If you could have just one rifle

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Posted: 12/19/2008 12:04:14 PM EDT

If you could only have one hunting rifle for all big game... whitetail, mulies, elk, and possibly bear, what would you choose, and why?

im trying to downsize my collection, have just too many rifle, going to only keep/buy one rifle for this purpose. want to hear some opinions on what your ideal rifle would be.

it must be a rifle that is not too heavy to tote around the woods, it must be bolt action, must be capable of 300 yard shots, and ammo must be readily available everywhere.

ammo availability, and 300 yard capability IMO bring it down to just a hand full of calibers. 270, 308, 30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, and 300 Win Mag.

right now im leaning towards a tikka T3 in 308. it weighs 6LBS 3oz, handles great, and fits me great. a friend has one and i fell in love with it and just have to have one. tempted to buy one in 308 for all around big game, and then one in 223 for busting groundhogs.

sure 308 wouldnt be ideal for a grizzly hunt, but with proper shot placement, and bullet selection, it would get the job done. the rifle would be used mainly for whitetail anyway, and a big magnum is just overkill for a little whitetail.

but what would YOU chose if you could only have one big game rifle.

Posted: 12/19/2008 12:33:24 PM EDT

[#1]

Remington 700 in .308 (I have it) or in 30.06 (I may get one)

I love my .308

Posted: 12/19/2008 12:35:00 PM EDT

[#2]

For caliber, I'm still on the .30-06 boat for best all-around, considering availability of factory loadings and in such a wide variety.

For rifle it's chambered in, not sure...

Posted: 12/19/2008 2:22:20 PM EDT

[#3]

While I still like the 30-06 for a 1 rifle owner, I believe I'd get a Model 7 in 350mag. A friend has one and it is sweet; portable and a real shooter. Enough of a round for anything in NA at a distance I have any business shooting at. The recoil isn't as bad as you might think either. Top it off with a 2.5-8x VXIII - and I'm set.

Ammo availabilty - ehh

Posted: 12/19/2008 2:45:40 PM EDT

[#4]

I like your first choice. My choice when I dumped the magnum was a CZ 550 chambered in .308.

Posted: 12/19/2008 4:43:53 PM EDT

[#5]

My choice would be a Mauser-action (claw extractor) in .30/06. That's what I use, BTW.

Posted: 12/19/2008 5:11:49 PM EDT

[#6]

I would take wichever .30 caliber I shot the best.

Posted: 12/19/2008 5:19:20 PM EDT

[#7]

Savage .308 Win. I have the model 12FVSS but am considering trading for an 11 with the detachable box magazine.

Posted: 12/19/2008 6:45:31 PM EDT

[#8]

I would go with the .308 caliber and a short barreled rifle something like that compact ruger or a Savage scout type. If I scoped it, it would have a 1-4 0r 1.5-5 Leupy in 20mm

I presently use a H&R 30-30 Topper single shot with a 1.5-5 Leupy and use handloaded 130 XBT Barnes bullets. Short-lightweight, easy to carry and swing around in an elevated stand.

Posted: 12/19/2008 7:11:24 PM EDT

[#9]

Weatherby Mark V in .340 Weatherby.

Posted: 12/19/2008 7:16:02 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Weatherby Mark V in .340 Weatherby.

yeah, im sure you can shoot that consistantly with the recoil.

dont know why people feel the need to be over gunned. a solid hit with a 308 is alot more leathal than a crappy hit from that.

Posted: 12/19/2008 8:16:13 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Weatherby Mark V in .340 Weatherby.

yeah, im sure you can shoot that consistantly with the recoil.

dont know why people feel the need to be over gunned. a solid hit with a 308 is alot more leathal than a crappy hit from that.

Actually, yes I can, thanks. I don't know why people would bring a .308 to kill a coastal bear weighing 1500 pounds. Bring enough gun or stay home.

Posted: 12/19/2008 8:21:28 PM EDT

[#12]

a head shot with a 308 will bring a bear down instantly, a vital's shot with even the biggest boomers may not. even in the vitals a 308 with the right bullet will do fine on any brown bear. i would not hesitate to bring a 308 with a 178Amax load bear hunting. your not going to get a pass through, but it will get in the vitals and do its job.

Posted: 12/19/2008 8:27:56 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
a head shot with a 308 will bring a bear down instantly, a vital's shot with even the biggest boomers may not. even in the vitals a 308 with the right bullet will do fine on any brown bear. i would not hesitate to bring a 308 with a 178Amax load bear hunting. your not going to get a pass through, but it will get in the vitals and do its job.

So you're going to shoot a 3/4 ton bear, that could kill you with one swipe, with a .308 and bullet that is specifically NOT meant for game of that nature? That's fine with me if you do it, but I wouldn't. That might would work out well for you, but there's more than a slim chance that it would not, especially if you did it more than once.

