Since i only hunt in the Republic of TEXAS, I'd be content with the 30-30. I can reload for whatever is available.

M1a in .243. But I'll have to settle for my 1894c.

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Regards, Ron
USASA 1965/69

Sir, IMHO you can't go too far wrong with a good bolt gun in .30-'06. I rather like the old '03-A3--good sights, good trigger, controlled feed, parts readily available, it can be quickly reloaded with stripper clips, and the bolt can be easily stripped and cleaned in the field.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

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Wishin' don't make it so.

Another vote for a bolt action 30-06, shoots anything form 110 to 250 grain bullets with great accuracy...NEVER had a deer get more than 10' after a shot.

Hard to say. If out west where black tail & elk then '06. If antelope is an option then 270. East would probably be shotgun + slugs (non-centerfire but viable).

My first choice would be a Winchester Model 70 stainless classic in .30-06 with a 2.5/3 to 9/10 variable scope and backup iron sights. My second choice would be the ubiquitous Remington 700, again in .30-06 with the same sight options. Either is a good rifle and will do the job accurately on any North Amrican game animal at ethical ranges; I'm just partial to Winchesters.

Russ

This would work fine; Winchester M70 in .30-06. Scope is a nice, clear Lyman in 4X. What else do you need?
Bob

If I was named "Bob" I would want it in .257

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Buy American
Vote Responsibly

My FAL Para. It's a Congo built by DSA. Reliable, accurate, and a very tidy package.



Keith

SKS. Ammo is cheap, powerful enough for most small & medium game. The rifle is simple & reliable and can be accurate enough.

I have a Howa in 308 Win. and I am happy with it. Although I think I would be just as happy with a 30-06 spr, 6.5x55 Sweed or 270 Win.

A Ruger All Weather rifle in .44 mag. With both iron sights and scope mount. That way, you can carry a companion revolver. The All Weather gun makes the most sense if exposure to the elements plays a role.

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Non gratum anus rodentum

Hmmm ..... hard to decide.

Right now it's a toss-up between the MAK-90 and Ruger 44 Carbine.

I just bought it last night. Remington 700 Tactical SPS 308.

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jj

It would have to be a bolt action for accuracy and dependability.

It would have to be a long range caliber.

It would have to be capable of bring down large game as well as mid size game.

It would have to hold a minimum of three rounds.

Therefore it would be my Browning Gold Medallion 7mm mag.

Only one - an M1:

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

30-06 is an amazingly versatile round and can even be used at extreme low power of about 1700 fps. It has covered anything I've wanted to do.

Nowadays I don't feel like I need a rifle with that much power and would probably center around a 6 mm round. A 6mm can be used to hunt here, but I don't plan to use it for that. Fine target accuracy would be my goal now.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

My Browning lever action in 308 Win:

See post no. 75. But mine is a .270, not a .280 so ammo is more available and in a wider selection. I like the factory loads like Federal's Premium with 150 grain Nosler Partition bullets.

My scope is actually a Redfield with an unusual Euro reticle with three heavier posts and the top thread thin, as usual. This works well in dark woods or in dim light or when you need to get the scope quickly on a moving, maybe charging, target.

I usually leave the variable scope set on 3X unless expecting a long shot. That gives ample magnification for most hunting, and the field of view is wider than at higher powers.

I did have a rifle with the Leupold scope in post 75 and regret selling it. But that Leupold is probably as good as any in a reasonable price range and better than most . I say this having used Zeiss and Swarovski scopes. But they are probably beyond the means of many here. The OP specified a modest price. That's why I didn't suggest a M-70 from their Custom Shop with selected wood, etc.

I admit that the same rifle in .30-06 is a better all-round choice in a survival scenario or if seeking animals much larger than deer. But the .270 is quite effective on elk, even moose and bear. Note my preference for that Nosler bullet, though. Also note that I don't like taking rear angle shots on big animals. Elmer Keith wanted that ability, and that's one reason why he advocated .338 rifles or heavier. Jack O'Connor favored the .270 in large part because he didn't shoot fleeing game in the hams.

