If you were building one rifle as a "do-it-all" rifle...

[GermanS1]

A Remington 700 or Winchester Model 70, .30-06, not too heavy. I built one just like that and it shoots great at 1000. With the addition of a scope, it would be a good, if slightly heavy, hunting rifle. Not "ideal" for anything, but suitable for just about anything.

Rifle design is always a matter of compromising one function to optimize another (weight, length, recoil, power, etc.). The compromises in this rifle lean toward range use but don't entirely preclude other uses.

Full story here: http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.com/2010/02/equipment-40xl.html

 

[Cimarron2011]

A Remington 700 or Winchester Model 70, .30-06, not too heavy. I built one just like that and it shoots great at 1000. With the addition of a scope, it would be a good, if slightly heavy, hunting rifle. Not "ideal" for anything, but suitable for just about anything.

Rifle design is always a matter of compromising one function to optimize another (weight, length, recoil, power, etc.). The compromises in this rifle lean toward range use but don't entirely preclude other uses.

Full story here: http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.com/2010/02/equipment-40xl.html

Thanks German.

30-06 and 280 Rem (280 AI) are both chamberings that I am considering.

thanks for the link to the article.

-Cim

 

[357Mag]

Cim -

Howdy !

IMHO -

- Go with a .250 Savage with a 24 -26" barrel of appropriate twist.

- Control the range at which you engage each game type.

With regards,
357Mag

 

[bheadboy]

HUrray you got some guns so not a semi antigun, well here goes my 2cts on the bolt

if you really want to go 1000, and some targets and some animals, then i offer 2 choices of which i have a good personal experience

300wm, 26" Hart rem 700 tricked out, 4.5x14 scope 180-200grs in the 3200.3050fps range

280AI 26: Hart Rem 700 tricjed out same scope, 140-160grs - 3150/3000
fps range
both cn be loaded down for light skin short distances and both are proven accurate, lots of bullet choice and lots of proven powder flexability.
mins shot sub .400 all day long and were deadly on mulie and elk

Defense i like the 1911 45 Kimber/ 40cal #19 glock, much better than fist/stick or rocks

Bob

 

[Cimarron2011]

HUrray you got some guns so not a semi antigun, well here goes my 2cts on the bolt

if you really want to go 1000, and some targets and some animals, then i offer 2 choices of which i have a good personal experience

300wm, 26" Hart rem 700 tricked out, 4.5x14 scope 180-200grs in the 3200.3050fps range

280AI 26: Hart Rem 700 tricjed out same scope, 140-160grs - 3150/3000
fps range
both cn be loaded down for light skin short distances and both are proven accurate, lots of bullet choice and lots of proven powder flexability.
mins shot sub .400 all day long and were deadly on mulie and elk

Defense i like the 1911 45 Kimber/ 40cal #19 glock, much better than fist/stick or rocks

Bob

I am getting there with my inventory. Top dog in the gun safe is the Larue OBR in 7.62. It was supposed to be my do-it-all, but alas it is just too front end heavy to be an all-around rifle. If the SHTF, it will be my go to! I am interested that you hit on the 280 AI...

Question: How does the AI cycle through a box mag? With the straight taper and sharp shoulder, I have concerns that it will cycle well through magazine/action without issues. Can you give me any insight in that?

 

[Cimarron2011]

HUrray you got some guns so not a semi antigun, well here goes my 2cts on the bolt

if you really want to go 1000, and some targets and some animals, then i offer 2 choices of which i have a good personal experience

300wm, 26" Hart rem 700 tricked out, 4.5x14 scope 180-200grs in the 3200.3050fps range

280AI 26: Hart Rem 700 tricjed out same scope, 140-160grs - 3150/3000
fps range
both cn be loaded down for light skin short distances and both are proven accurate, lots of bullet choice and lots of proven powder flexability.
mins shot sub .400 all day long and were deadly on mulie and elk

Defense i like the 1911 45 Kimber/ 40cal #19 glock, much better than fist/stick or rocks

Bob

I am getting there with my inventory. Top dog in the gun safe is the Larue OBR in 7.62. It was supposed to be my do-it-all, but alas it is just too front end heavy to be an all-around rifle. If the SHTF, it will be my go to! I am interested that you hit on the 280 AI...

Question: How does the AI cycle through a box mag? With the straight taper and sharp shoulder, I have concerns that it will cycle well through magazine/action without issues. Can you give me any insight in that?

Oh BTW, my pref for close work is the Sig 220 .45 or 226 in .40 S&W and the Benelli M2.

 

[Rtheurer]

Again I concur with Bob. For some reason you and I have the almost exact same set up. And yet to my knowledge we have never met.

280AI in a Pre Remington 700, Model 720 Trued up and a Hart 26" 1:9 twist #3 Stainless in a Gerogous California Claro Thumbhole stock of unkown manufacture. Light and quick accurate with a 4.5X14 Luppy in LOW rings to get the scope Right where my eye looks through when i snap it up to shoot a close fast shot. Longest kill so far has only been just over 500yds. But prepared for 800yds and in.

