If you had no rifles...

[cratz2]

Time for another one of my mindless intellectual theoretical
waxings...

Assume you had all the experience (or lack of experience in some cases ) that you currently have but you didn't own any rifles... what rifles would you want to do all the things that you do on a semi-regular basis? If you just kill paper, one would probably do. If you only shoot 20 rounds a year, just before deer season, one rifle might do. If you hunt the world over, you might need more. Either way... share the minimum battery of rifles that you think you need or at least those that you would really, really want.

As a side note, I was chatting with my dealer today talking about current rifles and upcoming rifles, and those that have come and gone. We both came to the conclusion that with all the money that's been spent, recouped and lost, we could have a handful of very nice rifles.

 

[yzguy]

Well what I have is the min....

a shot gun, because it is the best for home defense
a scoped bolt action .308 just in case something far away must go down
a AK-47 for the attack of the zombies situation, and just because it is fun to shoot 30 round mags...
and of course a .22 just because everyone should have one!!

 

[cratz2]

Of course, I'd have have to have a nice .22 rifle. My new CZ has me more than pleased for now but if I sold about three rifles, I could get pretty much rimfire I wanted. Those Coopers seem awful nice... esp the Light Varmint Target. I recon a Leupold VariX III 1.5-5x20 scope with the parallax set to about 50 or 75 yards would be just about ideal on a nice rimfire.

Next, I'd have to have at least one centerfire, carry-weight rifle. If I could only have one, it would be a .270 with the .25-06 being a close second for a 'one caliber' choice. Probably go for a realtively slightly heavier than sporter weight... probably a Sako with a #3 contour barrel with a nice wood stock and a Leupold 2-8x VariX III.

If opened up to two rifles in this general category, I'd probably select a .243 and a .30-06 or these days, I might go for the .300 WSM in place of the .30-06. Something like a short Sako would be nice for the 243 along with a 2-8x Leupold VariX III scope. For the .30-06, I'm completely in love with a used Weatherby MK V Deluxe at a local shop but ideally would rather have about a #3 contour to the #1. Probably go for broke and get a Schmidt & Bender 1.5-6x42 30mm scope on this one.

Finally, I guess I am a victim of the tactical influence and would like a heavy barreled rifle chambered in 6.5x284. It's unlikely you'd ever be stuck with this rifle in the middle of nowhere with no ammo so the somewhat unusual chambering shouldn't be a hinderance. It can go way way out there, allows for itty bitty groups and doesn't even punish the shooter with quite .308-level recoil. Some excellent bullets available in the caliber and now brass is even available from multiple sources. Guess you'd probably go the custom route for this one. 40X action with a Shilen #8 contour with a 1:8 twist to use those 139 gr Lapua Scenars. And I guess a Swarovski 6-24x50 scope would work pretty well on such a rifle.

 

[Majic]

Anschutz 64 MPR for all my .22lr duties

T/C Encore with a .22-250 and a .22 Hornet barrel for varmints

Dakota 76 with all the trimmings in 300 Dakota for deer and bigger game

FN-FAL for firepower fun

Life would be good with a battery like that for me.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

a number4mk1 in stock military trim, for shooting.

a number4mk1, with a 19 inch barrel, scout scope, etc, for hunting, general tooling around.

an m-1A, for shtf, hunting, etc.

a remington 514 .22 single shot

a mini-14, for HD, equipping the children. (It's for the children!)

 

[Longbow]

Mine would be...

a shotgun (or two ), the most versatile weapon, IMO.
a .22lr, I agree, everyone should have one!
a high power rifle, scoped and in 30'06 or .308
and an AK type rifle w/ high cap mags, prefferably in 7.62x39!

 

[cratz2]

Oh... shotguns need not apply to this thread. Well assume everyone has an 870 Wingmaster or an 1187 or a 1400 or something!

Just rifles.

 

[444]

If I didn't own a single rifle right now, I would consider a minimum battery of rifles to be an AR15, a scoped thirty OH six, and a .22. Specifically a 16" Bushmaster, a Remington 700 BDL or ADL, and probably a 10/22 or a Marlin Model 60 or a Marlin Model 39.

If I expanded from there, I would buy either a Finn M39 or a Schmit-Rubin K31 because I enjoy competeing in Vinatage Military Bolt Action Rifle matches. I would also probably buy a muzzle loader for Ohio deer hunting.