And also, I'm not trying to start a pissing match here, but why do you assume that if you, or someone you know, or someone you talked to once, said they couldn't handle the .340 Weatherby, that I cannot? Isn't that kind of a far reaching assumption?

Posted: 12/19/2008 8:58:12 PM EDT

[#14]

30-06 preferably a M700 or Win M70

Will take anything on the continent.

Posted: 12/19/2008 9:08:56 PM EDT

[#15]

ive had, and do have plenty of big boomers. havnt had a 340 weatherby, but build a hunting weight 338 edge that weighed 8lbs before scope. at first didnt have a brake on it, and it was miserable to shoot, and im not one that recoil ussually bothers. and i found nobody else that could shoot it like that. once i put a brake on it-it was too loud to even take one shot on game without ear protection, even with 28" of barrel between me and the brake. but i can take a 11LBS non-braked 300RUM shooting 208 Amax's to the range, and shoot 100 rounds and not be too beat up. i shoot my 338 lapua all the time with 300SMK's but it weighs 18LBS with the scope, and has a brake. its fine to shoot but im not going to tote it around hunting A. because of the weight, and B. because of the brake.

and like i said a head shot from a 308 will bring the biggest bear down in its tracks. take its brain out to disable it, then pop one in the boiler room to shut down the vitals. works like a charm. theres more than one way to skin a cat you know... if your into skining cats that is.

chances are i would never be going after a grizzly. eastern black bear yes, actually took a 400LBS male thanksgiving day. was out walking to my spot on a big field walked up on it on the thicket, from about 10 yards it fell to 2 115JHP's from the 9mm. the thing scared the crap out of me when i walked up on it, i knew it was in season so when it stood up i didnt take any chances.

most of my hunting is whitetail. in the next couple years im planning a elk hunt, antelope hunt, and a boar hunt. the antelope hunt i will be bringing one of my custom rifles, maybe even the 338LM i want to take an animal beyond 1000 yards. my furthest to date is a hair over 800 on a whitetail doe.

Posted: 12/19/2008 9:10:25 PM EDT

[#16]

CZ550 9.3x62

Posted: 12/20/2008 5:05:30 AM EDT

[#17]

Savage 110 in 30-06

Posted: 12/20/2008 5:10:24 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:

CZ550 9.3x62

A nice choice. Good round, great rifle.

Posted: 12/20/2008 5:14:57 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
ive had, and do have plenty of big boomers. havnt had a 340 weatherby, but build a hunting weight 338 edge that weighed 8lbs before scope. at first didnt have a brake on it, and it was miserable to shoot, and im not one that recoil ussually bothers. and i found nobody else that could shoot it like that. once i put a brake on it-it was too loud to even take one shot on game without ear protection, even with 28" of barrel between me and the brake. but i can take a 11LBS non-braked 300RUM shooting 208 Amax's to the range, and shoot 100 rounds and not be too beat up. i shoot my 338 lapua all the time with 300SMK's but it weighs 18LBS with the scope, and has a brake. its fine to shoot but im not going to tote it around hunting A. because of the weight, and B. because of the brake.

and like i said a head shot from a 308 will bring the biggest bear down in its tracks. take its brain out to disable it, then pop one in the boiler room to shut down the vitals. works like a charm. theres more than one way to skin a cat you know... if your into skining cats that is.

chances are i would never be going after a grizzly. eastern black bear yes, actually took a 400LBS male thanksgiving day. was out walking to my spot on a big field walked up on it on the thicket, from about 10 yards it fell to 2 115JHP's from the 9mm. the thing scared the crap out of me when i walked up on it, i knew it was in season so when it stood up i didnt take any chances.

most of my hunting is whitetail. in the next couple years im planning a elk hunt, antelope hunt, and a boar hunt. the antelope hunt i will be bringing one of my custom rifles, maybe even the 338LM i want to take an animal beyond 1000 yards. my furthest to date is a hair over 800 on a whitetail doe.

I understand the point you're making, but I have had a .340, in a Weatherby mark V, that simply wasn't particularly unpleasant to shoot. Yes, there was recoil, but nothing special. I had no problems shooting it accurately, and had no fear of the gun or the recoil.
A gun well stocked for recoil, as I believe the MK V is, helps a lot when it comes to the shootability of the rifle.

Posted: 12/20/2008 5:40:53 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:

I had no problems shooting it accurately, and had no fear of the gun or the recoil.

A gun well stocked for recoil, as I believe the MK V is, helps a lot when it comes to the shootability of the rifle.

Some people just can't grasp the concept of this - hence the vitriol.

