One Rifle One Load?

I base mine off distance. 357 is my woods/backup gun, 35 is my 50 yard gun (assuming hunting woods) then on to 125 yards with my TC ML, then to 350 with my 7mm Rem. Each one has one load and its zeroed to that load and I do not deviate unless I'm at the range doing load development and it get rezeroed to my "go to load" before I leave.....if thats what your getting at

A 165 grain hunting bullet out of either a .308 or .30-06 will kill any game in North America, you care to hunt. So will a 140 out of a .270. Any many more examples. It's more about a shooter not wanting to spend the time reloading or money on ammo for every game animal.
Suspect you'd be surprised at the number of hunters who only have one cf rifle and maybe a shotgun and a .22. Most hunters don't shoot anytime except just before deer season to sight in.

Been there, done that, still do that.

I carried a Ruger 77 in 270 cal for many years. Hunted elk, whitetails, mulies, and pronghorn with 130gr. bullets. Never had a problem. Now I shoot a 300 WSM with 165gr and again, never a problem. It is not what you hit them with but where you hit them. Provided, of course, that the bullet is a contolled expansion design.

No.

As a reloader I get a lot of enjoyment out of testing different bullet weights and powder charges.

Being the owner of different rifles, in the same caliber, with different twists I need to load for the twist. My 1:12 .223 shoots 52gr like a laser but 62+gr I get a spread you'd expect with a round ball muzzleloader. A 1:9 shoots both very well.

If I can change bullet weights I could cover all my bases with two rifles. A 17HMR and .308. But I enjoy shooting everything in between with a wide aray of projectiles per caliber. I can roll 110gr light loads for the .308 or make up some real thumpers with a 180+gr. I feel like the versatility of any cartridge is hampered by limiting your bullet selection (as far as centerfire anyways).

Well, I guess in one instance. I would never subject my M1 Garand to the far ends of the 30-06 spectrum (ei. 110 or 220gr), I only use mild 150gr loaded to 30-06 service rifle spec.

Could you do it? You betcha. I do it (have a favorite ammo selection that I use almost exclusively for each gun).

Should you do it? Up to you.

Would I try and convince anyone else to do it? No. I at most tell people I do it and why if the conversation steers that way on it:s own. If they choose to do it as well, it's by their own decision (as it should be IMO).

Have I ever deviated from doing it? Yep. Never know how good your choice is otherwise. Also, sometimes your favorite gets 'all shot up' and can no longer be found (for various reasons).

First of all, one load simplifies matters greatly. Going to one powder (or as few as you can manage with) makes things even more simple.

I have "one loads" in the following cartridges.

.38 Special -- 2.7 grains of Bullseye behind a 148-grain wadcutter.
.45 ACP -- 5.0 grains of Bullseye behind a 230-grain RNLB.

.22 Hornet -- a case full of Hodgen's Li'l gun behind a 35 grain Hornady V-Max
.357 Mag -- 18.0 grains of Hodgen's Li'l gun behind a 158 grain HornadyXTP.
.45 Colt -- 22 grains of Hodgen's Li'l gun behind a 250 grain cast bullet.

.223 Rem -- 27.5 grains of Varget behind a Hornaday 55 grain V-Max.
From here on, only Varget down to . . .
.35 Brown-Whelen -- 59 grains of Varget behind a 225 grain Nosler Partition Jaclet.

That's 3 powders total to load 4 handgun and 9 rifle cartridges.

I shoot a 139gr sst in a 7mm rm using the same ammo for the last 17 years , and a down loaded 308 to 300 savage levels with a 125gr nosler ballistic tip for my girls and I use it as a thick woods /creek bottom rifle now. Both shoot heavier well but unless I go out west again for elf or north for moose no reason to worry about them but there barnes tsx bullets 150gr each.

Well, I pretty much only use 117 gr. Sierra BTSP in my .25-06, so I guess that's pretty much what you're asking about.

OTOH, if I had to choose only one gun and one load to satisfy all needs, that'd probably be my 8mm Rem Mag with 200 gr. Accubonds. Pretty much a do-all round & load with quite a bit more oomph than the classic do-all; a .30-06 180 grain. Really talking hunting here, of course. That rifle is not ideal for "social work", being a very powerful bolt gun with a 3 round magazine.

I'm probably crazy, but I have one rifle (caliber) per game animal. 22-250 for varmints, 270 for deer, 7x57 for sheep and 338 Win for elk. When it is time to hunt, know which rifle to grab.

With my 250 Savage it's either a 100gr ballistic tip at 3000fps or a 100gr partition at 2900fps. Loads for my other rifles vary with my mood, but most have at least one solid load I can put together at anytime.

You could pick one middle of the road caliber and bullet weight and hunt everything in NA except the big bears. Add one more bullet weight and you cover that. With todays much better bullets such as the Barnes copper bullets a 270/130, 7mm/140, or a 150 in any of the 30 calibers will pretty much do it all. The idea of needing 3-4 different bullet weights is no longer really valid.

I could use a 223 loaded with 60 gr bullets for everything up to and including deer. Anything you like from 308 to 375 magnum will easily kill everything else in NA. Pick the one ( or as many as you want) that makes you happy, there just isn't enough difference in trajectory or performance on game to argue about any of them. I could use 180's in any of the 30 cal's for everything, but would prefer good quality 150's for all but big bears where I'd opt for 200's.

