What is your go to rifle and caliber? What do you hunt with it ??? Just checking to see what others run... I am looking to get something new.. Mine for deer is a m77 270win for deer... Hope all is well.....

Guess that depends on where I am going.. and why I am going there...

Remington 760 in 30-06. Used to hunt elk, mule deer, and bear with it, just whitetails, coyotes, armadillos and raccoons now.

M70 FWT in 280. 140 TTSX.

I hunt whitetails exclusively, my go to rifle is a pre'64 Winchester M/70 Super Grade rebored to .35 Whelen, its back-up is a pre'64 M/70 Featherweight.30-06. I've never shot a head of big game with other than Winchester rifles going all the way back to 1973.

Left Hand Rem 700 KS chambered .270 Win.

Montana in 7-08
120 TTSX

Harry Lawson Mauser in .300 win


Or

Winchester xtr .308

Flip a coin

Stevens 200 in 270.

So low tech it's not even called a Savage 110

Winchester model 70 extreme weather in 300 win mag.

6.5 Fieldcraft for the hunting I do. I carry my 375 Kimber Talkeenta more days per year though, guiding vs my hunting.

My Model 70 Classic Featherweight in 25-06 does most everything i want a rifle to do

It's alter ego, a stainless synthetic MRC .260 does about as well and gives me less to worry about in bad weather

Left hand KS Mountain 300 H&H. I may flirt with several others but that’s the one I won’t part with and with which I’ve killed the most big game. Close second is my 400 Whelen. Haven’t killed as much with it but man what a hammer.

Kimber MA .280ai

Used for anything bigger than coyotes.

No such thing for me. Variety is the spice of life.

This season it was a Tikka T3 in .300 win mag with a Sako fiberclass in .300 Win Mag for a back up.
Deer rifle was a Weatherby Accurguard in .240 Weatherby for open plains (mule deer)
Deer rifle in the trees was a Model 700 Wood stocked mountain rifle in .280.

Next year... might do it all with a Kimber Montana 280 ai that I have that shoots well. I am also building a Tikke T3x 6.5 Weatherby RPM that should see some use.

My LH Echols Legend 300WM. Have used it a lot.

Where we hunt now it’s only whitetails and the off chance of a lost bear wandering by. Model 7 stainless in 7-08 shooting hand loaded 120 gr TSX. Bushnell 2-7x32 Firefly.

Parts and pieces gathered up from the campfire classifieds. I’ve been packing it around lately.
R700
McMillan
Mountain rifle barrel
Swaro 3-10x42
.270 Win & 130 Partitions

My 25-284 on a Remington 700 short action. Wears a Meopta.
Deer and hogs hate that little 115 gr CTBT. Haven’t had one yet stop one of them. That rifle gets most of the action these days.
GreggH

I took big game this season with TC contender carbine 7-30 waters, ruger .35 Whelen, Winchester .25/06, Rem 6mm-06 and Ruger .300 Win Mag.

When I am serious about getting something on the ground bigger then antelope near or far the .300 win mag seems to get the nod.

A Mauser i built years ago chambered in 7x57.

For deer hunting back up is a Mauser in 257Rob.AI.

Anything really large i get the 35 Whelen.

When I hunted Alaska regularly, it was a Model 70 SS Classic in 338 WM. Down here, it’s a Model 70 SS Classic in 30-06. Also have a pre-64 Model 70 Featherweight that I love in 30-06 but I’d rather beat up the SS Classics. I’m pretty simple. Both of those rounds just do what they need to do.

That’s the exact same rifle I grab, only a couple years back I slipped on the ice and cracked the stock. Wildcat composites makes an exact replica out of carbon fiber, it shaved a full pound off the weight and turn my 1” moa groups into sub 1/2” moa. I use 140gr accubonds.

I go through so many rifles I have never had a real "go to" BUT if I did have a "go to" Whitetail rifle it would be hard to beat a Kimber Montana .308 Win topped with a Leupold VX3 2.5-8x36 shooting a130gr TTSX bullet or the old brown paper bag Sierra Pro-Hunter 150gr ...Of the 50 to 60 deer rifles I have owned over the last 35 years I cant think of a rifle that I liked more than this.....Hb

I have a bunch of rifles but my go to is a NULA in .223 Rem. I use it for deer, pronghorns, exotics, hogs, predators, varmints and just shooting fun.

