Let's play a game...

Silverado

Silverado

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This is an ancient game, which has been played out time and again over millennia here on CGN.

It's the game of "Which Rifle?", or perhaps "One Gun to Rule Them All..."

No, not "Which rifle we choose for tactical tasking?", but rather, which single hunting rifle to keep?

I'm mostly wondering if anyone will break the mold of time-honoured derivative reasoning to come up with a new answer to the question...

I'm going to pare down to one single big-game hunting rifle, of three that I currently own. (This is NOT sacrilege! I am working toward a leaner inventory of material goods in all areas of my life. But fear not! I still have a selection of firearms to play with...)

All three share some similarities, in that they all wear iron sights as well as quality optics, and I enjoy shooting all of them. One is slightly more accurate than the others, but all shoot well within the vital zone of a deer when sighted using MPBR for the chambering in question out to comfortable hunting distances. All three can sport an Andy's Leather Ching Sling as well.

Availability of ammunition is not to be considered here, as I have an abundance of premium reloading components (read: at least a decade worth) for all three, and hand loading affords me the greatest versatility available. Big game species would include deer, elk, moose, possibly black bear, and just maybe sheep.

The candidates:

Sako 85 Bavarian Carbine in 30-06. She is a real beauty and just whispers quality when you shoot her. I love the styling of the full stock, and the glassy smoothness of the action. The trigger is sublime, in both standard and single-set modes. Bonus: I also have a synthetic stock from a Model 85 Finnlight, which shaves some weight and adds a more knockaround character if I wish. While money is not the prime motivator for this cull of rifles, this one is worth the sum of the values of the remaining two.

Ruger 77 Hawkeye Alaskan in 375 Ruger. This is a slightly older model, in Ruger's discontinued (?) black-nitron finish over stainless steel. Truly an all-weather rifle, she's mounted in a Boyd's laminate stock. I like the open sights quite a bit on this one; a deep V rear with a white bead front. She's also built with my preferred configuration of a hinged-floorplate magazine. The action is the smoothest of any Ruger I've owned or shot. With hand loads, this cartridge has essentially identical ballistics to the 30-06, with AMPLE power to spare. Bonus: I also have the factory Hogue stock, which I also like quite a bit, though I prefer the checkered Boyd's.

Ruger 77 Gunsite Scout in 308. There isn't any game on my list that I wouldn't happily hunt with a 308. One of the original models, this incredibly handy rifle has the (IMO) superior 18.5" barrel without the silly flashhider. Originally in stainless steel, this one was professionally Nitron Blackened by our own Murdoc (of ArmaCoat). Again, perfectly all-weather, and with a custom touch. I'm a big fan of checkered laminate stocks, and this one is comfortable and rugged. The rear ghost-ring sight is probably the best of the three, in all honesty. Bonus: I have a Timney trigger set for this rifle (or the above Alaskan, though the Scout needs a trigger upgrade the most.)

So, what say you all? Which one is 'The One'?

Game on...
 
I have never owned a Sako, I have owned several Rugers and I liked them all, I like all three calibres but I think if I did own a Sako it would be the last out the door even though I am not crazy about full length stocks , the Alaskan would be gone but I might find it hard to part with the 308. I envy your dilemma.
 
I'd keep the Sako.

A 30/06 will do anything you need for hunting here in Canada and if you're only going to have one, it should come with as much pride of ownership as possible. You might tire of the recoil and weight of the 375 and the 308 is not near as nice as the Sako.
 
nowarningshot said:
Of the three the sako 30-06 is the most versatile for a one gun hunter.
Click to expand...

The .30/06 is a fine cartridge, but is no where near as versatile as a .375, given the breadth of handloaded ammunition in either case. While I like the old L series SAKOs, there are enough questions being raised about the reliability of the newer models with respect to cycling that I'm wary. While I shoot and load for each cartridge, of the 3 rifles listed, the Ruger Alaskan is the only one I'm familiar with, and my experience with it was very positive. Given my positive experience with the rifle, and the advantages of the .375 cartridge, the Ruger Alaskan would be my choice.
 
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You can ditch that GSR and not shed a tear... I am a Ruger guy and 80%+ of my rifles are from Ruger, but I have never been a fan of the GSR... or the Mini's for that matter.

If it is to be one rifle only... the Sako Bavarian is the one... I have recommended that very rifle many times as a "One Hunting Rifle" arsenal. Not usually in .30/06, but that is a functional caliber for everything but the extremes. Make sure that you mount a top notch optic in solid mounts... cuz you won't have a backup rifle anymore.

You might consider going down to two rifles... which makes the decision obvious and painless.

I have much experience in downsizing... in preparation for retirement, over the past three years or so, I have gone from over 130 firearms to under 20... it was relatively painless to see the first half go... but it got more and more difficult after that. I now have a battery of truly useful rifles and shotguns that will all see regular use... no more "safe Queens."
 
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You don't really say what your needs are; but I'll assume you know what you're talking about when you say that you can handle your requirements with a .308. Given that, the choice is easy. Keep the Sako.

The trouble with "one gun for everything" is that nobody means it. What they mean is "one gun for the stuff they're really doing, where they're doing it, at the ranges they're doing it, within the limits of their ability shoot and handle recoil, at a weight and fit they like, and more or less fitting with their sense of esthetics or desire for durabilty". Yep, I fit all that in one set of brackets.:d


If threads were named "What's your favorite hunting rifle and why" or "what's the hunting rifle you wish you had and why" instead of "best rifle for everything" most people would name the same piece. If someone absolutely needed one hunting rifle for everything, with everything meaning everything, a .375 of some description is about as good as it gets.
 
Given the parameters you set, for the game you hunt, in the area you say you will be hunting...........The full stock Sako '06 is the "no brainer" answer to your question. However, if you were to ever consider "stepping out" a bit for bison or big bears or an "Out of Africa" experience.........then the obvious answer is the 375 Ruger. Which in the big picture is not a bad choice regardless............IF YOU HANDLOAD.
The reloader can tailor his loads for different classes of game when using a 375.........the 30-06 will only ever be a 30-06 which excludes you from 1 or 2 classes of big game.
 
One rifle to admire and fondle and plink and maybe hunt with occasionally? The Sako, although I have no interest in that chambering.

One rifle to sell quickly because just looking at it makes me ill? The Gunsite scout...I like scouts, I like Rugers, but that thing is just too ugly to live.

One rifle to actually use for everything, to hunt anywhere, to use in rain or shine, to actually know that I am equipped for everything, everywhere, anytime? Has to be the Alaskan.

But if it were me, I'd sell all three and get a switch-barrel, multi-caliber take-down that really would be a do-everything gun. Was that one of the choices?
 
I'd keep the Sako, though I think you want the Ruger 77 Gunsite Scout in 308. Which do you want to go hunting with? Deer tomorrow only one rifle, which do you want to take? That is the answer.
 
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One thing about a safe full of rifles is a guy can carry a rifle that matches conditions. I am also considering letting go of some stuff, harder than it sounds. I'd go function over any other consideration. My choice would be the Ruger Scout with the upgraded trigger and a couple of magazines, tough and handy and not so pretty I'd worry if it needed to do a messy task. The receiver peep sight is a major plus and central to my position.
 
I'm tempted to leave this up to fate, or the market, or whatever, by listing all three and keeping the last of them.
 
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