Hardest chambering to give up?
- Thread starter Ardent
- Start date
MTM case gaurds are where I'm at now. Seems to work for new reloads. Problem is I have plenty loaded and can't remember what the load is. Shot shells are the worst. Few good days at the range to fire everything off and start loading again lol
Well, my .30-06 was given to me by my dad so that's a "never let go" despite it being nothing fancy. But that is a specific rifle, not necessarily because of the chambering.
For myself personally, there's two. The first rifle I ever bought for myself was a secondhand A-Bolt in 7mm Rem Mag and it got me my first moose and my first elk. Since then I've never been without a 7mm Rem Mag for more than a few months. It's just been my go-to for so many hunts. I always end up with another in the safe. And to be fair to it, there's nothing here in Manitoba you can hunt that the 7-mag wouldn't handle with ease at any normal hunting range.
The other is the first *new* rifle I ever bought for myself, which was a .257 Weatherby Magnum. That one is responsible for more insta-kills than anything I've ever seen. It's just... wow. I'd say it has piled up a dozen or so deer, dead-right-there, bang-flop with unnatural consistency. I think if it ever came down to replacing the barrel on my Vanguard it would probably just get another in .257 Wby. I don't think the rifle itself would go anywhere (not that I'd get my money out of it with a B&C replacement stock and Timney trigger), but the cartridge itself likely won't go anywhere either.
For myself personally, there's two. The first rifle I ever bought for myself was a secondhand A-Bolt in 7mm Rem Mag and it got me my first moose and my first elk. Since then I've never been without a 7mm Rem Mag for more than a few months. It's just been my go-to for so many hunts. I always end up with another in the safe. And to be fair to it, there's nothing here in Manitoba you can hunt that the 7-mag wouldn't handle with ease at any normal hunting range.
The other is the first *new* rifle I ever bought for myself, which was a .257 Weatherby Magnum. That one is responsible for more insta-kills than anything I've ever seen. It's just... wow. I'd say it has piled up a dozen or so deer, dead-right-there, bang-flop with unnatural consistency. I think if it ever came down to replacing the barrel on my Vanguard it would probably just get another in .257 Wby. I don't think the rifle itself would go anywhere (not that I'd get my money out of it with a B&C replacement stock and Timney trigger), but the cartridge itself likely won't go anywhere either.
Still acquiring rifles and chamberings...but for the most part to replace chamberings from the past...e.g., just picked up Ruger No.1 in 218 Bee
Ones hard to let go:
22LR - will always have one (or more)
250 Savage - will always have one now
6.5x55 - now that I have a LH rifle, will never let it go (must admit that I really like my LH Browning X Bolt All Weather in 6.5 CM too)
280 Rem - now that I have a LH rifle, will never let it go (must admit that I will keep my LH Sako AV in 7MM STW too)
338 Federal - will always have one now
358 Win - will always have one
9.3x62 - now that I have a LH rifle, will never let it go
375 Win - will always have one (or more)
376 Steyr - now that I have a LH rifle, will never let it go
41 Rem MAg - will never let my MArlin lever action go...and now will have my NMBH's forever
28 Ga. - will always have the Rem 110 Sporting 28 and Benelli Ethos for me and the wife for grouse
Ones hard to let go:
22LR - will always have one (or more)
250 Savage - will always have one now
6.5x55 - now that I have a LH rifle, will never let it go (must admit that I really like my LH Browning X Bolt All Weather in 6.5 CM too)
280 Rem - now that I have a LH rifle, will never let it go (must admit that I will keep my LH Sako AV in 7MM STW too)
338 Federal - will always have one now
358 Win - will always have one
9.3x62 - now that I have a LH rifle, will never let it go
375 Win - will always have one (or more)
376 Steyr - now that I have a LH rifle, will never let it go
41 Rem MAg - will never let my MArlin lever action go...and now will have my NMBH's forever
28 Ga. - will always have the Rem 110 Sporting 28 and Benelli Ethos for me and the wife for grouse
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
She only went for sale due to this program, eliminating .224.
Enjoy her, she’s going to a good home.
