An old Army buddy of mine who lives in SC can start a fire rubbing two nickels together - he is that thrifty. He hunts exclusively with a Marlin 336 chambered in 30-30, topped with a TASCO the size of a Hubble, and exclusively with Winchester Silvertip factory loads. He looks at me and my rifle loonyism and shakes his head. Last visit, he did try to buy my 444 though, lol.

i wish i could settle on one rifle and one load.

30-06, 180 grain Partition. If you and your rifle like monometal bullets, one of those instead of the Partition. Of course, I can't stick to one load, or one rifle!!

They ALL kill deer. Virginia deer aren't known for their rotundity....

[align:center][/align]I have basically done this. 28 Nosler, 180 hybrid. Other than for the small stuff, that's either my 243 or ar15.

7x57 150 Partition

30-06 165partition

capt david

I guess the 270 Win and some bullet. Mine performs equally well with a variety of bullets. From 7828 and 150 grain pills to 4350 and 130s. If I was limited to one and only one, I'd have to say the 150 grain Hornady Spire point.

270 with a 130 gr Partition here....

Man.... if I have to pick.... Remington Model 7 stainless/synthetic w/ 2-7x scope and 150gr Nosler Accubonds. Tempted to go with 165gr

Loonyism is the opposite of practical.

I know guys who only have one or two rifles that are topped with scopes I wouldn't put on a top tier/primary hunting rifle. Some of them are skilled hunters and competent shooters who successfully punch their deer tags and some are not.

But, luck has something to do with hunting success. I would cite the 202 6/8 typical whitetail buck killed by Kevin Petrzilka in 2010. Petrzilka killed it with a Remington 788 in 22-250 that was topped with a Tasco scope.

If you didn't spend money on shooting sports, you'd probably find some other venue to spend money on.

For the first 10yrs of my deer hunting career it was A Rem 742 in 6mm Rem and Factory 100gr coreloks

Yep first 14 years 700 BDL 6mm with Bushnell scope and 105 gr Speer roundnose; next 10 700 BDL, Bushnell and 130 gr Hornady. The wheels fell off in '99

KC

I seem to go in decades long trends. Well, maybe 7-8 year trends.

12g copper solids,
50 caliber ML with 240 grain xtp's,
12g brenneke slugs
54 caliber roundball under 80 or so grains of 2f,
45 caliber ML with 250grain 40caliber Qt's under 100 grains of 2f (my 'fast" phase)
45 cal ML with 460 grain conicals under 60 or so grains of 3f.

I shot a deer with buckshot twice and one with a 3006 during that span.

I bought a 7mm08 a couple years ago. I hope to hunt with it at some point.

A good bolt action 308 with a good 150 gr. bullet would do for me.

While we have plenty of rifles, though, I’ve used one rifle exclusively since 1990. Only changed Bullets as Barnes upgraded their X Bullet line, and until about 5 or 6 years ago had used the same scope. It’s used for everything that you can hunt in Wyoming! memtb

That's the stage I'm in now. Hoping I stick with it for awhile but doubt I will. Sure has worked good on deer and hogs this year.

Good luck with that venture. I'm always looking for that 2 rifles and one load kind of deal. Right now, I found it with one of my AR15's and a new bolt action I just bought:







Get it straight 2 rifles, 1 load....

Dogger

Since this is the 'Deer Hunting Forum' , there are several rifle/bullet combos that would work.

For myself, I hunt quite varied terrain/habitat so I refuse to use 'short range' outfits. I've found that flat shooters kill just as well in CLOSE quarters and OPEN territory.

For WT, Mule Deer, et.al. I could get along quite nicely with the 25-06, 270, 280, or 06. There are good bullets for each caliber.


Now for 'all around', multi Big Game, the 7 mm Rem Mag has multiple good bullets from which to choose, 154, 160, 162, 168 etc.
A guy could pick ONE bullet for the 7 Mag and have many bases covered.


Jerry

When I was young and poor, it was a Remington 700 ADL w/ a custom maple stock in 25-06. Took my first two elk with that rifle and some Nosler partitions up in NE Oregon.

Now that I'm older and still poor, I have a tough time deciding which rifles go in the truck. Hoping to get the 256 Newton up and running this spring in time to go take an axis doe or two.

My 6.5 Creedmoor and its pet load that hurls a 142gr AccuBond Long Range at 2735 fps.

