Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters If you could Start ALL over - and ONLY own 1 Rifle + Scope ???

I would have Tom Burgess build a .280 AI on a Brno action with his QD mounts, pop-up peep, and pop-up front sight. Earl Milliron would stock it with a drop dead stick of English.

about half tempted to buy a 17hmr for varmints and use my 257 weatherby for everything else.

I don't have a 30.06 and never have. With everything else that I have I don't need one. But if I was to limit myself to one gun I would probably choose a 30.06.

Mauser action
Leupold fixed 6X
Custom walnut stock

I am in the process of cutting down the number of rifles I have. The one that will remain will be a Dakota 97, 30-06, with a Swarovski 6x42 in Talley fixed rings. I just recently had the synthetic stock repainted and the barreled action coated.

This would be dead on for me also!
Except Titanium Cerakote for the externals and Microslick for the internals,Some NECG upgrades to the factory open sights
3/32 ivory bead for the front.
A FX-3 6X42 Heavy Duplex scope to complete it.
Also a better recoil pad.
150 gr. to 180 gr. factory ammo till I found what it shot best.
Can round up some 200 gr.PT for any big nasty critter.
AMRA

In my younger days,I tried this and that rifle. I have a Pre 64 M70, .06 with a Leupold 2.5-8x now and if I started over that is what I would still have.

I would pick a 1903 Springfield sporter such as a pre-war custom built by the likes of Owen, Wundhamer, Griffin&Howe, et al. In 30/06 with a Lyman 48 receiver sight and a Griffin&Howe QD side mount holding a straight tube Leupold or Lyman Alaskan.

I screwed up earlier: my real choice would be a Shiloh Sharps 1874 Saddle Rifle in .40-90 BN with a 1/2 round 28 inch barrel with an MVA 6x scope

If I had to start over with just one rifle, it would be my Marlin 1895XLR in 45-70. I have a 4200 Elite 1.5-5x40 ILLUM scope mounted on it and it is a great fit for a 45-70. With Garrett�s 45-70 +P Hammerhead Ammo 540 gr Super Hard Cast gas-checked Hammerhead at 1550 FPS I could handle any animal on earth. If it takes more than five Hammerheads, I would need an RPG! Garrett also loads a 500 gr solid at 1530 FPS. My reloads with Nosier 300 gr BT at 1300 FPS will work for deer and smaller game. For larger non-dangerous game any factory 405 gr at 1200-1300 or reloads running the same speed will work. I have had good luck with Hornady�s 325 gr Flex Tip on deer and hogs. In my Marlin the Flex Tip loads group under 1 �� at 200 yards if I do my part.

The Marlin is quick to my shoulder and fast to reload four times!

I would say my Sako A7 in .270 winchester. It wears a Weaver 3 x 10 x 40 grandslam. I put it in a B& C Medalist stock ( they made that custom for me). Is a simple , durable gun, fairly light, and shoots as good as any custom I have had built. Now, I currently am waiting for a Forbes 24B in .280 Remington. I plan to scope it out with a good 2-10 power from somebody......that would knock the A7 down to number 2.

Savage 99F, old enough to have the rotary magazine but new enough to be factory drilled & tapped. Leupold mounts with VXIII 1.5-5x scope. The one I have is a .300 Savage, but a .308 would serve as well.

OTOH, no one has yet mentioned a rifle that I would kick out of the truck.

Ruger M77 MkII in 7mm RM with 3-9 Leupold.

I would build a 7mmWSM or SAUM on a Win stainless classic, 22" #2 Rock in a McMillan EDGE (pattern undecided). I would have the factory trigger down to 2.5lbs or so. I would mount a FX2 6x36 LRD. I am not sure of scope mounts, either Talley light weights for weight and simplicity or something that would allow mounting of a back up scope.

I might change the scope to a 2.5-8 vx3. But it's hard to beat my .257 Roberts for all I've ever hunted.

Hey buddy, I'm thinking if I would have started out with a left handed bolt rifle, my choice of rifles would be much different right now. How about you?? Maybe a left handed Tikka, stainless 6.5x55 superlight , with your choice of scope. Just something I think about from time to time...

I could never have just one, BUT if I had to I guess it would be a Blaser R8 Professional in 6.5x55 topped off with a Kahles CL 2-7x36 with a #4 reticle. I've got about 250 rounds of RWS 140 gr Doppelkerns stashed away that would last me the rest of my hunting life.

Rem 700 ADL in 308 Win with Leupold 4x. Best rifle I ever owned, killed a lot of animals with that rifle. Wish I still had it. But thought there was something better and traded it for ?

Up to 20 years old: Tikka T3 SS .308
From 20 to 80: Sako 85 SS .375
80- : Tikka T3 SS .308/30-06/9,3x62 or a Sako 85 SS .375

Rings Optilock, scope Zeiss Victoy Diavari 2,5-10x50 with #40 reticle

Really difficult to choose one rifle...

What I already have as my favorite for the past 18 years: a Ruger #1 in .45-70, followed by another #1 Ruger in .45-70 that I had "improved" by lengthening the throat by .30". The first is now owned by my second son.

It has very nice wood, 22" tube, Nikon 2-7 X 32 shotgun scope. Weight with 5 cartridges on the stock and sling is 8.6 lbs. There are several very good loads that shoot under 1.5" and 3 or 4 premium loads that shoot MOA when I do my part.

Ballistics are anything from plinking loads, to medium cast bullet hunting loads to 450 A-Frame at 2300 fps to 500gr Hornady at 2200 fps. All loads under 65,000 psi.

Current hunting loads are mostly 350-grainers: Speer, Hornady and TSX. at 2250 fps to 2550 fps. Another load just developed is the 300 TSX at 2645 fps. It's my favorite "walk-about" rifle for anything from coyote to moose.

I really don't need anything else. When it comes down to one only, that will be it!

Bob

www.bigbores.ca

Lucky such insanity is only half temping though your loony credentials can be called into question even with that.

Best trip that Marlin, build another Bob, sell it and buy a Savage 243.

Which you can sell to me.

You're welcome.

GFY