3 most useful rifles...

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CalamityJane

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Mornin' everybody. I don't post much here at Rifle Country, but I read stuff here often. I would like to know your opinions on the 3 (or 4, maybe 5) most useful rifles. For a rural setting, some hunting, varmint protection, defense of the place.

If this has been discussed ad nauseum, please just point me to a link. Appreciate it.
 
No reason you can't hunt with the semi-auto .30 caliber (.308 or .30-06 being ideal). But if you want it for defense of the place make sure it is designed for that and then use it for hunting, NOT designed for hunting and then put in a defensive role.

So a .22RF SA, .22CF, .30 SA. Of course you might want to have back-ups as well.
 
For me 3 long guns would be - .22/,22 mag lever action, .30-.30 lever action, scoped bolt action rifle in 30 caliber range

Then I would add a slug or buckshot throwing shotgun into the mix.

jw
 
Up close varmint: 22lr
Long distance varmint: 5.56 AR
Hunting: 30-06 in a bolt action
Home defense: Don't use a rifle. Can we say overpenetration... Or as mentioned a shotgun with buckshot, but I personally like a handgun for home defense. All of these will have overpenetration to certain degrees.
 
Three?

1. A quality 22 rimfire of your choice.

2. A quality 308 or 30-06 bolt action with a good scope. (I would lean towards the '06 due to its ability to handle the slug weights above 160 that the 308 lacks.)

3. A quality ak or ar, caliber dictated by your personal criteria.

Note the word quality in the above list. If you have those three down, you should be good to go for dang near anything.
 
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I would like to know your opinions on the 3 (or 4, maybe 5) most useful rifles.
For a rural setting, some hunting, varmint protection, defense of the place.
Click to expand...

A .22 rifle, a 7.62mm M14 type and maybe a 7.62mm AK type . . . those 3 should handle just about everything.
A shotgun would be nice to have around, but not absolutely necessary.
 
I'd go with a .22lr of some flavor, (I'm partial to the taurus slide actions), a .357 magnum levergun, (it can be loaded over a vast range of power levels and will be the general purpose rifle) and a garand for general defense and big game.
 
Boy, thanks guys, for all the quick replies. Y'all can assume that things are covered in the handgun/shotgun area; but for some reason, I haven't paid much attention to rifles. Want to change that. I'd like to have a well-balanced assortment of tools. I realize that most of us can't own the exactly right gun for every single situation that might present itself, but would like to have the basic equipment that would do for most situations.

Thanks again.
 
A good 22,

a Winchester 94 carbine in 30-30 cal,

a scoped bolt gun in '06.


If opening it up to a couple more, a 223 bolt gun for varmints if you do much of that, otherwise the '06 will do about anything the 223 bolt gun would.

You're in the SW, so a bear gun isn't an issue. For me, an 1886 carbine in 45-70 is on the list.


I'm not in the "HAVE to have a self loader for defense" camp. The Winchester and pistol will do anything I need to do.

If starting from zero, and wanting a military rifle of some sort, a 1903 Springfield would be on my list. It would be last on the list after the others were in hand.
 
.22 = Marlin 39a
photo_39A.jpg


.44 Magnum = Marlin 1894SS
photo_1894SS.jpg


45/70 = Marlin 1895GS
photo_1895GS.jpg
 
Along with the OP, I've been a shotgun and pistol guy only so far and started thinking about rifles.

About the "buy a home defense rifle and use it for hunting, not the other way around" post. What's a "home defense" rifile?
 
But if you want it for defense of the place make sure it is designed for that and then use it for hunting, NOT designed for hunting and then put in a defensive role.
Click to expand...

Could you explain more about this, please? Thanks.
 
About the "buy a home defense rifle and use it for hunting, not the other way around" post. What's a "home defense" rifile?
Click to expand...

Could you explain more about this, please? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Home Defense Rifle and Homeland Defense Rifle (HDR) are similar terms. While one's gut reaction that using an AR in .223 or an M14 in .308 as a personal defensive tool in your home sounds like a recipe for over-penetration and danger to neighbors, there are bullets available for .223 and .308 that make these concerns extremely minimal. Foremost on my mind are the Hornady TAP offerings, but I believe there are others. Intrepid hand loaders could also simulate these safety oriented results as well.

So, instead of using a handgun or shotgun for defense, you can have the power and precision of a rifle in a package that will (probably) not overpenetrate walls.

But, the role of this type of rifle extends beyond the walls of your home. Let's say you're a rancher with fifty acres around your home, and a mountain lion is attacking your sheep. Pull out your AR/M14 from inside and flatten the bugger from 400 yards faster than you could get within pistol or shotgun range.

