One rifle (centerfire)

boattale

New member
Mine would be my old tang safety M77 RL in .270 with the Bushnell Elite 3600 Firefly. I bedded the action and floated the barrel years ago. Trigger is decent. It likes Winchester Supreme 130 grain Ballistic Silvertip. Never seems to need adjustments to the scope, its a dream to carry and I can hit with it. It'll do anything anywhere I'll ever be. Plus its a very handsome piece.

You?
 
I love all my rifles but......if I had to chose only one.....my Win 94 in 30-30. It was my first centerfire. And my Dad bought it for me as my wages for an entire summer of hard labor (I was 12 yrs old). Lots of memories and sentiment in that gun. It probably cost me more labor than any other gun I own and taught me the value hard work. I haven't shot it since dad passed away, maybe it will come along next time out.:)
 
Remington .30-06 is effective on most any target on the North American Continent.

On the other hand, a .50 BMG semi auto fears no target
 
Two guys on my deer lease hunt with Ruger 77 rifles with the wood stock and blued finish. They bought them in the 70's or 80's and that is all they use with the 130 grain bullets.

Me, I can't stick with just one rifle all the time. I have to try different ones and about the time I think I have settled down to just one, I go out and buy something different. Really truly the one that feels the best in my hands when deer hunting is my Browning Bar MK II Safari in 30.06. I have taken several deer with it and it shoots like a laser. I must say I have not carried it much in the past few years and have mainly used either my Model 700 XCR in 30.06 or my Model 700 XCR in 7 MM Magnum. I must say the XCR is one heck of a finish on a rifle and there are no worries about rust from bad weather or hard hunting.

As far as if I could only hunt with just one rifle (which would suck :eek:) it would probably be the 30.06 in the Model 700 XCR.
 
One Rifle Days:
In the early 60's, I had a glass-bedded, Bishop-Picher stocked, Savage 30-06 with a 2.5x Weaver that was used for all CF shooting/hunting. Then, I sold it and bought a .22-250, bedded, Rem ADL that was used for everything, including killing a few deer, shooting lots of varmints, fun at the range, and winning lots of turkey shoots.
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Today, I can't have just one centerfire rifle for everything, because I've built a more specialized small collection to cover various game, varmint, and range use.

For longer-range deer hunting, my favorite is a Rem stainless 700 BDL, .270 Win, HS Precision stock, Leupold 3-9X VXII.

For large varmints, I favor the 1980s vintage Rem 700 ADL, Pac-Nor barreled, pillar bedded, .243 Win, with 2.5 - 10x scope. (Also used by grandkids for deer hunting.)

For walkabout general hunting, I like my new Tikka T3 Lite, .243 Win, with Leupold VX2. (This is also used for deer hunting by some of my grandkids.)

For smaller and/or shorter range varmint and range use, Tikka 595, pillar-bedded, .223 Rem with 4.5-14X Mueller. This one goes to the range often and is the most accurate/fun CF rifle I own (1/4 minute with handloads).
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After a decade or two and many centerfire rifles I'm already there. I only own one centerfire rifle, a homebrew Savage 110 in .243. It will do anything I want/need for the foreseeable future and beyond. The likelihood, I'm gonna hunt elk, moose or big bear is slim to none so I'm covered.
 
Like L Killkenny, the first thing that popped to mind was a 243.
But,depending where you live,you might need a larger caliber.
 
If I had a favorite I'd only have one. 30-06 bought in the 70 will do anything necessary in the field. Custom 308 will pinch one hole all day long but it's way to heavy to carry. Little CZ 527 in .223 shots like a dream but I wouldn't try taking anything larger than a Yote with it. Savage Mk II is fun for punching a tiny hole at 50 yards all day long. Sig 552 punches tiny holes too and spits out .22 LR as fast an you can pull the trigger. Browning Lever .22 LR will take cans off the berm at 100 all day long is nostalgic and fun. And then there's the BEAST. Marlin 1895 45/70. It's fun to shoot but you don't want to bench it for hours on end and with a scope on it it's a little heavy for a leaver gun, but I'd take it anywhere none the less. I couldn't part with any of them.

Actually, my Remington 870 12 Gauge that was purchased in the early 70s, that has has been dropped in the mud, swimming for hours in the water in the bottom of the Perough (? spelling) "ditch boat", has dozens of cases of 2 3/4 high brass through it over years, has taken deer, more ducks, rabbits, squares, doves, Wood Cock on and on and clay pigeons than I could ever count, has never failed to go bang and never needed more than cleaning is by far my favorite... but you said rifle. ;)
 
One of my SIG SHRs. So far they have all been fine out of the box, with factory stocks and no special treatment, no bedding, etc.
2nd Place-my 1978 Winchester M70 XTR in 308 Win. The same-in 1979 at 100 yards in fading light I fired a 1.5" group with GI amuunition.
 
Probably my AR-15.

It's the type of rifle I've used the most and know the best. The flat top and forearm rails give it a lot of flexibility with types of sighting system. And there isn't anything around here I can't hunt with it. Finally, with the right set of equipment it's fairly night friendly.

I like walking around with my Winchester 94 better. And it's prettier. But, if I could only have one, I guess I'd give it up.
 
I'd go with my .243 Ackley Improved.

I'd shoot any animal in North America with it, certainly up to black bear and elk, without a second thought. I'm confident that an 80gr Barnes TTSX leaving the muzzle at 3,550fps and routinely exhibiting 3+ feet of penetration would handle anything I'll ever need to shoot. On the other end, a 55gr varmint bullet at 4,100fps would be quite... dramatic... on anything small(ish).
 
Presently my favored rifle is a custom Mauser 30-06. It has a well made walnut stock and an octagon barrel.

I have have/had a number of rifles since the early 1950's and what with the lack of woodchucks here in New England I have been using that rifle all year around. I bring a Kimber Montana along in case it rains.

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I have a CMP Garand. Cost all of $495, great gun.

Figure if I ever needed something for hunting, HD or...whatever, the venerable 30-06 should be more than adequate. Heck of a sturdy rifle.
 
Hey OP, I feel ya on the M77. Good choice. I inherited my dad's M77 30-06 from the 70's. Shoots great, and the action is like butter. I want so badly to say my new Gunsite Scout would be my "one", but it may have to be that M77. If I could just get it to take magazines! lol.

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Only one?

I'd have to go with my 1903 Springfield. Plenty accurate--I've put five rounds of GI ball ammunition into a hand sized group at 200 yards, off the bench. Substantial weight and a good steel buttplate.

Sling swivels in the right place to really get close and personal with a good leather 2 piece sling, and sights precise enough to hit a target out to 330 yards and beyond.

Plus, the capability to accept all varieties of what is possibly the most common caliber in the US.

I think it's ideal.
 
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