SS Tikka Superlite 6.5 PRC was my "go to" this year for deer in Michigan. In Virginia, I mostly carried my Tikka in 308 Win.

My go to rifle is a m70 FW 30-06 in a McM Edge shooting a 150 gr TTSX. Works well on antelope to elk.

VZ24 with genuine “Nazi” war eagle on the receiver serial 41xx . Shilen #1 barrel ,model 70 bolt handle. Two position model 70 safety, timney trigger, red field rings and bases. Leupold 1.75x6 in a Brown precision pounder. 30-06 shooting PMC Eldorado 165 gr.”x” bullets. NothingI have ever shot with it has walked away.
Weighs a tick over 7 lbs. loaded.
I have 41 of the Eldorados left. Be a sad day when they are gone. They are a sub moa shooter all day every day in this rifle.

For the past 8 years, I've been rather partial to this Ruger Hawkeye in 30-06

However, this is still my go-to rifle for The Opener:



It's a Savage 99 in 308 WIN.

My primary is win m70 EW in 308win. I use it for hogs, whitetails and elk every year.

A pre 64 model 70 of some sort, I hunt of bunch of them each year.

Depends on where I am hunting, chance of long shots, my 257 Wby, general hunting, 270 Winchester, and thick woods, Marlin 444

This year and last year a Vanguard 300 Wby.

Here in NC i hunt deer and coyotes and use a Rem CDL 25.06 with a Speer 120gr Hot-Cor .......... kills like a lighting strike !

Not to sound like a smart azz, my "go to" rifle depends on where I'm going. I deer hunted this past season with 2 different 6.5 CM's, 2 different 243's, and a 6.5 Grendel. I coyote hunt with about 3 or 4 different 223's, a 22-250, and a couple of 243's.

Actually, my go-to might be the 10-22 that rides along in the UTV with me. I probably shoot more stuff with it than all the others combined.

For deer, I’ve got a bunch that I like to use. This year was the 6.5 PRC and 270





For elk my Mashburn and 338 tend to get the most use, along with a P64 30-06 that I’m fairly fond of.







I’ll never make it down to just one.

Took my 28" PacNor barreled 30-06

When I think of the phase "go to" I think versatile, always ready to go, and I'm not afraid to hurt it. My go to is a push feed model 70 in .30-'06 with a tupperware stock. It has a VX-II 3-9x40. Nothing experimental or iffy about this. Perfect go to.

Last few years it's been cow elk. Lots of cow elk. Been using a CA Mesa in 6.5 CM and the 143 gr. ELD-X.

This season may be pronghorn in a couple of states. I'll use the same Mesa, but drop down to a 120 gr. mono bullet.

The plan for '23 is Canadian Moose. For that it'll be my 'ol reliable '06 with the 180 gr. Partition.

257 Weatherby Vanguard, using 80 grain ttsx. Took 11 deer this year and average 10 to 20 per year. Rifle and bullet work fine. Due to shaky hands, do not take shots over 350 yards.

For the last few years, Tikka T3 superlite 7mm-08 with SWFA 3-9. I've done alot of backpack hunting lately and it's light and compact.

I don't believe I have ever shot two animals with the same rifle.

I’ve used my 300 bar for many years. Now I’m looking to drop to the new 350 legend. Getting older and needing less kick to the old body. Like to have a single shot breech action for primitive hunt all in one.

That's the problem I'm trying to have..
dave

LMAO! I’m slowly getting there. What a challenge.

My fave are a Marlin Guide Gun 45/70 and an Encore with a 280 barrel on it. Like most of us there are a few more available.

i do it a little different> hanging in the garage for smaller critters 22 LR Marlin bolt with a clip, also hanging in garage medium size critters 22 Hornet Ruger bolt rifle with a clip , for big critters a 30-06 Browning BLR with a clip that`s in my house. deer hunting a Ruger #1 custom barrel 257 Weatherby mag. , elk mostly a custom barrel Weatherby Mark 5 - 338 Lapua or my 30-06 Browning BLR when i am walking around or scouting.

I have become enamored with the .250 Savage shooting the heavier 117 gr bullets. After many years here on the campfire reading hundreds of posts during every hunting season every cartridge and bullet works.....the little .250 Savage just works for me.

Montana
7-08
162 Amax tho I have a pile of AB and TTSX's sitting here too

The .243 A.I. is my every day go to rifle, works great for everything little to big. Rio7

Yeah, I was wondering when you’d smell this thread!

