Your Idea of the "Perfect" hunting rifle

[Fitch]

I already have my favorite rifle for everything but ground hogs. 1953 Winchester M70, .30-06.



After floating the barrel, adding a recoil pad, and pillar bedding it, it shoots like this:



That's a 150g Hornady SST pushed to 3,000 fps by a max load of H4350.

It was my Dad's big game rifle. I added a 3-9x40 Leupold VX-II with ballistic plex reticle. The reticle is a perfect match for the load I like to shoot in it (see above) for PA deer.

My other favorite rifle, used mostly for ground hogs, is my CZ527 American in .223 Rem. I kill 20 to 30 ground hogs a year with it. It loves the 40g Nosler BT seated 0.020" off the lands and pushed to 3,640 fps by AA2460.

Fitch

 

[SleazyRider]

I don't know if there will ever be such a thing as a "perfect" hunting rifle. But, for my intended uses, the new Ruger American will come really close. There are plenty of other guns out there that are very similar and could do the same jobs, but I want a Ruger so that I can retire my current Ruger to target/bench status. Plus, the current gun is just too pretty and sentimental to get boogered up on a hunt. The American will be a lighter and handier gun overall and will have the benefit of synthetic furniture. That's my take on it.

I see Gander is advertising the Ruger American in their current circular at $379.99. Hmmm ...

 

[snakeman]

the tc dimension would be a good one

 

[csa77]

for deer and hog I prefer .243, specifically a sporter Mauser k98k in a Mannlicher stock with double set triggers.

 

[MachIVshooter]

For me, it's a toss up between my two 700 BDL's, one in .25-06, the other in 8mm Rem Mag. .25-06 is a sweet shooter and a little more accurate, but the 8 Mag. can take any animal on the planet, and do so at fairly long ranges.

 

[BlackSky]

 

[tahoe2]

]for small/big game I would have to say my 7x57 mauser, 1931 Spanish carbine sporter. Since I handload all my ammo, 110grn for varmints, 140grn deer & antelope, 160grn for elk & black bear. Now if I was going moose & grizzley, I would have to take the 8mm Yugo sporter mauser with 200grn Partitions or 220grn GameKings.

 

[benzy2]

For me it's an Anschutz 54 actioned Sporter with a nice 2-7x optic. Majority of my hunting is for squirrel so an amazing squirrel rifle would be top of my list.

 

[Virg461]

The perfect rifle is always the next one...... At least that's what my wife says. She says I'm worse with guns than a woman is with shoes.

But my favorite will always be the Savage 99 in 300 Savage. Feels like an extension of me. I've always believed that 90% of accurate shooting, especially in hunting situations, is confidence. Not the most accurate rifle I own, but when it goes to my shoulder I'm confident of exactly where the bullet is going when I shoot it.

 

[Robert]

Winchester M70 in 375H&H. The new Alaska model looks nice, but so does the Safari.

 

[T.R.]

For animals up to about 400 lbs or so, carbines in 30-30 and 35 are great hunting companions. But for larger animals, I prefer .308 most of all.

Photo taken in NW Nebraska.

TR

 

[Vern Humphrey]

For across the board hunting, the .30-06 is hard to beat. I like mine in a rifle with a 3-position striker-locking safety, Mauser claw extractor, and a hinged floorplate. The pre-64 Winchester Model 70 is a good example of what I consider the ideal rifle.

 

[jeepnik]

Well, I've got them.
For larger/toothy animals


For small critters

 

[Maxicooper]

My most favorite, CZ 550 FS .308win

 

[dubbleA]

I have toted my little 7lb Kimber 300WSM all over North America, it's a dandy.

 

[StrawHat]

Currently it is a 50-70 Trapdoor I assembled from a mix of old and new parts. Next up will be a 6 1/2 or 7 pound 58 caliber muzzleloader. About 30" of barrel and a nicely shaped 1/2 stock. It ought to be good for anything on this continent.

 

[Kachok]

T3 Stainelss in 6.5x55. Perfect trigger and egronomics, scarry good accuracy, and the smoothest bolt in the industery. At only 6lbs with 6.5 Sweed recoil I can carry it and shoot it all day long. Terminal performance on game has been beyond amazing, a real death ray. The only way I could imagine to make that any more perfect is giving it a Mauser action.

 

[jeepnik]

My most favorite, CZ 550 FS .308win

That is a fine looking rifle. I've always like the full length stocks. But, I've never found one left handed. I suppose I could have one made. Anyone want to donate to the cause?

 

[Jason_W]

My perfect rifle would be mostly about durability and portability.

I would like it to fire a .35 cal or larger round and have a mag capacity of 8-10 rounds.

My only accuracy requirement would be that it is mechanically capable of delivering 4 to 4 inch groups at 200 yards.

Mostly, I need it to be rugged. I want a gun that take a tumble with me down a muddy hill side, be used a crutch, club, and pry-bar, and then shoot just as it did before things went horribly wrong.

 

[Longrifle2506]

Sako Modol 75 Finnlight = Perfect Hunting Rifle

 

[D*N*R*]

Exactly 4 in. groups every time would take a very consistant rifle accuracy is first but we spend alot more time looking at them than shooting them. Pay as much as you can and go with what feels rite-and looks good to you.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

I'm not hunting elephants or dangerous game such as brown bear (though I do have a 45-70 that would work). My general interests are North American game. I want something that has 3 MOA or better accuracy, isn't heavy, has at least 3+1 capacity, doesn't kick like a 12 gauge shotgun with slugs, and has ammo that doesn't make me wince when I buy it. There are a lot of rifles that fit these minimum requirements.

30-30 lever actions or 308, 30-06 bolt actions fit the bill. My current hutning rifles are a 30-30 and a 30-06.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd give serious consideration to the Browning take down BLR in 308. I'd likely have it sent out to cut the barrel to 18" and have the lever loop made just a wee bit bigger. I'd also spend the money so that a rear sight could be mounted at the same time as the scout style scope.

If I didn't love lever actions so much (or own my current rifles or lost everything to a big fire like my friend did), I'd likely go with a Styer Scout in 308.

 

[mnhntr]

A pre-64 Winchester 94 in 32 Winchester Special

 

[txcookie]

I went with the encore in 30.06 and 209x50! I think its a great all around rifle.

Light easy to carry love the stock and for a guy that likes ML as well its nice to have the same action for rifle and ML.

Next rifle is probably going to be a bolt! Ruger M77, Remington 700 or a Kimber 84 chambered in 300WSM or 30.06