One Load for the One Rifle Philosophy

[Chuck R.]

Not a big fan of it meself. As I mentioned in my previous post, I don't really understand the concept of the forward mount scope/scout concept. Yes, I understand the 'both eyes open' idea... I've set a .30-30 Marlin up in just that manner for a friend... but I don't think it's a superior concept over a standard placement scope.

Same here, I'm just not a fan of looking through a soda straw. A friend of mine has one set up that way and honestly I can't see the appeal. I find a LPVO just as fast, IF not faster, and that's the set up I use for my 3Gun rig. So for my "intermediate" hunting rigs I go with 2 or 2.5-8 or 9 magnification, and shoot with both eyes open. I do use a FWD mounted RDS on defensive carbines, but when it comes to any kind of magnification I prefer standard scope mounting.

As for stripper clips, IF I was worried about having to load quickly, the rifle/carbine has a DBM.

IF I did go for the "One Rifle" thing I'd probably look at a setup like the Tikka Artic, with a LPVO in QD mounts.

Luckily I don't have to subscribe to that philosophy, so I'm happy with a ready rack full of rifles to choose from.

I also don't subscribe to the one load thing, mostly cause I practice a lot, and I'm cheap, so the idea of launching Nolser ABs or partitions downrange on steel tgts just goes against my nature. So every rifle I hunt with has at least 2 loads, practice and hunting. A couple of my rifles have 3 loads, practice, deer, and big game.

For my TGT guns which also double as varmint rigs, again 2 loads. Rifle is zero'd for the varmint load, then I have the offsets programed into Strelok for the OTM TGT loads.

 

[Barbaroja]

It depends on the rifle if I have one load or multiple. For my hunting guns I prefer to work up a good load with a quality bullet that will handle the largest animal I am likely to shoot with it. Example being my 7mm RemMag. I load (or used to before they became $75 per boxed 50) 160gn accubonds it would work great on elk down through deer/pigs.
For my .243 it’s 95gn ballistic tips. Works great on deer/hog and smaller.

if I was using only one rifle I might be more likely to have multiple loads if I was going to hunt ground squirrels and elk with the same rifle, might be a decent option.

 

[Picher]

Some of you may have seen this info before, but I'm writing this new today; 12/19/22.

For many years of early varmint hunting my only rifle was a 30-06 Savage 110 with a Bishop, inletted blank that I made into a pretty nice and useful rifle. Being in college, I needed to keep my hunting/shooting costs down, so did my own research and came up with a pretty nice design/construction. It shot well and carried nicely...didn't look too bad either. I bedded the action in Marine Epoxy (no bedding kits avail. in the 1950s) Dad helped with the varnishing technique of thinning and applying several coats.

My buddy and I got into handloading and used a buddy's press until getting my own in 1965. We were in our late teens/early 20s and could tolerate the '06 recoil most of the time, but got a little beat-up shooting prone without recoil pads. Still, woodchucks were plentiful and provided plenty of hunting/shooting practice...mostly sitting and prone, but all shots under 100 yards were offhand. Never had so much fun before or since those woodchuck years in the 1950s-60s. We decided that 150 grain Sierras were our favorite bullets, loaded above a "milder" load of IMR4064.

I fashioned a short bipod (out of bent/hammered/sweated copper pipe) that fit in my back pocket and it made a steady rest, after being jammed into the ground. I still have it, even after forgetting to pick it up several times, after a kill.

 

[AJC1]

If I'm stuck with one choice and it has to do everything it's 165 bonded 308. Now mind you that this situation is the legalities are out the window and states with lead laws don't matter as they are not in a position to enforce those. I will at some point be working up a 150 copper to make me compliant in a rules still apply situation

 

[mongoslow]

The MPR 350L I've had for awhile and I love the thing with the sig whiskey 3 2-7×32 scope and a 10 round mag of 170 gr Hornady interlocks its less than 8lbs has practically no recoil, is typically fast handling of an AR carbine and the 350L is a hammer inside of 200 yards, it has went on many woods walks with me and I find it comfortable to carry and comforting to have along.
The Gunsight Scout in 308 is new to me and I'm still trying to figure out how I like it set up, with the scope and a full mag its a fuzz over 7lb with the 3moa red dot a fuzz under 7lb, as for the 150gr Hornady interlock it will bang/flop anything in the south east if I do my part. I have a feeling the Scout will end up wearing the red dot most of the time

 

[WisBorn]

@WrongHanded do you have a ruger scout rifle in 375 ruger?