22" #2 6.5 CM Fieldcraft, cerakoted, PMII 6x42, custom stainless steel/cerakoted xlow rings from chris84. I hunt/shoot a lot of rifles but I can't find anything I like as a package more than this one.

Since 1972 the answer was a 30-06. First a 760 Rem. Then two decades of Ruger Mark II Skeleton stainless. Since then, the old .458 WM goes out a lot. I have a Ruger FTW 260 Rem that is supposed to be my future Go To as the effects of age chase me down but since the old .458 has been filling my deer tags, it doesn't get out much yet.
For going out and doing Horse chores in the morning and night it is a 98 Polish Mauser with a 30-06 barrel on it sitting in a Butler Creek synthetic stock.
Going full circle, I have a plan of hunting the Big North woods in 2023 and the old 760 will be making that trip.

Kimber Montana .308 Winchester with Leupold VX3 3.5-10 , Varget, and 168 NBT (elk, deer, bears, whatever)

My .257 Wby shooting 100 gr monos at 3600 fps is hard to beat. 2" high at 100 yds puts it 7" low at 400 yards. Drops 'em near or far.

What do you guide for that you feel the need to carry a 375 H&H to back up your hunters?

Unfortunately ; I am the exact opposite.. I want to change that.. I killed my 1st deer in 1977 with a 16ga featherweight.. Then years of tag soup.. Then killed one with a 257wby.. Sold it.. The only gun I developed a flinch.. Some DING~DING mag~n~ported it.. Anyhow I got a used m77 270 in 1980.. I killed a deer with it till this year when I took my Rem700 CDL 06,.. The 270 needed new eyes.. I was using the Redfield that came with the rifle.. Tonight I am going to put a New Vortex 4x14 44 on it..

Ruger No. 1A, 6.5x55.

I have a pile of rifles to cover the full spectrum of things that I might want to hunt and pick the one that seemed the best match for the specific job at hand.

If I'm hunting in tight cover, I'd want a different rifle than the one that I'd pick to over-watch large open areas, matching the tool to the task. For example, if I was hunting whitetails in tight cover I'd likely be carrying a Ruger 44 International or a Winchester 100 Carbine in 308 WIN. If I was hunting whitetails in open country, I'd likely be carrying a bolt action in 25-284, 25-06, 6.5 CM, 260 REM, 6.5-284, or 270 WIN.

Steyr-Mannlicher M Professional.30-06

Could easily get down nothing else.

.308.

My Montana 7mm-08 gets the nod most of the time.

I had a gunshop and would grab an armfull of rifles when I went hunting, at last count I think I've killed deet with 22 different cartridges and quite a few more different rifles as some were chambered for the same cartridge..

Now it pretty much depends on the game, terrain and hunting style. No really favorite as all my guns are fitted to me and I'm comfortable with all of them.

For years it was a Remington 700 .280 Rem in a TI stock taking whitetail, muleys, hogs, coyotes, and elk.
My last muley and elk were taken with a ULA in 300 Win. I hunt the West and prefer light weight rifles.

I don't hunt big game any longer so my "go to" rifle is more suited to varmints, it generalliy resides in a soft case on the back seat of my pick-up.
Cooper model 21 Classic in 223 Rem with a Leupold VX-2, 4-12 with holdover dots.

For me its going to be any number of rifles chambered in 7MM-08, this being the current favorite.

I make a conscious effort to get blood on any new rifle I acquire. I have 3 that are still virgins. Need prairie dogs.

🦫

My go to rifle used to be my 30-06, but that has changed to my pre64 300 H&H.

700 KS in ‘06 with Talleys and 2.5-8 Loop B&C.

Armalite 7.62x39 loaded with Fusion Ammo.

I don’t think that you or most folks would be interested in mine, though it’s worked quite well for me for all big game and the occasional varmint, from heavy timber to wide open areas of Wyoming! Easily good to 800 yards and beyond (energy and velocity) for big game, though my personal limit is 600 yards in ideal conditions! One bullet, one zero, one cartridge.....it simply works! memtb

Depends on the circumstances of what and where.
Cartridge Make
22LR Tikka TX1
22LR Savage Anschutz
223 Remington Tikka T3X
243 Winchester Remington 700
6.5 Creedmoor Tikka T3X
7mm Rem Mag Stiller Predator
308 Win Sig Cross
308 Win Remington 700 M40A1
300 H&H Remington 700
8x68S Steyr CLII SX
8x68S Remington 700
358 Winchester Winchester 70
375 H&H Steyr CLII SX
6.5x55/8x68S/375 H&H Mauser M03

Chucks its my 700 in .243
Deer its my 35 rem 760
Got a couple others for out of state stuff.
Maybe this yr.

