Help me choose my only rifle! (And cartridge!)

As much as I hate to say it (I'm not an AR-15 fan), the suggestion to get a 6.8 SPC is a good one. That cartridge and gun will do pretty much anything in a pinch.

If you want a levergun just get a 30-30, but remember that leverguns don't tend to be as inherently accurate as bolts or even the AR-15.
If I could only have one rifle, I think it would have to be the 6.8 AR.... if two, then a 5.56 AR and a T/C Encore in 308, 30-06, 270, whatever.
 
Elliottsdad,

This is my 1st post on this forum, and I've read yours 3 times.
First of all... is it "legal" to hunt deer in Nebraska with 5.56/.223? (In many States it is NOT...must use larger caliber)
Secondly, if you cross State lines, is 5.56/.223 legal there? I'm not a "hunter", therefore I have no clue.

IF! (and only IF) you can hunt deer in your State with 5.56mm, I'd recommend that platform. Why? Because the ammo is cheap enough for you to become a master of it. (Wolf...Tula....Russian ammo is "dirty"... Swiss made RWS seams to be cleaner.)
 
+1 on the Ruger GSR, especially since Ruger is now making mags for it, the AICS mags were a bit spendy at @$60 bucks a pop. Now you can stock up on the Ruger mags for about $20-$25 bucks cheaper. I wish they had done that before I ordered a 5 round mag for hunting season! Also, one of the complaints about the GSR was that the magazine interfered with being able to carry the rifle at its balance point while hunting/hiking through the woods. The 3 rnd mag from Ruger is flush fit so that problem is solved, and you can still slap a 10 rounder in there if you need the firepower.
 
A 30/30 lever action and a BLR are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of performance and cost.
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I'm assuming this is another way of saying if I can afford it, jump up to the BLR, as you feel its a better platform?

If you did not like a M700 in 270 Win, you are going to be hard to please.
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It was plain jane. It didn't "trip my trigger" (pun intended). If I'm only going to own one rifle, it better have "it", and that one didn't.

Elliottsdad,
This is my 1st post on this forum, and I've read yours 3 times.
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Welcome to the forum.:)

I've read up on the Ruger because of all of your suggestions, and it does seem like a pretty sweet rifle. Thanks again!
 
Proof is in the pudding...

Mojo doesn't come installed in a rifle. You are the one that installs the mojo. I have a synthetic stocked 700 that out-mojos my other guns. But I do know what you mean. I'd take a 2 MOA gun with a soul over a 1
.5 MOA gun that does not speak to me.
-SS-
 
There is nothing wrong with Japanese made guns. They can be excellent.
Not that there have not made a few with problems, but so have us Americans now and then.
The Browning A-Bolts have come into my shop a few times with problems to the cocking mechanism and trigger, and some of the older Weatherby rifles made in the 70s had bummer barrels in them
However most Jap guns are very very good.
 
Absolutely. No proud owner of a 1974 Pinto should ever let himself be seen with some Japanese piece of junk.
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..he probably still drives the Pinto because he doesn't want to die in a fiery crash involving a Toyota Camry with a stuck accelerator. Where are those made again?
 
My vote for a 'general purpose' rifle would be the SKS. With a decent scope, you can shoot 8'' plates all day a 200 meters and in. You can get a nice one for ~$300 and a scope mount for $20-30 on amazon.
 
You picked a bad counter example, Japanese manufactured Camry were not involved in that recall.
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Noted, and sorry about my smartass comment.

I did some reading at Browning's website and see they're proud to be an international company, so more power to them. They do make beautiful firearms.
 
I had a Remington 700 in 270, and I liked it and it shot great, but somehow it just wasn't the rifle I wanted. I sold it and shopped for rifles to find out what I really did want, and decided on a Sako. I found a big gunshop with a big inventory of Sako rifles and I had them pull all the 270's out of stock and show them to me. I picked a beautiful wood stocked example and have it to this day. So if you don't have a problem with bolt action rifles, go shop for one that pushes all your right buttons. The BLR is a fine rifle, but it isn't classically pretty. I don't see too many rifles that are as pretty as my Sako, but I did see a Cooper the other day that was really something. And I saw a Winchester M70 (a high grade version) at one of the big chain hunting stores that was also fabulous. Expensive, and more so than a BLR, but you did mention that the rifle needed to appeal to you. So go shopping.
 
I agree with the idea of: if you are thinking of the BLR, just buy a bolt instead. I'd recommend the Marlin in 357. It is plenty enough for any deer you will meet. If you want more power go with the 44 or the 45 Colt. If grizzley roam your neighborhood go with the 45/70.
 
for an all around rifle for deer size game or not much larger an AR-10 .308 would be ideal. Great accuracy fun at the range and available in 16 to 24 inch light contour to bull barrels. price would be the only drawback. Ive heard that the cheeper models like DPMS will leave you disappointed, but i could have heard wrong. .308 is also a great caliber for a bolt action rifle.I use a 30-06 for my bolt action deer gun if i know there are large open spaces, but for a hunt in the woods i like the 30-30. The 30-06 is wonderfully accurate but your shoulder will suffer slightly from the recoil after a long session at the bench. The .308 cartridge Is slightly shorter than the 30-06 therefor slightly less recoil and usually more accuracy than the 30-06, and not much compromise in stopping power. The problem with the higher velocity 30s compared to the 30-30 is the state of the round as it passes through the air, while ideal for longer ranges, the rounds are hot (liquid state w nothing holding them together but the bullet jacket) if it encounters even a twig at these speeds the bullet will splatter and lose its trajectory. A 30-30 is slow enough to hold together through light brush and heavy enough for lethal penetration.
 
What do you want your general purpose rifle to do?

If you want a 300 yard deer gun, the AR-15 and most leverguns are out.

I picked up a used Ruger Frontier in 7-08 recently, and put a Leupold 2.5 IER "scout" scope on it...... sweet set-up, and will do anything I need to do deer hunting, target shooting, or just busting milk jugs.......

I see you are in Omaha- are you a member of the Nebraska Firearm Owners Association? ....
 
Here ya go.
http://www.cz-usa.com/products/view/cz-550-fs/

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Get it in 6.5x55 and buy a Tyrolean hat.
 
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