Do you actually use your “everything rifle”?

[someguy2800]

The other caliber thread got me thinking. Every time the subject of one rifle caliber for all North American game topic comes up, I always come back to 30/06, and that seams to be the most popular opinion as well. The thing is though, my 30/06 is in the safe collecting dust.

I am old enough now and have been thrifty enough that I have a dozen hunting rifles, most of which I built for a very specific purpose rather than general purpose. Some of those purposes I freely admit are imaginary, but I’m always looking for an excuse to build another rifle. I would say my general purpose hunting rifles are my 30/06 and also my 338 win mag, but for my typical hunting which is deer at under 100 yards and often within bow range due to the terrain, I would much rather use my 358 yeti and 444 marlin.

So do you actually use your generalist rifle or has it been replaced with specialists?

 

[Bazoo]

I only have one big game rifle currently, a Winchester 30-30, model 94. Yep, I use it when I’m able. I ain’t been able to go bear hunting or elk or moose or caribou yet. But I done checked off deer.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

This year im hunting an area that any shots would be in bow distance. I been taking my Mosin Nagant out. It would be cool to get a deer with the old war horse.

 

[someguy2800]

This year im hunting an area that any shots would be in bow distance. I been taking my Mosin Nagant out. It would be cool to get a deer with the old war horse.

I have a Mosin that I’ve been wanting to do the same with, but haven’t gotten around to it. Sometimes if I’m hunting with a rifle with certain limitations like iron sights or a contender pistol, I’ll also bring a scoped rifle with just in case.

 

[Varminterror]

100% specialists. I’ll occasionally justify ownership of my old .30-06 - which I bought because I believed the legend that the .30-06 was the best option to do it all - by taking it out after deer while I’m hunting behind my wife or my son, but overall, I just can’t figure out for myself why I own it any more… just nostalgia…

 

[Frostbite]

I consider my hunting rifle to be my Browning BAR in .270 Winchester and it is the one I use for hunting when rifle is allowed. I think it's specifically a hunting rifle, not a generalist.

My other rifles eligible for hunting are a Thompson Center Encore, a CZ 557 and a Bettinsoli Express, all in 30-06 Springfield. None has been used for hunting yet. I will most likely use the Encore and the Express for specific hunting situations sometime. The CZ? It is my most versatile rifle, as it can be used for target or hunting, but I can't figure in which hunt it would do anything better than the others. It might accompany as a spare at best.

The Encore was born a muzzleloader and it has killed the most deer of all my firearms as such. No more dedicated season, 12 gauge pump replaced it, so the Browning, if not banned by the stupid bunch in Ottawa, will retake its first position within a few years if the good Lord allows me to live and hunt.

Should stupidity prevail in my country (I am afraid it will, lots of idiots live here), maybe the Encore would become my new favorite hunting rifle, maybe the quest for a new rifle would begin, perhaps a light bolt, I just don't hope for it. Love my Browning.

 

[Mauser fan]

I sure do and will be this weekend to fill the freezer for my family and a couple of others. The Springfield 30-06 whats not to like about it. It is 116 years old and battle proven to boot. I'll also mention the 7x57mm Mauser. Whats not to like about it. It is 130 years old and is battle proven also. If it where not for the 7x57 Mauser we probably wouldn't have the 7.62 x 63mm better known as the 30-06 Springfield and I'll be taking one of my Spanish ladies with me this weekend also.

 

[DM~]

Do you actually use your “everything rifle”?

Yeaa, I actually use it...



I shot a buck with it just the other day...

DM

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

Wow that is cool DM.

 

[DM~]

Wow that is cool DM.

Thanks, I've shot something like 40 big game animals with it, from moose on down.

Here's the meat buck I shot the other day,



It's the first deer I shot with iron sights in a long time.

DM

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

Awesome!

 

[22250Rem]

I been taking my Mosin Nagant out. It would be cool to get a deer with the old war horse.

... Last few years I have been rotating through several rifles when hunting a rifle zone. Today I was hunting a shotgun zone and my buddy & I are heading for the rifle zone Friday..... The Mosin is next up in the rotation; Been wanting to slay a deer with one ever since I first fired a Mosin as a teenager. Last few years no deer have appeared when I had the Mosin with me. Last year the 30-30 was in hand when the lucky day came. Hoping for a repeat Friday when holding a Mosin-Nagant, (that would be very cool and a first for me). So I don't actually have "specialist" rifles but rather a "generalist" group of rifles that I take turns with.