My go to is my left hand tikka t3 270wsm. I’ll play around with some of my other stuff but on important hunts (I have never hunted dangerous game) I grab that rifle

Barrett in 270 win with nosler 130gr. partitions and 60 gr. of hogden 4831 done. the only diff. in the last 40+ years is the rifle. Elk and mule deer and whitetail. Most years all 3.

Savage 99 in 300Savage

I've been playing with a few calibres over the past 10 years but there are a couple of favourites that I keep coming back to when hunting deer, pigs and foxes.

Ruger Hawkeye in .257 Roberts - Loopy 2.5-8x36

Mauser M12 in 6.5x55 - Swaro 3-9x36

Ruger 1A in 7x57 - Loopy 6x36


But the 7x57 Number 1 would be the one that I would keep till last.

Same here, though I rotate others in.

aw jeez.... just one...no way.....come on guys.....thats not who we are here on the "fire"...ok then..... LH rem 700 25.06....damn Parkinsons is going to put a for sale sign on it too soon................happy new year to all

Marlin 336 in .30-30. Old gun, early 50s made.

Nice!

I honestly don’t have just one go to.

Being a rifle loony I like & keep more diff type
rifles. That said, my “go to rifles” are Bolt. Actions.

In no particular order:
Win 70 XTR FTWT.....6.5x55 , Wt Deer

Tikka T3X SS Lite.......7mm RM ANYthing N A.

Win 70 Black Shadow..300 WM ANYTHING N A.

Jerry

[quote=gnoahhh]Ruger No. 1A, 6.5x55.



SAWEEET !!
I don’t presently have one but one could be a
“Go To” for me.


Jerry

Remington 700 Mtn Rifle, 7mm-08.

284, near or far, stacks em up.

Remington 700 BDL 30-06 with a Leupold 4.5x14x40 shooting 165 gr. NAB behind 57gr. of H4350.

Tuff question.

250-3000/ 87 grain sierra for deer
M70 6.5 Swede/ 129 interlock for deer
M1a w/factory 150’s

Nice rifle there.

Mine is a Win Mod 70 featherweight in a McMillan hunters edge in .270 Win caliber.

This made me laugh...what a true blessing we all enjoy to live in a free country where it's possible to embark on a challenge like this if we want to.

I bet follow up shots on deer, if needed, are quick and easy with this combo. Very noice.

No good pics of it…lefty 700 stainless 30-06 with a 6x42 LR duplex. Bought unfired here in the classifieds and it’s far and away my favorite.

Craig

Go to rifle for any weather condition, any animal from elk, moose, to large plains game antelope, eland, kudu and zebra on down to whitetail deer, any range to 600 yards, would be my 7mm Mashburn with 160gr Accubonds at 3220 fps, when the accubonds are gone i'll be looking to the 168gr LRX or similar in the Hammer bullet line.

Ruger Hawkeye All Weather, 308, 150 Accubond or Partition.VX 2 2-7X33. I want it to shoot 165s, but it doesn't want to....

Very nice!

Any more I rarely will take the same rifle out for deer. In the past it was the 30-06, first an 03 later a 721.
I have a nice 358 Win on a 700 action. It along with a pre-64 300 H&H will be my next two rifles I take. If I get enough tags, I’ll also take my 375 Whelen AI or it will need to wait another year. Later maybe I’ll take a 30-40 Krag or IDK??? I just scored a Ruger #1 in 280, I have used 280 a bit in the past but never had a #1 before.
Center fire rifles I have used in the past from lowest power to highest- 22-250 to 300 Win Mag - calibers from 22 to 45.
Muzzle loaders - 50 cal and 54 cal
Archery - long bow. A good friend is trying to get me to buy more modern archery equipment - if I do, I’ll take that equipment to New Mexico but it would be for elk, later I’d have it for deer.
Pistols - 629 S&W and a Super Black Hawk in 44.
I’ve killed way too many with my pickups - never needed a second hit with a Ford or a Chevy.

I hunted quite a bit this year using 3 different rifles.

