Whats Your "All-Purpose" North American Hunting Rifle?

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boltgun71

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This has probably been discussed before, but I was just wondering if any of you have a "All-Purpose" Rifle for North American hunting. I was 14 when I came up with the idea for mine and had it finished a few years later. At the time I was short on cash so I wanted a rifle that could handle all the game and conditions I could expect hunting in North America. Mine is a Rem 700 ADL in .300 Win. Mag. It has a factory trigger set to 3.5# and sits in a H & S Precision Sporter stock with a spruce green finish. For the scope I chose a Leupold VX-I 4-12X40mm in Leupold PRW rings and bases. I left the factory iron sights on and had to trim a small amount of the front Butler Creek lense cap to clear the rear-sight. I will probably never need the iron sights but I like the option of them being there in case something drastic ever happens to the scope. I have thought of upgrading to a VX-III but have found no reason to, as this scope has performed flawlessly. To finish it off it has a Alaskan Magnum sling and Safari Swivels. When I'm varmint hunting with it(which aint often anymore because I have better rifles for the purpose) I attach a Harris bipod to it, and occasionally for deer hunting also. I shoot primarily handloads through it, I think its only had maybe three boxes of factory ammo through it. I have loaded everything from 110gr hollow points to 200gr AccuBonds for it. It absolutely loves 150gr Ballistic Tips over 58.5gr of IMR-4895 and 180gr SPBT over 66.5gr of IMR-4350, shooting consistently around 1/2-3/4MOA. I have used it on everything from woodchucks to coyotes to deer with excellent results. I haven't had a shot at a bear yet which is the largest animal I have hunted with it. I've even used it in informal NRA high power rifle matches at my local club just for the heck of it. This rifle is built like a rock and I have all the confidence in the world in it, and believe it will work great on game in North America. Just curious what your "All Purpose" North American set-ups are, if you have such a thing.
 
right now being that so far all the hunting i have done is on the east coast, i would have to say that my remington 7600 with leupold VX-II 3-9x40, in 30-06 of coarse
 
My rifle for mice to moose is a Ruger 77 in 7X57 loaded with 140 gr Nosler Partitiions at 2870 fps. I am confident it will take anything I settle the crosshairs on. Everything I have ever shot with it drops, rolls over, and plays dead. If I need more OOMPH! I can load up 160 gr Noslers.
 
Mine is a 700ADL in 30-06. With the variety of factory ammo available (not to mention hand-loading possibilities) it will take anything from prairie dogs to grizzly bears.

I'm not saying it's ideal at the extremes but I like it and I shoot it well. Bullet placement means more than big diameter.
 
Lower 48 my rifle is a Parker Hale 1200 in .270 Winchester with a 3-12 Bushnell scope. I use 130 grain bullets for everything up to Mule Deer and 150 grains for Elk and larger. The cartridge and rifle haven't failed me yet as long as I do my part.

I'm taking a Rem M700 ADL in .30-06 Springfield with a Leupold VXIII 2.5-8X36 mounted on QR rings to Alaska in May. I'll be hunting black bear in Southeastern AK near Petersburg. I think if I hunt all of North America more often this would become my cartridge of choice for everthing except the Great Bears.
 
No I don't have an all-purpose, because I have several - they are mostly special-purpose. If I was gonna own & use just one all-purpose rifle, it'd probably be a DSA FAL, or DPMS AR-style, chambered in .260 rem. Since I have multiple, to fill various roles/tasks, I don't have any such gun. If I *HAD* to pick one of the rifles among those that I have for just one, it'd be the Armalite in .308 if for all purposes, or the Savage 110 in .270 Win, if for hunting only (all purpose hunting). The Armalite wears a Sightron S2 1.5-6x42mm, in Warne Maxima rings, and the Savage 110 wears a Bushnell Elite 4200 2.5-10x40mm, in Burris rings.
 
Admittedly, I'm not much of a hunter. But I am a serious rifle crank, and just LOVE to tinker with things.

I don't buy the "one caliber to rule them all" argument. I DO buy "one rifle" though!

When I couldn't decide what to do, I just bought one of these:

http://www.tcarms.com/firearms/proHunter.php

With a screw driver and a punch, I can go from any caliber and barrel length I want. Right now I've got a .45-70 and a .50-cal muzzleloader, both 20" with peep sights. Perfect for the dense brush and hemlock swamps around these parts. Should I find myself out where I need/want more ranging power, I'm thinking either a 7mm Rem Mag or a .300 Win Mag.
 
The .308 has always done it for me. Not a shoulder punisher but a well placed shot can take down anything that I've hunted, or can think of in North America.
 
not as many magnums these days

The 308 Win, is now the center of my hunting tools and soon it might be the 260 Rem. I just purchased a Remington Mountain rifle and if it shoots as good as my 308, I might use it more.

I took a step down in high power rifles, I’m getting up in age and not planning to hunt Africa anymore, nor go to Alaska, perhaps I have a few trips out west left in me and my 300 Mag is going to take care of that.
 
700,30-06, VarixII 3X9, 150 grain bullet.

Killed deer. elk, and antelope, for me about 3 decades now. Blows the heck outta coyotes, and jackrabbits too, but I don't normally use it for that.
 
I do subscribe to this theory..although I don't ever plan on shooting the big bears.

HS Precision Lightweight Sporter in .260 Rem.
Leupold VX-III 4.5-14 B&C reticle

Hitting soda cans at 550 meters is fairly easy. The rest is a snap.

Ed
 
If it aint broke, dont fix it :) The 30-30 has killed every type of game in North America, from mice to moose. Grizzlies, Polars, Elk and Buffalo too. I imagine its took its fair share of African game too.

Marlin 336W in 30-30 winchester. 150grain winchester soft points, or if their available, some of my dads 120 grain hand loads (pointed bullet so one in the chamber, and one in the tube) 3-9x40 Simmons ProHunter scope.

Its not let me down yet.
 
True American Classic, Of Course!

The Daisy Red Ryder. Of couse, the maximum effective is somewhat limited, but recoil and ammo costs make up for it.:D
 
Remington 700 stainless synthetic, .300 weatherby mag, leupold vx III 4.5-14x40ao with bipod (not sure the manufacture).
Handload lighter loads for close work and hotter loads for far out work.
 
My main "go-to" rifle would be my .270 with a fixed 4x Nikon Monarch UCC scope on it.

It is augmented by a .375 H&H with a 4.75x Weaver Grand Slam scope.

On the low-end I have a CZ-52 in 22LR with another 4x Nikon Monarch on it.

I do have a .308, but it is too damn heavy to hunt with.
 
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