Need a Go-To Rifle

[Three_Oh_Eight]

I have owned a bunch of rifles that fill niches.  Open country rifles, timber carbines, etc etc.  As crazy as it sounds, I'm getting kind of tired of getting each rifle ready to hunt every year.  It takes a lot of time in shooting practice and reloading for each rifle.  Plus, it never fails that one becomes possessed by some accuracy eating demon that requires me to waste more time and money.

For my style of hunting, I almost never shoot further than 300 yards.   I've only killed two animals beyond 300 and both were right at 400 yards.  I consider that my practical maximum under perfect conditions.  Some of my rifles are heavy, but great long-range shooters.  Some of my rifles are really light, but not nearly as stable when shooting from field positions.  I do prefer to be able to hunt with my rifle in my hands and not slung on my shoulder.

So, I'm thinking I need a sorta-light-but-stable-enough rifle to hunt deer and elk from 25 to 400 yards with the vast majority of shots in the 100 to 200 yard range.  I'll most likely go with stainless because its practical.  I'll eventually re-stock into a McMillan stock.  I'm debating on cartridge between 270 Winchester, 308 Winchester and 30-06.  The 308 makes the list because of how much 308 reloading stuff I have (I feed my M-1A, so a 308 bolt gun would be easy).  The other two cartridges have been killing stuff forever and will keep doing it (though they are both boring as heck).

What do you guys think?  Do you believe in "go-to" rifles?  I've been following the golf club theory (you don't play a whole round with a 5 iron, so why would you only hunt with one gun?) but its getting tedious. 

[wadu1]

My  .308 or my preference is the 30-06. I load both; my longest kill shot was 350 yards with the 06 in Wyoming had a good rest one shot and down went a nice 4X4 Mule. Since they both use the same bullets and powder I stick with one or the other. I do use others for special hunts; 45-70 or 9.3X62 for bears and I have a 6.5X55 Sweed for speed goats if I ever get to go.

[hillbilli]

I say any cartridge in the .30-06 class of power- which includes all 3 you mention, will do just fine. find an accurate sporterweight (7 to 8 lb?) rifle, with a 2-7, or 3-9 optic.. and a decent trigger, and it will do almost anything short of small game or really big dangerous stuff up close..  Mine is a win m-70 classic stainless in .308. I have other rifles, but the Winchester is my primary big game rifle, and my go-to, need only one-big game rifle. A good friend of mine uses a .30-06, and has a spare about the same weight in the same cartridge that often ends up being a loaner or a backup.. As to the cartridges, as long as it is in this class of power-and that includes about a dozen different cartridges- it doesnt really matter which one it is, as long as you can get ammo for it, use proper bullets, and it's accurate...

[Three_Oh_Eight]

I figured anything in the 270, 7mm, 30 caliber range would probably do the trick.  I think I want to stick to something fairly common.  I have a pre-64 M70 in 300 H&H that I've used quite a bit, but its a real hog to carry around (nearly 10 1/4 pounds field-ready).  I've got over 1300 .308 caliber bullets of various makes and styles.  In a perfect world, I would probably get a 308 and use the same 155gr Sierra MatchKing load that I use for my M-1A as a good plinking/practice load.  BUT, its doubtful that the load would shoot well in both rifles.

The 30-06 makes a lot of sense, but it is SO FREAKING BORING.  I guess it got boring from setting a standard that hasn't been surpassed in over 100 years.  I recommend the 30-06 to my friends all of the time but I don't own one myself.

[KFhunter]

I call    You just want a new gun and are trying to justify it 
 
I'm good with that!
 
So to answer your question, a 30-06 will do it all very well.  You can find anything from 150g up to 220g at any walmart.  I'd get a removable box magazine and a good 3x9 with a pretty large objective to help find your target in the brush at closer ranges.  50mm would be good but it wouldn't have to be that big.
 
I carry an old interarms 30-06 mark x and have yet to miss a shot with it and it's taken a lot of game.

[wadu1]

My 06 is a Browning A-Bolt SS Stalker;I use it for long hikes. I have a Winchester M70 LW for a backup if needed. My .308 is a Remington 700 VTR that tack drives a 150 Barns TSX out to 200 yards; a little heavy for long walks. In my younger days I carried a M1-A with a short mag and iron sights; like the M-14 I trained with. Before I got the M-16 POS made by GM with the 3 prong flash hider (yep I'm over the hill).

[bearpaw]

Of the calibers you mention, 30/06 would be the easy choice for me. Most of your 308 reloading components will work and I bet you can get some brass and dies on here real easy.

But for the sake of making things more complicated, I think a 280 would be better than the 06.   

[deleted BGS]

.270 wsm, dont have one but the ballistics are sweet and its a cool caliber

[CAMPMEAT]

6.5 Creedmoor.

[Bean Counter]

I've been happy with my .30-06. It was used, beat up, and rusty when I bought it for dirt cheap, and it will be even more used, beat up, and still a tad rusty when I pass it on to my progeny. It isn't just my go-to rifle, its pretty much my only hunting rifle. I wouldn't criticize a rich man for insisting upon a separate caliber for each animal he hunts, but IMHO that's a huge waste of money for us middle class folk. It is always my opinion to spend money on better optics and plenty of practice ammo. I have several years inventory for this rifle and have absolutely no plans to 'upgrade' unless the barrel wears out and accuracy tanks. 

[JLS]

With the quality of today's reloading components, if I was buying a rifle to fit your criteria I'd buy a .270 and shoot Barnes TSX bullets into anything I wanted to hunt in the lower 48.  A 30-06 is absolutely fine also.

[Dan-o]

I'm  a big fan of the go-to rifle.....   especially for most guys (like me) who realistically can't/don't spend time at the range every week (might struggle for 5-6 range days a year and 5-6 field prep days a year before hunting season.).


I've hunted with the same 7MM Rem Mag for 0 years, and for the last almost 30 years I've known that rifle really really well.    I really enjoy being able to take the shot - even a fairly long shot - with supreme confidence that I'll put the round right into the vitals.     That trumps having situational rifles for me.

I did just break down and buy my 2nd hunting rifle but that was because my original finally started acting badly.   

[Limhangerslayer]

Just to add another one in the mix,  300 win mag.  It's a proven caliber and can handle long range.  Some people don't like the kick is all.

[Biggerhammer]

A 30-06 will fit the bill but a .300 WSM will do it in cruise mode.

[Huntbear]

But for the sake of making things more complicated, I think a 280 would be better than the 06.   

There is a couple of real nice .280 Rem. rifles in the classfieds..  the 7mm bullet is great ballistically, and will kill anything from coyotes to Black Bear and Elk...

It all depends if weight is an issue, do you like long actions vs. short actions??? 

7mm=08 and .308 on up will do all you want...