The mythical one rifle concept

[North61]

I have done it again..accumulated a bunch of **** rifles and need to thin the herd. Everything from a 22 Hornet to a 450 Marlin and everything in between and no time to shoot them all.

Started musing about simplifying my life with a cull. So if I was to have one rifle what would it be. It would need to be accurate, light, compact and powerful with good ergonomics. It would need practical reliability, not necessarily controlled round feeding but must never jam and always feed smoothly. It should be able to be packed on a taboggan or in a canoe and take minimal upkeep. It should shoot flat with sufficient power for Bison and Grizzly. It shouldn't recoil so much or muzzle blast so much that it hurts to shoot it.

It should shoot partitions or TSX's well.

The choice in my rifle safe is a 325 WSM in a Stainless A-Bolt. The 325's where going cheap a while ago since no one wanted one. I picked up an ABolt and Winchester Extreme Weather. The Winchester was a great rifle better in many ways than the Browning but the Browning was lighter, more compact and shot better. I keep reaching for it more and more and have come to love the package.

More Details
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPlH...r7OAnV0ceWlkmw

[BrownBear]

The bottom line is which one makes you happy. I know a bunch of one-gun hunters who've killed about everything that North America has to offer as well as a bunch overseas. Around half a dozen of them live here in Alaska. All have been using the same rifle and scope and shooting factory loads their whole lives. All but two shoot the same caliber. Not even going to name the caliber, because that's not the point.

The real important thing to notice is how much these guys hunt. All the money the gun nuts among us (me included) spend on new guns and scopes and endless reloading supplies goes into hunts. These guys love hunting and make lots of big, expensive hunts. When they get some dollars ahead, it goes into their hunting savings account rather than new toys. They make hunts the rest of us only dream about as we stand at the gun counter to pay for our next new toy.

What's wrong with this picture?

[North61]

The bottom line is which one makes you happy. I know a bunch of one-gun hunters who've killed about everything that North America has to offer as well as a bunch overseas. Around half a dozen of them live here in Alaska. All have been using the same rifle and scope and shooting factory loads their whole lives. All but two shoot the same caliber. Not even going to name the caliber, because that's not the point.

The real important thing to notice is how much these guys hunt. All the money the gun nuts among us (me included) spend on new guns and scopes and endless reloading supplies goes into hunts. These guys love hunting and make lots of big, expensive hunts. When they get some dollars ahead, it goes into their hunting savings account rather than new toys. They make hunts the rest of us only dream about as we stand at the gun counter to pay for our next new toy.

What's wrong with this picture?

Now that's a great point! Never thought of it quite like that before. Sobering.

[BrownBear]

Sobering.

It sure is.

The most notable of them made a remarkable hunt a decade or so back. He took his everyday rifle to Africa for a little over a month of hunting. Hunted two countries with three outfitters. He brought home 22 heads. Left with 2 boxes of Federal non-premium factory loads and came home with 13 rounds, even after firing a total of 3 shots to confirm zero once he got there. Spent more on taxidermy for those 22 heads than he did on the whole hunt.

Had to add an open-ceilinged two-story wing to his house for all the heads he's had mounted over the years. Got the rifle and its 4X scope for his 16th birthday back in the 1960's and hasn't owned another since. But man, this guy is a hunter's hunter.

[AGL4now]

People sell their life to the debt/employment system. The toys that they are snookered into buying are the temporary gratification for having lived someone else's idea of how they should live. Fortunately "Madison Ave." marketing has conned the inmates at the institute of totally insane work slaves so well, that they argue passionately about the rightness and moral correctness of their wasted lives. SAD, so very, very sad.

[mainer_in_ak]

greg my friend, I did the same after college graduation, I cleared em all out! guess what's in my hand? that savage 99 you shouldered last year. IMO, your 405 winchester would do it all, and I'd keep that one! OR, your 350 rem mag.

[GrassLakeRon]

People sell their life to the debt/employment system. The toys that they are snookered into buying are the temporary gratification for having lived someone else's idea of how they should live. Fortunately "Madison Ave." marketing has conned the inmates at the institute of totally insane work slaves so well, that they argue passionately about the rightness and moral correctness of their wasted lives. SAD, so very, very sad.

