One rifle????
 

If you are on a budget and want to buy one rifle that will be used to hunt everything form coyotes to elk, which cartridge would you choose and why?

30.06 Because you can buy factory ammo from 90 grains to 220 grains. Luckily, I'm not on that tight of a budget.

+ 1 Nothing I can add to Lucky's comments !


Unless you're ready to pay to switch out barrels......................................

Jim Shockey said .338 will work on all big game animals in the U.S.

Without a doubt 30-06

.06 for sure.

If I ever had to get rid of ALL my guns but 1 it would be my Weatherby Ultra Lightweight w/ a Zeiss 3.5-10x44 on it.

Best all around gun I have ever owned.

300 Winchester Magnum. Same selection of bullets and factory loads as the 06. Can be loaded down to 06 levels and still maintain excellent accuracy. But an 06 can not be loaded up to 300 win capabilities.

I thought about the 300 Win mag but decided on the 30-06 instead . Availability of ammo being the deciding factor . If I'm so poor I can only own one rifle I probably wouldn't be able to reload either so I went with the 30-06 .

Reloading is cheap if you take a minimalist approach. You can get a hand held reloading press for $25 or a Lee anniversary kit for $120.

It would be tough to choose but I think I'd lean toward the 06.

Tom

Another vote for 30/06. Elk are not armor plated and a 165 or 180 grain bullet kills them just fine. Of course it is also suitable for the full range of smaller animals between elk and coyote.

30-06 without a doubt for me.

Though I don't ascribe much to the one gun for all theory, if I had to limit myself to one rifle only it would be in 30/06.

Preferably a Mauser 98 action, Winchester 3 position safety, upgraded trigger, (Timney or such) 4X fixed power scope, synthetic stock, detachable sling, pillar bedded and free floated. It wouldn't make me ooh or aah with finely figured walnut or flashy high-gloss blue, or telescopic sights to shoot 1000 yards, but it would put a lot of meat in the pot from little things to big things.

Probably use 180 grain bullets all the time for deer to larger elk and moose, but would just change the style of bullet construction to match the game. For littler stuff I'd try to find some 125 gr or 130 gr bullets that would behave.

There's no arguing that the 30-06 is a great choice, but since you're on a budget don't overlook getting a 30-30.

300 WIN MAG here! That's why I own one.

well i agree with everyone but the 300 mag and 338..the 30-06 is a smoken all around rifle. why do you think its been around so long early 1900's,,because its a great gun.

300-win mag.

30-06 and never look back

I just came back from my local Wally World (not out in the country either) & bought some Remington 180 grain for 17 bucks - they had 4 different types of ammo to choose from. All the other calibers, one or two choices max if they had any at all. 30.06 will shoot anything in America & is the most commonly found factory ammo IMHO.

Funny you should ask, I anguished over this questin for last three years. I read every book in my library, priced ammo til I was cross eyed, swapped guns right and left and swapped RH bolt for LH bolt and etc etc... went from 30.06 to 7mm RemMag to .270. In the past 40 yrs I've had 6 30.06 and 4 7mm RemMag and at least 6 .243 and I think FINALLY i have settled on the .270 with the new Hornady Superformance 130 SST or 140 SST for a do it all ( except grizzlers ) rifle. I have a LH Sav (with 3-9x40 Nikon dupplex) that I sorta like with the carbon stock but now am gonna switch to a LH Ruger 77 wood stock if I can find a older one. That otto last me til Im dead.

Good luck on your quest.

The .30-06 is hard to beat, it was my first high powered rifle, and it's been my stand by (Ruger Mark II Model 77).

Honestly, looking back knowing what I do now, and planning for ONE rifle ever (thank God I don't have to live with just one!), I'd pick up either a heavy barreled .308 in stainless and laminate, or a standard barrel .270 in a standard sporter.

I'm a heavy barrel nut, and the .308 will take down absolutely anything on the north american continent with ease, AND is easier on the shoulder than say the .30-06, or .300win mag. With a heavy barrel and the punch of a .308, I can reach out over 400yrds with confidence on anything from coyotes to heavy whitetails (probably want to be a little closer on elk).

Passing on the heavy barrel (PRICEY), I'd pick up a .270. A little lighter recoil than the .30-06, .300WM, 7mm Mag, etc, but plenty of punch to take out even heavy Elk, or even moose, but still light enough to limit hide and meat damage on lighter game like coyotes or antelope. The .270 is a shooter's cartridge. I think it's one of the most underrated cartridges running.

If you have the money, then heavy barrelled rifles are worth the extra expense, and since you're limiting yourself to only ONE rifle, then I'd strongly recommend a heavy barrel. I personally favor stainless steel and laminate stocks. Mount a bi-pod, a very comfortable sling (double shouldered preferably), and a 4-12x50mm glass, and you'll be able to take down ANY north american game animal that comes within eye-shot. This set up in a Savage rifle, with a harris bi-pod and a budget conscious Bushnell Elite scope will run you right around $1100-1200.

On the more budget wary side, a standard rifle in blue/walnut chambered in .270 with a budget (yet quality) 3-9x40mm glass will run you about $800-1000. Personally, for the money, I'd rather have the heavy barrel, but the standard rifle is easier to carry and a little easier on the wallet.

The only problem I see with your heavy barrel 308 isnt caliber. The heavy barrel is exactly that after a week of elk hunting, HEAVY. When I am going from 3500 to 10000 feet in a day chasing elk I dont want a 10+ pound rifle. Ive done it with my remington sendero and it starts to take a toll on you early in the season.

If I could only have one rifle then that would mean that I did not have much money-so whatever I chose, I would have to be able to shoot it on the cheap.

So I think I would probably choose a single shot like the High Wall or the Ruger #1. And the cartridge would either be 30-40 Krag or 358 Winchester. If I did alot of elk hunting it would be the 358. If I only did a little elk hunting then it would be the 30-40 Krag.

The reason for my choice is simple. They would be very inexpensive rifles too shoot. For example the 30-40 Krag is a fantastic cast bullet cartridge because of the long neck. It is a better cast bullet cartridge than the 30-06, and velocities will be the same in a cast bullet. And since I did not have any money I would definitely be casting my own bullets. Also the 30-40 Krag brass is rimmed and is fairly hefty. So I would get long case live with cast bullets in the 30-40.

Remember now we are talking utilitarian rifles because we cannot afford a second rifle. And we have to keep it simple.

The 358 would be my choice if I elk hunted alot because of the larger cast bullets, and brass would be cheap. So that would be my other choice. Tom.

Need Recoil, yeah, carrying a heavy barrel rifle around isn't for everyone, but for me, it's worth the extra weight. I have double shouldered slings for long hauling (muzzle down) which helps ease the weight on my shoulder, and my elk pack tips over 35lbs most the time (unless I'm horseback or on a quad of course-then it's more), so I'd rather give up 2lbs of gear than 2lbs of rifle.

But, some guys think they're too heavy, which is why I offered the standard rifle .270 option in my post as well.

You guys in the states are pretty one eyed when it comes to the 3006, i cant say anything against the 06 because it has certanly proven its worth over the years on all sorts of game. But there are a few other calibers which will also do the trick, the 308 or 7mm08, 270 or if you like older calibers we have a bit of a love affair in New Zealand with the 303 although not as much used as it was in the past