Posted: 12/20/2008 8:07:06 AM EDT

[#21]

Just to buck the obvious .30 cal trend here, I'm going to suggest a Marlin in 45-70. It'll do lighter bullets for whitetails out to 200 yards or more depending on your willingness to use Kentucky windage, and big heavy solids that will punch big holes in the largest bear with authority at bear hunting ranges.

That said, I've already got a Savage 30-06 that would be my choice for 1 rifle for all game.

Posted: 12/20/2008 9:34:27 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:

Quoted:
ive had, and do have plenty of big boomers. havnt had a 340 weatherby, but build a hunting weight 338 edge that weighed 8lbs before scope. at first didnt have a brake on it, and it was miserable to shoot, and im not one that recoil ussually bothers. and i found nobody else that could shoot it like that. once i put a brake on it-it was too loud to even take one shot on game without ear protection, even with 28" of barrel between me and the brake. but i can take a 11LBS non-braked 300RUM shooting 208 Amax's to the range, and shoot 100 rounds and not be too beat up. i shoot my 338 lapua all the time with 300SMK's but it weighs 18LBS with the scope, and has a brake. its fine to shoot but im not going to tote it around hunting A. because of the weight, and B. because of the brake.

and like i said a head shot from a 308 will bring the biggest bear down in its tracks. take its brain out to disable it, then pop one in the boiler room to shut down the vitals. works like a charm. theres more than one way to skin a cat you know... if your into skining cats that is.

chances are i would never be going after a grizzly. eastern black bear yes, actually took a 400LBS male thanksgiving day. was out walking to my spot on a big field walked up on it on the thicket, from about 10 yards it fell to 2 115JHP's from the 9mm. the thing scared the crap out of me when i walked up on it, i knew it was in season so when it stood up i didnt take any chances.

most of my hunting is whitetail. in the next couple years im planning a elk hunt, antelope hunt, and a boar hunt. the antelope hunt i will be bringing one of my custom rifles, maybe even the 338LM i want to take an animal beyond 1000 yards. my furthest to date is a hair over 800 on a whitetail doe.

I understand the point you're making, but I have had a .340, in a Weatherby mark V, that simply wasn't particularly unpleasant to shoot. Yes, there was recoil, but nothing special. I had no problems shooting it accurately, and had no fear of the gun or the recoil.
A gun well stocked for recoil, as I believe the MK V is, helps a lot when it comes to the shootability of the rifle.

yes, but your almost suggesting that just about everybody can shoot a 340 accuratly. people thinking they can accuratly shoot these cannons, and thinking you need a cannon to bring down a deer, that or the bigger the gun, the bigger man you are is the reason there are a ass ton of wounded deer. a little bambi doesnt need a big magnum to kill it. i shoot deer with damage stamps on soybean fields, and ive probably dropped more of them with headshots with a 22 than any other gun. put one in the brain, and theres not many things that wouldnt kill a deer.

Posted: 12/20/2008 10:03:48 AM EDT

[#23]

Hunting only:
300 SAUM or 300 Win short mag.
Rem. Model 7 action
22-23" fluted #5 contour premium barrel.
McMillian lightweigth or Brown "Pounder" stock.
Pachmyer Decellerator pad.
Leupold 2.5-8 scope in Warne QD mounts.
I'd want fix sights as well cuzz shit happens at the worst time.

I think this would cover the whole range based on bullet weight and shot placement.
I know the rig is going to suit me as I built a pair in 7-08 and 6X47.
The 6x47 wears a Leupold 3.5-10x40 AO.

Good thread,
Pete

Posted: 12/20/2008 10:08:56 AM EDT

[#24]

300, go back and read the title of YOUR thread. If YOU could chose one caliber . He's not talking about everyone shooting a 340 WBY, just him.

Posted: 12/20/2008 10:35:23 AM EDT

[#25]

M700 Stainless Steel .30-06. Done.

Posted: 12/20/2008 11:22:50 AM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:

Quoted:
ive had, and do have plenty of big boomers. havnt had a 340 weatherby, but build a hunting weight 338 edge that weighed 8lbs before scope. at first didnt have a brake on it, and it was miserable to shoot, and im not one that recoil ussually bothers. and i found nobody else that could shoot it like that. once i put a brake on it-it was too loud to even take one shot on game without ear protection, even with 28" of barrel between me and the brake. but i can take a 11LBS non-braked 300RUM shooting 208 Amax's to the range, and shoot 100 rounds and not be too beat up. i shoot my 338 lapua all the time with 300SMK's but it weighs 18LBS with the scope, and has a brake. its fine to shoot but im not going to tote it around hunting A. because of the weight, and B. because of the brake.

and like i said a head shot from a 308 will bring the biggest bear down in its tracks. take its brain out to disable it, then pop one in the boiler room to shut down the vitals. works like a charm. theres more than one way to skin a cat you know... if your into skining cats that is.

chances are i would never be going after a grizzly. eastern black bear yes, actually took a 400LBS male thanksgiving day. was out walking to my spot on a big field walked up on it on the thicket, from about 10 yards it fell to 2 115JHP's from the 9mm. the thing scared the crap out of me when i walked up on it, i knew it was in season so when it stood up i didnt take any chances.

most of my hunting is whitetail. in the next couple years im planning a elk hunt, antelope hunt, and a boar hunt. the antelope hunt i will be bringing one of my custom rifles, maybe even the 338LM i want to take an animal beyond 1000 yards. my furthest to date is a hair over 800 on a whitetail doe.