Or, the UN Blue Helmeted Zombies roll into town to force you to elect Kofi Anan as president of the North American Union. Get your M14 online and ventilate those zombies right in the blue target on their foreheads.

I use my M14 as my hunting rifle. I have a 5 round magazine for it (due to my state's laws regarding automatic rifle capacity when hunting), I shoot Hornady 165gr BTSP bullets from it and they fly almost identically as the 168gr BTHP match bullets I sight in with out to at least 200 yards; never compared any further than that.

My M14 can serve as a hunting rifle; but a Savage 110 in .308 definitely could do the same thing. But that same savage couldn't serve as a Homeland Defense Rifle nearly as well as the M14. The only benefit the savage really has over the M14 is that it is probably lighter to carry when hunting. While I have not successfully shot my M14 to 1MOA target accuracy, I suspect that a more accomplished shooter could do so. Most entry level hunting rifles strain to reach 1MOA accuracy.

That's why a semiautomatic battle rifle can hunt, but a bolt or lever action hunting rifle isn't the best choice for a HDR.

ETA:

My 3 guns?
1. Marlin 795 semiauto .22LR
2. M14 in .308 from anyone: Fulton, Springfield Armory, Armscorp, Smith Enterprises, etc.
3. Marlin 1895 .45/70 levergun, blued
 
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.22 = Marlin 39a


.44 Magnum = Marlin 1894SS


45/70 = Marlin 1895GS

__________________
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wuchak let me guess!! You like marlins(soon to be remington) leverguns
Didn't we do this three gun thing before??
 
22lr, 12 gauge, centerfire of choice. All bolt action or pump on the shotty; you will never need parts, or extensive cleaining on them, as you may on autoloaders.
 
I think a good three rifle battery would be:

a quality .22LR bolt action with a decent 3-9x40mm perhaps with paralax adjustment. I would prefer a rifle that does have iron sights in case the optics go south and would think keeping a lower cost plain jane fixed 4 power scope in rings that has been used a bit on the rifle in storage. I would shoot the rifle for a few sessions with the irons, a few sessions with the back up scope, and then go to the prefered scope. I would chose ammo for its accuracy in that rifle and not for "go-fast" "mean looks" or popular bullet type and stock as much ammo as I felt I might need for a couple or three years of heavy use.

I would want a usable scoped .30-06 bolt action again with some sort of irons sights on the rifle and a back up scope and mounts. The .30-06 is flex able given different ammunition loadings. I would consider getting into reloading at least on a small scale like say one of Lee's single station set ups to allow less expensive practice with loads copying your choice of commercial ammunition and to experiment with specialty loads in your rifle, such as lighter or heavier bullets or cast bullets in mid range orlight loads.

I would want some sort of .223 semi auto preferably one that won't raise eye brows if it has to be seen. A used Mini-14 that someone that reads to many Mini-bashing post lets go cheap would be nice or perhaps an unmodified Saiga. Either stocked up with a quality lighter weight hollow or soft point would do nicely for home defense and could double as a light hunting rifle at ranges inside 100 meters. I live in a rural area in a concrete block house and have figured out my likely directions of a shot for HD and do not feel uncomfortable for the neighbors safety when using 40 to 55 grain hollow or soft points......I do not believe they are going through concrete block and all are considered pretty good fight stoppers.

If you feel the need for zombee protection or "we were working on the wrong calender" y2k "survival rifle," find a high capacity magazine that works in your Mini or do the 922 compliance thing with your Saiga and make it run on some high capacity mag it likes.

If you just gotta have a rifle compatable with the local Nation Guard, neighborhood anti-space alien leage etc, get an AR-15 for the .223 HD/light hunting rifle. Lots of stuff and parts availability. If you get a fixed carrying handle model in addition to a on the handle mount for your scope get a cheek peice to raise your spot weld If the scope comes off, take off the cheek piece and go with the irons and lower spot weld.

As you say you are active in handguns and shot guns you may want to look into a pistol/revolver caliber semi auto or lever action carbine that uses your major service handguns ammo in place of the .223......just to muddy the
waters a bit more.

You have to decide what jobs you want your rifles to do.

I want a .22LR that can gather food in the form of small game and provide enexpensive practice for rifle shooting. I have a number of .22 semi autos around the house and play with them and have hunted with a few. SOme would want a semi auto or even a lever action .22LR because they think in terms of using it for self defense at close range. I preferr a tried and true bolt gun and scope combination of proven accuracy.....both the wife and I have Anshutz bolt actions that provide those features. If I do not want to disturb the nearest neightbors I can drop some CCI CBLongs in either rifle and take squirrel or rabbit in the yard very quietly or I can load up with my choice of ammo and shoot further louder and more accurately.

You may want one for somethig else.

