What Three Hunting Rifles Would You Choose?

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BSA1

BSA1

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I saw this question on another website and since it is hunting season so it seems like a good time to discuss rifle cartridges. If you were going to pick three rifle cartridges and only use those three for the rest of your life, what would they be? We are not talking about home defense rifles. These are hunting rifles.

Criteria

What standards should the three rifles cartridges meet?

  • Readily Available Ammunition – This means no wildcat or custom rounds. A cartridge that just about any sporting goods store would have in stock.

  • Proven – A track record of reliability.

  • Rifle Availability – Rifles for sale at gun shows, Pawn Shops, gun stores… etc.

  • Accuracy – If this is not listed someone will be sure to point it out.

  • Affordable – Rifles and ammunition should not cost a fortune.

    My Choices;


  1. 30-30.

    I like lever action rifles. My favorite is a Marlin 336 in 35 Remington, The 35 Remington is my primary wild hog killer and, of course, fills the role of a deer cartridge. However, the 35 Remington does not meet the criteria of readily available cartridge so the 30-30 is my choice. What can I say about the 30-30 that has not been said thousands of times before?



  2. 270 Winchester.

    Probably from reading to much Jack O’Conner when growing up. With the greatly improved selection of bullets it is capable of killing large game such as elk.



  3. 45-70.
The 45-70 will put down any animal in North America. I have killed two buffalo with it. It also is good deer rifle when using a non-expanding bullet such as a 405 gr. cast lead as you can “eat right up to the hole” meaning it results in less meat damage than a high velocity expanding bullet


So what are your three choices?
 
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I can do it with two. A 223 for varmints up to and including deer. A 308 for deer and anything else in North America. Yes, I'd hunt Alaskan Brown bear with one with the right loads. The 30-06 has proven to be more than capable and modern 308 loads exceed 30-06 loads from just a few years ago. I don't NEED it, but I do also have a 6.5 Creedmoor that splits the difference between 223 and 308 perfectly and will do anything a 270 will do, easily taking elk. If I were to include the largest game in Africa I'd include either the 375 Ruger or 375 H&H. But that'll never happen for me.
 
I already have them.

22LR CZ 455
243 Win. I can live with the 700 ADL Synthetic that I have. It is nothing special but it shoots sub-MOA all day if I do my part.
My Savage 10 Sierra can handle anything that I am apt to encounter. It is a 6 1/4# 300WSM and is as accurate as I can be.

If I didn't have the WSM I would opt for a 30-06. Probably in a 700 Classic.
 
.223, .308, .375 H&H. Think I would get the .223 in an accurate AR format , the .308 in a light bolt gun , and the .375 in a reliable bolt gun around 9 pounds scoped. You can run sub sonic .223 with FMJ cheap bullets if you think you need .22 LR power . The .308 does it all , and the .375 does everything with the right loads, including a very good long range gun :)
 
Gordon said:
.223, .308, .375 H&H. Think I would get the .223 in an accurate AR format , the .308 in a light bolt gun , and the .375 in a reliable bolt gun around 9 pounds scoped. You can run sub sonic .223 with FMJ cheap bullets if you think you need .22 LR power . The .308 does it all , and the .375 does everything with the right loads, including a very good long range gun :)
Click to expand...
I'll second this, covers all your bases. I'd be happy with a either an ar or .223 carbine like a CZ 527.
 
I am not all that avid of a hunter. And unless I win some sort of sweepstakes to go bear hunting in Alaska I won't need anything too big for the rest of CONUS. But I'll play.

5.56 for small stuff. 35 Remington for nearly anything else, as I can find it in most places. And 30-06.
 
The term Sporting Goods Store does open up a lot of choices doesn't it? Cableas will probably have most if not all of the cartridges mentioned so far but a lot of towns do not have a big box store other than Walmart. In a nearby town for many years a ACE hardware store had the best selection of guns and ammo. Now that a super Walmart has come in I am not really sure the ammunition selection is all that much better as they mostly seem to stock only the most popular cartridges in a fairly small glass display case. There is a Farm Supply Store that has a fairly good selection of guns and ammo but the ammo is kept behind the counter so you have to ask a clerk if they have what you want.

How will your choices be affected if you went on a long hunting trip and your ammunition is still sitting on the kitchen table (you left it there so you would not forget it :uhoh:)?Is there a small town with a farm supply or hardware store that has your choice of ammunition or are you going to have to lose at least a day of hunting driving to large city gun store?

Help me out here. How commonly available are the following cartridges as they are being mentioned but I am not familiar with them;

6.5 Creedmoor

300WSM

22-250

375 H&H

338 Win Mag

Remember no custom reloads or wildcat cartridges. Store brought stuff only.
 
BSA1 said:
Help me out here. How commonly available are the following cartridges as they are being mentioned but I am not familiar with them;

6.5 Creedmoor

300WSM

22-250

375 H&H

338 Win Mag
Click to expand...

6.5 is everywhere, it's one of the more common calibers now. 22-250 was very popular about 15 years ago and is still not at all difficult to find. 338 is somewhat uncommon but not that rare. 300wsm and 375 are pretty rare. Keep your ammo in the case and it's not a problem.
 
22LR-Either a Nylon 66, Marlin 60, or 10/22 takedown

5.56-Mini-14 iron sights

30.06-Browning X Bolt, or Ruger M77 with a 3-9X50 scope by Leupold

JMHO, YMMV
 
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22-250 with 1:7 barrel twist rate
6.5 SAUM
.404 Jeffery

May not fit all the OP’s criteria but they fit mine. I still have dreams of hunting lion, Lord Derby eland and buffalo, hence the .404 Jeffery.
 
22 LR., 308, 458 WM. All bolt action. I run a can on-and-off with my 308. My 458 is my bolt action 45/70.
 
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