Who subscribes to the 'one rifle' lifestyle?

[kawasakifreak77]

Centerfire that is, since everybody needs a good .22!

Especially with the scout type rifles gaining more & more popularity, I've wondered who might actually own only one centerfire rifle.

I realized I've happened to never have more than one centerfire rifle at a time. Honestly it's the last firearm I have a real world use for. Like many kids raised around firearms, my first thing that went 'bang' was a .22 Aside from shooting it as much as possible, I also shot smallbore competition in the scouts as a boy. Then a 20 gauge single shot harvested several furry tasty critters on our annual father & son hunt back home. About the time I hit my teens I saved enough money for a beat up Smith .38 & I was hooked. That got me into reloading & bowling pin competitions. I finally got a 30-30 Winchester about the time I could drive. Never really did anything with it besides punch paper. I've had a couple 30-06s (which I took my first deer with) & another 30-30. Now I've got my Micro 7, had iron sights installed & am like a kid in a candy store! Crazy accurate, cheap to feed (cut my own brass & lead boolits) plenty of oooomph for anything I need & carries like a .22 I've dipped my toes in the NFA pool even, as I sent off a form 4 for my first can a couple months ago.

So there's my story, advertising & supporters say you could do anything (or nearly, within reason) with one rifle. So who actually does? Or is it all hype?

I'm not bashing the scout rifle concept one bit, I think they're groovy. Just a .308 or equivilant is more bang & flash than I realistically need. I've thought about making something very similar to a scout rifle, only no optics (don't like scopes) & in something like .260 Rem or 6.5 Swede.

So what do you have? What's it's main role? Do you want another rifle? If you have many what would you choose for your only rifle?

Looking forward to an interesting read. Discuss!

[Brian Pfleuger]

I lived a long time without any center-fire rifle at all. I did what I needed with a .22 and 12ga. I can't* really live with just one though, if I'm going to have a center-fire. My deer gun isn't a great woodchuck gun and my woodchuck gun isn't a good deer gun.

* Can't means don't want to.

[Husqvarna]

for almost 30 years my father hunted with a sporterized swedish mauser

everything from grouse to bear, same scope to

now he got two more rifles but the m96 still gets some airtime

[Sierra280]

I'm always on the lookout for more rifles (aren't we all?). But even with my current rifles I find I always goto my rem 308. It's always the one I take to the range, always the gun I take just to go shooting for fun, with friends, or for yotes. Its a little heavy for hunting, but still my goto. In the last 6 months, its the only centerfire I've taken out.

Eventually, when the barrel is shot out I plan on getting a heavy target barrel and truing the action, that will probably change things. But for now, if I had to choose just one of my centerfire rifles to shoot, that would be it.

[jimbob86]

I was happy with just one ..... and then I had kids, and had to start thinking about guns for them ......

About the time the oldest was getting interested in shooting, a friend game me Bubba'd Commision rifle ..... I put some money and work into it thinking Eldest could hunt with it until we got something better .... and I became infected with the milsurp bug .... and the handloading bug at about the sme time ..... now I've got like 8 centerfires .... and only 5 kids ...... no way I can blame the overfull safe on the kids now.

[Geo_Erudite]

I have just one, a Savage model 16 in 6.5 Creedmoor, which is all I really need. I do own a 20 gauge shotgun as well for shotgun only areas of my state.

[Ruger480]

I currently subscribe to that theory. Which is why I picked the '06 in a Savage Axis package. Eventually I will put a Boyd's aftermarket stock on it and replace the scope with a Nikon or some such.
I like the thought of knowing that the gun I have will do all I could ever ask of it.

[taylorce1]

One rifle would be completely boring, however if I had to sell thing off for financial reasons. My .270 or .30-06 would be the last to leave. I could really hunt and shoot everything I'd want to with either of those two cartridges.

[jimbob86]

Another problem with the "One man/One rifle" idea is Mr. Murphy.

When Mr. Murphy shows up, "Two is one, and one is none."

A Great Philosopher (Hagar the Horrible, IIRC) once said, "Happiness is having enough, so get plenty in the first place."

[tahunua001]

absolutely not. I did for many years, now I couldn't imagine having to go back on only one rifle.