I have a number of Bolt action rifles and if I could keep only one it would be my custom Mauser in 30-06. It's accurate and has a muzzle brake so it has the recoil of a 243. It's topped with a Leupold 2.5x8 Vari X III scope that makes a great combo for hunting just about anything.

Just one rifle?

A KAC SR-25 20" .308 with a high quality 1-8x illuminated scope.

Throw some things into the mix....................

CZ 527 carbine in 7.62x39 .... W/ a Leupold 1-4x20 scope and 6-8 5 round mags.....


The Ruger Mini-14/30 with a mix of 5,10,20 rd mags..... w/ a 1-3x20 Weaver scope.....

I do not think there is such a thing as a one-gun solution.
One shot-one kill: bolt action
Multiple kills: semi auto
One caliber can be overkill; one, not enough.

I like choices. One boat won't do it all.

Edit to say anything that would help me stand up to a charging bear would do.

If you are talking big game up to deer, then any centerfire in the 243, 257, 25-06, would be more than adequate. Mossberg makes a great bolt action rifle or you could get any number of good used ones by Remington, Winchester, Savage, etc that would not be a budget breaker. Of great importance to me is one's ability to shoot them and while the 30-06 with a 200+ grain bullet will handle most any North American game, it is not an easy shooter recoil wise. The same can be said of any rifle at or above the 270 unless in a heavy gun.

If I could only choose one, it would be my pre-64 Winchester model 70 featherweight in 30/06. Although I like the M-14/M1A platform, the Winchester featherweight is almost half the weight. I humped the M-14 a gazzillion years ago and it's heavy. As far as caliber, 30/06 is available almost everywhere and with the possible exception of large brown bear, will take pretty much anything in the Western hemisphere. Mine has iron sights and a 3x Leupold post and crosshair scope. In my opinion, it's the ultimate "Scout" rifle.

The best, most versatile all around cartridge? That is a no-brainer, the .303 British.

.308 or 30-06 scoped bolt gun.

Curiously, I don't own one. But I do own some of the others mentioned.

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VIVERE MILITARE EST

I've only got one centerfire rifle. A Marlin 336W, in 30/30.



It'll do.

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John 3:16 .

Only one centerfire rifle? Once I only owned a single centerfire rifle... a 1903-A3 w/ two-groove barrel. It was of course in GI configuration. So... if I could only own a single centerfire rifle, I'd take my Remington 1903-A3 and have it drilled and tapped. I beg or buy a 03-A4 bolt and fit a nice Leupold scope. Given that the rifle is in a nice USGI "C" stock, I'd then have a setup that would allow me to enjoy shooting one of the best military surplus bolt action rifles ever made as well as shooting a caliber that earned well it's reputaiton as the "Queen of the battlefield!" Second choice would be to put a nice extended-eye relief scope on my K-98 Mauser. The result would be very close to the sort of setup used by the German army in WWII. With some nice 7.92mm ball and a few boxes of some of the European loaded hunting ammo... I'd be set for just about anything in North America. And... either rifle could be fired with handloaded cast lead bullets to be very effective for small game, target practice, etc.

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<><

Ruger Scout Rifle or Steyr's original Jeff Cooper Scout.

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I hope I copied that right

I really love my old 03A3, as long as it's at the range or in my safe. I'm not carrying that heavy sucker anywhere. I carried a Garand one time, deer hunting, felt like it weighed 50 pounds by the time I got back to the truck. I love my old 99 featherweight in .308, too, but the winner is my Winchester 70 Featherweight Classic in .30'06 with a quality 3X9 scope. Tough, accurate, fairly simple, and good looking too.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

Pre 64 model 70 in .30-06

A Puma 454 Casull and matching pistol would be my choice. Don't own the set (yet) though.

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In dog years I'm dead.

Model 70 - .270 Win.
teesur.

I asked myself the same question about 30+ plus years ago....
I bought a Remington 700BDL in .30-06 and put a Leupold 3.5x10x40mm scope on it. Still love to hunt with it today as the first day I bought it.

