The rifle to have--if you only have one......

[Moped]

Besides that anyone knows you can’t hit the broad side of a barn with a mini 14 if you were standing inside it.

 

This is true! :D

[whitewolf001]

PTR91, .308 battle rifle that is a very accurate platform or an AR10 or a AR15 in 6.8SPC, though that last one is as expensive as .308 but can hold 25-30 rounds pending the mag.

[crossfire]

Look at the Savage Hog Hunter in .223 or the Mossberg MVP. Savage comes with iron sights The MVP uses AR mags and the newest model also has iron sights. Optics are great until they break and you have nothing to back them up with. But as others have said, you don't want to get in a fire fight with a AK or AR  using a bolt action.

[Handsome Rob]

Lee Enfield!
10 shots, low recoil, halfway between .30-30 & .308, cheap & readily available ammo (& guns) detatchable box magazine & well proven for transferring critters & bad guys to the past tense for 150 years.
What's not to love!

[Guest ochretoe]

Marlin 1894 in .357.  Might be a little iffy at 150 yds at killing deer but it will hit a man at that distance.  10 shots and you can load as you shoot and never go off sights.  It will hunt squirrel to deer and has a reputation and a pedigree that are outstanding.  Ammo is easy to find in .38 and .357.  The biggest plus not mentioned is it goes very well with the "only one pistol" idea, my S&W 681 .357.    

[tnhawk]

I would find it difficult to choose only one rifle, just as it would be drfficult to choose only one pistol.  As an American citizen and veteran, I will have a variety of weapons available to meet my needs, as well as interests.  They will be passed on to my decendents hopefully for several generations.

[RichardR]

I am in need of some guidance. I will admit--I'm not a fan of shooting rifles. I love target handgun, defensive pistol, skeet and trap. At the same time, i see the very important role of a rifle. So, i need to buy one. I will preface this by saying, i have several .22's (semi auto and bolt) and a Winchester pre-64 model 94 in 30wsf. I'm not going to go practice with a unfired model 94. I'm also not going to consider it for field use.

I have had AR's in the past and i highly respect the platform but I'm not sure it is the right gun for my uses, If you can make a case for it, i am all ears. So, here is what i am looking for. I think the Ruger Scout would fit my needs and i would love any feedback on that particular rife you might have.

Qualifications:
-caliber that would allow hunting in the southeast
-magazine capacity of at least 5 rounds. Detachable is a plus.
-Relatively low recoil (i want my wife to be able to handle the rifle if absolutely necessary)
-readily available caliber.
-effective range of 250 yrds (if i do my part)
-suitable for defensive situation (highly unlikely)
-configuration that would not likely be effected by future gun regulations (the main reson i am leaning toward a bolt action--did i mention that i just finished reading 'Enemies foreign and domestic)
-Price range is ~$800. I can go over a little for the right gun. "buy right once, cry once"

Thanks in advance for the help!

Ben

I'd probably suggest a Rem 700 chambered in .243 Winchester, it is a great rifle, chambered in a great little round.

More thump than .223, flatter shooting than .30-30, it is easy on the shoulder, widely availible, easy to reload, it is really hard not to like it.

[Clod Stomper]

Lee Enfield!
10 shots, low recoil, halfway between .30-30 & .308, cheap & readily available ammo (& guns) detatchable box magazine & well proven for transferring critters & bad guys to the past tense for 150 years.
What's not to love!

I second this. A No4Mk1 or Mk2. I've said before that if I had to have a bolt action for a battle rifle, a SMLE No 4 is what I'd want. Great sights, smooth action, good accuracy, good capacity, excellent ballistics.

It does have a detachable mag, but it was made to be loaded by clips. Good to keep an extra mag handy anyway, in case the first one gets damaged.

That said, I would not limit myself to a bolt action based on possible future restrictions. On the contrary, I would buy a self-loader just in case of future restrictions.

[wjh2657]

I only own one big bore rifle. Mossberg ATR100 in 30-06. I carried a Winchester 70 in 30-06 all over SE Asia (all three countries) for USMC from 1963 to 1966. Always made my "bag limit" and came back alive (and went back three more times, but with conventional weaponry.) I have faith in the 30-06 to kill anything I will need to kill and I trust a bolt action more than any other action. I base my choice on personal experience not what some "expert" has to say.

 

If you are talking a "shoot to eat" survival rifle: Marlin Model 60, hands down.

Edited August 17, 2013 by wjh2657

[DaveTN]

I only own one big bore rifle. Mossberg ATR100 in 30-06. I carried a Winchester 70 in 30-06 all over SE Asia (all three countries) for USMC from 1963 to 1966. Always made my "bag limit" and came back alive (and went back three more times, but with conventional weaponry.) I have faith in the 30-06 to kill anything I will need to kill and I trust a bolt action more than any other action. I base my choice on personal experience not what some "expert" has to say.

 

 

Thanks for your service. Carlos Hathcock also used the Winchester Model 70. I have never owned one, but to me that speaks volumes about the accuracy and reliability of it.