TC Icon 3006.......7 deer
Tikka 3006 .........1 deer
Howa 308.............1 deer

TC saw the most use likely due to a new Steiner optic.

Next year may use a different line up.
..

Hunted with a lot of different deer rifles over the years. Mostly model 700s. I had this one put together last year and am growing quite fond of it. Weight is 7.2# with the 2-10 Tract on top. It's chambered in .308 Win and shoots 150g Hornady Interlocks into tiny little groups.

Normal go to is a Ruger Hawkeye African in 6.5x55 with 140 gr partitions. Whitetail, Axis, hogs and coyotes. This year shot all my deer (2 spikes and a doe) with my CZ varmint in 204 Ruger, both spikes in the head and the doe in the neck at 200+ yards. No tracking required.

Several of mine came from the Campfire classifieds. All are extremely accurate.
Some of my favorites are a custom model 7 in 221 fireball. It’s my go to for south Texas trips.
My truck gun. Remington 700 6x45

Remington 700 6.5-284 Kampfeld Custom.

Mid 1980s Winchester 70 XTR Featherweight Winlite 270 topped w/Zeiss Conquest MC 2.5-8x32 has been go to for several years

What ever, from several brands and calibers (less than 10, total, you wankers! ):

Is sighted in
I have "sufficient" ammo for
I feel like.

Quarry, terrain, situation comes into consideration, somewhat, as does means of access.

I can narrow it down some tho - M94 30-30 goes walkabout almost always; 725SA in .260 and the 17" barreled RU Tanger in '06 are likely to be most carried for hunting purposes.

Cool pic!

SLM

that's a sweet rig right there

Spot & Stalk- Kampfeld Custom .300 WBY

General Whitetail- GAP NT 7mm-08

I have THE upmost confidence in those two to get the job done.

Sako 85 FinnLight 308 Winchester……..currently

Im really liking this 99 in 284 and this G33/40 30-06.

I only own two, and one is a RAR in 7'08 (my backup), so my go-to is "Lil' Ned", Ruger M77 tanger in .257Roberts w/Douglas barrel in a McMillan stock, wearing a Bushnell 3200 Elite 2-7X.

CZ 550 in 30-06, started out as a full stock. Restocked and bedded in a lux stock. 20 inch barrel ,luepold hog scope. It is a real shooter, 49.5 grains IMR4064 and antibodies 165 grain bullet and primer, she a keeper.

Grab and go? Ruger 77 in 358Win...


Last one I'll ever get rid of and it's always worked when called upon.

Remington 700 CDL, 30-06, 6x Leupold.

Elk, pronghorn, mule deer, wolf, black bear, and grizzly. Shoots great, feels like part of me. A trusted choice. I did have it pillar bedded and the barrel free floated, then swapped to a Timney trigger.











And more...

Photo when it had an older 2-7x Redfield:



Regards, Guy

Yep.

I have different rifles for different states/hunts/stands.

A Remington 700 Classic 7x57 with a Leupold VIII 3.5x10, I have others but this one has taken a lot of game in the last 30 years

I have 2 rifles that I will use for hunting. Deer hunting I prefer my 300 savage model 99. Moose hunting I use my Belgium made Browning BAR 300 win mag.
I have a few others but these are my personal go too’s.

For the last two cow elk hunts, antelope and Coues hunts, I have been using a Winchester 70 Super Grade chambered in 6.5 WSM. With suppressor, it is a little front heavy, so I need to lop off a few inches of the barrel. The last two elk succumbed to the 124 Hammer Hunter and I am pleased with its performance. Hope to draw a nice antelope tag in Wyoming with my 11 points and this rifle will be the go-to.

I have a number of rifles in different rounds that I hunt with. The one constant though is there is always a .270 of some sort in my truck. My favorite is a 700 BDL that I have had over 35 years. My most used in a number of years now is a Stevens 200. It is ugly but it is a great dependable tool. The .270 works well for everything I hunt and there is not a camp or ranch in Texas where you could not scrounge up enough ammo to hunt with if you were to forget or run out of ammunition.

Ihave a stevens 200 in 2506 put a 3 screw trigger in it it is very accurate

No such thing as a "go to" rifle for a rifle loony. Just sayin.

Current go-to is a 6.5 Creedmoor. Love this rifle. Easy to shoot well which contributes more than a bunch to effectiveness on critters.

