Most versatile gun u own and why.

Any of my ar-15s is say is the most versatile, or one of my smooth bore muzzleloaders.

.243 will take anything from varmints to elk with the right bullet and shot placement. If we are speaking of versatile rifles specifically I would say it fits the bill.

Sub 2k Gen 2 9mm.
Fits in back pack.
Takes glock mags and happy sticks.
Did a trigger job, polished stainless feed ramp and mcarbo muzzle brake.

Talking rifles here, I would go with my Marlin 1894 in .357 Mag for all the reasons chicharrones already covered in post #9. It has the most bandwidth out of what I own, especially as a non-reloader.

Outside of that, a rifle that will deal with .22S/L/LR has a lot of utility to me also. In a rimfire, survival and small game context anyway. YMMV of course.

The argument for .243 is a good one. Has a lot of bandwidth as well. Again with the non-reloader in mind.


I'm not a superfan, but yes you can do a lot with an AR-15 in .223 I suppose. Even more with various caliber uppers, of course. I think this has already been well-covered. I still generally prefer a bolt .223 even to this day for non-defensive roles.

Versatility: 1950's Savage .22LR. Lowest-cost.Very nice Tiny Bead front sight - the best I've seen on any rifle. The sight distance is really good also.

Fun? That is so easy. Either of my PTR-91s. Only very gradual rounds this summer to avoiding barrel overheating/damage.

FL-NC said:

That's like asking a mechanic what his most versatile tool is.

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As a mechanic, thats an easy one- the pen that writes my bills.

For rifles, probably an AR with a .22lr adapter.

Airborne77 said:

Just curious what u consider the most versatile gun u own and why.

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Without a doubt, it's gotta be my custom-stocked, action pillar-bedded, free-floated, Rem 700 Stainless, chambered in .270 Win. It has shot a good-sized bull moose; maybe a dozen whitetails, (including a running one shot left-handed from a tree stand); a bunch of varmints, including foxes, woodchucks, coyotes and crows. ....If it needs to be killed, this 700 can do it...with handloads. I have similar stainless (.270 Win) Remington 700 in a Rem. fiberglass Varminter stock that is used when the weather isn't so nice.


Moose pictured was shot at about 275 yards while it was walking across a haul road. I was sitting on my stool, with left elbow on my knee. It went about 10 yards before dropping from the lung shot...a 130 grain handload.

For where I live, and I state clearly that I don't believe in a do it all gun, the most versatile I have would be my Savage 24V, 222-20. Fur, feather, varmint, predator it can and has done it all. Heavy, bad trigger, overchoked, it can meet any sporting need I have.
I rarely reach for it on purpose as there are a bunch of other guns in the safe more specific purpose appropriate.

My Benelli Nova. I’ve taken deer, upland game birds, and tons of clay with it. When I used to care about being rough on my higher end shotguns, I’d take the Nova when the weather was iffy. Turns out, it’s a great, versatile shotgun.

guyfromohio said:

My Benelli Nova. I’ve taken deer, upland game birds, and tons of clay with it. When I used to care about being rough on my higher end shotguns, I’d take the Nova when the weather was iffy. Turns out, it’s a great, versatile shotgun.

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I had one and I agree, tough, fast, and versatile. Being a blue steel and walnut guy I just couldn't handle the flash Gordon look. I traded it for a Savage 99.

Picher said:

Without a doubt, it's gotta be my custom-stocked, action pillar-bedded, free-floated, Rem 700 Stainless, chambered in .270 Win. It has shot a good-sized bull moose; maybe a dozen whitetails, (including a running one shot left-handed from a tree stand); a bunch of varmints, including foxes, woodchucks, coyotes and crows. ....If it needs to be killed, this 700 can do it...with handloads:

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Nice gun rack.

DM~ said:

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I think the "why" is self-explanatory...

DM

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THAT thing is Purdy! Please elaborate on it if you will....Thanks!

Ithaca 37, one full barrel with a front bead, and a shorter cut barrel, legal, that is just the tube. Depending on what I wanted to do, or had to do, this one has the most options covered IMHO. It lacks capacity compared to other firearms, and I'm not going to be taking deer at 200 yards, so - it has some limitations also as I see it.

My 16" Savage 10 FCP-SR in .308 in a Gen 1 MDT LSS chassis, Ultradyne Pulse self timing brake. It will be even more versatile when I put a side folder on it.

Stevens 22-410 hands down.

22 for small game or tin cans
22 rat shot for rats
410 birdshot for birds
410 buck for vermin
410 slugs for deer

Ive taken crow, rabbit, squirrel, goose, clay pigeon, snake and probably some other stuff with it.

I grew up in south Louisiana. My father was from a middle class big family so they didn't do anything fancy. Our idea of a deer rifle was a lever action 30-30. I have a little short barrel AR in 7.62x39. Kinda like having a 30-30 that will go from a 5 round mag capacity to 30 in the blink of an eye. I think that's pretty versatile.

Rifle!!! My Weatherby MarkV ultra lightweight 7mm Rem Mag.
From Ground Squirrels to Grizzlies. It may not be ideal for some game, but for what I hunt it is...

12ga Remington 870.

So many different loads exist for it you could hunt anything.

I have a smooth bore barrel with rifle sights, a rifled barrel with rifled sights and a 26" field/bird barrel. If I can't do what I need to do with one of those and the right load it probably can't be done (obviously that's a bit of hyperbole).

Long gun: Mossberg 500 12 gauge with a 28-inch vent rib barrel with removable chokes, a 24-inch rifled slug barrel with a 4X scope on a cantilevered base, and an 18.5-inch cylinder bore barrel with sights. Useful for almost all field purposes, and the short cylinder makes for a dandy home defense gun.

Handgun: 4-inch Ruger GP100 in .357 magnum. Load it mild to wild with Trail Boss, Unique, and 2400. Short enough to conceal with care, powerful enough to hunt with. Loaded light, great plinking.

If I don’t know what I might use one for I grab one of my Savage 24’s.

That said, a Jack of all trades is master of none.

I have a Savage 99 in .308Win that I consider very versatile (especially since I handload for it)

Plentiful brass everywhere, huge range of suitable powders giving me the option of powder puff, cast bullets for plinking or small/medium game, an almost unlimited selection of .30 cal bullets in almost every weight and design possible, including spritzer/pointed bullets giving me the extra range for bigger game.

It is a rear locking action so it probably won't possess the cutting edge accuracy of a bolt gun but, I can assure you it's no slouch in the accuracy department.

Light weight and fast cycling with a sling and 3-9x scope it's got all my bases covered.

Seems like it's between an AR, or a Thompson Contender, there's so much options for different barrels and calibers.

jmorris said:

If I don’t know what I might use one for I grab one of my Savage 24’s.

That said, a Jack of all trades is master of none.

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Not necessarily... My Stevens 22-410 (savage 24) will shoot the eye out of a squirrel at 100ft. Every single time. So no squirrel in any tree in KS is as good as dead. I would call that mastery.

But point well taken. Its not a great upland bird gun, nor is it a good deer gun. But small vermin in the woods, it handles with ease.