go to all around gun

[ammo.crafter]

all around?

Depends what you are hunting or encountering as others have said.

I would say choose the gun that you shoot most accurately and without forethought.

Mine is a Contender 20" barrel in 7x30 Waters.

 

[thekidd76]

Definitely agree, depends on what you are doing. I use my 10/22 with a "night vision" setup for eradicating beavers at night on my creek. Pellet for rabbits and squirrels in the garden, glock for EDC, etc.

Context is everything.

 

[davidsog]

I tend to eschew a lot of bolt-actions for "all around" rifles

Yep.

Got a M1917 bubba sporterized. The barrel was original and in great shape. It was cut back to exactly the same length as the OSS guns in WWII used in the Burma Theater. They guy I bought it off had the action and all the metal rust blued before he found out the barrel was cut down. Sold it cheap and back in a military stock it gives off Scout Rifle vibes.
Put two 100 round bandoliers' packed with M2 ball to get a real Mexican Bandit flavor to it.

 

[ThomasT]

I have always said I could get by with just 3 firearms. A shotgun, and I don't care if its a single shot, a 22 rifle and a 30-30 for everything else. I am still a fan of the 30-30. I will buy all I find if the cost is right. But that doesn't seem to happen much anymore.

I am so set up to load 30-30 with around 1500 pieces of brass and over 1200 jacketed bullets. And I just started casting for the 30-30 and loaded some ammo but haven't tried it yet.

I also have a Remington model 7 in 7-08. One of the originals with 18.5" barrel and schnabel forend. Thats a deer killing dude.

For a truck gun to have around me everywhere it might be my new Henry in 22 mag. Man that gun is slick and a real shooter. And I have over 5000 rounds of ammo for it.

But if I had to choose one rifle it would be one of my 30-30s. As long as I can reload for it I can make it very versatile to use. It can do about anything from small game up to moose as long as I watch the range its used at.

 

[ligonierbill]

I'm inclined to agree with Scorch on the Mauser. I do love 'em, and I still have my "first" centerfire, a Danzig '98 with a Redfield aperture sight and a Marbles front bead. But "all around" I have to go with my Sauer 100 CLS XT 9.3x62. Yep, the cheap model with a plastic stock. I recently put an older 1.5-6X Tasco Titan 30mm scope on it, and it shoots the lights out with bullets from 232 to 300 grains. Yes, that's a bit of overkill for most critters, but the moderate velocity won't mess up too much meat. And it will literally kill anything that walks the earth.

In truth, if you can forego shooting across two counties, most of our centerfire rifles do pretty well.

 

[stinkeypete]

1. Go-to all around gun: 12 gauge shotgun. It might be an Ithaca Model 37 pump or a Wingmaster or your choice of top-tier semi-autos. From squirrels to bear, skeet and trap.

2. Go-to all around centerfire rifle: Remington 30-06. You might say .308. This is my personal bunnies to bears rifle, 90 grain "plinkers" at 1200 fps or 180 grain stompers.

3. You could argue for a .22 LR

4. Savage ML2 modern powder muzzle-loader. For the Paco-Lips. If you can find shotgun primers, it can shoot just about any powder from any bullets you take off a zombie and break apart. Or the tips of old match heads. It'll shoot it.

 

[GeauxTide]

I got a BAR DBM "Hog Hunter" this year. 18.5" barrel, 10 round clip, left hand eject. 165 Grand Slam reloads. I'm comfortable to 250 yards with the 1x4 Vortex sitting on it.

 

[stagpanther]

I've tried to come up with an answer for this and really can't, it sounds more like "If you could have only one gun for every single situation you'll ever encounter" and I genuinely cannot come up with a single answer for that. If instead it were phrased like "what is one of your all around favorite guns and why" That would be something I could respond to a bit more readily; certainly one at the top of my list would be my savage 110 long range hunter in 338 lapua magnum because:

1. the cartridge is inherently accurate across a large range of configurations.
2. the cartridge is inherently easy to dope the scope for and bucks winds well.
3 The cartridge can reach WAY out there if needs be and hit hard.
4 The rifle is remarkably affordable and easy to shoot, delivering felt recoil no worse than some rifles shooting cartridges half the size of the 338 LM IMO.

The problem I have with it--if you want to call it a problem--is that it shoots almost everything I put through it with MOA or less accuracy; so it takes a while and a lot of cartridges through a chrono to find the unicorn node(s). Even reloading is an expensive proposition and doing lots of em is very expensive.

Rustled mine out today just for some big bang fun.