I think I might need to take a 600 yard shot at deer sized game if deer get scarce or a 600 yard shot at a steel gong to impress the buddies, so a .30-06 would be nice. Honestly where I live one has to work to find a place to make such shots and so a reliable old Winnie '94 or Marlin 336 in thutty-thutty would do nicely for the ranges I might shoot at for 99 percent of hunting....but you live in the SW USA so I suggested the .30-06. Of course a .308 can do most of what one wants of a .30-06, as can a .270 and you might get along just fine with a .243.

WHat do you want a light semi auto rifle to do? I like the flex ability of things like the Mini-14 or even "black rifles", they can be used for hunting light game, for home defense, and many can even be fitted with .22LR adaptors to allow low cost training and practice and to provide an scatch for that .22LR semi auto itch.

You might not want another caliber and may just want a fast shooting easy handling carbine mainly for self defense with less worry about hunting and it would be nice if it fire ammo you already had. I would not feel particularly under guned for Home Defense with a marlin lever action in .357 mag or a Winchester 94 in .44 mag, or an Uberti '92 clone by whatever distributor's title in .45 Colt. If you plan to use a revolver in one of those calibers ( or .38 Special or .44 SPecial) any of those would be great and typically revolver cartridges get a bit of a velocity boost in carbine barrels. If you prefer a Pistol cartridge then there are semi auto carbines in 9x19mm, .40, and ,45ACP out there ranging in price from dirt cheap to just plain silly. Velocity increases won't be as dramatic as with revolver cartridge carbines but the hit probability, especially in rapid fire, seems to go up for most folks with a semi auto pistol caliber gun. If you are comfortable with your handgun round in a handgun for self defense then a carbine in the same chambering can be just fine for that job. Some folks hunt smaller deer with the lever guns and rabbits and such should fear the semi autos.

Sit down and decide what you want those three guns to do. Do you want them to each do many things passably or do you prefer fitting a specific tool to the specific job?

I see my original choices as being ech specialized and yet having some overlap.

I would not be surprised if someone did not suggest just one gun, an HK91 or quality clone, with a .22LR adapter. Plinks, does small game, low cost training (once you pay it off) all with the .22LR adaptor, then you still have a .308 you can take large critters with using a scope on an HK style clamp out to a third of a mile or so. And with the Scope off you can defend your home and family from whatever with concentrated .308 semi auto fire. Though this would cost more than the three gun battery I suggested, it would work....and would do almost none of the jobs as well as a diverse battery.

My suggestion is go shoot some rifles. .22s? Maybe a 10/22 with peep sights is just what you will feel you need, or a Marlin Glenfield Model 60 with a one inch scope might be the cat's meow for you. Those little ANshutzs or CZ bolt actions might be very satisfying. Or maybe you might luck into a Savage Model 67 at a gun show with its locking bolt system that feeds almost anything semi auto or "bolt" action ( A survivalist neato item). No one know but you........

Same same everything else.

Asking on the internet is all well and good but carefully examine the responses against what you realy want done.

-Bob Hollingsworth
 
For a rural setting, some hunting, varmint protection, defense of the place.
Click to expand...

What's your budget?

Noise and overpenetration I would not worry about too much in a rural setting. Know where your family and neighbors are and act accordingly.

A .22LR or .22 Mag (WMR) is a very handy rifle to have which no one should be without. The .22LR will take care of small critters out to 50-75 yards, beyond that and accuracy/clean kill might be an issue. The .22 Mag will get you out to 100-200 yards depending on the rifle/shooter and will also dispatch some of the larger critters (coyote, fox, groundhog/chucks). I'm partial to Savage rimfires myself.

Some hunting...

A 30-06, .308, or 7mm-08 bolt action with a scope will cover you for just about anything. If you have an occasional varmint problem, and you just want the thing dead... it'll work for that too.
Varmint protection...

If there is a true varmint problem or if the varmint is the type you might need protection from (or protecting livestock), and the range is longer than 100-200 yards then a dedicated varmint rifle makes sense...

.223, .243, 22-250, are all good and common calibers and very accurate and potent out to 300-400 yards.

Defense...

My choice here is .223 or .30 Carbine. If you go with an AR style rifle you can swap the upper and have a nice varmint rifle to boot, and is available in a number of calibers. I have a Kel-Tec SU-16 and a 30 Carbine. Your typical AR will probably be accurate enough for varmint shooting out to 200 yards though, without a special upper. The 30 Carbine will also work for varmints with soft points bullets out to about 100 yards
 
Good .22 LR rifle
A .30-30, .32-20, 7.62x39 or similar mid-range meat bag rifle
A .30'06 for longer range hunting of bigger game

I found that in the sticks I did 99% of my hunting with the .22. The big boomers collected dust.
 
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