good versatile all around rifle / caliber ?

[Tylden]

I know there isn't one "miracle gun" that does all, but I'm looking for a good versatile all around centerfire rifle to add to my collection. I really don't do much hunting, at least not right now, but would like to have that option later. I already have some .22's for the small stuff, but nothing for varmints or whitetail deer. For the most part I'll be pleasure shooting and plinking with it on the farm. Accuracy is an important issue as well as reliability, ammo that isn't too terribly expensive ( I don't reload ), manageable recoil, and I'd like to stick with a more traditional rifle as opposed to the military style ( AK's, AR's , etc) I've been looking at Marlin lever actions and I"m not opposed to a good bolt action either. As for plinking , it would be nice to have some accuracy after the barrel heats up as well. By the nature of my question, you can probably tell I'm a novice shooter, so I'm learning as I go here. I've read so much material that it a bit overwhelming to take it all in, so I thought I'd tap into the experience of others. Any suggestions ?

 

[Combat-wombat]

IMO, 7.62x39 is both versatile and economic. 7.62 is cheap enough for general fun shooting, it's a combat round that would work well in a SHTF/defense situation, it's a large enough caliber that you could take medium game with it, and the military weapons that fire it can be had for little money as well. (The SKS is a bit more "traditional")

There's non-militaristic gun options for 7.62x39, the CZ-527 comes to mind.http://cz-usa.com/01.detail.php?id=15

I think there are also a couple 7.62 enfield conversions, and probably more.

 

[rbernie]

My first thot was 'Marlin levergun in 30-30'.

 

[bad LT]

Any good bolt action in 308. You can shoot 7.62 NATO cheap.

 

[Tropical Z]

7.62x39 coming out of a bolt action rifle (or SKS for fun).

 

[WYO]

.308 bolt action with a decent scope

 

[longrifleman]

Everybody needs a thuty thuty in the gun rack. A nice 336 is hard to beat. I much prefer a pre-lawyer model but it's no problem to ignore the pointless safety.

An SKS will probably be cheaper, but accuracy is more of a crapshoot. A good bolt-action will certainly work, but is almost in a different class.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

If you were a reloader, I'd say a 6.5X55 Swedish Mauser would be ideal. I have one of them sporterized by Kimber, and I love it. It's good for deer, coyotes, and the Scandanavians use them for moose. It isn't ultra high-velocity, but with 87 to 100 grain bullets, you can break 3,000 fps. And it bucks wind well, compared to smaller caliber varmint rifles.

Now if I could just find a nice, classic walnut stock to replace the Ramline stock Kimber put on it . . .

 

[Ash]

I agree with the Marlin 336. You can get a nice used one for the price of an SKS, less than $200. I own two lever-action 30's, one that I paid $200 for and one that I paid $150 for. I like both.

Ash

 

[mattw]

can't go wrong with a 30-30 or a .308

 

[Fumbler]

If you're not going to hunt anything bigger than a whitetail deer then get a 243.
It doesn't sound like you own any other centerfire rifles so the recoil would be low enough for lots of practice/plinking without developing a flinch or sore shoulder. It is a great varmint caliber. Ammo cost is not high, but no one to my knowledge loads bulk ammo for it and it is not a military caliber.
Any of the sub calibers based off the 308 (243, 260, 7mm-08) would also be good choices.

If you want to be able to shoot cheap surplus ammo then get a 308. It definately is enough for deer and surplus ammo is very cheap.

The range of any of these calibers would be much better than a 30-30. This is important if you want to plink far or have the opportunity to take far shots at game.

I suggest looking at any of the offerings by Remington (model 7, 700), Winchester (model 70), Savage (model 10/110), Ruger (77), Weatherby (Vanguard), or Tikka (T3).
Any of those will be great bolt actions. The more accurate ones tend to be the Savages and Tikkas (Tikka guarantees 1MOA accuracy and my T3 in 308 will easily do that), but there are plenty of 700s out there that will give them a run for the money. If you want to do a lot of upgrading later then stick with the Rem 700 and Savage.

