The Old Three Hunting rifle question

[jimsmith80]

Ok Since I love polls so darn much, here is a classic. If you could only have three rifles to hunt what ever you wanted in N America. Which ones would they be? Now lets say that the reason for the limit is that you and a few buddies are going on a road trip and will be hunting everything from Texas Whitetails, Hogs, Coyote, Black Bear, Mule Deer, Elk, Caribou, Costal Brown Bear, Grizzly Bear, Pronghorn, Big horn sheep, Dall sheep, Stone sheep, Mountian Goat, and Moose in Alaska-Youkon. So with a limited amount of space you each can only take three rifle. After you vote on what you want please tell the class how you would set it up, what scope, Bipod? bifferant stock you know, all the good stuff. Lastly tell us what Bullet & or ammunitaion you would use and why>??
Thanks for taking my polls I hope that they are as much fun for you as they are insightful for me.
Steve

 

[Gryffydd]

Wow, this must have taken you forever to type in!
I went with .22-250, .30-06, and .375 H&H. One for the prairie dogs, one for everything else except the big ones in Alaska that might eat me/crush me.

Truth be told I'd be pretty happy with just the .30-06 with handloads. 110 grain bullets for the dogs and 150-200 grain bullets for everything else. If you can't kill it inside 250 yards with a .30-06 with good bullets stay home and watch the Outdoor Channel.

 

[WardenWolf]

Honestly, .223 and a 30-06. What more do you need? Granted, I prefer .308 over 30-06, although I recognize the added stopping power.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I would do all of that with 1 rifle...308.

 

[John828]

.243, .308, .338 Win Mag

.22 LR should have been an option.

 

[KC0QGL]

Well my favorites aren't on the list, so I went with .30-30, .308, .30-06. I would have went with 7.62X39, .30-40, 7.62X54r handload.

 

[barry960]

I never heard of "The old three rifles" question regarding North American game. My first thought was this would be a discussion on African hunting. I've read that it has been a standard rule of thumb, in the old days at least, to have at least 3 rifles in 3 calibers for Africa. I picked 22-250 for varmits because it's the most powerful of the 22s listed, and I am interested in trying that caliber out. I'd put a variable scope that went up to 20 power on that one, and have a good stock mounted bipod. The 30-06 would get the most use of course and have some Leupold on it, as would my 375 Ruger Hawkeye, and I wouldn't mount bipods on those, just carry my clamp on the barrel bipod in a cargo pocket.

 

[interlock]

thanks for the poll. I have gone for .223 rem .30-06 sprg and .375 H&H. i think the .375 will be for the grizzly bears. I have based this choice on watching TV, surfing the internet and guessing. I have never been to america. but i have shot a lot of stuff.

 

[jimsmith80]

Who ever said only the .308. If you are going to spout play by the rules and read the animals and such. Notice a sepration of the Grizzly, & Costal Brown Bear! Would you hunt Cape Buffalo with your .308 and no back up shooter?? Well then why would you do it to an animal that weights just as much on occasion, but kills for a living? Working at the gun counter at a sporting goods store in Alaska, before hunting season we sold four types of rifles. For those that wannted a small bore they got a 30-06, next .300 Win Mag, the majority bought the .338 Win Mag. Lastly was the big stoppers , 375 H&H, and 45-70s. I am sorry that I forgot to include the 45-70 in the poll, however if that would be one of your chioces then click the 458 win mag, and just write that you mean 45-70.
For any other calibers out there that I did not include simply pick the group that is closest and type what you want, including that rifle set up,

To the guy who asked why no .22lr . Read the question again. BIG GAME HUNTING ONLY> I put the smaller stuff inther for the coyotes and such, but this question does not pertain to rabbit hunting.

That sounds like it would be a good poll though, you know about our dream small game rig......... I'll work on it, post in a few days. Anyother requests let me know

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I'd do it just to prove it can be done.

That is not to say everybody should try it...but I could do it, and I'm sure its been done before. I bet there are a lot of natives up in there that kill them with less.

I'm gonna say this then I'll let it go...there have been a great many of those big bears killed with a 30-06...if it can be killed with a 30-06...it can be killed with a 308.