Definitely a do all rifle!

 

[Frostbite]

Fifty plus years ago I used to carry 3 different magazines for my 30-06, one had 150 grain bullets, another 165 grain bullets, and the 3rd had 180 gr bullets, all Remington Core-lokt bullets. My thinking was to use the lightest to heaviest for deer depending on distance and the further the distance the heavier the bullet used so that there was enough energy delivered at those distances.

It was short lived and only did that for a couple of years. I soon realized that my rifle shot 165 grain loads the most accurate, and 165 grain bullets was enough for elk as well. So for me, for the last few decades I only shoot one load and I don't need a ballistic card for that load. Does not matter if I'm hunting or shooting paper it still is the same load, besides who goes plinking with a 30-06.

I like plinking with a 30-06. Is it wrong? I feel guilty now.

 

[AJC1]

I like plinking with a 30-06. Is it wrong? I feel guilty now.

There is zero roon for us to judge you having fun with your own gear. Do what makes you happy.

 

[Howa 9700]

Had an epiphany about this the other day. Some on here may recall I've been trying to find a good load for a 6mm Rem with little success. First rifle I bought, so sentimental value for me. What caught my eye was reading some discussions on barrel life, etc, and out of curiosity, checked what that might be for the 6mm Rem. Internet seems to think that can be as little as 1000 rounds, depending on ammo itself and use. That is nearly half of what I would have thought.

Back to load development. In trying to find a load capable of 1 MOA or better, I've probably fired 100 rounds. If 1,000 is what the gun started with, I've burned up 10% of my barrel life and am no better off than when I started. From what I remember as to use, it has been light over the years, so lots of life left, even at 1000 rounds. But since use is a 200 yard or less deer slayer, even if it only shoots 2 MOA.......I have managed to get to there with almost every load I've tried to date......2 MOA will work for my intended use. At some point, it could be I need to just pick a load with reliable bullet (say 100 grain Partition), load it to factory level velocity and lock that in. Have not seen factory ammo in years, brass had dried up, so what brass I have is all I may have.

Quit burning up the brass and barrel and live with it? Do that and gun has hundreds of dead deer left in it for years to come.

 

[WrongHanded]

@WrongHanded do you have a ruger scout rifle in 375 ruger?

Definitely a do all rifle!

No. My Ruger Scout in chambered .308 Win. But my Ruger Guide Gun is in .375 Ruger.

 

[WisBorn]

No. My Ruger Scout in chambered .308 Win. But my Ruger Guide Gun is in .375 Ruger.

A do all two gun battery!
If you want to shoot lots of little critters maybe a 223 in addition

 

[WrongHanded]

A do all two gun battery!
If you want to shoot lots of little critters maybe a 223 in addition

Got a Mini 14 and a Tikka T1X in .22lr for that kind of work. I've got the bases covered pretty well.

 

[d2wing]

There are nebulous interpretations of the OP's post. Are we thinking of hordes of zombies and grizzly bears or something realistic for survival. A safe base station or traveling? An AR in .223 or a light bolt action in .308 and a rimfire. Ammunition would be a major concern.

 

[BJung]

As long as I have my reloading tools, I'm good to go with any 30/.303 caliber rifle chambered for a case with a 30-06 type base. I would disassemble whatever I want for the components.

 

[valnar]

One load - good enough for anything but average at everything. Cheap enough to feed for practice.

Honestly that sounds like the 7.62x39

We know that Russian round is good for 2-legged critters and decent for 4-legged food, but I could never get a good feel for how it would be for dangerous game. Obviously it's not ideal, but if you had a semi-auto gun (think AK47, SKS or Vz.58) and you could pump 2-3 shots into a bear, does that translate to an equivalent single shot of .308?? My pill of choice in this scenario would be 125gr SP, like Barnaul or Brown Bear.

 

[IdaD]

I'd do 180 soft points of some sort out of a 30-06 if I can only have one caliber/load, bolt rifle. I think there are better calibers for specific applications, but as a do-all you aren't going to do better than a 30-06 pitching 180 pills.

 

[WrongHanded]

There are nebulous interpretations of the OP's post.

Very true. So out of all the scenarios you would consider possible (even if very unlikely), choose any rifle you like in any cartridge you like. Then tell me if you'd stock up on one specific load that you consider to be a good compromise, or if you'd prefer several different task specific loads and the potential challenges that could bring.

