Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Pick ONE only !!

Oh, 10-Roger....scope would be a 2.5-8 Leupold matte in a set of Talley matte LW lows, NP's would be runnin' just shy of 2700 in the 22" tube.

Gunner

CZ 550 in 500 Jeffery. One rifle does it all from jack rabbits to elk to elephant ... When you shoot them, they don't get up and run off ...

Weatherby MkV Deluxe in 30-06 topped with a FX-3 6x42 ... 8#'s and done .... happy hunting

Great choice Bob, I love the Dakota 76.

Swampman picked correctly.

You referring to the angle he uses when he picks at his back pu$$y?

My Remington model 700 Classic 280 Rem. with a Leupold VX-II 3-9x40mm Scope. It'll shoot under and inch to 1 1/2 inch groups with quite a few different factory loads.

My Remington model 7600 Carbine 30-06 Spr. with a Leupold VX-II 2-7x33mm Scope would be a close second. It's just so versatile. It'll take care of 90% of my hunting needs.

NYH1!

+1.

Beats me, I'm with you on that one.

We're trying to answer the OP's original question and those limitations are his.

If I was limited to only one rife, you can believe it would be a very nice custom job, probably built on a pre-64 action. I'd have to put a bunch of thought into that, as being limited to only one rife would keep me up at night, thinking it through. Fortunately, I'm not there.

DF

just one...ouch !
prarie dogs, fox, coyotes, antelope, hogs, deer up to elk ?
gotta be flat, accurate and have enough ooomph left for across the canyon on and elk but not destroy you in a 2 hr prarie dog session..has to fall between a 270 wsm on the low end to a flavor of 7mm mag on the high and have a bipod on it...maybe the swaro 3-18 with the hash marks...cant be a featherweight cause it will heat up, cant be a heavy weight 'cause you might need to haul it all day...gotta shoot 1/2 moa...glad i can own more then one rifle !!! (30-06...??...NOT !!)

My current set up.

Ruger Hawkeye in 30-06 with a Leupold 1.75-6x32


My rifle is going to be my hunting rifle for life.

Merkel KR-1. Because I see no reason to decide.

no experience,

For me there is only one combo. I just like the idea of a Weatherby Mark V Ultralight .25-06 with a Swarovski z5 5-25X52 in Burris Signature rings. I don't understand "configured". The reason I picked the caliber is it is the minimum I would use for elk hunting. The rifle is sorta inexpensive for a quality rifle that comes in about six pounds. The scope is the lightest with the magnification range I like.

NO!!!!

Funny you should ask. I just bought my "rest of my life" rifle last week. It is a Browning BAR ShortTrack in 7mm-08.

I picked this rifle for its versatility, reliability, accuracy and quick follow-up shot capability. Although it is definitely "Elk" capable, it will primarily be used for hunting Deer, Hogs, & Coyotes in central Texas. The 7mm-08 is an awesome caliber with hundreds of 7mm bullet types/weights available ranging from 100-175 grain, and, even though I'll probably never use them, there is also plenty of factory ammo available. The ShortTrack is well balanced, a good bit lighter than the BAR Safari, and handles & points very well. Enhancing the versatility, I have rigged it with Leupold quick release rings and can switch from 3-9x40 Burris Ballisticplex to UltraDot Red Dot sight as needed depending of terrain and game being hunted. I'm planning on having it Mag-Na-Ported to reduce muzzle jump so I can watch bullet impact and remain on target for follow-up shot if needed.



Well.... there you have it.... My perfect rifle.

firstshot
Make your first shot (and all the rest) count!

This one right here chambered in .375 Ruger. I have a .375 H&H but it ia a custom. For factory rifles I would go with a Ruger. I love how the Hawkeye stocks feel. I could go with a CZ 550 in .375 H&H but I don't like their stocks. Too blocky for my tastes. Any thing would have a Leupold 3X9.

Ruger Hawkeye African

Why would I use a .375? I love them & they will more than handle anything in North America. I have killed antelope, one deer & one elk with one here in WY. Also I would be set for Africa if the chance ever arose.

I woke up at 3:00 a.m. because of this nightmare scenario you put in my head !!
Depending on what you hunt and how often, where you hunt, and how you prioritize the satisfaction you get from each species you pursue, you could range from .243 through .300 mag.........
i have therefor concluded that you should pick your favorite rifle and caliber and borrow someone else s rifle in a different chambering if the situation calls for it...the same goes for the scope
there is no wrong, no right, and no better then the other answer on this one...i have tried since i first read this post last night and again when i awoke to be able to come here and post "what it is" i would have and i cant do it...i quit !!

Savage 116 FHSS 30-06. Proven caliber that will take any animal in NA; factory ammo is less expensive than say the 7 Rem Mag or WSM; every Savage I shot or owned was accurate from the factory; less expensive to maintain (replacement barrels / floating bolt heads etc). You could certainly pay less and get the a similar product from another manufacture, but that would be my pick.

I have essentially the same opinion as at least a third of the respondents.

A Winchester Extreme '06 in a Mickey with a 2.5-8x36 Leupy and iron sights.

I'd have said an 84L but I haven't heard enough about them to say about reliability yet.

A stainless Hawkeye with iron sights would do it for me too.

Kimber 8400 300WSM Montana with a Minox ZA5 3-15 in Talley LW.

Kimber 84L 30-06, select wood, tally LWs aqnd Leupold VX2 2-7x33mm.