I understand the point you're making, but I have had a .340, in a Weatherby mark V, that simply wasn't particularly unpleasant to shoot. Yes, there was recoil, but nothing special. I had no problems shooting it accurately, and had no fear of the gun or the recoil.
A gun well stocked for recoil, as I believe the MK V is, helps a lot when it comes to the shootability of the rifle.

yes, but your almost suggesting that just about everybody can shoot a 340 accuratly. people thinking they can accuratly shoot these cannons, and thinking you need a cannon to bring down a deer, that or the bigger the gun, the bigger man you are is the reason there are a ass ton of wounded deer. a little bambi doesnt need a big magnum to kill it. i shoot deer with damage stamps on soybean fields, and ive probably dropped more of them with headshots with a 22 than any other gun. put one in the brain, and theres not many things that wouldnt kill a deer.

Your thread asked what one rifle someone would have for big game, including bear. I never said that everyone could shoot a .340 well, nor did I suggest that using a bigger gun makes someone more of a man. If a guy can't handle a .340, there is no shame in that. I can handle one, and don't see why my choice should be criticized as being "wrong". In the end, I would say that more deer (and other game) are wounded by "normal" guns than any other, because most deer hunters shoot their guns maybe 3 times a year. That, more than cartridge selection, is the problem with bad shooting. A .340 weatherby can kill anything on this continent, or for that matter, on any other continent. It has great ranging ability, smashing energy, and great bullet weight and sectional density that makes it an all around killer without many peers. Yes, it kicks hard. That is the price you pay for that kind of killing power and versatility. If someone can't handle it, don't use it. It's that simple.

And, btw, you keep referring to head shots. Shooting at the head with a marginal gun is just as, if not more unethical and likely to wound than using a bigger gun and taking thoracic shots. If you miss even a tiny bit, you stand a great risk of wounding an animal and dooming them to a slow death of starvation or infection. There's a far greater chance of making a killing shot, even if you are off a couple inches, by taking the thoracic shot. A couple of inches on a head shot can, and probably will be, disastrous.

Posted: 12/20/2008 2:19:43 PM EDT

[#27]

i never said you said anybody could shoot a 340, or that you said it makes somebody more of a man, but there are many who believe it. the problem is many people wont admit they cant shoot a rifle well, and many people do feel the bigger the gun, the bigger the man. look at all the people here in VA shooting out baby deer with big magnums where most shots are going to be within 50 yards unless you have a good sized field you hunt on.

a head shot is not unethical when you know you can hit it and shoot 50K rounds a year. it is not unusual for me to put 2000 rounds of 22 down range in a weekend, and i practice out to 400 yards with it. i would never take a shot on game with a 22 at 400 yards but i practice to it to make myself better. for 22 kills i draw the line at 100 yards. out to 100 yards i know what sqaure inch my fouled warm bore shot will land, my fouled cold bore, and my clean cold bore every time. the properties i kill deer on during the summer i get as many as 300 damage stamps total and in the last 3 years have filled every stamp. i dont take shots i dont KNOW i can make, therefor put the deer down every time. in my whole time i have wounded 1 deer, and thats only because we were out there shooting a bunch of them and my throat happened to go in the middle of shooting. was a 400 yard shot i had done over and over was using my 1:16 twist 300RUM shooting 110Vmax's over 4150FPS. adjusted, and aimed right for the boiler room, and hit it in the ass. my buddy put another round in it immediatly. next deer missed a foot low. said WTF and put the gun away. next day rifle was shooting 2 foot groups at 200 yards, the barrel was done. and i have only missed 2 other times, both were at much further distances, one due to misjudging the swirling wind, and the other was my fault, i pulled it.