If you intend to go after African dangerous game you'd need at least a 375, but a 308, or any of the 30-06 based rounds will kill any animal on the planet. They just aren't legal in most places for about 4-5 species. And while they would work, they leave no room for error and would not be very helpful if things go really bad.

My .357 mag loads are a good example here a lot of people who shoot pick a flavor and stick to it, or at least mighty close. My .357 mag fits that bill (44 too but not as much) in that I shoot a ton of 158s. I shoot different 158s though loaded and sorted by headstamps. Then there is the 38spl brass I push through it, yellow brass is a weak plinker, nickel brass is pretty hot with 120s.

I did some great shooting once I settled down to Czeck 149 grn BXN made in 68......very consistent and I shot it by the 800 rd case.

I almost 'knew' where it was gonna hit.....

Getting a great load up and sticking to it is pretty much how ya do it.

I have one rifle I do that with, and AR in 300BLK. I use cases formed from LC brass, 18.8gr of AA5744, CCI #41, and a 125gr SMK. I pieced the rifle together myself and it was a project that was really enjoyable but threw me a few curve balls at times (I like running into problems and finding the solution). That wasn't my first choice of powder but it's what I could find at the time. Runs like a peach and I don't intend to change a thing- even if some other powder becomes available. However, I change things up a lot for all my other guns.

Yes I do, I have a .308 for 150 gr. loads, and a .308 for 169 gr. loads, and a 30-06 for 150 grains, another for 168 grains, and another for 180 grains. Just as examples.

That way when the wife asks why I need so many rifles it's easy to point out the logic for why I might need another .308... because I don't have one for 180 gr. loads.

You guys really need to think before posting crazy ideas about 1 rifle being able to shoot multiple loads, some of us could get in trouble if the wives read that kind of nonsense.

The first rifle i bought was a Steyr Mannlicher in 270 from Woolworths of all places. Being a Jack O'Connor fan I tried to sight it in with 130 grain bullets and got mediocre results. I then went to my mentor who taught me most of what I know about guns for help. He tried about 20 hand load combinations including several of his pet loads for 130 gr bullets. The best he could get was a 2" group.This guy is a sniper instructor and has won dozens of matches . In the box under the packing I found the target they used to zero the iron sights and they used 150 gr Corelokts . I bought a box of 150 gr Gamekings, we loaded them with a max load of 4350 and when we shot them you could cover every group with a dime.
The gun has been out west a dozen times shot dozens of heads of game and still shoots dime size groups after almost 40 years.

Sometimes yes and sometimes no. I've pretty much settled on certain loads for a few rifles but only after playing around with different bullets, powders and primers.
Never used anything other than 130 gr. Hornady SP in 270 with IMR 4831. Pretty much settled on 130 gr. in 308 and 150 in the 30-06. These are my heavy weights and very versatile.

The lighter the caliber the more I'm likely to have 2 or more loads around. I really like 70, 87, and 100 gr. bullets in the 243. Same for the 223. Have to have good 52-55 gr option. A FMJ load is always nice to have around. Then there are the heavies. The 65 gr. SGK loads I've tried push the little 223 into a whole different category for me. ATM I can think of 6 different loads on hand just in 223.

You need 4 guns. A .22 rifle A .357 or 9mm handgun. A 6.5-7.62mm rifle. A 20-12ga shotgun. Thats it. Now, need and want are two very different things....

MachIVshooter beat me to the punch .......I only send 117 grain Sierra Gamekings through my 25-06........ and I'm pretty loyal to 168 grainers in my 30-06 too.

Tentwing

I load all of my rifles with one load each. Sure I played around with several before I settled on one, but in the end, 1 rifle 1 load. That way I can be definite on the ballistics for each gun. No guessing on holdovers. But I only hunt big game with one rifle, a Ruger 77 in .257 WM. I hunt coyotes with a Ruger 77 in .243. I have lots of other centerfires for pdogs, squirrels, and chucks, but I only carry those two. I know the drops and I am confident in their accuracy at distance. I don't have to think about POI with different bullets or loads etc. Heck, even my 22's only sees the same ammo for each.

In this way you grab the gun and the one size every time

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You Betcha!

Thats pretty much the way I have done it for 50 years.

Unless you like to sight in your rifle every time you go out with a different bullet weight and load.
Or, expect to hit something pretty small at pretty long range.

And after all, isn't that what rifles are for?

There are folks that like to burn out barrels experimenting with different bullet weights, powder charges, powder types, primers, etc.

Then replace the burned-out barrel and start over experimenting with new components again.

I was never one of them.

I find The Load for The rifle right up front.
Then Dance with the one who Brung'ya!

If I need a 22-250 for varmints, or a 30-06 for something bigger?
It's ready to go with The Load it shots best and is sighted in with.

rc

I am similar to most everyone else here. I find a load for a particular cartridge and stick with it. Frequently, it is just out of convenience. I have loaded 230 RN over 700-X for my 45 ACPs for decades.

Except in certain circumstances, I generally try to use the same load for multiple guns realizing that I may be sacrificing a little. When I shot competition, the competition guns did get their own ammunition.

I do change loads on occasions for particular reasons. I had been shooting 32 grain bullets in my 204 Rugers. Last year I went on my first prairie dog hunt and wanted something that would buck the wind a little better. I changed over to the 40 grain bullets. But, I still have the data for the 32 grain loads if I want to go back to them.

As far as settling on 5 different gun/cartridge combinations, I am well past that point so it is moot.