One Hunting Rifle

It wasn't me!

I've always liked the idea of one gun to do everything within a certain bracket, and as Irish hunters, I suppose we're often forced into that by the practicalities of licensing different rifles to do the job. Having considered what I'd like to do down the line, and wondered what's the best thing to have in one rifle and calibre to serve those interests, I came around to that question.

Now, not looking to hear specs on various custom jobs you'd have done, but more an overview. Take your main form of hunting as the basis for your decision and what you like doing foremost; you're not trying to use one rifle for rabbits to elephant, because obviously it's enormously skewed towards the top end, but you could have say a fox and deer rifle, which might be a .243 or a .25-06, even a .270, or you could have an Irish deer and European and African game rifle, which might be a bit bigger, say .30-06 or .300 win mag. On the other hand, your game could be pretty much entirely foxes and crows, with the occasional bunny, in which case you might well feel best served with a .22 Hornet. Of course, you're going to have to bow to your own sensibilities as well; if you're not good with recoil, there's no point choosing a .338 Win mag as your all-rounder.

I came about the question because my Sako isn't ever going to be used for shooting many foxes, if any, and I'd be perfectly happy if I never shot one, because it's not my bag. As such, since I'd like to do some foreign hunting, it wouldn't hurt for it to be in a larger calibre to facilitate taking on boar or big eastern European red deer or elk or African plains game. I love the rifle so I wouldn't change it, it just feels fantastic to me, handles well, fits well and shoots well, so I'm definitely going to keep the rifle, but to give me the best versatility, obviously it would have to be able to comfortably deal with the biggest things I'd ever shoot, which would be very large deer and antelope species, and it might have to handle longer shots across open ground in a variety of environments. As such, and since I'm comfortable with some fairly solid recoil, I'm probably going to go down the road in the next few years of having the bolt face opened up, re-barrelling with a medium sporter profile barrel in .300 win mag, and shooting it moderated for typical stalking and unmoderated for situations like driven boar or where moderators aren't permitted. Recoil will be fairly modest and it gives me the option to do pretty much any foreign hunting bar dangerous game with ease. Definitely isn't required for my local sika, but a well placed bullet won't destroy them either, so it's not the wrong gun for the job.

Again, while I have interest in both smaller and larger stuff (Someday, I'd love to hunt cape buffalo), that's the main body of my hunting and the one I've the biggest interest in. So, if you're to be a one-gun hunter, what's it going to be and why?

BELOWaverageIQ

Sako 75 in .308,
anything from 110gr to 220gr ,,,, from bunny head shots to Elk.

Funnily I have a 75 but it's 30-06, simply because it was sitting in the shop and left handed, couldn't leave it there, but if I could have only have one rifle it would be rebarrelled in 308, very diverse.

It wasn't me!

BELOWaverageIQ wrote: »

Sako 75 in .308,
anything from 110gr to 220gr ,,,, from bunny head shots to Elk.

Funnily I have a 75 but it's 30-06, simply because it was sitting in the shop and left handed, couldn't leave it there, but if I could have only have one rifle it would be rebarrelled in 308, very diverse.

Nice to hear of another left-handed 75 out there. Can't be very many of them. I like the .30-06 myself, but just for the extra legs and punch for moose or big red deer or plains game, I went for the .300, which of course means a smith to open the bolt face, but that's not a big job either.

Tackleberrywho

It wasn't me! wrote: »

I've always liked the idea of one gun to do everything within a certain bracket, and as Irish hunters, I suppose we're often forced into that by the practicalities of licensing different rifles to do the job. Having considered what I'd like to do down the line, and wondered what's the best thing to have in one rifle and calibre to serve those interests, I came around to that question.

Now, not looking to hear specs on various custom jobs you'd have done, but more an overview. Take your main form of hunting as the basis for your decision and what you like doing foremost; you're not trying to use one rifle for rabbits to elephant, because obviously it's enormously skewed towards the top end, but you could have say a fox and deer rifle, which might be a .243 or a .25-06, even a .270, or you could have an Irish deer and European and African game rifle, which might be a bit bigger, say .30-06 or .300 win mag. On the other hand, your game could be pretty much entirely foxes and crows, with the occasional bunny, in which case you might well feel best served with a .22 Hornet. Of course, you're going to have to bow to your own sensibilities as well; if you're not good with recoil, there's no point choosing a .338 Win mag as your all-rounder.