Not a 300 WM as you have but thats what I was looking for when I stumbled onto my 7mm Rem Mag on a deal I couldnt refuse. Turned out to be a great buy and is a great rifle. Its has pulled off some real amazing shots, to include a 30% hit ratio at a 2'X3' steel plate over a Mile ( 1774yds)

Not fancy and sexy new or short fat or one of a kind but it just gets it done.

Russel

 

[bheadboy]

Cimarron - the two 280AI which Bobby Hart built had no feeding problems, like grits on a spoon.

they equaled the 7rm with lots less powder, caselife long, and bbl life longer than the larger cases,

the longest big animal kill, with 300wm was 165s sbt and a mulie accross a canyon 625.

the elk 485 and griz 550 - i like trying to get closer, it is fun, so never tried anything longer or found myself in a situation where i could not get closer - i like hunting - stalking nost shots between 250-400yd

Bob

 

[XTR]

If you could only have one rifle I'm thinking a 22LR. Shooting squirrels and rabbits with anything else is pointless and head shots work on deer (this is not a discussion of ethics, it hypothetical).

This gets asked from time to time in a lot of places. It is a great starter to discuss the relative merits and shortcomings of various rounds and platforms but there really is no point to it, I mean really, do you know anyone who shoots who only owns one gun?

 

[jbpmidas]

M1 Garand would be a fun choice. Plenty of range and power and could serve the SD purpose. Much cheaper than the M1A and AR10's mentioned. Ammo is reasonable through the CMP! Maybe not sexy, but it is fun!

 

[jonbearman]

My thought would be an m1a as it funtions well and is as accurate as any bolt gun and the .308 is powerful enough to hunt with or protect your family with.There is a myriad of answers,but this is mine.

 

[AJ172SBCT]

Everybody needs
9mm Pistol
12 Gauge Shotgun
AR15 5.56
308 bolt gun

This ammo can be found or taken away from somebody if the SHTF almost everywhere in the country.

+1.
I would have to go with Brian on this one

Jacques

 

[M700]

"A single rifle for the range, distance shooting, hunting, even defense; what would you build?"

The closest thing I've got is a short-action version of German's 700 .30-06, mine is a .308 Win. I've used it for:

Varmint & coyote shooting - mostly with 110 - 130 gr varmint bullets
Deer hunting - took a small whitetail with it just last month
Bear hunting - have had it out several times

NRA Highpower match shooting, have shot Long-Range High Master scores with this rifle

Less formal practical/tactical matches - where I've finished everywhere from first to way back in the pack - no problem with the rifle, just the guy driving it.

And, it's been my police duty rifle for nearly 17 years and multiple .308 barrels.

I'd say that answers hunting, target shooting, and "defense" use.

Fits in a backpack:

On the line - yeah, that's snow:

Krieger 1:12 barrel, 24" long, Rem trigger, McMillan stock, 4.5-14x Leupold, Turner sling:

Only took a small buck with it this year, back in the HS Precision stock, a little lighter:

This is the closest thing I've got to a do-it-all rifle, although my old .30-06 comes close... I've thought about setting this Rem up with match sights and a stripper clip too, for NRA highpower matches. Someday.

Regards, Guy

 

[GermanS1]

Fabulous rifle, Guy! That's really a perfect example of the "do all" rifle.

 

[M700]

Thanks. It had to be for a while - I was broke.

 

[Cimarron2011]

Thanks M700

That looks like a great rig.

 

[boogershooter]

I agree!

 

[d.id]

The do all rifle is a legend Based on what someone with no option managed to pull off or maybe a myth sold by gun rags to tout the latest and greatest whatever. Specialized jobs require specialized tools.

 

[M700]

I think it's actually the do-it-all rifleman. Not the rifle so much. Mine is a good rifle, but there are many such.

This one has been used to win matches. Not just compete, but win.

It's also done a terrific job on varmint hunts.

And it's filled the freezer. Matter of fact, the backstrap steaks from that little buck tasted great.

And it's been on many SWAT callouts.Fortunately I never had to squeeze the trigger on any of those incidents.

My rifle evolved over the years, but even as Remington built it, the general purpose rifle did a fine job on all those tasks. All I had to do was accept the fact that it was a little heavy for a hunting rifle, a little big in caliber for a varmint rifle and a little light in sophistication for a match rifle. And adjust to compensate for all those compromises.

Regards, Guy

 

[effendude]

Guy's posts hit the mark. The caliber, as long as reasonable, really doesn't matter. It is the time spent with a quality rifle that will make it and the shooter a great performing team. Get a good rifle, and shoot it. Learn it's capabilities and also it's limitations. None of us are capable of perfection in every task, but most of us can get the job done when we need to.

Scott