The insanity of this endeavor aside... the quarter bores were easy for me to give up, as were the 6mm group... too big for small stuff and too small for big stuff. Don't think I could go down to one caliber personally, but I could probably avoid the MAID program with just 7mm and .358's... I wouldn't like it and smiling would be difficult there after, but I could do it. For pure shooting enjoyment .22 centerfire is where it's at, and I have half a dozen in the stable. For light, precise shooting on medium game, the 6.5's are just the ticket... I have half a dozen of those as well. When only one can come, a .30 cal of some sort is just right, currently .30-30 (Pre-64 94), .308, 7.62X57, .30/06 & .300 WM. I guess if push came to shove, my .358's would be the last to leave... they just put down game when you absolutely need it to go down.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
In this discussion, mentioning what I’m trying to do and that is standardize my battery around one chambering for logistical simplicity. It may not succeed, in fact it likely won’t but I’ll get ever closer. However what I’m really digging at is the round that would be hardest to remove from your battery, no matter how many you still have, that’s what I initially thought I found in the .257 Roberts. You got there with the .358, for all the lust I hold for the .257 I suspect my real answer, purely based on the facts is the .308 Winchester is the hardest for me to give up in actual use.
All this thought distillation focuses on those I’m struggling to give up but ultimately can do without, begrudgingly and ungratefully landing in company of my .308s as they’re so easy to feed and do everything the others do. In that case, without an emotional and irrational attachment to the round like I have to the .257 Roberts and had for the H&H before I finalized the divorce, the .308 is my hardest round to quit in the parlance of Brokeback. I suppose all good threads end up there.
In a world of unlimited niche ammo, and time and money to convert all my favourite rifles and hunt abroad several times a year, it’d be a .257 Roberts / .375 H&H dynamic duo. I find the Roberts does more than the .308 for me, as there’s nothing with the exception of Bison I’d hunt with a .308 I wouldn’t happily hunt with a 120gr .257, but I can speed up the .257 and get a much more usable trajectory for the mountains here. And it’s more enjoyable to shoot in an extremely light rifle.
But all that loses compared to walking into Crappy Tire and finding a half dozen loads, including Federal Good Match and Hornady AMAXs on the shelf in the biggest ammo and component shortage in memory.
Licensed to kill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Peace Country Alberta
lol
It is hard to argue against the .308 Win, although around CGN, we know the winning argument to be .30/06. I have had dozens of .308 Win rifles over the years, and while I am currently without one, I still have dies and thousands of brass. There is one that I am seeking and will find eventually. I get your concept, but can't see me adopting right up until I hang up my spurs for the last time. Other than the shelves at CT, the only real cost differential between one cartridge or twenty, are the number of dies you have. Paring down the number of rifles we own is another discussion... been there, done that, several times. I am currently around 10% of what I was at during my (insane) peak. My motivation was that I found myself spending all my time managing the herd, to the point where I decided to go out for an impromptu afternoon bear hunt but realized that I didn't have a single rifle of the triple digit rifles to choose from that was sighted in and ready to hunt after all of the buying/selling/trading/scope swapping. I found the resolve for a great sell-off. As things stand now, every rifle I own wears a scope that is sighted in with a tailored load, ready to ride at a moments notice.
My bet is that you are too much of a restless tinkerer to get down to just .308 Win, even in multiple platforms, but I wish you well on the journey.
dgradinaru
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- British Columbia
I too have experienced this. Many rifles sitting without use over the years. I always meant to get them up and running but I always found myself reaching for two or three of the same every season and filling my tags out with them year after year. I then realized Id rather sell off the ones not getting used and set up what I really want to keep and have them ready for use like you mentioned, at moments notice. My favorite of the bunch is the 8x57, followed by 7x57 and the 30-06.
Based off the the recent droughts of ammo and components I have been re-thinking what the most practical options are and have come to the conclusion that the 308 win, 30-06, 300 win would be very favorable to me and my type of shooting and hunting. That doesn't mean I won't have others. The hardest to let go would be the 8mm due to sentimental value.