I came about the question because my Sako isn't ever going to be used for shooting many foxes, if any, and I'd be perfectly happy if I never shot one, because it's not my bag. As such, since I'd like to do some foreign hunting, it wouldn't hurt for it to be in a larger calibre to facilitate taking on boar or big eastern European red deer or elk or African plains game. I love the rifle so I wouldn't change it, it just feels fantastic to me, handles well, fits well and shoots well, so I'm definitely going to keep the rifle, but to give me the best versatility, obviously it would have to be able to comfortably deal with the biggest things I'd ever shoot, which would be very large deer and antelope species, and it might have to handle longer shots across open ground in a variety of environments. As such, and since I'm comfortable with some fairly solid recoil, I'm probably going to go down the road in the next few years of having the bolt face opened up, re-barrelling with a medium sporter profile barrel in .300 win mag, and shooting it moderated for typical stalking and unmoderated for situations like driven boar or where moderators aren't permitted. Recoil will be fairly modest and it gives me the option to do pretty much any foreign hunting bar dangerous game with ease. Definitely isn't required for my local sika, but a well placed bullet won't destroy them either, so it's not the wrong gun for the job.

Again, while I have interest in both smaller and larger stuff (Someday, I'd love to hunt cape buffalo), that's the main body of my hunting and the one I've the biggest interest in. So, if you're to be a one-gun hunter, what's it going to be and why?

It would probably be .308 125grain Noslers I am getting soon, will do bunnies head shots and head shot fallow.

And heavier loads for larger game.

Although a double barrel rifle might be a better arrangement.

It's a bit like trying to be to varied will end up only being ,midling at most.

My 105CTi shotty was discontinued as it was initially designed as a trap and game gun.(it ejected bottom not to pee off other shooters on range)
Hunters wanted a gun that could take larger magnums
And skeet shooters did not like it as it jams with very light loads.Side tangent

So a rifle to be the ultimate is probably only a flight of fancy
Or if the Remington Managed Recoil rounds are any good maybe thats the answer.

I do not know anyone who uses managed recoil though.

http://www.remington.com/product-families/ammunition/centerfire-families/managed-recoil.aspx

It wasn't me!

That's why I picked a bracket wherein the rifle isn't going to be ridiculously overpowered at the lower end of the spectrum or underpowered at the far end. A .300 mag isn't going to be my bunny gun of choice, nor would I take it after buffalo or big cats, but within the big game and food animal bracket, from medium sized deer (like sika) through big red deer, through wild boar (and possibly in a driven scenario) and plains game up to the size of eland or moose, it's adequately powerful without being overly destructive on anything. If I were to modify it for hunting in Ireland only, it'd be a .308. Add in foxes and it's a .25-06. Those are perfect for their requirements. The idea is to pick something to do the majority of your hunting that isn't a compromise, that doesn't end up middling good. The interesting thing is that it then makes you realise what you really love doing in terms of hunting.

Tackleberrywho

It wasn't me! wrote: »

That's why I picked a bracket wherein the rifle isn't going to be ridiculously overpowered at the lower end of the spectrum or underpowered at the far end. A .300 mag isn't going to be my bunny gun of choice, nor would I take it after buffalo or big cats, but within the big game and food animal bracket, from medium sized deer (like sika) through big red deer, through wild boar (and possibly in a driven scenario) and plains game up to the size of eland or moose, it's adequately powerful without being overly destructive on anything. If I were to modify it for hunting in Ireland only, it'd be a .308. Add in foxes and it's a .25-06. Those are perfect for their requirements. The idea is to pick something to do the majority of your hunting that isn't a compromise, that doesn't end up middling good. The interesting thing is that it then makes you realise what you really love doing in terms of hunting.

I use .223 more than any of them I have at the mo.

Although that may change as I am getting the VTR .308 recrowned threaded and moderated during the week!

And with the addition of Nosler tipped 125grain .308's it will b einteresting to see what she can do

Tackleberrywho

The .30/06 historically was known as the ultimate calibre.

Maybe that is better suited as an answer.

Although if you are going for bunnies in a heavily populated bunny area the recoil might get a bit on the nerves.

sfakiaman

Something from the Remington Ultra Mag series with Power level ammo would be interesting. The .30 cal level 1 is equlivent to .30-06, level 2 equalls 300 Win Mag and level 3 has 28% more energy again. That should take care of most peoples needs (dreams).

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_4_53/ai_n27161887/

jwshooter

30,06 is the ideal cartridge .

the PH your with in africa will not let you shoot at range ,,where a 300,will have much more benefit over the 06 .

as for europe the 06 will take all game .i have had plenty of clients using a 300s as 06s ,270 ,7x61 etc even a 338 federal .
one observation i have is accuracy over ignorance will put your animal down quicker every time .