Posted: 12/20/2008 4:14:08 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
i never said you said anybody could shoot a 340, or that you said it makes somebody more of a man, but there are many who believe it. the problem is many people wont admit they cant shoot a rifle well, and many people do feel the bigger the gun, the bigger the man. look at all the people here in VA shooting out baby deer with big magnums where most shots are going to be within 50 yards unless you have a good sized field you hunt on.

a head shot is not unethical when you know you can hit it and shoot 50K rounds a year. it is not unusual for me to put 2000 rounds of 22 down range in a weekend, and i practice out to 400 yards with it. i would never take a shot on game with a 22 at 400 yards but i practice to it to make myself better. for 22 kills i draw the line at 100 yards. out to 100 yards i know what sqaure inch my fouled warm bore shot will land, my fouled cold bore, and my clean cold bore every time. the properties i kill deer on during the summer i get as many as 300 damage stamps total and in the last 3 years have filled every stamp. i dont take shots i dont KNOW i can make, therefor put the deer down every time. in my whole time i have wounded 1 deer, and thats only because we were out there shooting a bunch of them and my throat happened to go in the middle of shooting. was a 400 yard shot i had done over and over was using my 1:16 twist 300RUM shooting 110Vmax's over 4150FPS. adjusted, and aimed right for the boiler room, and hit it in the ass. my buddy put another round in it immediatly. next deer missed a foot low. said WTF and put the gun away. next day rifle was shooting 2 foot groups at 200 yards, the barrel was done. and i have only missed 2 other times, both were at much further distances, one due to misjudging the swirling wind, and the other was my fault, i pulled it.

Ok, so you are nitpicking about a .340 as a 1-rifle choice, because it has too much recoil, and is too powerful for "bambi", yet you go out and blast them with the coke bottle sized .300 RUM? Really? What exactly fuels your hypocrisy? Do you just hate Weatherby?

Posted: 12/20/2008 4:42:07 PM EDT

[#29]

My suggestion is a .300WM However, the .300RUM seems interesting with Remington's new power level ammunition. Remington claims the power level ammunition comes in the power levels I, II, III. Power level I duplicates the performance of the .30-06, Power level II duplicates a .300WM, and Power Level III produces the full performance of the .300RUM. Its an interesting concept for those that are looking for do-all rifle/caliber.

Posted: 12/20/2008 5:04:50 PM EDT

[#30]

This one...1953 Model 70, 30-06. I have used it for many, many, years and has never failed me. I have had the .300mag, 338, etc., but have complete confidence in placing my shot where it counts. For at least 20 years I have loaded it with Nosler Partitions from 150gr to 180 and it is one of those rifles that is not fussy about the load, shoots most of them very well. If I was going after the big ones, I have confidence that the 180 Partition would get it done.

Posted: 12/20/2008 6:50:24 PM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:

Quoted:
i never said you said anybody could shoot a 340, or that you said it makes somebody more of a man, but there are many who believe it. the problem is many people wont admit they cant shoot a rifle well, and many people do feel the bigger the gun, the bigger the man. look at all the people here in VA shooting out baby deer with big magnums where most shots are going to be within 50 yards unless you have a good sized field you hunt on.

a head shot is not unethical when you know you can hit it and shoot 50K rounds a year. it is not unusual for me to put 2000 rounds of 22 down range in a weekend, and i practice out to 400 yards with it. i would never take a shot on game with a 22 at 400 yards but i practice to it to make myself better. for 22 kills i draw the line at 100 yards. out to 100 yards i know what sqaure inch my fouled warm bore shot will land, my fouled cold bore, and my clean cold bore every time. the properties i kill deer on during the summer i get as many as 300 damage stamps total and in the last 3 years have filled every stamp. i dont take shots i dont KNOW i can make, therefor put the deer down every time. in my whole time i have wounded 1 deer, and thats only because we were out there shooting a bunch of them and my throat happened to go in the middle of shooting. was a 400 yard shot i had done over and over was using my 1:16 twist 300RUM shooting 110Vmax's over 4150FPS. adjusted, and aimed right for the boiler room, and hit it in the ass. my buddy put another round in it immediatly. next deer missed a foot low. said WTF and put the gun away. next day rifle was shooting 2 foot groups at 200 yards, the barrel was done. and i have only missed 2 other times, both were at much further distances, one due to misjudging the swirling wind, and the other was my fault, i pulled it.

Ok, so you are nitpicking about a .340 as a 1-rifle choice, because it has too much recoil, and is too powerful for "bambi", yet you go out and blast them with the coke bottle sized .300 RUM? Really? What exactly fuels your hypocrisy? Do you just hate Weatherby?

300RUM is hardly coke bottle sized, and i was just blasting it with it because it nearly tears them in half. the rifle also weighs over 20LBS has a 32" strait taper barrel, and sits in a MCM prone stock AND has a brake on it. recoil is not problem at all, my 223's recoil harder, but its also not exactly your go to rifle for hunting. it was build just the blow crap apart, and thats what it does. barrels also last about 400 rounds, and a 32" match grade stainless barrels arent cheap. ive wore through 2 of them now and its just sitting in the safe with a worn out barrel.

that is not hypocrisy at all, and i have nothing wrong with weatherby. i do believe there are lots better cartridges, and weatherby ammo, and brass is over priced, bu tthey do have a few nice rounds. i hardly consider the 340 to be one of them 338LM, and 338RUM are much better cartridges and dont have the stupid belt. 257WB is a amazing round though.