 

[mcb]

I do not. For me hunting is as much about a chance to play with some new (or old but new to me) piece of hunting equipment, gun, ammo, optics, binoculars, GPS, etc, as it is a chance to hunt. I have been trying to focus on one rifle a season but just a few years ago I used 6 different guns in one deer season. Since June of this year I have killed armadillos with 5 different guns. Variety is the spice of life.

 

[jmr40]

I’ll occasionally justify ownership of my old .30-06 - which I bought because I believed the legend that the .30-06 was the best option to do it all

I don't think I made a bad choice in 1975 when I bought my 30-06. At the time I did the right thing, especially since I had access to an almost unlimited supply of military surplus practice ammo. No regrets at all. And like you I still have it for nostalgia reasons. But I'd not recommend one to a new shooter. It's more gun than 95% of shooters need and if someone really needs a bigger gun, they need a bigger gun than 30-06.

Same with my lever guns. I still have two 30-30's for nostalgic reasons, but with the prices those are selling for I cleaned most of them out of my safe in the last 2 years. If people want to pay me $1200-$1500 for rifles I paid $150-$250 for they can have them.

I'm the sort of guy who prefers plain vanilla ice cream and I'm pretty much the same with my guns. I've hunted almost exclusively with the same 308 since 2009. I decided that rather than having multiple special purpose rifles in different cartridges it was better to have several rifles set up for different uses, but all in the same cartridge. But I still tend to reach for the same multi-purpose 308 rifle.

I currently have one other 308 and a 6.5CM but they are mostly range guns. I have a couple of AR''s and a bolt action 223 that is a range use gun. All other center fire rifles have been sold. And I've had a bunch over the years.

If I weren't so heavily invested in 308 I'd probably choose the 6.5 CM. And if giving advice to a younger shooter getting started today that would be my recommendation. It may be a little light for elk, and there are better true long range rifle rounds. But it is probably perfect for what 95% of shooters do 95% of the time.

 

[someguy2800]

... Last few years I have been rotating through several rifles when hunting a rifle zone. Today I was hunting a shotgun zone and my buddy & I are heading for the rifle zone Friday..... The Mosin is next up in the rotation; Been wanting to slay a deer with one ever since I first fired a Mosin as a teenager. Last few years no deer have appeared when I had the Mosin with me. Last year the 30-30 was in hand when the lucky day came. Hoping for a repeat Friday when holding a Mosin-Nagant, (that would be very cool and a first for me). So I don't actually have "specialist" rifles but rather a "generalist" group of rifles that I take turns with.

I also do that with a few classic sporters that I use only for nostalgia. One year I brought 6 rifles and 3 pistols to deer camp. I try to curb my enthusiasm and keep it to only 2 or 3 now.

 

[sage5907]

My passion is to hunt big whitetail and big mule deer. In my hands you will likely find me carrying either a 280 Remington or a 338-06. However, I always have a 30-06 handy for hunting in rain, snow, high wind, extreme cold and other adverse conditions when I don't want to subject my favorite rifles to the extreme elements. When the tough conditions come I pick up a 30-06 and it gets the job done. Don't get me wrong, my 30-06 rifles are just as nice as the other rifles, it's that I don't protect them quite as much. A 30-06 with a 165 grain Partition is one fine deer rifle.

 

[Bfh_auto]

The other caliber thread got me thinking. Every time the subject of one rifle caliber for all North American game topic comes up, I always come back to 30/06, and that seams to be the most popular opinion as well. The thing is though, my 30/06 is in the safe collecting dust.

I am old enough now and have been thrifty enough that I have a dozen hunting rifles, most of which I built for a very specific purpose rather than general purpose. Some of those purposes I freely admit are imaginary, but I’m always looking for an excuse to build another rifle. I would say my general purpose hunting rifles are my 30/06 and also my 338 win mag, but for my typical hunting which is deer at under 100 yards and often within bow range due to the terrain, I would much rather use my 358 yeti and 444 marlin.

So do you actually use your generalist rifle or has it been replaced with specialists?

Mine goes on loan to an Amish friend for deer season. He keeps it looking shiny for me.
I'm a 2 gun man. One for close range. One for long. If I have the chance at both I use the long range one and overkill up close.

