Vanity Post- What if You could only have one rifle?

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I know this topic has been dealt with thousands of times. Over campfires and hunting camps hunters have debated this for hundreds of years. But here goes! What if you could only have one bolt action rifle and you had to hunt all North American animals to survive (except the brown bear-that is a different issue).
What caliber would you select and why? I'll volunteer my opinion and say 270 winchester.
 
Um, gee, that's a hard one. :rolleyes:

OK, I'll play. Rifle would be based on a commercial Mauser action, preferably an FN. A 22" barrel and the cartridge would be the 30-06. Stock would be a McMillan, 4X scope with solid back up iron sights. That'd work for me and I wouldn't necessarily pass on the Brown Bear. ;)
Paul B.
 
Ok, w'ere going to get specific. I'll have a pre 64 Winchester 70 with a 3x9 Leupold scope. I'll shoot 130 grain partitions in front of 58 grains of RL22. This will be used for all game from squirrels to Moose.
 
It just does not matter that much.

I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. If circumstances left me with only my 30-40 Krag,I'd get by. It has a bolt peep. Its a great cartridge for cast bullets.
I'm not scared of 200 yds.

6.5 Creedmoor? 6.5x55 ? in a 98 Mauser strength rifle, its a shade of grey. Same with 7x57. 308 ? 30-06? 8x57? Shades of grey.

270 or 280? Both great.

I made my 257 AI to suit me. I've done most of my hunting with it. It carries easy. I shoot it at least as well as I shoot anything. I've never carried it elk hunting. I have better suited elk rifles. But if it was my only rifle elk season,I'd use it,no problem.

Which rifle/cartridge I carry I might change up for nothing more than fun.
I've missed a few pronghorn seasons lately. Killed enough of them,I guess.
But last time I took one,it was with the 1903A4 Springfield I counterfeited. 2.5 X Lyman Alaskan . 30-06....165 gr Ballistic Tip. Just over 200 yds. Boom,whop! Flop. I'd use it on anything.

In my PO Ackley book,there was a cartridge (By Warren Page?) called the "260 AAR" Its simply a 6.5 version of the 257 AI. If I ever rebarrel my .257,I think I'd choose that. With the bullet selection..that might be the one.
That would move it up a bit for elk use.

I've been in Colorado since 1966. It has its own terrain and weather,which influence hunting style.

Frankly,my boots and sox are at least as important as "Which rifle?" I hunt walking.
 
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It would be my 30-06 built on an FN Mauser action. 26 inch Obermeyer sporter barrel in an H&R Ultra 300 stock. Bold trigger and topped with a Simmons 44 Mag scope.
 
300 WSM. When apocalypse hits, I have light loads for deer (155 gr) and heavier loads for bear. Versatile for big game and flipping accurate. Muzzle velocity is insane. My Savage is awesome. Marlin 30-30 is a close second.
 
only one? pfft

I'd probably just keep the Remington 600 .308 Win carbine that I've had for almost 50 years.

Worked then, will work now.
 
Today . . I would keep my Ruger American Rimfire in 17 HMR. I have only owned it about a week, but for what I do anymore it will handle it all, plinking small game etc.
 
Probably be my old M700, ADL '06 elk rifle. Got lots of bullets to reload for it from 150s to 190s. It'll do most anything needful for me. I'd also not tell anyone and secretly rat-hole my old scoped 336, 30-30, too. I find I'm using/enjoying the old Marlin more and more these days. Thankfully I've got a good stash of bullets for that one, too.
 
Easy…Ruger GSR in .308 Winchester, with the appropriate load, everything in NA can be taken from mouse to moose. Load down with a roundball for small game and load up with heavy bullets for tough game.
 
Hmmmm, I wouldn't mind being stuck with my Hawkeye in 35 whelen--it truly can take anything in NA, though I might be tempted to think about semi-auto since the threat of mass zombie invasion is ever-present.
 
It just does not matter that much.
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This, especially with the bullet and optics choices we have today.

Anything 26 caliber and up will take every animal in North America including brown bear. If we discount the big bear I'd include the 24's and 25's. Modern optics and affordable range finders have made the need for flat shooting rounds unnecessary.

If I had to sell everything but one my SS Winchester 70 EW in 308 with a McMillan stock is the one I'd keep. Mine shoots great, is reasonably compact and light. I don't have to be concerned with the elements with the SS and quality synthetic stock. And I can load bullets from 125gr to at least 200 gr to cover a lot of bases.
 
If we’re talking a survival rifle I’d probably go with a Ruger 10/22 (I know, not a bolt action). Ammo is cheap, light to carry and small game is plentiful.
 
For me, my Savage 99F. 300 Savage. Leupold 2-7 post reticle scope.
It has been my favorite hunting rifle for better than 30 years.
 
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