What is your preferred "ranch" rifle?

HGUNHNTR said:

I'm a vegetarian except for the game I kill myself...so those critters don't even have that going for them.

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any marlin levergun is my preference.

without organized religion and patriotism, we are no better off than communist countries.

when I'm mowing with the tractor I hang an old marlin 60 full of CCI stingers. I feel under-powered as all hell but it's the only gun I don't mind gettin' all filthy & banged-up. It's surprisingly hard to hit a slithering water moccasin but the 60 can sling lead real fast. The kids hear the panic-shootin' and come running to see the dead snake (hopefully)

I carry a Marlin 336 in .30-30 in my truck.

My dad carries a Marlin 1894 in .44 Magnum.

Both are excellent rifles to be carried in the truck.

What, no Ruger Mini ranch rifles? That's what I thought of immediately from the thread title. They are a bit easier to carry around than an AK/SKS and fit in a scabbard too.

Of your two rifles it would be the marlin for sure. But no scout scope. Just a 1-4 or a 2-7. Check out burris full field tac30 in a 1-4 power for a higher end or the redfield 2-7 for a low priced scope. Also safari sling if one is needed

for our area the general consensus is a 22-250 of some sort

If brush hunting an unscoped M1A Socom. All other around the ranch truck duty and reliable Hog/Coyote Stopper, Rossi 92 in .45LC.

The lever action was designed for this role and still is queen bee for it in my book.

Whatever suits my mood, usually something light & handy. My old Ruger 10/22 is the perfect walk-about and has been a good companion many days afield

I like to pack my Savage 24 in .30-30/12ga.

On the ranch I lived on for a while when younger, we used a .22, a 10/22. Things weren't as bad then and in this particular area, I don't think a murder had happened since the late 1800's (Willa Cather Country). At least it seemed that way.

A lot of folks carried .270's, the popular deer hunting cartridge there.

Were I to work a ranch on the border, down near Texas or Arizona, I'd definitely go with the M4.

Looking back, the .22 was probably suitable for what we needed it for --plinking. If a coyote was spotted, it would get hunted. They were more rare than one would think on the plains.

So, what makes a good ranch rifle depends. I think all around is the M4, but I have a prejudice towards them. I don't see a pistol calibre being much use though because everything is long range on the ranch.

Recently I've found that I typically carry 5.56 AK. It works for shooting the type of varmints that live there.

My beat around gun is a Remington 700 .270 win. with a 3-9x40 Nikon scope.

I have a few nice bolt actions but this is the one I grab more often than not to save wear and tear on the fancy ones. It is the only gun I own that I don't care whether or not it gets a ding or scratch. It spends a lot of time on the ATV gun rack. And since I shoot it so much it has become the gun I'm most familiar with and shoot the best, which is distressing on some level because I "hate" Remingtons.

1909 Argentine Mauser action mated to a 308 barrel monted in a cut down Argentine stock. Have avout 70 bucks invested and the thing shoots pretty well. Nice what the hell gun.

Around here it's usually something like a 22-250 in a scoped bolt action.
Since they spend most of their life in a rack in the back widow of a pick up they get pretty beat up.

always had a bolt action .410 in the tractor/truck with buck, slugs, and shot.

Ruger 10/22 carbine or a double barreled shotgun, that's what I carried when I lived on a farm at least.

I have a good shooting Mini 30,and a Marlin 1894SS .44. General walking around the 39A is my preference...

All depends on the season and my mindset, all three are great field rifles.

The dairy farms I've lived and worked on, it's always been at least one shotgun (Stevens 311, Winchester 1300, lately my Saiga-12) and a Marlin 22 of some sort rattling around the office- 25, 60, 39.

Nowadays, a Marlin .30-30. I've also used an SKS and an old Enfield that had been 'sporterized', i.e. hacked up by Bubba. Still shot ok though.

Here on the farm

Winchester 1894 24" barrel in either 30-30 or 45-70. Or a SCAR 17s. Depending on my mood I pick one and it spends the day with me either in the truck or the ATV.

I usually let the LGDs take care of predators but for strange acting foxes and the like ie rabid the Winchester comes in handy.

Back a few weeks ago the SCAR dispatched a couple of pits the wondered on my property and I dont take chances. Cant afford to have stock or dogs injured or killed. Unlike predators pits dont get a chance.

For long range work a Winchester current model 70 makes the trip in .308

Model 94 .30-30; williams peep sight, 170 gr remmy corlokd. Many piggies have foudered at the slim thumper.

I don't have a ranch, but when we go out exploring eastern Washington, I usually take along a Ruger 77/44.

The latest version of this is stainless/synthetic and it has survived some pretty rough handling. The Leupold VXII 1-4X seems to be pretty rugged, too.

I know it's not as "flat" as a lever-action, but it is surprisingly light. (In fact, maybe a little too light for full-up .44 Mag loads...)

Would be my M1 Carbine...