- Location
- British Canuckistan
you need the end all and be all rifle. what would it be? for those of you who require a budget to consider this, and remember, this includes your optics, think of something in the $1200 range. 
if you could only have one rifle...what would it be?
- Thread starter Mr. Friendly
- Start date
- Location
- British Canuckistan
the end all be all of everything. if you need a firearm for something, that is what you'd grab because it's all you have.
- Location
- British Canuckistan
that's just the caliber sgt.rock...I want the rifle and the optics. what would you go with if you only had $1200 for the job?
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
This is going to sound strange to a lot of folks here, but if I had to choose, it would be a pre-64 top eject 30-30 Model 94 Winchester with a receiver sight.
Not fancy, it just works. And although it would be stretching it in a few cases, it can and has taken every game animal on the continent.
Not fancy, it just works. And although it would be stretching it in a few cases, it can and has taken every game animal on the continent.
I'm with John. At this point I would have to choose my open sighted .30-30. I could then use the rest of my money to buy alot of ammo, or alot of gas to hunt with this Fall. Of course I hear that question alot and change my answer just as frequently.
If you were looking at buying a new rifle and scope, and had $1200 to play with you might consider a Ruger Hawkeye in .30-06. It really is a good rifle and it comes with it's own mounts. That's about $700. Buy yourself a good scope for $300 and you still have $200 for a sling and ammo. Or spend $500 on your scope and sleep well tonight.
If you were looking at buying a new rifle and scope, and had $1200 to play with you might consider a Ruger Hawkeye in .30-06. It really is a good rifle and it comes with it's own mounts. That's about $700. Buy yourself a good scope for $300 and you still have $200 for a sling and ammo. Or spend $500 on your scope and sleep well tonight.
manbearpig
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Somewhere in the Third World
$680 - Ruger Compact, .308, stainless
$500 - Leupold VXIII 1.75-6x36mm
$20 - sling
______________
$1200
$500 - Leupold VXIII 1.75-6x36mm
$20 - sling
______________
$1200
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
It's a tough call between my .30/06 and my .375 because I like both and could probably get by with either as my only rifle for the rest of my life. Both are Brnos, the .375 is a custom 602 chambered for the .375 Ultra and the '06 is slightly tweaked factory ZG-47.
The .375 is a shorter thus better heavy cover gun, although that issue could be resolved at anytime by my gunsmith if I chose a .30/06 carbine.
At this time in my life, I need a dedicated gun for bear work; and the .375 has a decided edge over the '06. Not that the '06 won't kill any bear on the planet, but there is a difference between a hunting rifle and a protection rifle. However I hasten to add, that should the .375 be loaded with a light for caliber bullet and the '06 with a heavy for caliber bullet, the advantage of the .375 maybe less apparent than one would at first think. I have had the luxury of a small supply of wonderful 380 gr Rhinos for the .375, but should I be restricted to a 260 or a 270 gr bullet, the .30/06 loaded with 240 gr Woodleighs though not the equal, becomes much closer in performance.
Trajectory is similar between both rounds, so that's a wash. I can shoot cast bullets with good accuracy in both rifles for my small game shooting needs. When loaded with full powered ammo, both cartridges are suitable for use on any North American big game over 100 pounds. The '06 has an edge as a varmint rifle due to the light weight bullets available for it, (the Speer 130 gr HP has proven accurate and deadly) but I'm not much of a varminter or a pelt hunter these days.
For practice shooting with full powered ammo the '06 is cheaper and less fatiguing, but with cast the cost is similar and either can be shot with little fatigue.
In the unlikely event that I was to go on another big dollar big game hunt, I would opt to carry the .375. Such a hunt would involve dangerous game, either as the quarry or as an interesting diversion while hunting lesser game and the .375 is a sensible minimum caliber choice for hunting in such environments.
I guess then I've answered the question from the standpoint of my current life style. The .375 is the correct answer for me, provided that I can continue to get the components I currently enjoy. Should we get to the point in this country that we are allowed but a single centerfire rifle, we could certainly expect severe restrictions on handloading and component availability. A few years ago I was not restricted to the number of handguns or to the type of handgun I could have on my ATC. Today, under what is our best bet as a gun tolerant government, I find myself restricted to 2, neither or which can now be an automatic. Things aren't likely to get better, and such a question as being restricted to a single centerfire rifle might have to be seriously considered in the future.
The .375 is a shorter thus better heavy cover gun, although that issue could be resolved at anytime by my gunsmith if I chose a .30/06 carbine.
At this time in my life, I need a dedicated gun for bear work; and the .375 has a decided edge over the '06. Not that the '06 won't kill any bear on the planet, but there is a difference between a hunting rifle and a protection rifle. However I hasten to add, that should the .375 be loaded with a light for caliber bullet and the '06 with a heavy for caliber bullet, the advantage of the .375 maybe less apparent than one would at first think. I have had the luxury of a small supply of wonderful 380 gr Rhinos for the .375, but should I be restricted to a 260 or a 270 gr bullet, the .30/06 loaded with 240 gr Woodleighs though not the equal, becomes much closer in performance.
Trajectory is similar between both rounds, so that's a wash. I can shoot cast bullets with good accuracy in both rifles for my small game shooting needs. When loaded with full powered ammo, both cartridges are suitable for use on any North American big game over 100 pounds. The '06 has an edge as a varmint rifle due to the light weight bullets available for it, (the Speer 130 gr HP has proven accurate and deadly) but I'm not much of a varminter or a pelt hunter these days.
For practice shooting with full powered ammo the '06 is cheaper and less fatiguing, but with cast the cost is similar and either can be shot with little fatigue.
In the unlikely event that I was to go on another big dollar big game hunt, I would opt to carry the .375. Such a hunt would involve dangerous game, either as the quarry or as an interesting diversion while hunting lesser game and the .375 is a sensible minimum caliber choice for hunting in such environments.
I guess then I've answered the question from the standpoint of my current life style. The .375 is the correct answer for me, provided that I can continue to get the components I currently enjoy. Should we get to the point in this country that we are allowed but a single centerfire rifle, we could certainly expect severe restrictions on handloading and component availability. A few years ago I was not restricted to the number of handguns or to the type of handgun I could have on my ATC. Today, under what is our best bet as a gun tolerant government, I find myself restricted to 2, neither or which can now be an automatic. Things aren't likely to get better, and such a question as being restricted to a single centerfire rifle might have to be seriously considered in the future.
manbearpig
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Somewhere in the Third World
Boomer, IIRC you have a few grand invested in your .375...
if you had to buy an off-the-shelf rifle and scope for ~$1200, what would it be?
if you had to buy an off-the-shelf rifle and scope for ~$1200, what would it be?
shortaction
CGN Regular
- Location
- Manitoulin Island, Ontario
It would have to be a Remington Model 7600 Synthetic in 308 WIN with a Leupold VX-III 1.5-5x20 with a Weaver base and Burris Signature Zee Rings along with a extra magazine.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Then it would be a toss up between the .30/06 I mentioned or a .375 Ruger Alaskan.
That $1200 limit makes it rough,but I would go with a Remington 700 SPS in 7mmremag with a Zeiss conquest 3x9x40.With a set of leupold bases and rings,you would be at almost exactly the $1200 according to the prices on the Wholesale Sports site,but you wouldn't have enough left to pay the GST.However Wholesale sports used to have a one day in store sale each year where they paid the GST.
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