# Whats Your versatile Hunting rifle?



## muzzlehutn (Oct 26, 2007)

Say you were selected to go on a Four week Hunting adventure all around North America hunting. From Mountain lion to Bears. Coues Whitetail to Bison. Not knowing where you would be going Or what all you would be hunting. Only allowed to bring one Rifle/Cailber that you own. What rifle and cailber would you take on this hunt of North America?


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## muzzlehutn (Oct 26, 2007)

*Re: Your Rifle?*

I chose my 300 Weatherby Mark V. From the smoking 130 grainers to the mule kicking 220 Grain.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

*Re: Your Rifle?*

My .340 Weatherby Mark V shooting 225 grain Barnes TSX bullets at 2900 fps.


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## sagebrush (Sep 8, 2007)

*Re: Your Rifle?*

Rem700 in 300 win mag.


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## Uni (Dec 5, 2010)

*Your Rifle?*



muzzlehutn said:


> I chose my 300 Weatherby Mark V. From the smoking 130 grainers to the mule kicking 220 Grain.


Same Caliber, but it would be a Weatherby Vanguard instead.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

*Re: Your Rifle?*

My 7STW, 160grn Accubonds @ 3200fps... plenty for anything in north america.

-DallanC


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

*Re: Your Rifle?*

THANK YOU for including my 7mm Dakota. Although I might very well be the only one on the forum who has one, I really like mine and it has become my go-to gun of choice. Mine is built on a Ruger M77 MKII action with a 25" Pacnor #4 contour barrel. The stock is a JRS by Boyds and the trigger is a rifle basic. For optics I have a Leupold CDS with a knob that matches my load of 160 Nosler AB's at 3200 fps perfectly. When I do my part, this rifle is sub-moa out to 500 yards and shoots dang good even futher out. Mule deer, blacktail, whitetail, antelope, elk, and wild hogs have all fallen to one well-placed shot from this rig. Now if I can just keep it away from my daughter, I'm sure it will serve me well for a few more years. Apparantly she knows a good one when she shoots it too.---SS


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## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

*Re: Your Rifle?*

I refuse to play. If I can only have one rifle I'll just sit on the sidelines and pout. You need at least one rifle per species, most species demand more than one so you can adapt to terrain or weather. 
If you can only afford one rifle at the moment buy one for whatever you're going to hunt first.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*Re: Your Rifle?*



Cooky said:


> I refuse to play. If I can only have one rifle I'll just sit on the sidelines and pout...................................


Yeah, me too.

I'd take a 12 gauge shotgun, copper solid slugs good to 200 yards and I can still use it for shot shells...but it's not a rifle dangit.


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## muzzlehutn (Oct 26, 2007)

*Re: Your Rifle?*



Cooky said:


> I refuse to play. If I can only have one rifle I'll just sit on the sidelines and pout. You need at least one rifle per species, most species demand more than one so you can adapt to terrain or weather.
> If you can only afford one rifle at the moment buy one for whatever you're going to hunt first.


Jim Shockey done it with his Muzzleloader. What rifles would you need to do it all with Cooky? And WyoGoob? Feel free to list them. Im just trying to see what the hunters on here think is their most versatile hunting rifle.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

*Re: Your Rifle?*

270 WSM, why because someone should do it with it... :lol:


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## Mavis13 (Oct 29, 2007)

*Re: Your Rifle?*

I'm with Cooky and Goob; got to have a chance to shoot both my muzzleloader; and grandpa's 300 savage on appropriate game just to say I did. I'm also up for a more nostalgic, like a bison with an 1886, a deer with a Lewis and Clark era air rifle (look it up if you don't believe me), polar bear at a mile and a half with a Barrett kind of a hunt. Ok; maybe not the polar bear but you get the idea. Ya just gotta be prepared.

[attachment=0:313vr8nr]Far-Side-Hunters.png[/attachment:313vr8nr]


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## muzzlehutn (Oct 26, 2007)

*Re: Your Rifle?*

I cant blame anybody for not wanting to take the gun safe with on any kind of hunt. Every Hunter should bring a second or third rifle on any hunt cause things do go wrong. I just wanna know what rifle in your collection is your most versatile.


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## Mavis13 (Oct 29, 2007)

Most versatile would have to be 7mm rem mag; no 30-06; no 7mm... I'm not sure I can do it. I love my 06 but I can't argue it's the most versatile. The 7mm probably wins out because of how flat it shoots. The 06 is still more fun but it drops like a grapefruit after about 200 yards so you really got to know your distance and drop to keep it accurate for long shots. The nice thing about both of these rounds is you can find ammo anywhere for them.
One more to add to the list
Muzzleloader pig hunt.


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## smokin577 (Apr 21, 2008)

Ballistics aside I have to go with the rifle I use as a back up to anything I take. It is one I know so well I never have an issue it's character is ingrained in my mind. I would go with my trusty 30-30.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

30-06 for me. 