Consistently at 0.5 MOA at 100 yards.

Pronghorn, Whitetails, Mule Deer, Blacktails, elk, moose, hogs, black bear, sheep, goats, anything.

Deadly at 6 yards or 600.

Defies the wind and is supremely easy on the shoulder.

Although I’d much prefer to have more variety, I cannot think of a single hunting “thing” I’ve ever done in over 40 years afield that this rifle and load wouldn’t have done, and it would have done it easier than anything else I’ve used.

For a lot of years all I had was a Model 700 classic 22 inch .30-06 with a Leupold 3X10 and shot 165 Federal Premium Game King or 165 Core-Lokt. Then my 9 year old daughter started hunting so I bought a .243W, and then an elderly cousin gave us some rifles and taught us reloading. So now I have a bunch of unnecessary rifles and equipment and an obsessive hobby along with a hearing deficiency. Should have stuck with the 06, Leupold, and 165 grain bullets.

I keep telling myself I need less but I bought 2 more yesterday

For 20 some years I was happy killing everything I hunted with my stock Ruger Tanger in 30-06 shooting Rem Green box in 165. Then I joined the Fire and learned I needed a lot more rifles and premium bullets to get the job done.

30.06 168 ttsx.

A quality, light, 20” barreled .308 and 165 gr Accubonds

For many years I was a one rifle-one load hunter. That was many years and lots of $$$ ago. Could still be but it wouldn't be nearly as much fun.

I am one rifle, one load for every species available..

Well, what is it?

One rifle, one load....are you kidding? That’s heresy around these parts😁

I'm probably closer to one load/one rifle for every day spent in the woods hunting...

I would agree. 06, or .308 and if elk is on the menu, then up it to a 165, or 180. Hard to beat a 150 for deer. I kill lots of them with the 150 Interlock.

.30/06 with 175gn LRX, something over 22 inches penetration in KMAN's bone tests put it in the top 1%.

Different ways to interpret this.

I see., one rifle, one load, for

Whitetail Deer.

One for mule deer,

One for elk......

I wasn't very clear. I have one rifle, one load specific to every species available.

So I have a rifle for deer, another rifle for black bear, another rifle for moose, another rifle for wolf, another rifle for brown bears, another rifle for elk, another rifle for a yetti, etc..

I keep finding new species I need a rifle for.

Come to think about it, I need a polar bear rifle.

You too ? I did that for my Xmas present. I went to my favorite gun store to buy another M1A. After I ordered the M1A, I found a pre-64, M70, .270 for $600. Heck, the action is worth more than that. Let see, I've got a beautiful walnut stocked, custom Sako 7-08, a custom .280, a much modified M70 classic .308, a custom '06', and an M1A Squad Scout...… Now I've got another deer rifle and "the ultimate truck/house gun." One rifle, one load ? Hopefully, each rifle, one load ? Ah.... not quite there yet..... E

I've got a remington 700 .30-06 that goes, at least as a back up, on every big game trip where it's legal. However I have not stuck to one load. It would be easy to find a single load though. A quality 180 grain that shot well out of it would cover every species of big game available in North America.

I have too much fun buying and playing with other stuff to stick to one though.

-Jake

Seems like this would be the Best all around caliber and load for chipmunks up to moose....WOULDN'T IT?

30-30's kill deer and anything else in the US. Might not be my first choice for some animals, but it wouldn't be my last choice, for any animal.

Remember..... beware of a man with one gun, he knows how to use it.

Growing up, we had one deer rifle. First was a Marlin 336 30-30 with a 1-4x Banner scope. I traded that one for a Rem 742 30-06 w a 3-9x Redfield. I used that for several years. Having more than one rifle is really only been in the last fifteen years and I find myself using an old Marlin 336. 30-30 most of the time.

For years it was 150 gr Corelokts for both.

I started out with a medium weight bolt action .308 and 150 gr standard bullets, shot a buch of deer with that combo over a number of years, No complaints. Then the loonie bug bit and I have since experimented with a truckload of other rifles and cartridges, and I'm still doing it. But I still use and like the .308, the only difference being that I now prefer 165's in that cartridge because we often hunt moose or elk or bears at the same time as whitetails around here.

Accumulating firearms is defined as a "RED FLAG" and will get you a confiscation order in Oregon if a family member or leo initiates action against you. True story.