 

[R.H. Lee]

[ramble mode]
I own a Savage 10FP in .308, a Marlin 336, and two SKS’s. I like ‘em all, and wouldn’t part with any of them. The Savage is my only scoped rifle, and by far the most accurate. I woudn’t put a scope on a levergun, but that’s just me talkin’. Without a scope, you really can’t exploit the range and accuracy potential of a long gun. I’ve been thinking about another boltgun, and have seriously considered one in 6.5x55 Swede; it’s an excellent round with great ballistics coefficient, a long heavy bullet. The .308 would have to be loaded with a 200 gr bullet to get the same bc.

Now as much as I would love to own a CZ550 FS in 6.5x55 Swede, I’m not willing to get into yet another caliber, having just pared down the rifle side of the collection to .22lr, 7.62x39, 30-30, .308, and 30-06. If I were starting all over again, I’d seriously consider not only the 6.5x55 Swede, but the .243 Win also. Any regular use of the 6.5x55 would require reloading capability, as the ammo is relatively expensive.

The .308 is extremely versatile, and can be loaded with anything from 100gr on up to 220gr bullets. Milsurp ammo is also readily available and comparatively inexpensive. Boxer primed milsurp will provide reloadable brass.

I just may go for the CZ550FS in .308
[/ramble mode]

 

[Cueball]

Another option for you to consider would be a Savage Model 12 FVXP or a CZ 527 Varmit in .223 caliber. They have decent range, great accuracy, good for varmit and other mid size game, not excessive as far as recoil, and availability of inexpensive ammo is great. I just got a Savage like I listed above and I love it. I'm going to be using it for plinking, target shooting, and coyote and other varmit hunting. The accuracy has been great. The CZ's have a great rep for accuracy out of the box as well and neither rifle is going to break the bank .

Worth considering, IMHO

 

[GunGoBoom]

6.5x55mm swede comes to mind first (CZ, Tikka, Sako, Howa, Winchester, Steyr, Swede M96 or 96/38 surplus mauser), as the ultimate all-purpose caliber.

.308 win / 7.62mm NATO is a tie or close second (bazillion choices of rifles).

7.62x39mm, .243 win, .303 brit, .30-06, .280 rem, .270 win, 7x57mm mm mauser, .30-30 win, 7mm-08, 8mm mauser, 7.62x54R, and .260 rem are all in the running as well.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Any regular use of the 6.5x55 would require reloading capability, as the ammo is relatively expensive.

But why NOT reload? The investment is minimal and the space requirements are small. When I worked at General Motors in Michigan, I had a small apartment (my wife and family were in Virginia, where I owned a house.) I made a reloading kit around the Lee Hand Press, and everything fit in a large tool box.

 

[brickboy240]

I have a mid 1960s Savage 99 featherweight in 243 Winnny that fits that bill.

Well made, fast action, low recoil, enough power for varmints and deer sized game, short light and handy, very durable, easy to find ammo for, as accurate as any 243 bolt gun I have ever shot. Only paid 300 bucks for it too!

This is my "catch all" or"everythign" rifle.

-Brickboy240

 

[Commissar Gribb]

.308

milsurp nato ammo is plentiful, it's quite accurate, quite powerful and as a shortened round it's easier to shoot than a full size rifle rifle round.

 

[Eightball]

SKS!!! Almost nothing beats a good Yugo SKS for the money. Ammo's cheap, the rifles aren't expensive, can take anything you dish out, and are a good enough calibre for just about any purpose. And, they're semi, with a 10-round integral mag and bayonet--what more could someone want?

That, or a good old MN 91/30, or a Spanish Mauser in .308 (handy little rifles, those things!). Cheap, handy, and work.

 

[mustanger98]

Get a good .30-30 levergun and put aperture sights on it. A lot of deer have been killed with those. Recoil ain't bad, ammo ain't expensive, and the rifles are dependable. The load is good to 200yds, contrary to popular opinion; you just have to know the trajectory as well as which loads work best in your rifle. How many of us shoot game beyond 100yds, anyway? As a target rifle, some of us just like to load up some cast lead and see if we can whack the 300yd or 500yd gong.

I'm not knocking other suggestions as there are plenty of good rifles and calibers and I'm the world's worst to like too many of 'em. Just that leverguns are tough and .30-30 ammo can be had just about anywhere. I like .243Win. as good as anybody too.