[tdoyka]

20 vartarg
22 long range /long/short
222 remington
223 remington
243 winchester
25-06 remington
6.5 creedmoor
270 winchester
7mm-08 reminton
7mm mauser
30-30 winchester
32 winchester special
308
30-06
32 winchester special
45-70 govenrment
38 special
44 remington mag

i owed a few, sold a few, and i'm buying more!!!!

[Been there]

I don't want to subscride to the '' 1 rifle'' lifestyle , but if I had to, it would be my Sako .223. I can happily shoot rabbits , possums, goats, pigs & deer with it + range shooting. If I could have 2, adding the 6.5x55 would cover Elk , Thar & wild cattle.

[Colt46]

From varmints to deer/elk/moose. It does it all with accuracy and is easy to shoot well. I've got plans to build an everyday rifle on a savage action.

[raimius]

I don't go with "just one rifle," but I certainly respect those who have mastered theirs.

I just see too many variations that work better for individual uses....and who doesn't want an M1?

[dgludwig]

The more rifles, the merrier.

[semi_problomatic]

A gun is a tool. Depending on what you do, one tool may be enough, but I like having the right tool for the job.

[hgmeyer]

A bolt .308 or .30-06 if I absolutely, positively had to pick only one and in the new hybrid controlled feed Win Mdl 70 with a reasonable variable scope mildot

[Kreyzhorse]

I could do all my hunting with a Savage .308 and a 12ga shotgun without question. That said, I like variety.... A lot of variety.

[L_Killkenny]

I subscribe and do it gladly. I've had handfuls of centerfires and .sd many as for3 or 4 at any one time. Sold em all and built the one gun for me. And no, it ain't no stinkin scout rifle. Only timer I'll buy another centrfire if if I ever go after something bigger than elk.

[emcon5]

I could. I choose not to.

[Mobuck]

One rifle PER DAY-maybe. I like to use a variety.

[AZAK]

Since targets vary in size and distance, both paper and animals, I choose to prepare accordingly; and I don't have to carry all of them at the same time!

Of course I "could live" with only one centerfire rifle (and if I "had to" it would be chambered in 30-06, and of my current rifles it would be my Tikka T3 lite because then I figure that I would be carrying it); however, I don't choose to limit myself to only one and enjoy having a variety of rifles for a variety of reasons and applications.

I like target rifles. I like hunting rifles. I like light rifles. I like heavy rifles. I like small cartridges. I like large cartridges. I like wood stocks. I like synthetic stocks. (I think you can see where this is headed...) But above all else, I like accurate rifles. Not accurate, not in my safe for long.

[Esox]

If I had to pick but one iron sighted centerfire rifle to use the rest of my days it would be the BLR in .308.

[longranger]

1974 Shiloh Sharps in 40-70 Sharps Straight it is my do all rifle.Cast bullets(230grs-430grs) That I make and some black powder. Plink(200m) or out to 550yds groups you cover with one hand on a nice day. I have 17 other rifles in different cartridges and configurations. None do as consistently well as my 40-70 SS.None of my rifles have had more load development by me for my rifle and cartridges shot by me.The cartridge taught me how to really shoot and made me more "accountable" for cold bore shots in all types of weather.It is the one cartridge that let me learn the rest of long range shooting and everything else easier.Very fond of this rifle and cartridge brass can be made from 30-40 Krag, 405 Win. but is easily obtained from internet outlets. There is smokeless load data that I have never played with as B/P provides superior ballistics for this cartridge and heavier cast bullets accuracy was easily obtained 5 different bullet molds.Only rifle I would own if only one.

[kawasakifreak77]

Longranger: that's some awesome trigger pulling there! I hope to be that good one day. You bring up a topic I'm really interested in. Cold bore shots. The more I use my rifle the more important I realize that is. Bravo, sir.

L_killkenny: what was this rifle you built? Details man! Pics even better.

So far seems the concensus is a bolt action rifle, light (er) weight in the grand 'ole 30-06 (one of my favorites) or .308. A couple mentions of 6.5 Swede too, which I also have a soft spot for. Another for .223 which in the right area (one minus big furry angry animals) makes good sense. Super widespread ammunition acceptance & not too pricey.

Thanks for your input. Keep the comments going!