If you could only own ONE bolt action rifle ? ... not a troll thread

c-fbmi said:
Oh no. not another "If there could be only one" thread............

My answer remains the same, mine would be a 340 Wby in a SS mod 700 or mod 70 or Sako L61R (never seen a SS Sako L61R though) in a Brown Precision fiberglass stock and wearing a Zeiss Victory 3.5-10X42. I could and would hunt the entire globe with this rifle and cartridge, including all of Africa's game. Given the very good bullets available today and an appropriate solid I would never feel under gunned nor particularly over gunned with the right bullet and load. This cartridge has the legs for Marco Polo hunting with a 200 gn bullet at over 3200 fps and it has the knock down slam for buffalo with a 275 or 300 gn bullet and I would not even hesitate on elephant with a 300 gn solid at about 2400 fps. The smaller stuff just dies with great aplomb..........And don't tell me they wouldn't let me use a 340 on dangerous game, 'cause the law says minimum .375..........this is all theoretical anyway and from the hunting I've done over there, no one cares WHAT you shoot near as much as how well you shoot it.

You boys and your 308 and 303 pop guns want to go wander around the devil's club and alder thickets of BC's northwest coast or coastal Alaska, be my guest...........or Zambia's Luangwa valley, or Zimbabwe's Zambezi valley, fly at 'er, but these most certainly would not be my cartridges of choice. Gentlemen you must realize there is a whole big world out there with game animals from 6 lbs to 6 tons and the world doesn't end at Ontario's borders. Now I realize that not everyone will explore and hunt all the corners of the planet and in certain locales the 308 or 303 would be more than adequate..........but fantasize a little and say you were maybe going to hunt elsewhere once in a while, like Alaska for a brownie or the high arctic for a white bear or Africa for a buffalo.............Now review your cartridge and rifle choice with these expanded parameters and see what you come up with.
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I had the opportunity one weekend about 12 years ago to take an African PH on a Canada Goose hunt while he was in country hunting black bears with one of his buddies/clients whom I used to shoot skeet with. He told me there was more Elephants and other African big game shot with a Lee Enfield 303 especially during the war years than has ever been harvested by other sporting rifle calibres. He said nobody ever told the British soldiers their Enfield 303's loaded with the ammo they were issued were too light to do the job and that they killed lots of big game with them.
 
This beauty right here

Ruger M77 tang safety in 308 WIN. Feels like a part of my body.

ZdRnFUm.jpg
 
How high is your horse? Or how large is your ego? Just wondering?

c-fbmi said:
Oh no. not another "If there could be only one" thread............

My answer remains the same, mine would be a 340 Wby in a SS mod 700 or mod 70 or Sako L61R (never seen a SS Sako L61R though) in a Brown Precision fiberglass stock and wearing a Zeiss Victory 3.5-10X42. I could and would hunt the entire globe with this rifle and cartridge, including all of Africa's game. Given the very good bullets available today and an appropriate solid I would never feel under gunned nor particularly over gunned with the right bullet and load. This cartridge has the legs for Marco Polo hunting with a 200 gn bullet at over 3200 fps and it has the knock down slam for buffalo with a 275 or 300 gn bullet and I would not even hesitate on elephant with a 300 gn solid at about 2400 fps. The smaller stuff just dies with great aplomb..........And don't tell me they wouldn't let me use a 340 on dangerous game, 'cause the law says minimum .375..........this is all theoretical anyway and from the hunting I've done over there, no one cares WHAT you shoot near as much as how well you shoot it.

You boys and your 308 and 303 pop guns want to go wander around the devil's club and alder thickets of BC's northwest coast or coastal Alaska, be my guest...........or Zambia's Luangwa valley, or Zimbabwe's Zambezi valley, fly at 'er, but these most certainly would not be my cartridges of choice. Gentlemen you must realize there is a whole big world out there with game animals from 6 lbs to 6 tons and the world doesn't end at Ontario's borders. Now I realize that not everyone will explore and hunt all the corners of the planet and in certain locales the 308 or 303 would be more than adequate..........but fantasize a little and say you were maybe going to hunt elsewhere once in a while, like Alaska for a brownie or the high arctic for a white bear or Africa for a buffalo.............Now review your cartridge and rifle choice with these expanded parameters and see what you come up with.
Click to expand...
 
c-fbmi said:
Oh no. not another "If there could be only one" thread............

