What is your ideal hunting rifle!

[greyling22]

Left hand short action Browning abolt action, 308 proof research carbon fiber barrel, 20" long, threaded with 7" thunderbeast suppressor. Not certain about exactly what stock. Something synthetic, stiff, and light.

 

[LoonWulf]

Yes, the locking bolt. I will never return to another hunting rifle without it. How is not having your bolt stay closed acceptable?

Perhaps those of us pushing through Rocky Mountain brush are a minor consideration compared to tree stand hunters.

It's never really been a concern for me, and I'm a still, or push and post hunter. Last trip (well last, last) my buddy had the bolt handle of my American open up enough that when he went to fire it clicked instead of going bang....first time I've ever seen it happen.
Now while it's still not a deal breaker, I do appreciate my guns with a 3 position or bolt locking safety.

 

[Chuck R.]

Your way over scoped for 3-400y shots with that Leupold 2-12. PM me and we can trade my 3-9cds for your 2-12... please, I’ll sweeten up the deal with some elk jerky.

In all seriousness, that Nosler setup you have looks great.

While the jerky is tempting I need all the extra magnification I can get due to our KS deer being so small and all.......

 

[mshootnit]

My old Ruger M77 in my favorite caliber .257 Roberts. bought it brand new from Gibsons in 1972 for $110. at 65 I no longer shoot anything more than a .308. The Lord lends me these guns, as I don't own any.

As is true in all things. Well spoken.

 

[FL-NC]

If I was only going to have 1, it would be my Ruger American Predator in 6.5 CM with the 2 scopes assigned to it- a 4-12 Vortex and a 5-21 Horus falcon (depending on the place and type of hunting) with a H59 reticle. I think that rifle is sufficient for any hunting I would do in the lower 48.

 

[Enfielder]

Carl Gustav 84mm Recoiless rifle. My shoulder gets sensitive in the cold and I like the challenge of the single shot. I also like to process my quarry into burger quickly and efficiently. Just bring bags and a shovel.

But for reals. I like a wood stock on blue; somewhere between .24-.35 and scoped with a 3x9.
I have all the bolts, semis, levers, and pumps I can carry. Even though I swap rifles a few times during the season, I keep saying to myself that the Remington 760/7600 in 30-06 is the perfect rifle for anything related to taking big game.

 

[marksman13]

My ideal hunting rifle varies based on what I’m hunting and where I’m hunting.
My 6.8 SPC gets pigs duty. The CZ 550 in 30-06 comes out of the safe when I’m feeling classy. I probably carried the Ruger M77 in 6.5x55 the most last year.
And the Winchester M70 in 270 goes out when I don’t feel like getting the wood and blue guns wet.

I’m probably going to add a Remington CDL DM in 280 Remington next week. No real need for it, but it just felt right when I picked it up and 280 Remington has always been a round I wanted to put in the stable.

 

[bassjam]

For me it's a simple semi-auto .22 like a Marlin 60. It cover's most of what I hunt.

For deer I used to be in a shotgun only state, now we're open to straight walled cartridges but in the tight woods I hunt, I'm starting to thing a slug is still my best option.

 

[Nature Boy]

CRF with claw extractor, like my sporterized 03A3

 

[cdb1]

The CZ 550 in 30-06 comes out of the safe when I’m feeling classy.

That is some very nice wood.

 

[Casefull]

Kimber mountain ascent in 308. I walk a lot in remote areas and the light weight is welcome. Used to be a custom Remington 700 in 300 WM. Glass is vx3 in 3.5 x 10 I guess I’m downsizing. I have lots of nice hunting rifles in different calibers but I seem to grab this one the most.

 

[MCMXI]

It's never really been a concern for me, and I'm a still, or push and post hunter. Last trip (well last, last) my buddy had the bolt handle of my American open up enough that when he went to fire it clicked instead of going bang....first time I've ever seen it happen.
Now while it's still not a deal breaker, I do appreciate my guns with a 3 position or bolt locking safety.

I had a friend lose his bolt out of his Remington 700 while hunting in Washington State. Fortunately his hunting buddy noticed and they backtracked and found the bolt on the trail. A locking bolt on any bolt action rifle is my preference these days, and for that reason many good rifles are not an option for me. I'm down to only one bolt action without a locking bolt and that's a Remington 700 Alaskan Ti which I plan to sell this year. If I could add a locking bolt feature I'd keep it since I like a lot of things about it.

 

[MCMXI]

Kimber mountain ascent in 308. I walk a lot in remote areas and the light weight is welcome. Used to be a custom Remington 700 in 300 WM. Glass is vx3 in 3.5 x 10 I guess I’m downsizing. I have lots of nice hunting rifles in different calibers but I seem to grab this one the most.

What an awesome picture!!! I wish I could give you 100 likes for that one. Excellent rifle too!