 

[BDM]

AR-15 carbine with aimpoint and mount,.22 coversion kit,for small game 2 rifles in 1,British inch pattern commonwealth FAL with the bolt sand cuts,scope and mount,Mossberg 590A1 shotgun with topfolding stock with a mount for aimpoint.and with bird shot never go hungry,I bet the aimpoint could hit a duck.

 

[CB900F]

This is kinda interesting, because I'm a left handed shooter.

In .22 lr, I'd take my Ruger 77/22 stainless, unless either Ruger or CZ started making .22 LHB's, in which case, I'd get one. But it would have to shoot with the Ruger, or better, before I'd let the Ruger go.

In centerfire varmint, probably a Savage .223. Not sure which model, but would prefer the 12BVSS, if they'd do the LHB thing. Otherwise, get an LHB action & start building.

Light rifle. Remington 788 LHB in 6mm Remington. Long range varmints, coyotes, & deer/antelope gun. Daughter also shoots left handed.

Main hunting rig. I'll keep my Winchester new model 70 classic stainless LHB w/BOSS. In the McMillan stock, Turner sling & Leupold VariXIII 3 X 10 50mm. It's a .30-06 & I took my antelope last fall at 470 yards, one shot, with the bullet going in within 2" of my ideal placement point It was a neck shot with the hit just in front of the shoulder & just below the spine.

Heavy hunter. I'm torn between the .300 & .338 Winchester magnums. But since I doubt I'll ever go after Alaskan bears or to Africa, practicality says the .300. Besides, a local shop has a Ruger 77 LHB new at a two year old price. Gee - gotta go now!
900F

 

[Art Eatman]

I'm primarily a hunter. So, some sort of .22 rimfire as a little general purpose rifle. Then, a low-recoil centerfire that's mostly for varmints up to coyote size: One of the hotshot .22 centerfires. I'd probably keep my 77 MK II in .223, if I were limited to just one, and part with the .22-250 and the Swift. The latter two are lots of fun, but shots beyond 200 yards are not common. Nuthin' wrong with a .243 in this middle category, of course.

If I didn't have a deer/elk rifle, I'd go with one of these new critters; probably a .300WSM. As it is, I'll just keep on loading for my '06.

Africa? I'd most likely add a .375 to the family, being interested in plains game rather than the big stuff.

One and only one rifle for everything below elk in the lower 48? Either a .243 or a 7mm08.

, Art

 

[TechBrute]

I'm pretty happy with my current setup, but if I had to thin the herd, I'd keep the Remmy 700LTR .308 and the Colt AR-Pimpteen.

 

[cratz2]

Out of curiosity Art, what glass do you have mounted on your famous 243 and 30-06?

 

[4v50 Gary]

Rem 700 LTR in 308 for hunting gun.
Colt AR-15 along w/dedicated 22 upper & 30 round Ceiner mags.

 

[duckfoot]

CZ Varmint .22lr
and
AR50 .50 cal





Q:and why?

a:Why not!





.02 in dreamland

 

[M67]

First, a suppressed .22, can't imagine how anyone can do without. My CZ fills that job now.
Then a 6.5x55 for 300 meter (competitive) paper punching. My old Mauser "sharpshooter" still works.
For hunting, a .30-06, for example my $150 rebarreled k98, will do for anything from fox to moose.

I guess that's sort of a minimum. Now to the really, really want part...

For target shooting, I will probably end up with a Sauer 200 sooner or later.
For hunting, a Sako or Sauer maybe, with a nice Zeiss or S&B and a suppressor, but right now most of my hunting is done from the armchair anyway, so it's more want than need.
Then there is that African dream. I handled (read fondled) some double rifles a couple of weeks ago... How about a Krieghoff in .416 or maybe .470NE? You know you're in trouble when you start thinking "$5500 isn't that much, is it?" Well, it's too much now, I have other priorities in my life. But maybe, some day...

 

[Captain Scarlet]

I would want an SKS / AK type rifle, because those are the most
reliable, robust, and cheapest military semi auto rifles available.

 

[JShirley]

If I could only have one rifle, it would probably be a metric FAL with an inch selector.