 

[Archym]

The discussion in Midwestern/North America between 30-06, .308, .270 has been going on since before I've been born (and I was born right when the 30-06 vs .308 discussion started). Question: What do you have economical access to that puts meat on your family's table?

Get it done with one shot.

(Especially in this day and age...we can't afford the extra primers)

 

[Varminterror]

What do you have economical access to that puts meat on your family's table?

The local grocery store.

 

[Dr T]

Every several years, I put together a go-to rifle. Through the years, the chamberings have included 243 Win, 6 mm Rem, 25-06, 6.5 CM, 270 Win, 7mm-08, 30-40 Krag, 308 Win, 30-06, 300 Wbly Mag, 303 Brit, and 35 Whelen. After I hunt with it (a little, or a lot), something new will catch my eye and I build another one. The problem is, I don't get rid of the other ones since they are all shooters and my safes are getting past full.

Currently, the slot is filled by a TC Venture in 6.5 CM with a Bushnell Elite 3-9x40 (a clearly under rated rifle). Nothing fancy, and I won't cry if it gets knocked around a bit in the pickup. But, it might just stick around for a bit since it doesn't kick much and likes Hornady Superformance 129 gr SSTs enough that I haven't worried about developing a handload yet.

 

[Ranger99]

. . I cleaned most of them out of my safe in the last 2 years. If people want to pay me $1200-$1500 for rifles I paid $150-$250 for they can have them . . .

Yessir ^ ^ ^
I've done much the same.
I would have never dreamed that some
of the things I bought decades ago would
be so expensive now.
But that's only partly the reason for me.
I decided some time back that if I couldn't
remember the last time I'd used something
for what I'd bought it for, it was going to
a new home. Plus the increasing crime
rate in this region. Firearms, expensive
knives and jewelry, watches, etc. have
gradually been re-homed. I can't see
using valuable space to just store toys
that I'll likely never use again, and I'd
rather have the $$$ than to have some
pinhead steal the thing and it end up in
the pawn shop for pennies on the dollar

 

[Archym]

Every several years, I put together a go-to rifle. Through the years, the chamberings have included 243 Win, 6 mm Rem, 25-06, 6.5 CM, 270 Win, 7mm-08, 30-40 Krag, 308 Win, 30-06, 300 Wbly Mag, 303 Brit, and 35 Whelen. After I hunt with it (a little, or a lot), something new will catch my eye and I build another one. The problem is, I don't get rid of the other ones since they are all shooters and my safes are getting past full.

Currently, the slot is filled by a TC Venture in 6.5 CM with a Bushnell Elite 3-9x40 (a clearly under rated rifle). Nothing fancy, and I won't cry if it gets knocked around a bit in the pickup. But, it might just stick around for a bit since it doesn't kick much and likes Hornady Superformance 129 gr SSTs enough that I haven't worried about developing a handload yet.

We must be in a different part of the mid-west/northern America. There was access to a 30-06, a 30-30 Winchester, a .270 Remington...maybe at one point a .264 Winchester (Couldn't get ammo for it) and then .308.

 

[adcoch1]

I bought a Tikka t3lite in 30-06 for my do everything rifle. I've carried it around a lot, and will end up taking deer and elk with it, but I like a whole bunch of other rifles too. Just haven't had game show up when the 30-06 was in my hands. It does get lots of field time though. My wife used it this year mostly, and wants a left handed model for herself.

 

[marksman13]

Yeah. My do-it-all rifle is my 6.8 SPC AR and I use it all the time. I have a Ruger No. 1 in 30-06 and I hunt with it pretty regularly. I try to make it a point to use all of my rifles, so the “specialty rifles” get as much use as possible too. Thanks, Mississippi, for long hunting seasons.

 

[.308 Norma]

So do you actually use your generalist rifle or has it been replaced with specialists?

Sort of both - if that makes sense. What I mean is, my .308 Norma Mag is my "generalist" big game rifle. And seeing as how I only use it for big game, it's a "specialist" rifle too.
I have a .22-250 as a "specialist" varmint rifle. My early 80s 30-06 has been sitting in the gun safe for probably 25 years now, but I never used it for anything other than big game (except a couple of unlucky coyotes I ran across) anyway. So, I guess my old 30-06 would have mostly been a "specialist" big game rifle, yet a capable "generalist" rifle too.
I don't know. I've confused myself now.