Part of the point (as I see it) of the "one rifle" discussions, is to consider possibilities, limitations, compromises, and essential requirements. So yeah, we could talk about grizzly bears; or a massive power grid failure; a truly terrible pandemic; social collapse; foreign invasion; large scale rioting and looting; the aftermath of a region-wide natural disaster/superstorm, or whatever else. Look at all of it, pick a rifle, make a choice, play the game.

Or don't. It's entirely up to you.

 

[.38 Special]

Very generally speaking, I prefer one load for any gun, shotguns excepted. I do sometimes have a "plinking load" and a "working load" for revolvers, and I do definitely have a low-recoiling "practice load" for dangerous game guns, but otherwise I really like to find a good general-purpose load and stick with it.

In a .308, for example, that normally will be something in the 165 to 180 grain neighborhood, and I actually tend to avoid the really fancy bullets in such cartridges. In a specialty cartridge, where velocity greatly exceeds 3000 fps, then specialty bullets can be very worthwhile. Otherwise, I still have great results from cup-and-core and am happy to stick with them - and can afford to shoot with them enough that I really learn the gun.

<edit> My first generation Savage Scout - which was a great concept poorly executed - lived on a steady diet of Hornady 165 Interlocks and 45 grains of RL15, for just about 2600 fps out of the stubby barrel. Nothing worked much better in that gun, and I got a deal on 2000 bullets, which allowed me as much practice as I could stand.

 

[Peakbagger46]

I vote one load BUT maybe have practice loads as well if the “one load” is expensive.

My personal example is my Daniel Defense with Nightforce 1-8X24. It’s my 0-500y rifle and zeroed with 77g handloads. But, those bullets ain’t cheap so I use 55g reloads for close range practice. Way cheaper and shoot close enough to the 77g for training.

 

[Demi-human]

I’m a One Load kind of guy. It will most likely be the very next one I work up, probably, I’m almost certain. But I haven’t done monos yet, so…

 

[ms6852]

I like plinking with a 30-06. Is it wrong? I feel guilty now.

LMAO!!

 

[Frostbite]

I don't reload. I would choose a 180 gr. soft point in 30-06 and be confident that it would be sufficient for hunting or defense against dangerous living creatures here in peaceful eastern Canada. Some other options, less expensive, could be considered if accurate in a given rifle. At a defensive distance (too close to run away), penetration should be sufficient.

However, I am not currently applying this, still experimenting different commercial offerings in different rifles, in two calibers mainly, .223 and 30-06. My .270 Win. semi and .50 muzzleloader don't fit in the one rifle only concept. I think none of my rifles fit, to say the truth. A Sako Finnlight II, in 30-06, of course, would be a great addition to the rack with the one size fits all goal in mind. 180 gr. soft points would still be favored if shooting them was to keep being pleasant up to 20 rounds.

In the unlikely event of an interruption in civilization, I am not sure I would carry a powerful bolt-action rifle.

I am still debating (strictly intellectual amusement) .223 bolt (one kind of ammunition) vs .22 LR semi (same) vs 12 gauge pump (selection of ammo vs #4 Buckshot only). Up until now, the .22 LR semi seems to me the best option for myself, but is not a real clear winner. Happily, I don't see it happening at all.

I really like the idea of only one rifle and only one load, simplicity seduces me.

Bettinsoli and Baïkal (surely others also) offer a 30-06 over 12 gauge that would be great for survival in nature, yet poorly adapted for urban trouble. And it requires two different loads

 

[gotboostvr]

Point of clarification:

Are we talking about:

One load, in one rifle, for everything.

Or:

One load per rifle, and as many rifles as needed to cover one bases.

 

[WrongHanded]

Point of clarification:

Are we talking about:

One load, in one rifle, for everything.

Or:

One load per rifle, and as many rifles as needed to cover one bases.

The first one. Though I'm not suggesting people should only have one rifle, I certainly don't.

 

[Legionnaire]

I think the last hunting rifle I will give up will be my Model 7 in 7mm-08. I also think a 140 grain AccuBond or Partition at 2800 fps could serve for everything I'm likely to use it for. I'm glad I have more powerful cartridges available, but given the compromises implied by the "one load in one rifle" requirement, I'd be satisfied with the 7mm-08.