If you could only have one gun...

[nralifer]

Well. With a .308 150 gr Badlands Precision BD2 bullet and SRP brass using LVR power from a 1:10 24" barrel can do anything that Weatherby can do for far less than $5/shot with much less recoil and with readily available brass. Even large rifle primer brass can be used. I use this recipe all the time. I get 3050 fps with only 49 gr of LVR and with 50 gr, it's going faster. The G7=0.264, better than that 185 gr bullet and far better than the 175 gr .338 bullet (G7=0.198). I find hunting rifles with 28" barrels are clumsy because of the length of the barrel. Getting in and out of boats or vehicles and walking through thick brush is problematic.

I need to try the 150 BD2 in my M1A suppressed hunter. With the Remington SRP brass,CCI41, and 2000 MR, I run the 168 Hybrids at 2800, I should at least get that and maybe another 100 with the 22 inch barrel. Got some LVR coming for the load work. Not worried about port pressure issue on op rod, got that mitigated or can tame it down even further.

I've got an M1A. What I should do is to try that bullet in it and see if the OAL needed to mag feed well can be done. The other potential bullet is the 125 gr bullet we are developing. I'm sure that bullet would work well and enable 3000+ fps from that rifle. Send me a PM. I'm sure your gun is more accurate than mine. I just want to see how practical each bullet will be in that gun and smooth mag feeding is essential

 

[nralifer]

Well it would be a toss up between the .308 and the '06. Either will get-r-done for everything I would be able to hunt in this part of the ocuntry, and if I was only allowed the one, ell it would work just about anywhere else I would want to go as well.

Either can be loaded to shoot extreemly tight groups, and ammo can be found for both just about anywhere. Just in cse I happend to leave the green box sitting by the door again. LOL

Certainly agree with that

 

[sika64]

If only 1, I would take a Tikka/Valmet over/under in 12ga -30-06 or 12ga- 9.3x74

 

[rbTanzan]

"Plan from when things go bad, not for when things go right."

With that advice, I go big.
The 338WinMag is a GREAT deer rifle. It duplicates the 270 on deer, but has more anchoring potential for elk, moose, bear. And works very well in Africa, see below.
The 300PRC is my North American second choice. (I've got a very lightweight ChristensenArms.)

I would also use the 338WinMag in Africa, and have, if allowed to my own desires. It is a great all-around rifle for walking a forest where a person might also bump into a buffalo or lion. If under a strict authority that might require .375, then in that situation, a 375. I like the 375 Ruger because it can be used in standard length (=30-06) actions. The 375H&H is functionally equal, though typically in heavier/larger rifles. But, where buffalo would be on a regular menu, then I would go up to a 416, either a handloaded Rigby or a 416Ruger in a standard action, (giving up 200fps to the handloaded Rigby).

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

12 ga with a Poly Choke and a stock pile several K rounds from 2 3/4" low brass # 8 shot all the way to 3" rifled solid slugs.
Could hunt everything from Doves to Elephant.

 

[Radman]

If you had to limit yourself to one gun (rifle or handgun) for all of your hunting, what would it be and why?

I would choose my 338RUM. It is a sporter weight Rem 700, is ported and Duracoated with a laminated stock. It shoots half inch at 100 yds with the 225AB and has mild recoil. It shoots flat trajectory and can be loaded with anything from a 180 gr ballistic tip for deer or antelope to a 275 gr A-frame for Kodiak bear. It is light enough to carry around all day, but just heavy enough to be stable on a rest. The scope is a Burris 4.5-15 ballistic plex. The low end is low enough for any close shot that might present itself and the high end is more than adequate for long shots. The scope has excellent clarity and brightness.

I would love to try it out on a big bear some day, and it certainly would not be out of place on an African safari (other than where there is a .40 cal minimum for the big stuff).

Let's hear from some of you other guys!
Sam

12 gauge: Hunt everything from birds to deer to bears just by changing ammo. Also great for personal protection.

 

[IndianaMatt]

Oh I agree with you 100%. .284 win ammo is nonexistent. I do currently hand load for it, but it would be really nice to buy a box of ammo now and then. 7-08 isn't all that common in shops around here anymore either.