My answer remains the same, mine would be a 340 Wby in a SS mod 700 or mod 70 or Sako L61R (never seen a SS Sako L61R though) in a Brown Precision fiberglass stock.

You boys and your 308 and 303 pop guns want to go wander around the devil's club and alder thickets of BC's northwest coast or coastal Alaska, be my guest...........or Zambia's Luangwa valley, or Zimbabwe's Zambezi valley, fly at 'er, but these most certainly would not be my cartridges of choice. Gentlemen you must realize there is a whole big world out there
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It's not......., it's a "If you could own only one".

Thanks for sharing what yours is, sounds like you've had the good fortune of experiencing / affording what 95% of others wont or can not.
 
The Kurgan said:
Not to de-rail this excellent thread, but I have found great flexibility in carrying my 30-06 to 32 ACP/32 S&W chamber insert. I can take any small critter I like without meat damage. Not the greatest in accuracy, but it will push my 32 S&W Long's into a 3-4 inch circle at 50 yards.
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One rifle with a couple of inserts could be very useful in certain situations. Great point Kurgan.
 
Hotwheels81 said:
Probably the best $$$ I've spent in the hobby in a loooong time... I started a new thread on it so we don't hijack this one
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Thanks for doing that Hotwheels81, I'll be reading up on it for sure.

Like many I enjoy several guns too, but I think its a great exercise to learn how to maximize one gun as well.

I know of several guys who's job went in the tank and they had to sell off their collection to do their best keeping their families floating.....but kept one just incase. Today its not at all out of the realm of possibility for many. The various selection ideas and tips you and others are offering here could really be useful to a reader.

Thank you.
 
If I could only have one bolt-action rifle for ever and ever,............

Well if Sporting rifles are what you are referring to I already have it, my first new center-fire rifle I bought in 1982, a Model70XTR in 7mmRemingtonMagnum. Accurate, powerful and dependable even over the irons if the glass should break. Nothing else needed, just ask Jim Carmichael or myself!;)

If you threw in "End of the World", "SHTF", "War of the Worlds", or....."our bus crashed because the driver was blinded by the strobes on the UFO week-end",.... then it would be my No4Mk2 Lee-Enfield, nothing else required with a good supply of ammunition and stripper clips,... case closed.
 
the spank said:
I had the opportunity one weekend about 12 years ago to take an African PH on a Canada Goose hunt while he was in country hunting black bears with one of his buddies/clients whom I used to shoot skeet with. He told me there was more Elephants and other African big game shot with a Lee Enfield 303 especially during the war years than has ever been harvested by other sporting rifle calibres. He said nobody ever told the British soldiers their Enfield 303's loaded with the ammo they were issued were too light to do the job and that they killed lots of big game with them.
Click to expand...

Bell has probably shot more elephants than anyone else in history. I'm sure others on here can tell you how many or correct me if I'm wrong. It was a little over 1000 though IIRC. Many shot with a 7mm Mauser. However this does not make a 7mm Mauser or a .303 a good choice for a modern day hunter. A) Bell had more skill and experience hunting them than anyone on this board could gain in many lifetimes, his marksmanship and knowledge of their anatomy is far better than any of us could hope to know.
2) For him it was a business. 7mm Mauser was far cheaper than .450 NE.

Soldiers plugging rounds into an elephant with a .303 does also not make it a good choice. Consider that it was probably many soldiers doing the shooting and that the animal was most likely a target of opportunity and it was unlikely they would stalk an animal into the thick stuff, and if they did it would probably be with several rifle men.

For a modern hunter a 7mm Mauser or .303 is simply not an option for very good reason.
 
