Only 1 Hunting Rifle

[herrwalther]

I would hunt (pun not intended) down a Mauser-action/pre-64 Winchester 70. They made a few CRF actions but never kept them in production for very long. It would save you from looking for an older, harder to find rifle.

 

[mongoslow]

Look at the 6.5 Grendel, low recoil, good legs ,good ammo selection and offered on many different rifles

 

[Sniper66]

I would not choose the .308 due to recoil. The .308 can be downright unpleasant. I had a .270 that I shot deer with but disliked the recoil on it too. Sold it. I've killed most of my deer with the .243 (all one-shot kills) and my brother has killed dozens more than I have, all with the .243. I hunt in Kansas and brother has killed most of his in Missouri. Now....a "nice" rifle, eh? What do you like? Nicely figured wood with blued barrel? Or a camo paint job on composite stock with a stainless barrel or cerakote finish? Bergara has some really cool options.
Your leaning to Chistensen would be hard to go wrong. I would suggest sticking with the .243 or go to a 6.5CM. I have both and like that their are sooo many options in that caliber. Very easy to reload if you want to go that route. Let us know what you choose.

 

[nettlle]

.308 is one of the most versatile of calibers as far bullet size and selection. It's an inherently accurate round. For me the recoil of a 308 isn't that bad.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

My one hunting rifle would be my pre-64 Winchester Model 70 in .30-06.

For small game, I have a Hammond Game Getter -- that's a cartridge case with an off-center primer pocket, which is really a chamber for a .22 nail-setting blank. The projectile is a sized buckshot in the case mouth. I've nailed many a pesky squirrel while sitting on a deer stand.

For varmints, I use light bullets and for really big game, a 165 grain Nosler Partition Jacket.

As Townsend Whelen said, "The .30-06 is never a mistake."

 

[nettlle]

The 30-06 one of the best calibers but is for a long action gun. I prefer short action guns.

 

[BigBlue 94]

The 6.5 grendel would be perfect for those tiny deer East of the KS line...

But to be stuck with just a 6.5G seems foolish to me. 308 is overkill for anything in MO except the black bears. If ammo availability or cost of which were of no concern, 257 roberts or 260 Rem would be my choice. And im a dyed in the wool 243 guy.

As for the gun, im so far out of date on new bolt actions that i cant really comment. I like Remington 700s, Winchester 70s, and Mauser 98s.

 

[Skylerbone]

I’d look for another .243 if it were me but then the mention of 6 Creedmoor reminds me time has marched on in a great direction. More importantly, finding a short action, short(er) barrel rifle that you like ought to be the priority.

Money no object could be fun, but a semi-custom more practical. If I needed a beater, a T/C Compass, something a bit nicer, a CZ after some bolt polishing.

 

[DustyGmt]

I have the Ruger American predator in 6.5 CM. It is the 1 rifle I would have if I was only going to have 1 rifle. It is more accurate than some of the sniper rifles I was issued in the military. I fired the 20" 308 RAR, it wasn't nearly as accurate as my predator and much less pleasant to shoot.

I have to say, I'm not necessarily thrilled with my 20" RAR in 7-08. It's possible that my optic choice "may" have something to do with it but with 140gr partitions and a few other 140-150gr factory loads I was getting like 1.75-2MOA. Those groups tightened up a lil when I switched to 120gr NBT's and Fusions. But I was expecting 1 MOA based on all the reviews.

I haven't shot it an awful lot, it's kind of blasty because it's such a short compact rifle but the first optic I had on it was a Zeiss and my groups were everywhere and after a 20rd box I gave up on it for a while. Now I can get around 1-1.5 MOA with 120gr factory loads and like I said, it could be my optic and my own error contributing, but I can print cloverleaf groups with my Browning .270win so idk.

I expected a lil better accuracy but I can't complain for a $500 rifle. It's nice and compact and I can still play with it and possibly handload for better accuracy, and everybody else seems to love their RAR's and routinely get sub moa. I really rather like the 7-08 too even though I was specifically looking for one in .308.

If I was a handloader, I'd probably pick the 7-08 but if I could go back, I'd probably go with the .308 because of ammo availability and the advantage of the .308 vs. 7-08 don't really matter to me.

I'd choose the .308win but I let myself talk myself into the 7-08 pretty easily so I'd choose one of those two. Both are excellent, if I was choosing "The One" I'd probably pass on the .243 but that's just me.

 

[caribou]

Ahhhhhh The Great Blunders;
"Never get involved in a land war in China, Never go in against a Sicilian, when Death is on the line"..........
and never ever sell a rifle thats accurate and handy.

Never.
Oh ya, edit'
M-39 Finn Mosin would is a great Hunting Rifle, lots of bullet options and cllectable to boot, IMHO

 

[Olympus]

and never ever sell a rifle thats accurate and handy.

Good point. Maybe I keep this particular rifle and get them another just like it. I would certainly be missing the accuracy from this current little Ruger. It has no business being as crazy accurate as it is for what you pay for them.

 

[Armored farmer]

I would hate to be without a 243.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

I guess to circle back around for a minute it depends on if you will have other rifles for things besides hunting. If you have plinking and/or defensive rifles but just one gun for hunting then it maybe doesn't matter much if the hunting ammo is inexpensive or not. Where I grew up every farmhouse had a rifle or two in the closet and maybe even one hanging in a gunrack in the back window of a truck (!), but many of those rifles only fired a few rounds per year. The week before season Farmer John drags out the ol' Winchester and fires a couple shots to be sure it's still zeroed, kills a deer on opening day and the gun goes back in the closet til next year. My grandpa was a good shot but not a gun guy in any conventional sense; a gun was a tool like the old John Deer A in the yard or the bailer it pulled. I hunted in my youth but haven't hunted now in many years so I'll admit I was a bit surprised to hear my buddy tell me how expensive premium hunting ammo is nowadays. If your one rifle is going to shoot targets in its off season than a .308 starts to make a lot of sense. You can get a few boxes of premium hunting ammo, then pile up cheap steel 7.62 NATO ammo, etc. for the rest.