John

My go to is a Rem 700 SS 25-06 Mountain rifle in a Ti stock from the 1994 1995 era with a 100Gr TTSX or 120 Hornady HP or same rifle in a 280 with 140 TTSX or 139 SST. Seems to handle everything in Pa. quite well.

If I really had to pick though, I’d say my Win M70 fwt in .280 Rem.

Let’s see some pics. Those both sound great.

I have a number of rifles and I will use them interchangeably. That being said, my go-to now, overall, is an older Rem 700 action, with a Criterion 6.5 cm barrel and a Savage 110c with a heavy Criterion .260 barrel. I use the 6.5 for much of my fall deer hunting and the .260 for my summer depredation control work. As I said, I use my others often, too, as I kill on the average 20 deer a year. It is fun to have several options.

My go to rifle:

Afternoons in fields or open areas:
Browning A-Bolt stainless stalker, fluted barrel, .308
Meopta 3-12x56 scope. I could probably hunt all night with this scope if I wanted to.

In a stand in the woods:
Remington Model Seven
7mm-08
Leupold 3.5-10 x 50mm

APR Altitude 280 Ackley

APR builds a good rifle for sure

My Ruger 77 Hawkeye in 30-06 with Docter 6X scope which is a 26mm scope that sits in 30mm rings that use 4mm spacers. 😳

My GAP 6.5 SAUM.

If it’s just grab something that works near or far on anything in NA I usually grab my Voere in 270Wby. It’s pretty much point and click out to as far as I like to shoot and it’s nice to carry being under 8lb loaded and ready to go.

Most used would be my 18” PSA AR15. It’s a 223 and rides in my truck year round. It gets the lion’s share of the pig and varmint shooting with the occasional deer or other game animal thrown in. I’d say I average between 50 and 100 head of critters a year with this rifle.

What scope ya' got on that Kid?

So, all you wankers take nukes to a firecracker party, hey?

Tikka T3 SS in 30/06. VX 3 3.5-10 with CDS. 168 ttsx

Cz 527 has become my go to rifle in the last 15 years in a number of caliber, some factory chambering & others aftermarket chambering.

For deer hunting the 6.5 Grendel has been my go to rifle for the last 6 years. Or that is up to this last fall where I have put this CZ 527 together in 6mm ARC. Did a fine job of turning out the lights on this brute on the 2nd day of this last season.

My go-to is nothing fancy at all. It is an older Savage 110 in 30-06 that I have had for years. I have floated and bedded it and replaced the trigger with a timney, given the stock a homemade rattle-can camo paint job, and it wears a Bausch & Lomb 3000 Elite scope (Basically an older Bushnell Elite 3200). The rifle has always held zero and shoots better than I do. When I go on a hunting trip I usually take the flavor of the day rifle and this 06 and it usually gets carried at least half the time. It's never let me down and has been stated so many times, If I get to where I'm going and lose my ammo............... Nuf said:)

As far as loads go, I have 4 which shoot to virtually the same point of aim. 150 Sierra BTSPs w/RE19 and 165 Nosler BT's, 180 Gr Rem Corelokts, and 180 Gr Partitions (all with varying charges of IMR4350). I usually pick the ammo depending on the game but it has been deer and hogs for the most part.

Leupold VXR 1.25-4 in an SWFA SSALT mount.

Only rifle I use every year is my T/C Omega. My centerfires change every year. I’m on about a 20 year rotation. 😂

Man, now that’s a beauty!

Remington 700 .308 & Leupold VX-R 3-9x40.

That's nice!

New for last year, a winchester 70 classic left handed, in 7mm rem mag. Too much gun for my hunting, but I love the rifle. Also use a left handed tikka lite in 308, and a left handed savage 10 in 243.

Used to use a Kimber classic select in 270, but it went down the road. Only centerfire rifle I regret selling.

This one covers a lot of bases for me. No real good pics on my phone though.

7mm SAUM Lilja Mod8400 contour.

Mine has been a Kimber 84M in 7mm08. it is nice and lite and felt recoil isn't bad.

Steyr Mannlicher 30-06 Barnes 180gr Vortex
Deer, Elk, Black Bear, Caribou, African Plains game, etc.

I'mpretty much a Ruger guy and I trust my Ruger Mk II 30-06 in a Zytel stock with a 2.5-8 x 36 Leupold scope. I think it's about as an all around rifle as there is. It will stand up to any duty.

