What Three Hunting Rifles Would You Choose?

[Llama Bob]

I'm sorry you don't what to play by the criteria Mr. Grinch.

Because some of the criteria are silly.

Why do I care if the ammo is "readily available"? What really matters is if it's readily re-loadable. Factory ammo is nice for high volume shooting, but for hunting the number of shots taken is so low that reloading is no imposition. And if I do want to buy factory I have the internet letting me buy from thousands of vendors.

Why do I care if rifles are available at pawn shops and gun shows? I'm going to buy my hunting rifles once, not every weekend. And again the internet gives me plenty of options,

As far as affordability what's affordable to one hunter may not be to another.

It sounds like what you really want is the lowest common denominator in terms of hunting rifles.

 

[someguy2800]

My choices would be the same regardless of handloading or factory ammo, rifle availability and cost. I honestly don't believe there is anything significantly better for what I need a gun for, and I like easily replaceable brass.

 

[Ru4real]

Small bore 22 lr CZ. Small medium bore 308 Ruger American. Medium bore 358 BLR or 375 Win 70.

Or all hunting with a .223 AR if only one.

 

[d2wing]

0223, 7-08, 30-06. got it covered.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The first answer to a question like this is, ".22 LR." I'd go with a CZ, but there are plenty of high class .22s around.

Next would be a varmint rifle. I'd go for a .223 Remington in a rifle in the Savage 10 line.

And finally a do-anything rifle, from deer to grizzley. A Model 70 Winchester in 30-06.

 

[BSA1]

Because some of the criteria are silly.

Then just don't play. No reason to be a Grinch on a topic you don't agree with.

 

[Skylerbone]

For me, I’d love to try out a .17 of some ilk but I’ll stick with .22lr for all it does right; 6.5 Creedmoor to split the difference between my .223s and -06s for longer shots and larger game, which leads me to a toss-up between 30-06 and .300 Win Mag... While .308” is always the same diameter I think we can all agree that a 30-30 is not the equivalent of a .300 at 350 yards so, with some reluctance, the Win Mag.

So:

1. My Marlin 25N for its stalwart service these past 25 years.

2. A Savage 11 Lightweight Hunter because Sako doesn’t offer a Finn in 6.5 yet...and no Winchester offering either.

3. The Savage 116 in .300 though SS is not what I prefer in rifle barrels, Savage had a real winner in this model.

I don’t look at these posts as least common denominator, only as exercises in thought on what matters to each of us. I’ve already been surprised by a few responses, but not at all critical of anyone’s choices.

 

[Strange Bob]

I guess a lot depends on where I'm hunting.

If anywhere in North America then my choices are: .22WMR ... I like my Ruger American but would go for the newer stainless configuration. Of course the venerable 30-06 ... I like my Tikka t3. I think I could mostly cover all scenarios with these 2 but I guess I can add a 5.56 AR w/ 1:7 twist for hogs and predators just for giggles.

 

[Kokaneeslow]

I'd say a 22LR, 243 Win., 270 Win, and a 30.06. They have provided for all my (north american) hunting and shooting needs for 30 years.

 

[Iroquois]

I’ll have to go with .22lr, .357 and .308. That should cover it all.

 

[littlelefty]

Of my current inventory to fit this bill would be my Ruger 10/22 takedown, Remington 788 in .243, and Remington 788 in .308. As a few others have said, I think I would be comfortable with just two; for me that would be the 10/22 and the .308.

I like the idea of a pistol caliber lever gun just because, and also a 45-70, but that just makes my choosing more difficult.

 

[Llama Bob]

Then just don't play. No reason to be a Grinch on a topic you don't agree with.

or just ignore your faulty reasoning and give a better answer. You think you have way more control in this situation than you actually have.

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Have .22LR---.223---.270 and .30-06 rifles---------if I had to trim down to 3 either the .223 or .270 would have to go----probably the .223 because my .270 is a much nicer rifle. Talking bolt actions here---not semiauto's

 

[bme27]

I’ll play the OP’s game, it’s not a real situation just one that involves us only having 3 rifles in 3 different cartridges to hunt with for the rest of our lives. The first one is tough me as I really want my .22-250 but I think I’ll have to keep my .243 for my “small” cartridge as it covers a wider range of things. Next would be a .308, and to wrap it up I’d take the underrated .280

 

[12Bravo20]

For me it would be the following:
.22lr - semi-auto or bolt action for small game/vermin
.223 (or possibly 6.8 SPC)- AR for everything from varmints up to deer at closer ranges (with proper bullet selection).
.308 bolt action for farther shots and/or bigger game.

That being said, I have semi-autos in .22lr, .223 and .308 along with very accurate bolt actions in .22lr and .308. While my precision AR rilfes in .223 and .308 won't compete with my bolt actions, it's still nice to have accurate semi-auto rifles. I like having different setups for different purposes.

 

[BSA1]

Lots of interesting choices.

I am surprised at how often the 22 LR is chosen. There must be more Wabbit hunters than I thought.

