If you could only afford one centerfire rifle.....

[2152hq]

It'd tough to pick out just one from the bunch, but I'd probably choose from either my MkI* SMLE (1904), one of the Lee-Speed sporters, an '03 sporter or one of the Mannlicher Schoenauers.

...Can't whittle it down any closer than that.

 

[ruger 22]

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.

 

[cochise]

Owning one rifle in the US is hard to imagine. Logically it would have to be a 30/06 or a .308 in a quality made gun. Ammo is found everywhere.

 

[Stan O]

"Beware the man who only has one gun. He probably knows how to use it!"

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.

 

[Bill Bates]

This has been an interesting read. There really are no bad answers. All of us have different needs in a rifle from a decent deer file to fighting in the zombie apocalypse. My needs have been pretty simple, I hunt mule deer and not much else.

For the past 40 years I have been hunting with just one rifle. That rifle is an old tang safety Ruger M77 chambered in .243 Winchester. For years it had a Redfield 4X scope which a number of years ago I switched out for a Leopold Vari-X III 3-9x scope. It has been a deadly little rifle. If I do my part; it does its out to 300 plus yards when sighted in to a 200 yard zero.

I've taken a number of mule deer with it. I've not hunted elk with this rifle but at reasonable ranges with a good bullet I'm sure it would do the job but it wouldn't be my first or even second or third choice as an elk rifle.

So with that said I've decided to move up to a larger caliber in light mountain rifle because an elk hunt may be happening in the future. I have a Kimber Montana on lay away that I should bail out in the next few weeks. I plan on mounting a Leopold VX3i 3.5-10 or 4.5-14x scope. I've looked at a lot of rifles and decided on a Kimber because I think it comes closest to what the Winchester Model 70 should, over the years, become...lighter and trimmer. The Montana with scope should hit about 6 1/2 lbs.

The caliber selection was a bit more involved. Going with a number of .30 calibers like the .308 and .30-06 would make sense because of versatility and accessibility of ammo. Okay but aren't they just a little boring and so is .270. I'm not a "magnum" guy. At ethical hunting ranges you gain much other than getting beat up both body and wallet. I'm a bit of a classics sort of guy so 6x55, 7x57 and .257 Roberts can right to mind. All are deadly even on elk. If I was going with wood and blued steel anyone would be just right. In a stainless and plastic fantastic like the Kimber Montana an update of an old classic caliber seemed appropriate. It was down to the .260 Remington or 7mm08. I'm not much of reloader so I went with the 7mm08 because of the the wider selection of ammo. When you start stretching the range a 7mm08 doesn't give a thing up to the .308 Win.

I just hope when I'm all done it will shoot near as well as my old Ruger M77.

The old Ruger really likes Federals 100 gr. Nosler Partion load. This group from last years double check of its sighting is not unusual.

 

[buckyjames1]

I think it would be difficult to beat military style rifles, here is my 3 in no order.

1. M14 possible FAL, preference would be a scout/socom type for less weight/less length
- Relatively common round. NATO to boot.
- More than adequate power for most if not all needs.

2. AR and all variants
- readily available parts, ammo, magazines, gunsmith/repair/knowledge
- can take up to deer size, lots of ammo choices that can do the job
- lighter over all weight
- large magazine capacity
- lots of upgrades, mods, accessories to boot

3. AK:
- see #2, just adds a bit more ballistics power at a slight loss of
accuracy vs. AR.
- relatively inexpensive and you get a legendary weapon

Basically, we benefited from all the RnD and field work tweaks performed by governments. One of the few times the gubbment actually produced worth while results

My Opinions.