My 2nd rifle would be a CZ 527 in 7.62x39mm

My 3rd would be one of several nice .22 LR or Mags, maybe a Rem 597

4th would be a .35 Whelen...

John

 

[Art Eatman]

Lil Sako .243 has a Leupold 2x7, since 1982. Before then it had a 2x7 Redfield, but I fell out of love with the fine crosshairs and traded it off.

I had a Leupold 3x9 on the '06 for a long time, and for curiosity I put a 1997-vintage Simmons 44Mag on it. So far, the drawback to the Simmons is repeatability of adjustment. Since I never adjust a scope once I'm zeroed, that problem is irrelevant. But it's plenty stout and rugged against banging and bumping.

That Leupold 3x9 now lives on the Ruger 77 MK II .223.

Art

 

[OEF_VET]

If I could only have one, hmm, is one of each kind ever made a suitable answer?

Seriously, if limited to only one, and cost / availibilty weren't a factor, I'd opt for an M-4 (gotta stick with what you're good at).

Frank

 

[chaim]

If I had no rifles and I was starting over, but only would have (or could have) one then I would save longer and get a Bushmaster AR15 with both a 5.56 and a 9mm upper (I don't get to the rifle ranges very often so I'd need something I could shoot at indoor pistol ranges, and with no .22lr rifles I'd want to shoot cheap which both give).

If I was starting over with rifles but could have what I want I would change a few things:
-I would get the Marlin Model 60 that was my first gun, but I wouldn't have bought the Ruger 10/22 later (I might get a Remington 597)
-Instead of the Remington 581 I would have bought a CZ as my .22lr bolt rifle
-Even though my Winchester 94 in 30-30 is my favorite gun (not just rifle) I wouldn't have bought it. I don't get to the rifle range much so it only gets shot a few times a year. I would have bought the same gun in either .44mag or .357mag so that I could shoot it more
-I probably wouldn't have bought my SKS. I would have looked around for one in better shape, or bought an AK or I would have saved more and bought something in .223/5.56 (depending upon how patient I could be I'd try to wait for an AR 15, but more likely would have bought an AR 180 or even a Mini-14).
-The Hi-Point Carbine probably would have been bought since I just bought it since it was cheap and looked like fun (which it is), though the chrome receiver and handguard is so ugly I think I would have gone w/ blue after all (when I decided to buy it they only had this one in stock and I wanted to shoot it that day).

 

[BusMaster007]

Start over? NOW?

OK.

Bushmaster 'Pre-Ban' A2 20"bbl.
Armalite AR10A4.
Extra uppers for both.

T/C Contender & Encore.
Extra barrels and carbine kits for both.

NEF.
Extra barrels.

Remington 700 Custom Shop in .375 H&H.

 

[Cosmoline]

I think I could get buy with these:

--Custom, accurized Ruger 1A in 7x57 Mauser. This would hunt everything from squirrel and small fur-bearers (120 gr. solids) to bear (175 gr. Barnes X or 195 gr. Barnes Original). While not ubiquitous, 7x57 is pretty easy to find and as a moderate-pressure round the brass seems to last a long time. Sadly, I haven't had the courage or cash to buy one.

-- CZ-452 .22 LR. Probably the only rifle I will never part with. If I ever did, I'd just go out and buy another. It's MOA accurate, tough as a rock and very well balanced. This is an ideal plinking and small game rifle.

Beyond that, it's all gravy.

 

[Justin]

An AR15 tricked out for Service Rifle high power competition- floated barrel, 1:7 twist, and a nice trigger job. (Basically the sort of rifle that would let John Holliger get braces for his kid.)

A flat-top AR15 carbine. 16 inch barrel with some sort of red-dot site and a set of those backup irons that can be flipped up when needed.

I don't get to the range often enough to shoot one rifle let alone two, so anything above and beyond those two would just be butter. Still, I'd like to have a decent bolt-action .22 for plinkin' and some sort of scoped bolt gun for reaching out past 600 yards. Could be a .308 or a .30-06.

 

[foghornl]

Hmmmmm

A good .22LR, 'cause everybody needs a good .22.
A good lever gun, in your choice of cal, for up to 150Yd work.
A Mil-Surp turnbolt, 'cause all should own a piece of history.
A good semi-auto in major caliber (for me US Rifle Cal .30 M-1)