 

[Casefull]

Thanks. It is at 9500 feet in west central Montana. We are lucky to be in such a great place.

 

[entropy]

A Sauer or Heym drilling.

 

[MacAR]

Ideal? I have two that I own: Remington 700 ADL 30-06 and Marlin 336 30 WCF. Both wear Williams peep sights. The lever gun takes care of most of my hunting needs in these hills, where shots aren't over 100 yards and the 170 grain bullet out of that gun is no lie. The old '06, loaded with 180's does great out to 200, and is lightweight and easy handling, the two most important qualities in a rifle in my opinion.

Now, my ideal rifle were money no object? A Lee Speed sporter in 303 or 7x57 from Greener. I can't afford it, but dear God what a beautiful rifle! One day though... One day.

Mac

 

[amprecon]

I've had Remington 700's and a Ruger MKII M77 in .308 and .30-06. I've sold them off too and thought I was done with bolt-actions until I tried to find a replacement.
I don't believe commercial grade semi-auto's are reliable enough or easy enough to clean thoroughly, single-shots are simple, but I want to have a repeater if I take it on a hunt where there may be dangerous game.
I had a 7600 pump gun in .30-06 and it was very accurate, but it just wasn't for me. I've never been big on lever actions and felt they were a more complicated design and would be harder to disassemble and fix or clean than the bolt action.
So I went back to the bolt-action for it's ruggedness and simplicity, but I wanted detachable magazines as I loathe the fixed or hinged magazines on bolt-actions. I also wanted fixed iron sights as a back-up.
I wanted a caliber that could virtually hunt anything with yet be able to find in the most remote corners of the U.S. and Alaska and that was .30-06.
After much research I went with a Browning X-Bolt in .30-06 with iron sights, I appreciate the detachable magazine, but also the 60 degree bolt throw, it is a nice feature that I didn't put too much emphasis on, but it is nice. It also has the tang safety which I never had a preference for, but it is intuitive.
I topped it with a 4x33mm Leupold scope and it shoots great, it is my favorite hunting rifle.

ETA: It does have a locking bolt as well.

 

[Hanshi]

The "wish list" would be a flintlock German Jeager with a 32" .54 swamped barrel. Currently I have my two favorites, a late Lancaster .45 flintlock longrifle and a modified early Lancaster .50.
The .45 deer "terminator".

The .50 "new face in the crowd".

 

[rust collector]

I'm a simple guy with simple needs. My meat gun is a Tikka T3 lite stainless in 308 Win with an old Zeiss Conquest 3-9 and shooting sling. Nothing fancy, nothing to go wrong.
I'm a 6.5 swede fan, but the 308 is more common, well developed and not uncomfortable to shoot.

 

[357smallbore]

Me: A well used Savage 110 (circa 1994) with a 2x10 on it. Critters as small as Badgers to Shiras Moose have fallen to this weapon and caliber. It has been used as a critter getter and also to filling the larder to get through the winters.
150 / 165 and 180 grainers is all I've ever used. I roll my own. Never taken more than 2 shots to anchor game. I have never shot past 330 yards. For me the one gun/caliber weapon for ALL game in N.A is the ole 06.

 

[stillquietvoice]

Me: A well used Savage 110 (circa 1994) with a 2x10 on it. Critters as small as Badgers to Shiras Moose have fallen to this weapon and caliber. It has been used as a critter getter and also to filling the larder to get through the winters.
150 / 165 and 180 grainers is all I've ever used. I roll my own. Never taken more than 2 shots to anchor game. I have never shot past 330 yards. For me the one gun/caliber weapon for ALL game in N.A is the ole 06.

That is what I used for years, I had two of them mostly used 165 gainers.

Recoil became an issue after shoulder surgery so now it's a rem 700 sps in 7mm08, firing 139 to 160 gr bullets.

 

[someguy2800]

Got my 358 yeti setup together. It is a clone of my 7.62x39 setup. I am really excited to get a load worked up for this. For those that have never heard of it a 358 yeti is a wildcat made to fit in an AR15. Brass is formed from shortened 308 brass or any similar case, similar to making 300 blackout brass. It is supposed to push a 180 grain .358 caliber bullet to 2600 and a 200 grain bullet to 2500 from a 16" barrel. Kind of like a 35 Remington on steroids.

 

[Ks5shooter]

Deer rile ...TC Venture 7mm-08 Leupold VX-R 3-9 40mm Firedot 4 reticle.139 gr Hornady SST's over IMR4064.
150 yds sighted in at 1.5 in high good to 300yds

 

[Sistema1927]

Not the prettiest rifle ever made, but a 1950 Remington 721 in .30-06 with Timney trigger and Weaver 3x9 scope is as good a rifle as ever went into the field.

 

[Boattale]

Thanks. It is at 9500 feet in west central Montana. We are lucky to be in such a great place.

Had to be a heck of a windstorm to blow those rocks in a pile like that....