Of course, if you're handloading you can easily ignore the above.

 

[Legionnaire]

I shot .308 for a lot of years, but got out of .30 cals altogether. I have, shoot, and load for 7mm-08. I don't have a 6.5 Creedmoor ... but it's the one I'd recommend for a good GP hunting rifle unless things bigger than mule deer are on the docket. It really is a great cartridge and I'd have one if I weren't already invested in others.

Rifle? That's down to your personal preference constrained by budget.

 

[AJC1]

If your mostly short range and reload yourself a 32 special would be a cool gun to shoot and pass on to a child of yours if you have any.
Due to being recoil sensitive and short range the 6 arc or the 6.5 Grendel would be OK options. I also don't favor recoil. I have considered a ruger American in 7.63x39 and the cz.
https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting...ine-blued-bolt-action-rifle-762x39mm/p/p47605

 

[Old Hobo]

Truth be told, there is no such thing as one hunting rifle. ... or shotgun ... or anything.

Maybe "back when". I have stories.

"That was then -- this is now."

Welcome to Earth.

The .243 has a wide spectrum of hunting uses. Great. Hurrah!

Now, back to adulthood ...
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[Phaedrus/69]

Truth be told, there is no such thing as one hunting rifle. ... or shotgun ... or anything.

I suppose that depends on the hunter. Not all people who hunt are "gun guys" or gals. I'm a chef and a hardcore knife nerd. In addition to thousands of bucks worth of Japanese knives I have at least five dozen synthetic and maybe fifteen natural Japanese water stones along with strops & powered grinders. Knives and sharpening are hobbies to me, but some of the most accomplished & skilled chefs I've worked with don't care much about knives at all, they just use Wusthofs, Victorinox Fibrox or whatever house knives is hanging in the prep kitchen. My brother likes to hunt, mostly deer and ducks, and he has one rifle and a 20 year old Browning BPS in 12ga that was my dad's. He is pro-gun and believes in the 2nd Amendment but he doesn't much care about guns either way. To play tennis he needs a racket and to hunt ducks he needs a shotgun, but both are just tools that he isn't emotional about at all.

 

[WisBorn]

As far as cartridge I'm a huge fan of the 308 Winchester. Looking at available ammo on the shelves at local stores it definitely has the most types and weights available. The 7-08 is a good cartridge, but it is limited in available ammo. I am seeing more and more rounds available and hopefully we will be past this shortage soon. As far as capabilities the 308 is an ideal all around cartridge. Yes there are dozens of good deer capable cartridges, but the short action 308 with a 20" barrel will get the job done.
You mentioned Christensen rifles. I am a fan of 700 type actions and I have to agree with @LoonWulf the Mesa would make a really nice hunting rifle.

 

[FL-NC]

Both are excellent, if I was choosing "The One" I'd probably pass on the .243 but that's just me.

My other "one" is a sporter 700 in 243 I've had almost 20 years. I have put down dozens of SW deer with that rifle, and never even came close to not finding one.

 

[1948CJ2A]

One rifle to hunt anything in North America? 7mm Rem Mag or 300 Win Mag, take your pick. I like the 7mm best.
One rifle to hunt the world with? 375 H&H just to cover DG... otherwise 300 Win Mag.

 

[Chuck R.]

One rifle to hunt anything in North America? 7mm Rem Mag or 300 Win Mag, take your pick. I like the 7mm best.
One rifle to hunt the world with? 375 H&H just to cover DG... otherwise 300 Win Mag.

I agree, great suggestion IF it weren't for the OP stating:

For MO wooded terrain from stands and blinds
Not liking recoil
and .308Win at the max.

 

[Bfh_auto]

I built sort of what you're after last year; Rem M7 in .260 Rem with a Manners stock and fluted 20" 2B profiled barrel.

I really like the combination of 20" barrel with short action for stands and blinds, but still has the trajectory to cover a row crop field (Eastern KS row crop field) if needed. I scoped it with a somewhat compact Leupold 2.5-8X36, for a little over 7lbs "all up".

If you hate recoil the 6.5s are a good option, I get 2930FPs with 120 BTs and 2850 with 130ABs. I started my son out with 100grn BTs at 2850 which worked great at woods distances and felt like a .243 low recoil load. For the distances I'm using the carbines for both loads are adequate. IF I were going for the "all around" and including the possibility of elk, I'd go up to a 7-08.

One thing to consider is that while 20" barrels in the caliber you're looking for might not be that common, having a longer barrel cut down and re-crowned isn't all that expensive. I know Ruger makes some compact guns 20" as do Christianson, and Savage.

My wife uses a 260 Rem. It's a deer killing machine with minimal recoil.
With that in mind. I would recommend the OP get a 6.5 Creedmoor. Because it's the same ballistically. With much better availability.
For a rifle I can't recommend anything because I don't know the OPs LOP or preferences.

 

[hdbiker]

I'd keep my Ruger 77 MK 11, in .308 Winchester

 

[wbm]

Want nice rifle, hate recoil? Get a "really nice" 243.

 

[Legionnaire]

My GP rifle is a Remington Model 7 in 7mm-08. Took me a while to find one, then I upgraded the trigger (Timney) and the stock (HS Precision). It would be about perfect for your application. It doesn't usually wear the bipod; just there to hold it up for the picture.