Likewise interesting big boy cartridges choices. I see I am not the only person that likes a big caliber cartridge.

 

[Browning]

.22LR - Small critters

.223 Rem - Small critters to varmints to hog or Texas Whitetails

30-06 - Everything above that including elk or bear.

I won't ever be hunting the Big 5 in Africa, so 30-06 provides me with a variety of bullet weights needed to take what I need in N. America.

 

[md7]

For me, and in my particular part of the world:

A good 22lr for squirrel, rabbit, etc. something like a ruger 10/22

AR in 5.56 for varmint, feral hogs, and even deer up close with the right bullet and placement

A good bolt action in either .270, .308, or 30-06. Picking one, I'd lean to 30-06 in a browning x bolt, savage 116, Tika T3, etc. Maybe a Ruger American bolt action.

 

[HOWARD J]

Savage heavy barrel bolt w/ 24 X scope in .223
AR-15 in .556-3 x 9 scope
Ruger American Ranch-7.62 x 39-3 x 9 scope

BTW--I don't hunt anymore--if I did I would use
Savage 243
Marlin 30-30 lever
Ruger 7.62 x 39

 

[1948CJ2A]

I was going to refrain since my answers don't meet all of the OPs criteria but since so many other replies and it really doesn't matter anyways... here's my top 3:

• 250-3000 Savage - My example is a bolt-action Mauser 98 I had re-barreled and chambered by ER Shaw 20 years ago. Shoots like a dream, no recoil, great for varmints and deer.
• 7x57 Mauser - This is my all-time favorite cartridge. I've shot more deer with it than anything else. Anyone who shoots a 7mm Mauser understands how special it really is.
• 300 Weatherby Mag - This made my list for a couple of reasons. First, you can hunt anything in North America with this guy. The 30 cal bullet selection coupled with magnum case capacity makes it more versatile than any of my other 30 cals. The only downside is the recoil; but for hunting that's a non-issue for me.

If I were going to expand this list to my top 5, I would add the 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser and a toss-up between my toss up between my 270 Wby and 7mm Wby.

 

[jmorris]

I could do it with two.

22 LR and 30-06.

Funny how I picked 30-06 today and I haven’t hunted with one since last century, might have to put away my new stuff and dust “old faithful” off.

 

[someguy2800]

Lots of interesting choices.

I am surprised at how often the 22 LR is chosen. There must be more Wabbit hunters than I thought.

I will surely need one around in a few years for when my little ankle bitter gets old enough to teach to shoot. Living in the country a 22 rifle is a valuable tool. Raccoons and skunks are always trying to get into our bird feeders and the neibors chickens. Rabbits will clean out the garden, Red squirrels and chipmunks love to find little placed and to chew holes in things and fill it up with acorns and leaves. Plus it has provided plenty of small game for the table over the years, everything from rabbits to turkey's. A 22 is much better suited to all these tasks than a high power rifle and offers precision and another 80 yards of range over a shotgun. A 22 target pistol has also proven quite valuable to me. Oh and they are fun.

 

[Browning]

Lots of interesting choices.

I am surprised at how often the 22 LR is chosen. There must be more Wabbit hunters than I thought.

I will surely need one around in a few years for when my little ankle bitter gets old enough to teach to shoot. Living in the country a 22 rifle is a valuable tool. Raccoons and skunks are always trying to get into our bird feeders and the neibors chickens. Rabbits will clean out the garden, Red squirrels and chipmunks love to find little placed and to chew holes in things and fill it up with acorns and leaves. Plus it has provided plenty of small game for the table over the years, everything from rabbits to turkey's. A 22 is much better suited to all these tasks than a high power rifle and offers precision and another 80 yards of range over a shotgun.

^ This.

For me it's mostly been a tool to get rid of nuisance animals. Number 1 and 2 for us has been possum and raccoon. Also known a bunch of guys that have popped coyotes with .22LR just because it was the rifle they had.

 

[<*(((><]

1. Small Game: Torn between .22lr and .223 (more than likely the .22lr makes more sense)
2. Medium to Large Game: .308 Win
3. Large and dangerous game: .375 H&H

 

[MTMilitiaman]

1. The Jack O Conner, a pre-64 style Win M70 in .270 Win. I shoot left handed so I would probably go with a Montana M1999 action, a lightweight profile 24 inch barrel, and have it bedded into some decent wood and top it with a 2-10x32 or the likes. Load up some 150 gr Partitions and call this my primary.

2. Win M1886 Deluxe in .45-70 Gov. Another classy option with some good wood and case hardening. I am thinking about a 440 gr hardcast load with a nice meplat traveling about 1600 fps to take the fight out of the biggest, toughest critters I could ever even dream of hunting on this continent.

3. .375 H&H in another left hand Montana M1999 pre-64 style Win M70 build, this one probably along the lines of the Ruger Alaskan, with a medium contour 22 inch stainless barrel bedded into a McMillan synthetic with a 1-4 Trijicon and some 300 gr Partitions.

But seriously, could do 99% of the hunting I will do for the rest of my life with just #1...