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Ill be the one that says Tikka first. The majority of my hunting is done via Archery, but I decided about 8-9 years ago that I needed to buy a rifle for those hunts with Dad (usually borrowed one of his). I shopped around for opinions, reviews, etc., for many months and ended up with a 30-06 in a stainless Tikka @ Sportsmans warehouse (was a new store then). Put a Conquest 3-9x40 on it, as well as a limbsaver pad and later painted the stock. Perhaps the story could wax a little more poetic, but I have a lot of confidence in that rifle, and have a handful of nifty hunts with my Dad (hopefully more to come). No regrets so far, and not likely to get another rifle until I inherit his pre-64 30-06 (took my first buck with it).

I'd have to go with one rifle it would have to be a left handed 35 Whelen. If Africa was on the agenda,I bump up to either a lefty 400 Whelen or 404 Jeffery.

Beretz, has and uses one of the superb rifles which have been my lifetime choice as a "one and only" and I almost chose my first of these as my pick on this thread.

A matched pair of these, some spare parts, spare scopes and a guy would be totally set for all BC hunting and wilderness work.

You're cheating... it's a ONE rifle thread.

I hate one rifle threads....you have to think and all that stuff.Too painful.

I'd be happy with that. Mine wears a 3.5-10 VX3 and shoots 150 BTs 1/2 MOA.

my steyr in good old 3006. so great i bought another in case i lost the first ! a 3.5 to 10 on first and a z on the other because it came that way.

30-06 - Leu 4X - 180 NPT …….stainless and Zytel even more better in a one only deal I reckon

Pat;
Top of the morning to you my friend, I hope this balmy first Friday in February finds you folks well.

I've been meaning to send you a PM with the details on this ongoing saga, but since Sam started a thread which will address it I thought I'd prop it up for all to see.

So as you know I became less and less enamored with the .270 barrel I had on my walking around rifle and after some consultation with greydog I decided to convert it to a 6.5 Swede.

I found a very clean, nearly new but likely 100 year old military barrel - from a 96 of course - and wanted to use it because of the deeper grooves they have as opposed to most commercial barrels. As well the military barrels have about a 1:7½ twist and yes I've not only drank the Koolaide on twist when it comes to all copper bullets, I apparently am making the drink crystals as well now.....

As a last bit of interest, when I tore this one down to send it up to Cherryville my memory was jogged when I noticed the Mauser roll mark on the front receiver ring. Somehow I thought this was a different action - but it wasn't - so anyway Pat this is a wee bit odd in that there's no Nazi proofs, etc and it has an actual serial number as opposed to a military run number.

The specs then are as follows.
- 98 Mauser action - military type

- Timney Buehler type safety

- Timney Sportsman trigger - set at 2½ lb with an Ace trigger shoe hot glued onto it after. Hot glue allows me to remove it with a lighter afield.

- Wolff Blitzschnell 22lb striker spring

- FN commercial extractor - polished and tuned

- new magazine spring installed, follower polished and tuned as required.

- Wildcat Composites 20oz stock - I've dealt with Stuart on two builds now and would again in a heartbeat. They are very stiff and well made stocks. It's full contact bedded right now - as in full but neutral pressure for the entire action and barrel length. As well the bottom metal is bedded so it can be taken apart in the field, reassembled and the point of impact is really, really close.

- Lightweight recoil pad from Corlane's

- Boonie Packer sling

- 3.6oz Aluminum bottom metal from Brownells - imported via relatives in Texas because they can't ship it up here.

- Plain vanilla Weaver bases epoxied onto the action.

- Very ugly Bushnell vertical split rings that are very lightweight and tough despite being hard to look upon.

- Leupold 6X Compact scope

- First barrel was a Parker Hale Featherweight contour in .270 which was OK but I didn't love. The current - as yet unshot barrel is a Swede built military barrel that was reworked to fit a 98 action. Chris Wilcox has done the work both times. I had something very specific in mind with wanting a deep groove, 1:7½ twist barrel installed, but it's not the frugal way to go by any stretch and I've not shot it as of today so we'll see if my theories are valid or not.

- It was 7lb on the nose loaded with 5 rounds as a .270. As a 6.5x55 it now weighs 7lb 2 oz and is a tad more front heavy so it hangs better for me offhand. Again, we'll have to see but initially it feels better to me for balance.


Anyway Pat, that's where that particular windmill is standing as I prepare some new Lapua cases for it and saddle up to tilt at it some more.

I'll be colored mightily unimpressed if it doesn't shoot of course, but here's hoping it does and then it'll fit Sam's criteria fairly well I'd think.

Thanks to those who've shared their rifles in the thread and all the best to you all this weekend.

Dwayne

Not my absolute first pick, but I wouldn't cry about it if I had to use either of my Tikkas.

270 shooting 140 Accubonds




Or 260 shooting 125 Partitions

These hypothetical "If you could only have one....." posts are stupid.

Only an idiot would post on such a thread.




Dave

If Obama had a rifle....

Clark;
Top of the morning to you sir, hopefully this finds you and yours well.

I was going to reply with something pithy like "I resemble that incantation" or perhaps "I reassemble that incineration".....

For the life of me now though I need to look up what I really meant to say.

When I do though sir, be assured I'll post it with vehemence, vigor and the appropriate aptitude to convey my true feelings on the subject.

Meanwhile this will have to suffice.



All the best to you and yours Clark.

Dwayne

Years ago Ken Waters wrote a "Four favorite guns" essay. I can only remember three of his choices: a .280 Rem, a 300 H&H, and a 375 H&H. Near the end of the essay, he included a throw-away commment that if limited to one, he would choose none of his four--it would be a 30-06 instead.

Thanks Dwayne, I look forward to your results with the new barrel.
take care
Pat

For general blasting and hunting in my locale I would be happy with a Kimber Montana in 243 with a 1 in 8 barrel shooting 105 amaxs for play, predators and varmints and 95 NBTs for big game.

If the Commonwealth allowed big game hunting with 22 CFs I could be even happier with the same rifle in 22-250 slinging 75 amaxs, 62 TTSXs and 55 hornady SPs.

Talley LWs, a Leupold 3.5-10 with either a LR duplex or an M1, a set of Harris swivel bipods when I wanted them and one of Pat's slings would round out my set-up nicely.

Dwayne man!

Looking forward to your comment. Whenever it may arrive...

Found some killer bunny locations. May have to get the kids over there this weekend...



Travis

Due to the fact the largest thing I hunt these days is deer or antelope, followed by varmints, my choice would be:

.220 Swift
M70 short action
1-8" twist Brux or Rock SS barrel
Hunters Edge stock, brown with red pad
3.5x10 VX3 Leupold
Bullet choice determined by the critter being hunted at the time

However, thank God we are not limited to one rifle only!!

Speaking hypothetically, based on the kind of hunting I do anymore, my custom .30-06 Mauser with receiver sight and QD Griffin&Howe scope mount would serve my purpose. Handloaded with light cast bullets and a pinch of pistol powder for small game, and full snort jacketed loads for bigger stuff, with medium velocity cast bullet loads for fun shooting in between, it would serve my needs- if I were forced to do so. Come to think of it, a .30-30 built on a single shot action or bolt gun (such as a Winchester 54, which I also have) shooting the same loads described above would also serve me well considering that game bigger than deer hunted in Eastern Woodlands isn't in the cards I'm holding in my hand.