Here and four other states. Coming soon to a state near you if Marco Rubio has his way. Might be a good time to learn to hunt everything with one rifle in the Bold New Amerika.

For along time it was a Marlin 336, 30-30 with a Weaver 4x scope. Then experimenting started and went from 257 through 338-06 and a lot in between in all types of actions. Now for the last 7-8 years its been a 20" carbine bolt action. Always chasing the "perfect one" and for what an where I hunt, a light 7mm-08 carbine is it.

I do have to say, some of the best hunters I know, use the same old 308, 270, 30-06 or 30-30 year in and year out. They use whatever factory ammo is cheap and some of it has been around for a while. They never got the memo that you need the latest and greatest. Levers, a lot of pumps and a couple of bolt guns...go figure

As I approach 70 I am thinning the herd to my pre'64 M/70 .35 Whelen and Hornady 200gr. RN handload for whitetail hunting.

I've been using my 30/06 with 180 grain factory loads for 45 years. It's killed everything in the lower 48. Hogs in TX to moose in WY plus a ton of elk in Colorado. It works & I see no need to reinvent the wheel.

Your pal is simply a hunter, not a shooter. Worked with a pretty serious hunter for some years who wasn't sure who made his rifle. He sent me pictures today of two very nice VA bucks he took just within the last couple of weeks.

Come to think of it, my friend is pretty tight too.

Used to have lots of deer rifles, now that I've been retired for several years, decided I didn't really need them all. So some went, others will follow. Same with varmint rifles, no longer need a half dozen. Usually seemed to go to a 25-06 come buck season. Quite a few times it was assorted lever rifles w/irons, mostly for doe. Now down to two of those, one 30-30 and a 32 Special. 150gr bullets in both.

Since the early 80s, primarily hunt deer with a 25-06 and a 100gr bullet over 54grs of IMR 4831. That bullet has been the Nosler Ballistic Tip, from whatever year they came out. Now down to a pair of 25-06s. One M700ADL, another a semi custom with a heavier Douglass barrel, same load in both of them..Keeping things simple these days.

Only new loads I've monkeyed with over the past ten years, have been for my 223s.

You don't hunt in Potter co. do you?

My Son in Law uses a 165 Partition out of his 06 M70 Classic Fwt in a McMillan for everything, plinking, and coyotes to elk.
Me, I've always figured on two loads. For rifles 25 cal and under I usually end up with a varmint load and a deer load. I've always used cup and core on deer and coyotes and those are on the shelf above the bench.
For those above 25 cal, it's a deer load and a premium bullet load in case I took the rifle elk hunting. I kept a cardboard box full of premium bullets of various brands in 277, 284, and 30 cal, mostly Nosler.
Now that 66 yr birthday is staring me in the face, I'll probably quit maintaining that box of premiums. The older I get the more I develope cast bullet loads for practice and plinking.

I know a guy that only has one deer rifle, its a 70's vintage Remington model 700 BDL 30-06 thats topped with a 30 year old Tasco World Class 3-9, he shoots factory Remington core-lokt ammo and he will hunt maybe 10 days a year and puts the first 3 legal deer he see's in his freezer and is done till next year, I think he hunts mostly for some cheap meat as he is super tight with his money, he drives a 25 yr old Dodge pick-up and is so tight he wont even buy himself a happy meal at Micky D's when i know he's hungry 😂...The guy makes 100K a year so i know he aint broke....I guess he got a hell of a bank account though 😁👍.......Hb

My ‘cinnaments’ exactly. I use more than an 06, I prefer a 270 or 7 RM and have used them successfully for 43 yrs personally and they have been proven effective killers LONGER than that!

I don’t go to “nail salons” , “hair salons” , or get “perms” in my hair NOR would I EVER have a man bun !!

So I ain’t interested in “boutique” or PANTY cartridges.

There’s no need to “reinvent the wheel”.

Jerry

I have two 30-06, two 7mm-08, and three 243 chambered rifles. In each like chambered rifle is one load for all. Maybe not the most accurate load but each load works well.

What's a "Panty" cartridge?

Mike, I haven’t been ignoring you, just taking a little time to decide how to explain my umm, opinion
w/o stooping to the level of some.

First I believe you and most ‘probably’ got my drift.

Second, nothing is absolutely all positive. There are negatives to/for rifles, stocks, Brass, powder , cartridges, et.al.
ALL cartridges are good/better than others for some things and yet those same cartridges have short comings for other
purposes.