Don't forget that in the old days when guys tried to brain Jumbo with a 303 and they cocked it up and the ele ran off they just shrugged and went after another one. Likewise, no one, ever has advocated for the 303 as being a bright idea to wade into the elephant grass with to sort out a wounded cape buffalo.

Bell was likely one of the greatest field marksmen of all history, but he was hunting in a different era. It was a time before elephants had been harried by all manner of poachers with AKs or had to endure control shooting. The last 60 years has changed the way that elephants see the world fundamentally. Their range has decreased dramatically and pressure from poachers has increased exponentially. Where bell could set up a ladder in the tall grass and brain several animals out of a herd, today you have a hard time edging into a herd of elephants to scout out a tuskless cow.
 
RememberTheSomme said:
If I could only have one bolt-action rifle for ever and ever,............

Well if Sporting rifles are what you are referring to I already have it, my first new center-fire rifle I bought in 1982, a Model70XTR in 7mmRemingtonMagnum. Accurate, powerful and dependable even over the irons if the glass should break. Nothing else needed, just ask Jim Carmichael or myself!;)

If you threw in "End of the World", "SHTF", "War of the Worlds", or....."our bus crashed because the driver was blinded by the strobes on the UFO week-end",.... then it would be my No4Mk2 Lee-Enfield, nothing else required with a good supply of ammunition and stripper clips,... case closed.
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I'm on the same page as far as going with a LE No.4, but mine would be chambered in .375 Winchester.:)
 
I can't imagine why I'd only want one rifle, but if it had to be that way something like a Dakota Traveler and a handful of barrels would take of things. Barrels in .458 Lott, 375 H&H (or Weatherby) .300 Win, 7mm STW and 257 Weatherby wouldn't leave a lot of gaps. The exact mix of calibers wouldn't matter much as long as the mixture of small, medium, large and flat were all covered.
 
Ive owned more Mauser 98 actions then any other action.

This is my 3rd in 308/762. Runner up is P14 actions I had 2. 2 very strong actions.
 
BigUglyMan said:
Don't forget that in the old days when guys tried to brain Jumbo with a 303 and they cocked it up and the ele ran off they just shrugged and went after another one. Likewise, no one, ever has advocated for the 303 as being a bright idea to wade into the elephant grass with to sort out a wounded cape buffalo.

Bell was likely one of the greatest field marksmen of all history, but he was hunting in a different era. It was a time before elephants had been harried by all manner of poachers with AKs or had to endure control shooting. The last 60 years has changed the way that elephants see the world fundamentally. Their range has decreased dramatically and pressure from poachers has increased exponentially. Where bell could set up a ladder in the tall grass and brain several animals out of a herd, today you have a hard time edging into a herd of elephants to scout out a tuskless cow.
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Don't know if I buy the "different era" part completely. Its certainly a different era regarding elephants but wouldn't this also suggest guys are not REALLY learning their craft and rigs today too? I agree due to all kinds of reasons you might not be able to practice to the same degree for this purpose but I also think lots of hunters are not "shooters" today.

Back to that old saying.... beware the man with but one gun. Obviously suggests a guy who really learns what he's doing with what he has can be very effective.

No doubt in an ideal world a 7mm or .303 is not the perfect choice for elephants but what your example tells me is we at least equally need to LEARN to be effective instead of just PURCHASING to be effective.
 
Dogleg said:
I can't imagine why I'd only want one rifle, but if it had to be that way something like a Dakota Traveler and a handful of barrels would take of things. Barrels in .458 Lott, 375 H&H (or Weatherby) .300 Win, 7mm STW and 257 Weatherby wouldn't leave a lot of gaps. The exact mix of calibers wouldn't matter much as long as the mixture of small, medium, large and flat were all covered.
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The intent of the thread was not about WANTING to have one gun, it was what for whatever reason you could only have one. Reason doesn't matter.... could be anything from a irons only milsurp.. a fav. hunting rifle.... to a custom rig.

Its an interesting range of possibilities.

Maybe we are just a little too spoiled in this country to imagine it.
 
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