks with only one biggame rifle. Most of them are in cartridges like 243.257.270 etc. They mostly buy one box of shells each year , use the 15 or so left over from the year before to check the zero on the rifle and go forth and proceed to fill their antelope, deer and elk tags.

3030Man �
My only serious big game rifle was a Ruger 7mm Mag for over 20 years. Dad gave me a Browning .44 Mag B92 carbine I took out one day a year most of those years. The 7mm Mag with 160g Grand Slams worked flawlessly on elk and mule deer.

Most of those years I also only hunted regular rifle seasons � but I finally wised up and realized that if I hunted muzzleloading season I could hunt two seasons instead of one. That, of course, required a muzzleloader, an inline Remington ML700. When Colorado decided to outlaw inlines for the second time, I had to buy another muzzleloader � this one with a sidehammer. No problem, I enjoyed shooting them all and now Colorado has decided inlines are OK again.

A Marlin in .375Win was my next big game rifle, took an antelope with it. I liked it so much that a Marlin .45-70 followed a year later � a forkhorn mulie buck and a 6x6 bull elk fell to it. Sold a shot-out .22-250 and used the money (and them some) to buy a like-new Ruger in .257 Roberts, haven�t hunted big game with it yet but have taken prairie dogs and coyotes. Picked up a Ruger �canoe paddle� .300 Win Mag for Christmas last, then found a very nice Marin .30-30 cheap at a gun show. Haven�t hunted with either of them but am looking forward to doing so.

One gun? It worked fine. Wouldn�t want to go back, though.

30-30Man-Yep,Central Idaho is full of them and I'm probaly one of them.My neighbor uses and has used only the 25-06 for Elk and Deer for umpteen years and never goes without wild game.Myself it was the .270 for 25 years then we needed another one for one of my sons and I got a deal on a .300 Win Mag for which I have used since and wondered why I didn't have one before?

The local yokals laughed when I got a 45-70 Guide Gun and wondered why I would want something with the rainbow trajectory of the 45-70 and still give me a hard time but many use nothing but the 30-30 for there hunting.

It is pretty hard to beat the old 06 and it's off spring for a do it all gun in the lower 48 with ammo anywhere a fella goes compared to the new ones coming out so frequently.No one shoots 338's around here and the 300 is about as big as they get for the local boys with the 30-06 being the choice of most and for good reasons...It does it all and ammo is available in places you can't get other calibers.

Just a bunch of old hillbillies. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Jayco

One gun only!?! That would be too boring. My buddy golfs and it takes a whole bag full of clubs to play that silly game, it has to take a lot of guns for something as serious as hunting. Don't it? I have a couple of safes full of my loyal friends and if I'm hunting antelope I take the 25/06, bear the 50 cal ML, elk the 50 cal or 300wm, moose the 50 cal or 338wm, sheep the 50 cal or 270win caribou the 50 cal or 375H&H, whitetail the 50 cal or 7/08, mule deer the 50 cal or 308. Hmmm, there seems to be a pattern emerging.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

When I turned 14 my dad passed down his pre-64 Model 70 30-06. For better than 30 years it was my sole big game rifle, taking whitetails, mulies, pronghorns, elk. Every time I got the itch for a new rifle I'd pull the old girl out and couldn't figure what was lacking. My own son turned 14 this year. He will be carrying the 06, probably for the next 30 years. I took advantage and had a custom 7x57 built and put together a .338 Super Grade for myself. Truley a win-win <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Jeff

I guess a fellow could get by with one fishing rod too but that does not sound like much fun to me either <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> to each is own but I like a safe or two full of winnies...

Well
I have used my Ruger ultralight in 308 for the past 14 years. My bought my daughter a 30-30 several years ago and I just love it. Yes, I have to ask her if I can use it. " Dad, Why don't you use your gun ? I have used it for Deer hunting. She is right. I am now going to get a new rifle this year. It will be a Remington LS 7mm short mag. Most of my buddies think of me as a lever action fan. They will be shocked. The guy I was talking about who has his 300 Win mag will be with us this year hunting. I just know what he is going to say. I even am surprised at myself. It will be a fun year.

30-30 Man

I shoot what I learned from my father. 300wby
Is there any caliber that can do EVERYTHING as well? Yes you will say the 300rum and that is a fair answer. However the 300wby is 50 years old. For whatever reason Weatherby doesnt seem to get the respect that he or his cartridges deserve.
300wby is an original do it all!

Have 3 buds with one only. In .300 win. 7mag, .270. It goes to the rifle as a tool instead of toy. I may have been better off with only a #1 in 7 mag. I knew very well where it shot, but it is fun to have more stuff than you can carry to choose from. My partners also ask what I am taking afield this time around. I still have several that need blooded.

my grandpa carries a pre 64 winchest m70 in 270. It has an older leupold 3x9 on it. The scope is dented and scratched as much as the rifle and thats purty bad. There probly isnt 25% of the finish on the stock and the barrel is lacking alot of blueing to.

My primary gun has been a Winchester Model 70 Featherweight in 30/06 topped with a Leupold 2.5 X 8 scope - and it's served me well. It has only been this year that I decided that I might want to use an iron sighted Marlin 1895 Guide Gun in 45/70 to hunt elk in the thick forests found on the west side of the Cascades. But who knows? When it's actually time to go hunting I may end up taking my trusty 30/06 instead.