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"Life is short, hunt hard"

Bolt action .308 with a 2-7 scope. Truth be told I would be good to go with almost any bottleneck centerfire from .24 - .30 caliber.

Marlin 336 leveraction in 30-30. And I wouldn't turn away one in 35 Rem.

It's gotta be the 30-06. Hands down. From rabbit (Yes, I have! Headshots) to an elk or bear, it has it all covered.

Pe '64 Model 70. Caliber 30-06, but 308, 270, 280 Remington (or whatever they're calling it now), even 7X57 or 6.5X55(I'm loose).

Ammo supply isn't a problem: you'll either solve your problem or be dead in 4 or 5 rounds, and then, if needed, you can replenish your ammo supply

This one. It is a CMP Special Grade. The receiver, barrel, and trigger are all Springfield 1955. I refinished the stock and rubbed several coats of tung oil into it.

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Corripe Cervisiam

There is no one best rifle or caliber. There are scores that will do the same job. It`s like dad told me, if everyone wanted the same woman the world would be in big trouble. Dead`s dead. Most rifles will kill everything. I own around 15 rifles. I only might need one. They are in 7x57, 30-30, 308, 30-06, 30-40, 300 H&H, .357 and .44 mag.
I have all the actions, bolt, lever, pump and semi auto. Scopes, peeps and open. If I had to I belive I could live with any one of em.
I like a "sweet heart" rifle. To me, thats a fairly light , low recoil, flat shooting rifle. While I have around a half dozzen with fine scopes, I really have come to respect peep sights. I hate fiberglass, stainless steel, camaflog paint, built in tripods and such. I like fine wood.
The most desireable asset in guns or anything else is reliability. Haveing a caliber that you can find ammo for is nice.
I own several very old winchester 70s. A browning safari. A browning auto in 30-06. A ruger 77 in 7x57. Remington pump in 30-06 with a peep.
A armfull of levers. While I have many more powerfull, accurate, exspendsive, collectables etc, you know what my first choice is?
I bought this winchester 94 30-30 when I was I think, 16 in 1957. It was my 1st centerfire. Paid about $60s for it new. Soon added a foolproof and a pad for LOP as I was a big kid. I have never had to change the zero in 55 years! I shot more deer with it than all the rest of my guns put together. (Thats not a fair statement as I havent deer hunted in the last 15 years or so, but still bought new rifles.)
I think my 1st choice as a kid was a good one.

I shoot competition more then I hunt. I really enjoy the CMP GSM vintage military games.

So, I'd have to go with my 1903a3.

Plus its more then capable of any hunting I do, even with the iron sights.

The rifle I own that comes closest to what you are asking is a Remington 700 Classic in 6.5X55 Swede. A great caliber that is capable of taking game much larger than one would imagine and without the recoil of the bigger 30's which I also have in Rem 700.

It is a super accurate round that has been used for sniping, target, war and hunting game up to and including moose. Ammo is easily found, components for re-loading are abundant and several factories offer bolt guns in the caliber. When fired in modern actions like the 70 and 700 the round can be loaded to higher pressure levels that put a good bit more speed on the bullet and flaten the trajectory.

My Tikka T3 Stainless Lite in .270 WSM fitted with a Swarovski scope.

I am actually in this situation right now, only owning one centerfire rifle, a Marlin 1894 in .44 mag. I live in the east, so it should handle anything I see. Plus, as someone pointed out earlier, it isn't too bad of a self defense gun either.

I'm not really fond of these scary "what if" games, but I think this would probably be the last rifle I'd let go. It's a Model 70 Winchester Classic Featherweight chambered in 280 Remington, and topped with a Leupold 2.5x8 Vari-xIII. As for ammo, I think I have enough brass, bullets, powder, and primers to shoot the barrel out of it.

Having just one centerfire rifle is a very scary thought, but if I could only have one it would be a 1903 springfield. Strong, reliable, accurate, excellent at both mid and long ranges, and good for about all north american critters.

i would have to get a second job, or third!

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WILL WORK FOR AMMO!

Winchester Model 70 30-06