Some cartridges can be shot by ‘Panty’ wearers and still are not best for all situations.

That’s the best I can answer your ?.

Jerry

That would be like being "undie" gunned.

I'm just trying to figure out if you're picking on "my" 243. ?

One gun, one car, one woman. Why?

What kind of big game?
deer 270
Elk 30/06

The only rational reason for the one rifle /one load thought is that your one wife controls the money and tells you can't have another. So the whole idea is part of the " I am pussy whipped concept" and I for one am glad to not be part of that segment of society. Sorry to upset those affected, have a nice day. MB

One Rifle, One Load. I've done that once............a bunch of times.

I used the same caliber, 30+ years ago, when hunting/living in the southeast. The only thing I changed (1990) ....I went to a lighter, semi-custom rifle, and changed the cartridge to an AI. If I were to return to the southeast or go on a deer or hog hunt.....my rifle/cartridge will be the one used since 1990! One rifle, one bullet, one zero.....makes life pretty simple! memtb

I noticed you tried to compensate for your lack of shooting skills by putting windy on the target, and not blaming yourself or the rifle just being a plain out pos.

Boring !

Boring !

Boring !

........ That’s appropriate.


Jerry

That depends upon the woman’s qualifications! memtb

I think I'm getting close, to finding that one load in one rifle.

For the past 8 years for whitetail here in the east it has been a Nosler M48 TGR in 257 Roberts shooting a 117 grain Sierra GameKing SBT.. Nothing fancy but it just plain works real well as most shots are inside 250 yards. I have other rifles that I play with at the range and develop loads for but the 257 goes hunting..

I've "narrowed" it down to 3 rifles:

223 - Hornady 75 BTHP
243 - Federal 100gr Blue Box
270 - Hornady Custom 140 BTSP


Still shooting through some handloads and what not, but that's about it. If I get an itch for monos, the 80TTSX in the 243 and 129 LRX in the 270.

Kinda have a Creed itch, but nah.

If I get bored and crazy, I might head to my brothers place and load up a stack of 110's for the 270.

Bob, I must “respectfully” disagree. We have a safe full of firearms.....about 1/2 of which, belong to the wife. Though she and I, “hunt” with “only one gun”.....she her .338 WM and I my .375 AI. We enjoy shooting many of the others, we’ve just chosen to “hunt” with “one rifle/one load” and one “zero”. Our choices work well.... from Pronghorns to moose! memtb

I've got one of those 1 rifle/ 1 load situations. Honestly, I wish I didn't.

Oh, don't worry. I've got a closet full of deer rifles. I'm not getting rid of any in the near future either. Back in 2014, I treated myself to my first brand new deer rifle. It was a Ruger Hawkeye in 30-06. Prior to this, I've been shooting used rifles, for 35 years. I wanted to get one more 30-06 and I wanted it to be a good one. I fed it the load I've been shooting at deer for the past 15 years, 165 grain Hornady IL SP's over H4895, and on the first try it shot a group better than any rifle I'd owned previously. Slam, bang, done. I walked away from that session at the bench feeling like a door had closed.

Since then, I've shot a bunch of deer with it. Two have been right near the top of my best as well as the camp's best. It did so well I retired my Remington 7600 in 35 Whelen. I find that it does so well, I really have a hard time not picking it. I'm going to have to force myself to leave it on the rack if I want to get anywhere with any of my other projects. I've got better than half a dozen waiting final blooding, and it is simply because this rifle is so dependable for the job, it is hard to keep it home.

I'd be the last to tell anyone to get just one rifle and stick with it. I wouldn't even suggest one rifle just for whitetail deer. However, I can tell you that one rifle can pretty much suit a situation so well, a hunter can be hard pressed not to choose it.

Tampax.

My dad hunted everything with one load, one rifle. Moose to antelope and everything in between. It's a 30-06 commercial FN Mauser "Musketeer" using 165 grain Nosler Partition bullets and topped off with a Redfield "Wideview" 3-9x40 with post reticle. I on the other hand, need more than one rifle and one load! LOL!

When was the last time you saw a golfer play 18 holes with only one club?

Or a bass fisherman with one rod in the boat?

Close but no cigar....more like carrying 3 putters. Bass looneys are worse then Benchrest rifle looneys.

Lol, isn’t delusion grand?