Tried to delete this, forgot to insert quote.

 

[IndianaMatt]

Oh I agree with you 100%. .284 win ammo is nonexistent. I do currently hand load for it, but it would be really nice to buy a box of ammo now and then. 7-08 isn't all that common in shops around here anymore either.

Don't know how available 284Win ammo is but likely not as available as 7mm/08 or 308Win. The 308Win is about as universal hunting cartridge as there is. Reloaders can use new components and the highest available 30 cal bullets available to make the 308 perform way beyond the typical sniper rounds. Pushing a high BC 150 gr copper bullet 3000 fps is easy from a compact 20-22" barrel. The increased range and penetration of the high BC copper bullets dramatically elevates the performance on game, with very mild recoil. Those that criticize this idea have never tried it. Availability of factory ammo is great as well.

 

[JKB57]

300 win mag or 375H&H would be a toss up

 

[ridge86]

if you only had one rifle it would be lonely!!

 

[Buffalobwana]

375 H&H

One planet, one gun.

 

[Dragoon300]

My first center fire high power rifle was an M1 Garand 30-06 scoped with a Leupold 3-9 as a teen I shot running fox and pigeons on the wing with it. (Did a lot of things I shouldn't have done)
That would be my first idea for "one gun".
Now days I think I would be hard pressed to give up my Desert Tech SRS-A1 it can have pretty much any caliber of choice. I have tried to cover varmints to big game with three 30" barrels in .338 Lapua, 6.5 PRC, and .223 WSSM (I have a fondness for velocity, grew up shooting my dad's .220 Swift M70)

 

[memtb]

"Plan from when things go bad, not for when things go right."

With that advice, I go big.
The 338WinMag is a GREAT deer rifle. It duplicates the 270 on deer, but has more anchoring potential for elk, moose, bear. And works very well in Africa, see below.
The 300PRC is my North American second choice. (I've got a very lightweight ChristensenArms.)

I would also use the 338WinMag in Africa, and have, if allowed to my own desires. It is a great all-around rifle for walking a forest where a person might also bump into a buffalo or lion. If under a strict authority that might require .375, then in that situation, a 375. I like the 375 Ruger because it can be used in standard length (=30-06) actions. The 375H&H is functionally equal, though typically in heavier/larger rifles. But, where buffalo would be on a regular menu, then I would go up to a 416, either a handloaded Rigby or a 416Ruger in a standard action, (giving up 200fps to the handloaded Rigby).

^^^^^^^ This ^^^^^^

I think that this is where the "if you could have only one gun" weighs very heavily into the answer!

The topic was not……"the best rifle for everything"……but, for "You"!

I think that the vast majority of us did a pretty darn good job of stating what would serve us best! As we all live in different regions, hunt different game, hunt on other continents, some may even consider "tactical" as important ….. it's interesting to see what makes each of us unique in the shooting world!

I'll continue to follow this with interest……heck, even Sigmund Freud might even find this interesting! memtb

 

[nralifer]

"Plan from when things go bad, not for when things go right."

With that advice, I go big.
The 338WinMag is a GREAT deer rifle. It duplicates the 270 on deer, but has more anchoring potential for elk, moose, bear. And works very well in Africa, see below.
The 300PRC is my North American second choice. (I've got a very lightweight ChristensenArms.)

I would also use the 338WinMag in Africa, and have, if allowed to my own desires. It is a great all-around rifle for walking a forest where a person might also bump into a buffalo or lion. If under a strict authority that might require .375, then in that situation, a 375. I like the 375 Ruger because it can be used in standard length (=30-06) actions. The 375H&H is functionally equal, though typically in heavier/larger rifles. But, where buffalo would be on a regular menu, then I would go up to a 416, either a handloaded Rigby or a 416Ruger in a standard action, (giving up 200fps to the handloaded Rigby).

Don't disagree that the 338WM is an excellent rifle, but having hunted Buffalo in Africa in thick brush we tracked herds of them in the brush for days at a time before we found the right one. Never got attacked. They are dangerous and very aggressive when injured though. As far as Lions are concerned, more likely to run across one in a plains area than thick brush. Killed my Buff with a 330 Dakota by the way.