What's your handy/goto rifle?

[Lone Ranger]

Another vote for Winchester Model 70 .270. Great rifle and cartridge.

 

[Musket Man]

Mine is my pre 64 model 70 in 270 win but if I were buying a new gun I think I would get a 270 or 300 WSM because the short action is lighter.

 

[Tim McCoy]

What's your handy or goto rifle?


1. If you had to pick a short action cartridge with a 22" barrel, what cartridge would you pick?

2. If you had to pick a long action cartridge with a 22" barrel, what cartridge would you pick?

*shorter barrels are acceptable...


In no rush but would like one of these in the future, I'm torn between 270 Win, 280 Rem(AI), and something like the 6.5 creedmoor or 260rem, 7mm-08.

1. 260 Rem, 22" barrel. But a 7-08 suits equally well, use and like both. The Creedmore would be just fine too, but already
had a 260. No wrong one in that group.

2. 280 Rem, but would prefer a 24" tube. 280 over 270 due to availability of faster twist barrels to stabilize heavier/longer bullets if
I want to go that way. There is plenty of 280 ammo availability in the custom and semi-custom ammo market if one does not
reload or can't find factory ammo to suit. 280 AI or 270 are great cartridges too, as are others, but 280 is my choice.

I just returned from a deer hunt in MT, where I took two guys with tags. I brought a Tikka T3 lite in 270, has about a 22.5" barrel and a Rem 700 in 280 with a 24" tube, for them to hunt with.

 

[lucky guy]

Just one will do it all - 270 in a ultra light custom Rem 700, 22" bbl, kevlar stock. Under 6# with a 3x9 swaro, ammo and a strap.

 

[mtncowboy]

270 wsm for this guy. I love the cartridge and the nice light, browning stainless stalker rifle that I have it chambered in. Deadly...on everything!

 

[droptine]

I have a 7mm-08, 270 wsm and 300wsm. Love all three rifles, but I always seem to grab my 300wsm A Bolt. Love that rifle!!

 

[highplainsdrifter]

I am fortunate enough to own several good rifles, but my favorite is a .270 Browning A Bolt Stalker with a composite stock and stainless barrel. I have used it a lot lately because I've lost some of my vision in my right eye. So I've switched to shooting left handed. The tang safety helps with this.

She's a real shooter! I have nicknamed her AT&T because she can "reach out and touch someone".

 

[Timberstalker]

Only rifles I've ever owned were Winchester M70's. I just ordered a Kimber Hunter in 280AI. I have a feeling my Winchester rifles are going to get dusty.

 

[Joe Hulburt]

I've been really happy with my Winchester Model 70 Extreme Weather in .308. I put a 3.5 to 10X Leupold CDS on it and it's working perfect for anything I want to kill out to 500 yards.

I'm finally at a point in life where I could buy new rifles but can't think of a reason to own another. I'll keep trying and come up with an excuse soon though!

 

[7 Mag]

90% of my rifle hunting is with hand loads in my 280rem however mine has a 24" barrel. For a short action I would prefer the 308

 

[Daubs]

In 2000 I researched and scoured the earth for my first rifle. Had been using Dad's old Remington pump 30-06 for years. I'm left-handed, so pickings were slim. Browning made an A-Bolt lefty gun in 30-06, 7mm Rem MAG, and 300 Win MAG.

I wanted one gun that could pretty much do everything (and my budget mandated one gun), and I'm kinda sensitive to recoil.

So the Browning A-Bolt, 30-06 it was. Black synthetic stock and stainless barrel / action. Topped with black Leupold VariX-I, 3-9x40.

I've since picked up a left handed Winchester Model 70 in 7mm Rem MAG (very nice wood stock, stainless steel, topped with VariX-II 4-12x40 stainless scope). I won two fantasy football leagues, pocketed $1,100, and found the 7MAG used on Gunbroker. I haven't played fantasy football since...figured I used up all my good karma in that one season : )

Love the -06. The Browning just plain shoots. It's light enough for me to carry all day long, length is good, fits me well...and again, it just plain shoots!

I've thought about getting a .243, or 7mm-08, but why spend the extra $$$ when i'm perfectly happy with the Browning. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it...(until I decide to hunt brown bear or head to Africa).

 

[JimP]

I've thought about getting a .243, or 7mm-08, but why spend the extra $$$ when i'm perfectly happy with the Browning. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it...(until I decide to hunt brown bear or head to Africa).

In all reallaty you are actually set for a African plains game hunt with either the 06 or the 7mm Rem mag. On my trip over there last year the outfitter offered rifles to rent and for the plains game he suggested a .270 or 30-06 and one of our hunters took several animals with a .270. Another one of our hunters used his 7mm Rem mag for all of his animals. The main thing when hunting over there is shot placement and bullet selection even on the larger antelope such as eland which are a very tough animal.

On the brown bear hunt, when I was researching one and talking to outfitters quite a few of them told me to bring what I could shoot very well and put the bullet where it was needed and that my 7mm Rem mag would work quite well. They did suggest to use the heaviest bullet available for it. They would rather you bring a rifle that you can shoot very well rather than bring one that you have problems with after the first shot and flinch on the first one. You do have to remember that on your brown bear hunt that the guide will be packing a rifle, either a .338 or a 375 H&H if needed.

 

[Eastfork]

Im a big fan of the 7mm08. I have tikka t3 lite. I love it.

 

[Catahoula12]

.270 Win. is my standby. Use it for elk and deer.

 

[RICMIC]

The biggest advantage with the 30-06 is the cheap and reliable ammo that is available just about anywhere you go. If you are like many hunters who only take a shot or two at a paper plate just before deer season (if even that) and have been working off the same box of shells for the last five years, then I guess that it doesn't matter that much. BUT, with a good supply of ammo, you can really become a proficient hunter/shooter by practice....something that I learned in the Marine Corps over 40 years ago. My Tikka T3 super-lite is my go-to western rifle (in 30-06 of course).

 

[swampokie]

Ive got an old Yugo sks that has rode in the seat of my state truck for over 10 years now. Its not the most accurate weapon on earth but by last count it had eliminated over 1000 hogs. It is as tuff and functional as it is inaccurate! I have added the 30 rd clip but all else is just like it came out of the cosmoline!