No way man, life would suck without 100 guns to play with, were I ever limited to one, it be my pre-64 375 H&H firing 300gr partitions at 2680, with that I could take all game anywhere.

I it when I lived in Texas. More years with the 30-30, then a .280, then a 7mm Mag ( I got laughed at for bringing a "cannon" to deer camp) but it was all I had as I also wanted to hunt elk "someday". Then I moved to Utah. By then all I had was an heirloom 1917 Enfield 30-06 sporter ( can you say 10 pounds?) then a 338WM, back to a 280 but in Ackley form, back to a 30-06 but added a .375 Mod 70 Express ( I wanted to go to Africa some day) the 375 was too heavy, gave the 30-06 away and bought a Model 700 Classic in 35 Whelen. had it reamed to the Ackley Improved. Took it to South Africa, came back and, so well said above...the wheels fell off, ha. Now, 20 yrs later, I am satisfied with two "categories" a. deer/coyotes, etc and b. Elk and hogs. I might swap, but I don't accumulate anymore.

My Ruger M77 Skeleton 300 wm .

Have ya tried it? That's just pure fun! Try a 1-club round, challenges your imagination!

One of the pros at a club I worked at beat a cart jockey for 9 holes with 2 putters. One as his "iron" and one he actually putt with.

Funny as hell...

What ever floats your stick. I think I would get a little bit bored with one gun. Same reason I don't eat the same meal 3 times a day. Day after day.

If I could only use one...

It would be my 6mm with 85 grain hpbt's

or

my 270 with 140 grain Gamekings


but probably

my 260rem with 140 Gamekings.


Yeah.. It would be that- unless I took my B92 out.....

Rifles are very much like guitars in a way. When they feel right you only lie to yourself after that if you stray. The cartridge doesn't matter as much, it is mostly a formality for most situations anyway.

From a standpoint of efficiency and skill building, a man with 1 rifle and one load is likely to be of the best class of marksman.
That was how I grew up and what I did until I was able to buy other rifles.
The reason I don't subscribe to that discipline is simply that I like rifles and I like different calibers. It's my passion and only true hobby.

But to be honest, my abilities to hit things at any range, moving or still, was at it's peak when I was shooting a 270 with a 150 grain bullet at about 2950 FPS, and that's all. I shot out 2 barrels with that load, and am working on the 3rd now.

I now have about 14 calibers that I shoot and load for. I like to shoot and I do a lot of it. And I am a pretty good shot.

But my skill is not as good today as it was 40 years ago when I shot 1 caliber.

Beware of the man with one rifle....

I think a person is better off to find a platform that works for them and what they do and get good with it than to chase calibers, bullets and velocity.

I know more than one hunter that has one rifle that is good equipment but none of the "best" and they are deadly with it because they have used it so much it is an extension of them.

8x57

200gr Hot Cor.

JJHACK recipe - 30-06, 168 TTSX

Life is too short to have one rifle.

It’s also too short to spend a bunch of time monkeying with them...

In my 270 Win, 130 gr Partitions; 7x57, 140 gr Partitions; 280 Ackley Improved, 160 gr Accubonds; 30-06, 180 gr Partitions. Need I say I'm partial to Nosler products???

My 6.5x284 Norma 129gr interlock and Retombo powder !!!

For what I hunt and the normal ranges I shoot the partition is just a bit tough for me. It's a great bullet but they don't seem to expand well on smallish Texas deer. I believe this is true for Speer Grand Slams too which my son tried. He experienced total pass throughs without much expansion. I use Nosler Ballistics Tips too which are my other favorite bullet for whitetail but I've had my best luck with Sierra Game Kings. They penetrate well and expand well too.

I'm wondering how many had that same experience. All the griping I've heard about the 742, it's been used with success by a lot of hunters. Not me personally, I'm a bolt gun guy, but every deer camp I've been in has had at least one, and many were .243s.

I'm like the guy that never had but one girl friend and he's been married to her for 50 years. I shot my first deer with my push feed POS 1966 Model 70 .270, which is still my go to hunting rifle. It being a push feed post 63 Model 70 and in .270 cal. is cussed by many, but mostly by people that never shot one like it. It just works or has for me since 1966.

Maybe some day but,not quite yet.

Ok maybe my 1952 model 70 sportier 257 Roberts, 117gr interlock @ 3000fps !!!!!

Model 70 30Gov't06 with Hornady 150gr SP's and 52gr of Imr4064