Amen. A true piece of wisdom.

[North61]

greg my friend, I did the same after college graduation, I cleared em all out! guess what's in my hand? that savage 99 you shouldered last year. IMO, your 405 winchester would do it all, and I'd keep that one! OR, your 350 rem mag.

The 405 and 350 RM I am keeping. Some of the other 17 will have to go! While ago I was down to 8. Not sure what happened...Bought them 1 excuse at a time!

[North61]

People sell their life to the debt/employment system. The toys that they are snookered into buying are the temporary gratification for having lived someone else's idea of how they should live. Fortunately "Madison Ave." marketing has conned the inmates at the institute of totally insane work slaves so well, that they argue passionately about the rightness and moral correctness of their wasted lives. SAD, so very, very sad.

****..that hurts! I resemble that remark!

[North61]

I would add that a really fine rifle brings more than temporary gratification. Testing and range shooting with a really nice rifle is it's own reward. The border between collector and hoarder gets hazy though.... All personal decisions and I don't criticize any man for his ultimate choice. For me..I am a bit past my limit.

[sayak]

greg my friend, I did the same after college graduation, I cleared em all out! guess what's in my hand? that savage 99 you shouldered last year. IMO, your 405 winchester would do it all, and I'd keep that one! OR, your 350 rem mag.

Ha ha! I am selling off some of my bolts and getting 99s in various chamberings. Do you need an extra die for .358 Win.? I decided not to go that route but bought the dies beforehand.

[boliep]

J Y Jones used a Remington 700 ADL in 30-06 for every North American game animal.

He did use something larger in a rifle for a recent trip to Africa.

[limon32]

It sure is.

The most notable of them made a remarkable hunt a decade or so back. He took his everyday rifle to Africa for a little over a month of hunting. Hunted two countries with three outfitters. He brought home 22 heads. Left with 2 boxes of Federal non-premium factory loads and came home with 13 rounds, even after firing a total of 3 shots to confirm zero once he got there. Spent more on taxidermy for those 22 heads than he did on the whole hunt.

Had to add an open-ceilinged two-story wing to his house for all the heads he's had mounted over the years. Got the rifle and its 4X scope for his 16th birthday back in the 1960's and hasn't owned another since. But man, this guy is a hunter's hunter.

That fella live off K-beach? I feel like i've been in his house!

[limon32]

People sell their life to the debt/employment system. The toys that they are snookered into buying are the temporary gratification for having lived someone else's idea of how they should live. Fortunately "Madison Ave." marketing has conned the inmates at the institute of totally insane work slaves so well, that they argue passionately about the rightness and moral correctness of their wasted lives. SAD, so very, very sad.

How do we go from an interesting rifle thread to a condemnation of a majority of mankind?

[Eastwoods]

The bottom line is which one makes you happy. I know a bunch of one-gun hunters who've killed about everything that North America has to offer as well as a bunch overseas. Around half a dozen of them live here in Alaska. All have been using the same rifle and scope and shooting factory loads their whole lives. All but two shoot the same caliber. Not even going to name the caliber, because that's not the point.

The real important thing to notice is how much these guys hunt. All the money the gun nuts among us (me included) spend on new guns and scopes and endless reloading supplies goes into hunts. These guys love hunting and make lots of big, expensive hunts. When they get some dollars ahead, it goes into their hunting savings account rather than new toys. They make hunts the rest of us only dream about as we stand at the gun counter to pay for our next new toy.

What's wrong with this picture?

Its not only $ but, time. Kids @ home, all the sports etc. On the opposite side of the coin....reminds me of a time that I was marveling over a few very beautiful rifles at a gun show....the old timer that made the stocks came over to greet me; I told him how much I liked his rifles, but, that I didn't think I could own such a nice rifle because I would be afraid to take it out on a hunt for fear of scratching it....the old timer said to me....sonny, life is too short to carry an ugly rifle into the woods!

By the way, north61, I liked your video, and I think your spot on with the 325.....my thinking is similar.