Posted: 12/21/2008 4:39:19 AM EDT

[#32]

I like my 243 but since you want to kill lager game I would say all around 308.

Posted: 12/21/2008 6:59:09 AM EDT

[#33]

Quoted:

Quoted:
i never said you said anybody could shoot a 340, or that you said it makes somebody more of a man, but there are many who believe it. the problem is many people wont admit they cant shoot a rifle well, and many people do feel the bigger the gun, the bigger the man. look at all the people here in VA shooting out baby deer with big magnums where most shots are going to be within 50 yards unless you have a good sized field you hunt on.

a head shot is not unethical when you know you can hit it and shoot 50K rounds a year. it is not unusual for me to put 2000 rounds of 22 down range in a weekend, and i practice out to 400 yards with it. i would never take a shot on game with a 22 at 400 yards but i practice to it to make myself better. for 22 kills i draw the line at 100 yards. out to 100 yards i know what sqaure inch my fouled warm bore shot will land, my fouled cold bore, and my clean cold bore every time. the properties i kill deer on during the summer i get as many as 300 damage stamps total and in the last 3 years have filled every stamp. i dont take shots i dont KNOW i can make, therefor put the deer down every time. in my whole time i have wounded 1 deer, and thats only because we were out there shooting a bunch of them and my throat happened to go in the middle of shooting. was a 400 yard shot i had done over and over was using my 1:16 twist 300RUM shooting 110Vmax's over 4150FPS. adjusted, and aimed right for the boiler room, and hit it in the ass. my buddy put another round in it immediatly. next deer missed a foot low. said WTF and put the gun away. next day rifle was shooting 2 foot groups at 200 yards, the barrel was done. and i have only missed 2 other times, both were at much further distances, one due to misjudging the swirling wind, and the other was my fault, i pulled it.

Ok, so you are nitpicking about a .340 as a 1-rifle choice, because it has too much recoil, and is too powerful for "bambi", yet you go out and blast them with the coke bottle sized .300 RUM? Really? What exactly fuels your hypocrisy? Do you just hate Weatherby?

300RUM is hardly coke bottle sized, and i was just blasting it with it because it nearly tears them in half. the rifle also weighs over 20LBS has a 32" strait taper barrel, and sits in a MCM prone stock AND has a brake on it. recoil is not problem at all, my 223's recoil harder, but its also not exactly your go to rifle for hunting. it was build just the blow crap apart, and thats what it does. barrels also last about 400 rounds, and a 32" match grade stainless barrels arent cheap. ive wore through 2 of them now and its just sitting in the safe with a worn out barrel.

that is not hypocrisy at all, and i have nothing wrong with weatherby. i do believe there are lots better cartridges, and weatherby ammo, and brass is over priced, bu tthey do have a few nice rounds. i hardly consider the 340 to be one of them 338LM, and 338RUM are much better cartridges and dont have the stupid belt. 257WB is a amazing round though.

So what do the .338 LM and the .338 RUM do that the Weatherby doesn't? They don't produce enough of a velocity difference to be noticed in the field, the ammo is just as expensive, and they produce just as much, if not more, recoil. The only difference is that they don't have the belt. Well gee, I've never had any problem with a belted magnum feeding, extracting, or being really accurate. They all work fine. The whole belt thing is gun writer tripe to justify Remington and a few other companies coming out with "new" cartridges that don't do shit that most old ones won't do. For instance, the .300 RUM, .30 TC, the .300 Ruger CM, the .338 Ruger CM, etc. Yes, the magnum belt is unnecessary, but so are 90% of the new cartridges introduced in the last 10 years.

No, I am not a Remington hater, or a hater of new cartridges. I just don't like the fact that people read gun rags, and get convinced that the new cartridges that don't do anything that the old ones don't do are "better", because of some made up, arbitrary standard imposed by some dumbass gun writer.

Posted: 12/21/2008 7:19:57 AM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:
Remington 700 in .308 (I have it) or in 30.06 (I may get one)

I love my .308

Yep, just bought at Walmart a 700 Remington 3006 with laminated wood for $360.00 . I don't deer hunt but after the election I figured I'd better pick up a few non black politically correct guns.