 

[Cpl Punishment]

The best "all-around" rifle (if you don't want a military type) is a Marlin 336 in .30-30 -- for all the reasons already listed. They're plenty accurate, they're inexpensive, the ammo is plentiful and inexpensive, and yes, it IS good to 200 meters. They are easy to scope and easy to put aperture sights on.

 

[MachIVshooter]

If you live in a Western state, the most versatile cartridges are the 7mm Rem Mag., .30-06. and 300 win mag. Pick a rifle. (personal preference for me in Rem. 700

 

[Tylden]

Wow...you guys are awesome ! Lots of great info here ! At some point, I definately want a Marlin lever action in my collection so maybe the .30-30 (336)will fill that void.....or perhaps another .22 (Marlin 39A). As an American I owe it to my heritage to have one I have a CZ 452 Ultra Lux (.22LR)which is definately a tack driver and a half, but the 29" barrel is a bit cumbersome to pack around. My favorite gun shop also has a really nice CZ 527 Carbine chambered in 7.62x39 that would fit the bill too. Since our farm is pretty hilly and mostly woods, I don't see getting a shot over 100 - 150 yards for hunting, but on my range there I can reach out to 250 - 300 yards if I want to. So maybe a .308 would be better there ? The range is on the backside of the rock quarry (family business) and the deer tend to stay away from there. Hopefully when my kids get a little bigger, I can get away to do some hunting. I just got my 11 year old a CZ 452 Scout .22lr bolt action for his first gun, but he's not ready to hunt yet. Also, I really like shooting with iron sights....ghost ring apeture on the rear, and would like to spend $$$ on quality guns and ammo at least for now. I can always add a scope later should the need arise. Besides, if I go with a Marlin I don't think I could bring myself to put a scope on it anyway....they just look too nice without them...just my personal taste.

 

[beerslurpy]

You can buy 7.62x39 in 150 gr soft tips, so there is literally nothing you can do with 30-30 that you cannot do with the AK round. I currently own numerous kalshnikov pattern weapons and I had a model 94 as a teenager.

Having owned one, I can tell you of the weaknesses of the 30-30 lever gun:
-you cannot unload the gun without feeding all rounds through the action
-you must load the gun one round at a time, slowly
-the bullets have the aerodynamics of a refrigerator so usefulness beyond 100-150 yards will be iffy
-on model 94 at least, the brass ejects upwards, making optics difficult to mount
-the inferior rounds are ironically more expensive by a wide margin
-less AK and SKS type accessories available for your rifle.

Trust me guys, lever guns are not worth it. The SKS and AK are both superior in every way.

 

[mustanger98]

-Who's in such a hurry that they can't load a levergun? I'm not , and I'm not alone.
-The levergun's method of unloading is part of the simplicity of the design. No extra buttons, levers, latches, etc.
-I've never noticed any problem with the aerodynamics of a RN bullet and they do get stretched out to 200yds accurately in some parts of the country.
-Marlins are side-eject so if the rounds ejecting upward is a problem, either get a Marlin or start wearing a Stetson. The ejected brass rolls right over the hat brim.
-Marlin's optics mount pretty much like any other rifle. Marlin and Winchester both will take aperture sights easily. My '94 has a Lyman #2 tang sight.
-Inferior rounds? They've been doing the job for 110 years and counting. Get shot with a .30-30 and you're just as shot as you'd be with the 7.62x39 round.
-Get a levergun and you don't need AK/SKS type accessories.

Levergun's not worth it? I took their money in a bucket shoot earlier this month with my tang-sighted .30-30 and cast lead. I also know from experience that .30-30 JSP's shoot a lot flatter than lead in the same chambering.

AK and SKS both so superior? I have it on good authority from some Vietnam Vets that AK47's have minute-of-tractor-tire accuracy due to bad ammo, bad barrels, poor maintainance, and several other factors. The SKS as a hunting rifle, well, it's just like any other semi-auto. If you don't place your first round right in the vitals, it's just gonna show the other hunters what a bad shot you are.

 

[KriegHund]

7.62x39 is a pretty good all around.