 

[jimsmith80]

Those natives live there, and just because it has been done or can be done does not me it is smart or prudent. There are several documented cases of bull elephants being killed with a 22lr Does that make the 22 an Elephant gun? You can also carve a canoe out of a tree with a pocket knife. Want to try that too? People who insidt on using small calibers just have something to prove, like the rules don't aply to you. You will be on you plane coming back from Alaska or Africa, when that Bear, or Buffalo mauls and gores some poor guy walking his dog. All because you had something to prove. You probly buy "whatever's cheapest" when getting bullets for hunting season. Don't you think that you owe it to the animal to distpach it quickly and humainly? So your caliber MIGHT work, but there is a good chance that something will go wrong, if everything ALWAYS went right on the hunt, then we could use spears for deer, and all that. So use the biggest caliber you can shoot well when hunting things that can bite back! Because it might not maul you when you wound it, but what are you going to tell the family of the man who was walking his dog and was riped apart? Tell them that "oh they did it before, and there where better things but I was to lazy to learn to shoot a bigger rifle"

 

[qwert65]

.30.30, .308, and .45-70

 

[retrieverman]

Two of my choices aren't listed.

I have chosen a Sako 75 Finnlite in 243 on the small caliber end, and Blaser R-93 Professional with 6.5x55 and 9.3x62 barrels.

 

[~z]

Gotta have .22lr and .22 mag in the mix somewhere
~z

 

[John828]

Ok Since I love polls so darn much, here is a classic. If you could only have three rifles to hunt what ever you wanted in N America. Which ones would they be?

Sorry to offend you, jimsmith80. I just read your first two sentences and the title. I didn't see the words "big game." Honestly, you said that we could choose three calibers to "hunt what ever we wanted" [sic] Frankly, if my buddies and I were traveling across America including Alaska, I'd want a .22 LR in my "arsenal." Nothing like a little campfire rabbit or squirrel stew. The .308 would take care of most other critters and my .338 WM would be reserved for the heavy hooved and long toothed critters.

By my estimation, no one else really read your complete post because no one mentioned bullet construction or composition. Just like in newsprint, you got to say it all in the first few lines and hook your readers or else they move on to the next article. So your hook was "barbless" and some are getting away.

My bullet choices for my centerfire rifle choices would be as follows: Hornady 85 gr Light Magnum for the .243, 165 gr Remington Premier Scirocco Bonded in the .308, and 225 gr Remington Premier Core-Lokt Ultra Bonded in the .338 WM since I don't handload yet.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Those are calibers, not RIFLES. But I know what you mean and so I voted.

I ran with:

.243 Win

.280 Rem

.35 Whelen / 9.3x62mm / .338-'06 A-square

 

[MCgunner]

Yeah, add a .22LR to the mix. I have and chose .257 Roberts, .308, 7 rem mag. I think that covers anything I'll ever hunt any place I'll ever hunt it. That's why I have 'em. It's a long danged way to Alaska OR Africa and I ain't got that kinda money nor do I wanna paddle that far in my kayak. With any luck, I'll get to take the 7 mag on a nilgai hunt some day down on the Kennedy or the King. Might chase elk someday, but I could do that with the .308, really. The 7 stays with me just because I like it.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Yeah, add a .22LR to the mix.

You didn't read the question carefully.

from Texas Whitetails, Hogs, Coyote, Black Bear, Mule Deer, Elk, Caribou, Costal Brown Bear, Grizzly Bear, Pronghorn, Big horn sheep, Dall sheep, Stone sheep, Mountian Goat, and Moose in Alaska-Youkon

 

[John828]

I guess taking a .22 LR was an a priori proposition and just taken for granted that everyone would include it and then choose three other calibers.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

a priori.... college boy alert! J/K, lol. But the question is specifically limited to large and very large game, so no one's gonna choose a .22, unless they're poaching. Maybe some people think that poaching is implicitly necessary to the question, since no one could possibly score all those tags in one trip!

 

[Water-Man]

.22-250, .308 & .338
55gr 165gr 250gr

 

[John828]

a priori.... college boy alert!

College drop-out actually and self-taught philosopher. I think most hunters and some shooters are actually all philosphers at heart. We mince calibers like philosophers mince words. And any hunter who spends any time out of doors has the capacity to take in, experience, and interpret the greatest of all books of philosophy--nature itself. Whether they realize it or not, they are philosophers.

Like it has been said: When a man needs to think, he mows the grass, when he really needs to think, he paints the barn, and when he really, really needs to think, he goes fishing.

And the poll needs a .22 LR option IMO.

 

[glockman19]

I would do all of that with 1 rifle...308.

YES except I choose the .30-06, IMHO it's a little more versatile than the .308.

both however are capable of taking any and all game in N. America.

Also, with one rifle i can carry more ammo.

 

[MCgunner]

a priori.... college boy alert! J/K, lol. But the question is specifically limited to large and very large game, so no one's gonna choose a .22, unless they're poaching. Maybe some people think that poaching is implicitly necessary to the question, since no one could possibly score all those tags in one trip!

So, then, why is the .22 Hornet listed? That's a big game caliber, now?

 

[John828]

Yeah!!!