If we are talking about so-called big game, it is my Ruger African in .275 Rigby. For varmints I have a slew of "go to" rifles...

I haven't gone to my go to rifle in so long I can't remember what it is. I enjoy and rely on them all. That is part of the fun.

My go to is a Yugo M48 that followed me home from the Balkans in 96. It is now in a Boyd's stock and has a new Douglas barrel in 8x57. If I ever have to sell all of my guns, it'll be the last one to go. It has hunted every year since 96 at least once. The last 5 years it has gone out probably 90% of the times that I hunt. It is crazy, but it just works.

I try to work them all into rotation. This year I’ve done all of my deer hunting with a Kimber Classic Select in 257 Roberts.

If the weather is bad, or if whatever I’m hunting absolutely, positively has to die, I take my Kimber Montana in 338 Fed. I’ve probably killed more critters with my pre-64 standard model 70 in 30/06 than any other rifle. My Kimber Montana in 223 might be second, but it has a lot of pigs to it’s credit which is kind of cheating.

Sako AV Fiberclass 300 Win. Stone cold meat stick. It’s never not sighted in & ready to do things.

Damn fine rifle and great Aoudad

Remington 700 in 7-08 built by Longrifles Inc, trued and squared, 21” #3 bartlien, Triggertech @ 1.5#, McMillan game scout, larger bolt knob, fluted bolt, floorboard crown, and wearing a Zeiss 4.5-14x44 (or something like that) with turrets.

1961 FWT in 270 is my go to rig.

Nice buck and great pic!

Centrefire - Winchester Model 70 .30-06 / .308, various bullets depending on application
Centrefire .223 - Kimber 84
Rimfire - Anschutz 1710
Rimfire Semi - Volquartsen
Shotgun - Rem 870 Wingmaster, Marine Magnum, Beretta 686

Lots of great pics in this thread

I have a bunch of rifles and mix it up from time to time, but this one sure has put a lot of meat in the freezer over the years.
Model 70 Winchester Classic Featherweight chambered in 280 Remington, topped with a Leupold Vari-X3 2.5x8.
I can't imagine changing anything about it.

very nice rig. Don't find model 70 factory chambered in 280 very often.

This was a long time ago. I was walking through a gun show and saw this rifle on a dealer’s table. He saw me looking at it and asked me to name a price. Being a young smart azz at the time. I belted out “$400!” It was new in the box. Much to my surprise, he said “Pay me.” I was surprised, but very happy.

My go to since moving to Alaska has been my Rem 700 SPS SS .300 WM. Before moving to Alaska, it was my Rem 700 BDL DM .280 Rem. While I have several others and I like my Tikka T3 variants, my Rem 700’s (except for one) I grab over all others the majority of the time.

Holy smokes. I’ll say. Great deal there.

That is one sexy classic!!!

I use several firearms since I hunt different game.-These more than others. I guess I am trying to be a looney. I will stay away from getting into handguns

For blacktail, mule deer, whitetail bucks, black bear, antelope, bighorn sheep, elk. M70 SS FW All Terrain ,.30-06-180 gr NPT/Hornady I/L/TBBC, 2.5-8x36 Leupold, iron sights.
-OR 84L Montana '06, same loads, iron sights, same model of scope, Usually use for extremely steep steep/brushy country. This replaced my Bansner stocked M70 p64 '06 to my oldest son.

For bull elk, when I draw a good tag. Model 70 SS Classic in 338 WM , 225 gr NPT/Hornady IL/ TBBC, McMillan stock, irons, 2.5-8x36 Leupold.

For the "no centerfire rifle" whitetail area we have hunted the last several years: Hay-cattle ranch-Savage 220, 20 gauge rifled, 3-9x40 Leupold, 20 ga 3 inch Accu-Tip slugs. Other areas 870 or Ithaca 70 scoped pumps w-2-7 or scout Leupolds.

For Coyotes to sage rats (long range): Ruger 77 UL .223, iron sights, 3-9x40 Leupold. I use a Hornady 55gr sp w-cannelure most of the time. I have AR's but rarely use them.

For varmints-squirrels-rabbits - 10/22 more than all the others combined.

For grouse, turkeys and waterfowl - shotguns-Ithaca 37's 12 or 20 gauge. I have 870s too but the Ithacas shine for me.

Left hand Rem 700 with 20" Rock Creek Barrel in 308 Win, McMillan Compact, built by the late Robert Gradous.