Posted: 12/21/2008 8:40:27 AM EDT

[#35]

Quoted:
So what do the .338 LM and the .338 RUM do that the Weatherby doesn't? They don't produce enough of a velocity difference to be noticed in the field, the ammo is just as expensive, and they produce just as much, if not more, recoil. The only difference is that they don't have the belt. Well gee, I've never had any problem with a belted magnum feeding, extracting, or being really accurate. They all work fine. The whole belt thing is gun writer tripe to justify Remington and a few other companies coming out with "new" cartridges that don't do shit that most old ones won't do. For instance, the .300 RUM, .30 TC, the .300 Ruger CM, the .338 Ruger CM, etc. Yes, the magnum belt is unnecessary, but so are 90% of the new cartridges introduced in the last 10 years.

No, I am not a Remington hater, or a hater of new cartridges. I just don't like the fact that people read gun rags, and get convinced that the new cartridges that don't do anything that the old ones don't do are "better", because of some made up, arbitrary standard imposed by some dumbass gun writer.

a non belted cartridge is always going to be more accurate, easier to reload, and have more case life. and since they both use the same bolt face, you get more capacity in the non belted. and brass is cheaper for the RUM and for the 338LM lapua brass is available. it gets no better than lapua brass. i bet i can load my lapua brass twice as much as 340WB brass.

i dont read gun magazines, my knowledge is for the most part is from trial and error. i also know that things can be inproved upon hence why most new cartridges are based off old ones.

Posted: 12/21/2008 8:57:05 AM EDT

[#36]

Quoted:

Quoted:
So what do the .338 LM and the .338 RUM do that the Weatherby doesn't? They don't produce enough of a velocity difference to be noticed in the field, the ammo is just as expensive, and they produce just as much, if not more, recoil. The only difference is that they don't have the belt. Well gee, I've never had any problem with a belted magnum feeding, extracting, or being really accurate. They all work fine. The whole belt thing is gun writer tripe to justify Remington and a few other companies coming out with "new" cartridges that don't do shit that most old ones won't do. For instance, the .300 RUM, .30 TC, the .300 Ruger CM, the .338 Ruger CM, etc. Yes, the magnum belt is unnecessary, but so are 90% of the new cartridges introduced in the last 10 years.

No, I am not a Remington hater, or a hater of new cartridges. I just don't like the fact that people read gun rags, and get convinced that the new cartridges that don't do anything that the old ones don't do are "better", because of some made up, arbitrary standard imposed by some dumbass gun writer.

a non belted cartridge is always going to be more accurate, easier to reload, and have more case life. and since they both use the same bolt face, you get more capacity in the non belted. and brass is cheaper for the RUM and for the 338LM lapua brass is available. it gets no better than lapua brass. i bet i can load my lapua brass twice as much as 340WB brass.

i dont read gun magazines, my knowledge is for the most part is from trial and error. i also know that things can be inproved upon hence why most new cartridges are based off old ones.

More BS. Belts don't make cartridges inaccurate, no does a lack of a belt make a cartridge more accurate. Accuracy has to do with neck length, powder burn uniformity, bullet consistency, the rifle itself, and many, many other factors. The .340 Weatherby, and many other belted magnums are more accurate than most anybody can shoot them. Either way, 1 - 1.5 MOA accuracy, even if that's all you can get out of a rifle, is more than adequate for hunting at any reasonable range, even up to 400-500 yards. I'm not sure what your hard on is for the .340, but we all have cartridges we like or dislike. That's why then make more than one. There are cartridges that I would probably never own, but I don't disparage someone who does. That reeks of small-mindedness and arrogance.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree here, as I'm not going to argue this point anymore. I simply posted an answer to a question you asked, and for some reason you took offense to it. Whatever. I don't think you know as much about guns and cartridges as you think you do, especially since you have admittedly never shot or owned a .340 Weatherby, but either way, that's cool. To each his own.

Posted: 12/21/2008 9:45:47 AM EDT

[#37]

Shooting a black bear with a 9mm and headshots on deer with a 22LR...

Certainly hope those kills haven't been in VA, or at least you better be good at ducking the DGIF.

Posted: 12/22/2008 10:04:17 AM EDT

[#38]

Doesn't meet much of your ctiteria but my one and only hunting rifle is a Marlin 444. Just as accurate as your average bolt gun, can drop anything prowling North America. For a one gun solution it's very nearly impossible to beat with any thing else.

Posted: 12/22/2008 7:41:14 PM EDT

[#39]

If I had to pick only one rifle, I would go with a 24-in rifle in either 25-06, 30-06 or 375 H&H. If I mostly hunted varmints and deer and thought that I might go on a Black Bear hunt at some time in the future and never thought about a bear hunt in Alaska, I would go with the 25-06. If I mostly hunted deer and Black Bear, rarely hunted varmints and fantasied about hunting bear in alaska, I would choose the 30-06. If I hunted deer and a hunted Black Bear regularly and had little or not interest in hunting varmints, I would go with the 375 H&H. My 375 does not recoil much more than my 30-06, for the first twenty to thirty rounds. After that you do start to get a bit fatigued. But it is not intended to be shot like a varmint rifle!