 

[jetinteriorguy]

Ready.......a Mini30

Wait, .........consider it the modern saddle rifle, near 30-30 power and near the same size and weight. Accuracy equal to a lever carbine (maybe?). Easily scoped if needs be. Range to 200 yds plus. Fair trigger. Hi cap mags available if that matters. Wood and steel models available. Ruger support net. Soviet/Russian ammo is not as cheap as it was, but 7.62x39mm is still widely available. Plus I think about all domestic ammo companies offer the cartridge.

Somebody will mention that the rifle has a bad reputation with fail to fire and steel case. OK........shoot brass domestic and quit griping.

This is my thought as well. I had one many years ago and with a little tweaking of the trigger and proper handloads it was a solid 1.75 MOA shooter. But I sold it and have regretted it ever since, looking for a replacement these days.

 

[stagpanther]

This is my thought as well. I had one many years ago and with a little tweaking of the trigger and proper handloads it was a solid 1.75 MOA shooter. But I sold it and have regretted it ever since, looking for a replacement these days.

7.62 x 39 AR wouldn't do the same thing for you but more accurately?

 

[taylorce1]

The problem I have with it--if you want to call it a problem--is that it shoots almost everything I put through it with MOA or less accuracy; so it takes a while and a lot of cartridges through a chrono to find the unicorn node(s). Even reloading is an expensive proposition and doing lots of em is very expensive.

I feel bad for you, that's the worst problem to ever have.


I hear you on reloading costs, I really don't like cartridges that take more than 70 grains. I prefer them really under 50 these days. My favorites take around 25 grains to keep happy.

 

[Sarge]

Model 94 Winchester 30-30.

That'd work for me as well. I happen to own an old straight-stocked 336 in 35 Remington but a good iron sighted lever action, zeroed at 200 yards, solves an awful lot of real world rifle chores.

 

[stuckinthe60s]

if there was truly an all around gun...they wouldnt be making as many different ones as they are today.
guns are like nails.
you dont use 12 commons to make a cabinet.

i will pass on this discussion and vote 'present.'

 

[stagpanther]

If it were a cheap bug-out gun that you don't mind bashing up and is relatively cheap to stock up on thousands of rounds for the inevitable zombie apocalypse that ends the world as we know it--my vote would have to go to 7.62 x 39 in either an AK or some other carbine that can shoot it. I bought this cheapo AR47 upper from PSA years ago for something like $200 and keep it ready to go with Wolf 123 gr polyformance which is great steel case bulk ammo in my experience. Shot this 10 shot group yesterday at 95 yds into strong headwinds of 20 to 25 mph for fun when I figured it was a waste to test hand-loads.

 

[Picher]

Go To: All Around Gun

My Rem 700 Stainless in .270 Win will kill about anything needing killing or I want to kill, in Maine, where I live. It sports a Leupold 3-9X scope and has an after-market super-laminated wood stock, or an even-tougher synthetic.

The free-floated barrel doesn't require scope re-zero when switching stocks, but I usually check it on my range behind the house, just to make sure.

 

[nanuk-O-dah-Nort]

From many years to about 1982 I drove a Ford F150 4x4 and probably spent more time than not roaming the first Nevada desert, then the Arizona desert after a job transfer in 1970. During that time that truck had an Indian blanket seat cover that had a pouch that ran alongside the front of the bench seat in the truck. ...
Paul B.

for years, I drove a '67 Ford 1/2T with the big 300I6, 2x4.... that dang thing drove through everything!

and it wore that exact same seat cover the whole time.

inside that pouch on mine was a 12ga single with a shortened barrel. in the glove box was a handfull of #8-9 cheapest shells you could find, for rabbits and grouse, and a few rounds of basic slugs for up close and personal bear dispatching

I miss that old truck!

 

[ronl]

If I had to pick one rifle to do it all, it would be my M1A. Being set up and bedded to NM specs, it is very accurate and has enough power to handle almost any situation, including taking game, especially considering how well bullets perform these days. Allows me to carry mags loaded with different bullets for different tasks. Down side is the weight, especially if a scope is added, but the irons are about as good as it gets. Positive side of the weight is recoil management. Having that second round ready to launch is not a bad thing either.

 

[georgehwbush]

i usually just carry my pistole, M-4 carbine.

 

[deadcoyote]

I live in a heavily wooded and mountain type area. I know this isn’t the spirit of the question based on the sub forum but if I had to pick a real go to to cover everything where I live it would be my stoeger m3k shotgun. Works for bear issues, lion issues, unwanted people issues etc.

I hunt mostly in a completely different environment, and if I factor that in as well then I’d pick my aero M5. Great rifle, not too heavy, really accurate.

 

[Plainsman]

I would have to say my Ruger GSR in .308 would have to be my pick. Handloading for various jobs would be key to making it “all around.”

As a second choice, it would be my Handirifle in .357 magnum.

Its tough to get a rifle to do everything and to do it well.