It's taken it's share of big deer, plenty of hogs, and even bull elk.

Great looking rifle Buzz!

Dandy buck and bull too.

Nice one, buzz!

Yes very nice. If I owned that one I think it would be my go to as well.

For a real rifle looney, it depends on what and where I'm hunting-
For deer in thick woods in Pennsylvania, a M700 SS DM in .308 with the barrel cut to 20".
For deer on a farm where longer shots are possible, a stainless Tikka .270.
For bear over bait in Canada, a Rem 700 ADL stainless rebored from .270 to .35 Whelen.
For nostalgia hunting, a sporterized M1898 Krag .30-04 or a JC Higgins M50 in .270.
For muzzleloader seasons allowing inlines, a CVA Optima .50 cal.
For primitive muzzleloader seasons- a Jaeger style .50 cal custom flintlock where percussion not permitted (like PA) . A .54 cal custom Hawken style percussion rifle where allowed (like MD).

Oops, .30-40, not .30-04!

Giant buck there ! Did you get that in Georgia? or is that a Canadian buck?

Just a guess but I’m thinking the way that snowy forest looks that it’s slightly north of Georgia. Beautiful animals for sure.

Great photos and rifles all… mine, 308 MT:

I have not had these two rifles very long but I plan on keeping them.
Shaw MK VII 35Rem for woods hunting:

Beautiful animal Brad!

Random Q - is that electrical tape on your muzzle & a backup wrap on the barrel?

I hunted deer in thick woods for most of the season this year and relied on my Marlin 336 in 35 Remington.

Rem 700 KS Mountain rifle in .280 Rem topped with a Leupold VX-3 1.75 x 6 BC....looks like hell. It's light, short, accurate and balances well ( unlike Model Sevens). It's typically loaded with 120 TSX's, but 140 NP's have performed beautifully.


Lots of other rifles have come and gone, but that one always performs above and beyond.

More often than not I grab a Rem 700 with a SS Lilja 24” barrel. 3-9 ziess. I shoot a plain ol 130 hornady. Kills everything I’ve ever shot at.

German Mark V in 257

I don’t have a ‘go to’ per se. On November 17th I hunt with the old Marlin 336 my dad was hunting with when he died of a heart attack while carrying it. Most of the rest of the time it’s a pre 64 featherweight in either .270, .308, or .30-06. There have been others, but those get the most woods time. I have a .243 I’m having some work done on, that may be next years.

Old70

Not much love for the Rem 7mm mag in this thread....
My go to is a Win classic in 7 mag. Pac Nor bbl and Mcmillen stock. Have plenty of other choices but this one seems to be the one I grab most all the time.

Let's see, among others,

When running the traps and snares, most time it is this AR-15 in 223 Rem, with red-dot sight, and either 64 Gr. Nosler Solid base or Speer 62 Gr. TNT.





on occasion I'll play with the Merkel Double in 30-06



Daytime @ 100 yds or less, in 2021 it was this Blaser in either 30-06 or 9.3 x 62



Shooting 200 yds, plus, here lately the Browning Max Long Range in 6.5 PRC seems to make the trip.



This Browning A-Bolt Hunter in 308 Win. coupled with night vision



rules the night!

ya!

GWB

A 270 Win bolt gun of some sort for the last 25 years. There have been lots of different rifles and lots of different bullets. The chambering hasn’t changed.
Now, I am getting tempted by a 6.5 on a blown out 270 case. I have been wanting one since I was 15 yo and am finally yielding to that urge.

I really like that 336. Is it a 18” barreled Texan?

The one I seem to reach for more than the others is a Win. 70 Featherweight (push feed) in .308 with a Leupold VX2 2-7 on top. It carries and handles so nice and is plenty accurate enough.

You got a go to load for all those critters or does it vary with the circumstances/species?

Some super rifles pictured on this thread.

Savage 30/06

You are both correct - those are not in GA. Those are both from Sask. I've killed some good for here deer with that rifle but definitely not like those

It has a 20" inch barrel. It is a 336 SC Made in 1957 that has been converted to a Texas style grip. I didn't start the conversion. When I bought it someone had started the conversion and used the wrong lever. They evidently gave up and sold the rifle. I found a correct lever for a 35 Remington straightened it out and When I put it in the rifle it worked slick as a ribbon. It has become my favorite Marlin.

Great thread