But really, under 300 yards, there is no functional difference between the standards - 270, 308, 30-06, 7mm, 300 Win, etc.... And my own lack of shooting ability means I cannot consistently shoot accurately past that - regardless of the capabilities of the rifle.


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

+1 Gary
I don't like to take long shots.
I always think I can get closer...........


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## izzydog (Jan 18, 2008)

The '06 is tough to beat but since I've owned my 300 WSM there is no reason (in my small mind) for anything else. Load a light bullet or a heavy bullet and they all come out smokin fast with very light recoil in a very light rifle.


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

i didnt see the bison on their. i'd rather shoot a bison with a .35 whelen than a .300 winchester. 280 gr Aframes or 310 gr woodlieghs for bison.


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## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

*Re: Your Rifle?*



muzzlehutn said:


> Cooky said:
> 
> 
> > I refuse to play. If I can only have one rifle I'll just sit on the sidelines and pout. You need at least one rifle per species, most species demand more than one so you can adapt to terrain or weather.
> ...


_Need?_ What Gary said. But I don't own a 30-06. For me a lot of the hunt is the getting ready. That means picking the perfect gun for that particular hunt, working up loads, practicing shooting with the new gun, scouting and doing research. Come hunt time I generally volunteer to tend camp (Cooky is an old western term for that guy). So for me a good all-round gun would seriously cut into my entertainment.


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## gunplay (Apr 28, 2008)

I'm a 280 guy. 20 years ago it was the hot cartridge and now you don't see it as much. I love mine.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

Neither of my rifles are listed (45-70 and 7mm08). Of those two, I'd pick the 7mm08. It is definitely the most versatile, though probably not a very good choice for grizzlies and bison. It would handle everything else.


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## hossblur (Jun 15, 2011)

if your only taking that one rifle, you better be ablt to find ammo, (not recently) and there is no other rifle that rivals the 06'. Good for dangerous game to nazi's. And it would have to be a winchester 70(I own an a-bolt), no other gun has proven itself like the win(700 is close), plus the old ones are open sighted, making them even more versitile.


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## Mavis13 (Oct 29, 2007)

hossblur said:


> if your only taking that one rifle, you better be ablt to find ammo, (not recently) and there is no other rifle that rivals the 06'. Good for dangerous game to nazi's. And it would have to be a winchester 70(I own an a-bolt), no other gun has proven itself like the win(700 is close), plus the old ones are open sighted, making them even more versitile.


+1 on the Winchester Mod 70 in 06; great rifle.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

izzydog said:


> The '06 is tough to beat but since I've owned my 300 WSM there is no reason (in my small mind) for anything else. Load a light bullet or a heavy bullet and they all come out smokin fast with very light recoil in a very light rifle.


Plagiarizer!! My thoughts and experience exactly! I just sold my '06 and bought a 300 short mag and I could not be happier! It is not so much the caliber as the model for me. I don't know that the type of hunting I do would make any difference of the standard calibers, as Gary said.


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

oh boy here we go... the tastes great/less filing debate! lol


Rem700, 300 win, 200gr Accubonds. Period dot, dead anything.

Its on the heavy side for the lil critters, a bit light for the big mean ones, but for the vast majority of "inbetweeners" this setup has been my go to for many one shot dirt naps.


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

*Re: Your Rifle?*



Mojo1 said:


> 270 WSM, why because someone should do it with it... :lol:


some dude name Jack comes to mind. LOVED them middle bores...


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## Nalgi (Apr 16, 2010)

*.243 for me*

.243. I can load it down to 55Gr for varmints or up to an 85 Gr Barnes

light, low recoil, cheap to reload. you can find ammo anywhere


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

*Re: .243 for me*



Nalgi said:


> .243. I can load it down to 55Gr for varmints or up to an 85 Gr Barnes
> 
> light, low recoil, cheap to reload. you can find ammo anywhere


.243 is indeed, a good one, however would that be your choice for bear and bison as originally posted in the original post? I think I would something about 25% larger personally.


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## Nalgi (Apr 16, 2010)

Without question- .243
I can load it down to 55Gr for varmints or load it up to an 85gr TSX for everything else. Sure, I would like my 375 H&H for anything bigger than a deer but then you give up small game potential


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## massmanute (Apr 23, 2012)

Just curious, why no .308 on the list of choices?


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## muzzlehutn (Oct 26, 2007)

massmanute said:


> Just curious, why no .308 on the list of choices?


I forgot a couple on the list. Feel free to add it to "Other center fire" List along with the loads you would use. I got .308 norma on the list but its no .308 Win


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## muzzlehutn (Oct 26, 2007)

and sorry .243 junkies if thats your rifle of choice for all North American Big Game. Hats off to you. 

And Please anybody and every body feel free to list the loads you would use in your "Versatile Hunting Rifle" Might help somebody looking to add a new rifle to their collection or for their first rifle. Thanks!


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

I have a nice 160grn Accubond load for my 7STW that comes out at 3175 over the crony, very accurate load using 7828. 

.243's work great with 100grn Nosler Partitions and H4350.


-DallanC


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