Ammo wise, the 30-06 is more plentiful here in North America but internationally the both 30-06 and 375 H&H are fairly common.

We had a similar discussion on another tread here on the AR15Variants board

But man why would you only want to be restricted to one rifle?

320pf

Posted: 12/22/2008 8:04:32 PM EDT

[#40]

AR-10

It's THE sport utility rifle for all things, big and small.

TXL

Posted: 12/23/2008 7:43:57 AM EDT

[#41]

For a "off the shelf" North American "big game" hunting rifle that is chambered in a cartridge that can be found in almost any backwoods mom & pop store, I would seriously consider a synthetic stocked Remington Model Seven in .308 Winchester topped with a Leupold VX-III 2.5-8 or 3.5-10 in their PRW rings and QRW bases.

Posted: 12/23/2008 1:13:58 PM EDT

[#42]

I guess I'd look at the "one rifle" restriction a different way. If you could only have one, why restrict yourself to just one caliber? Why not get a gun that can shoot more than one? A Blaser R93 can shoot about any caliber around. It's also one of the finest shooting guns available that is not custom made. I shoot mine as a .270Win, .300WM, .338Win, and .375 H&H.
If circumstances restricted your freedom, as was posed in this question, why not get creative with your selection?

Posted: 12/25/2008 6:59:12 PM EDT

[#43]

Quoted:
AR-10

It's THE sport utility rifle for all things, big and small.

TXL

many states wont allow you to hunt with semi auto rifles

Quoted:
I guess I'd look at the "one rifle" restriction a different way. If you could only have one, why restrict yourself to just one caliber? Why not get a gun that can shoot more than one? A Blaser R93 can shoot about any caliber around. It's also one of the finest shooting guns available that is not custom made. I shoot mine as a .270Win, .300WM, .338Win, and .375 H&H.
If circumstances restricted your freedom, as was posed in this question, why not get creative with your selection?

they have their problems, but they have their fan boys aswell.

Posted: 12/27/2008 4:47:52 PM EDT

[#44]

Remington 700 7mm magnum

Posted: 12/27/2008 10:15:51 PM EDT

[#45]

9.3 X 62 Mauser. Adequate for any NA game (including the BIG bears !) and most African game as well (except maybe a charging elephant).

After doing extensive research on this round I have fallen in love with it's capabilities (which are amazing, as the round was first produced in 1905!) and am determined to get a CZ 550 as soon as I can raise the money.

Oh, if ammo becomes hard to find, .30-'06 brass can easily be converted.

I see by not reading the whole thread before posting, I became the third or so to vote for this awesome round.

Posted: 1/1/2009 6:05:43 AM EDT

[#46]

30-06
30-06
30-06
30-06

No question all round best round for the application you described.

Posted: 1/1/2009 6:20:12 AM EDT

[#47]

Winchester 30-30 would be my 1st choice for a deer rifle but then again I am in the Blue Ridge mountains and long shots just don't come up much.

Posted: 1/1/2009 6:25:52 AM EDT

[#48]

I'm not sure you asked the "right question". North American hunting ranges from varminting to dangerous game like the grizzlies you mentioned. You may want 2 or even 3 rifles, ranging from the ubiquitous .223 or a "6" like the .243 for varmints and 'yotes, a good .30 caliber (.308 or 30-06) for mid-size game like pigs and deer, to something heftier for the grizzlies. I assume you reload so you have the optimum selections of bullets and ballistics for your hunting. Just my 2 cents...

Live Free or Die!

Posted: 1/1/2009 9:05:29 AM EDT

[#49]

Quoted:
This one...1953 Model 70, 30-06. I have used it for many, many, years and has never failed me. I have had the .300mag, 338, etc., but have complete confidence in placing my shot where it counts. For at least 20 years I have loaded it with Nosler Partitions from 150gr to 180 and it is one of those rifles that is not fussy about the load, shoots most of them very well. If I was going after the big ones, I have confidence that the 180 Partition would get it done.

http:// http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v130/rhino6/Winchester%20Model%2070/DSC00002-1.jpg

Nice choice. I have an identical rifle except mine was made in 1966

Posted: 1/4/2009 5:42:18 PM EDT

[#50]

The Beekeeper

My choice would be a Mauser-action (claw extractor) in .30/06. That's what I use, BTW.

This is a 1950ish FN Mauser in 30-06. Has the flip safety. This is my first season with it and I've killed five deer. I load 180g soft points using 44g of IMR 4895. Four of the five deer dropped dead in place, fifth got maybe 40 yds. This most likely will be my deer rifle as long as I can hunt. $200 at a local pawn shop.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - If you could have just one rifle (Page 1 of 2)

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