btnovotny

Currently I have a CVA .50 Muzzleloader, Remington 7600 30-06, Rem 1100 in 20ga and a 870 12ga. Savage 93R17 BRJ, Marlin bolt 22Weatherby Vanguard Series 2 .223
I'm open for ideas and uses but not really looking for anything to leave in the safe. Something I can get out anytime and shoot. My hunting consists of Whitetail and Mule Deer, coyotes, squirrel, rabbits, coon.

super_hunt54

Add a nice mountain rifle chambered in 7mm08 for deer or a nice longer range .243 rig for vaporizing yotes out to 300+

Game Stalker

Why not a lever 30-30? Or, perhaps, a Ruger revolver in .357 or .44 Mag.?

Nomercy448

Throw some handguns in the mix:

44mag Ruger Super Blackhawk or Super Redhawk - big game whacking

22LR Ruger Mark III - small game and plinking

Sheridan

Seems like time for a AR platform to me !!!

btnovotny

I have been debating between a pistol or a long gun. I have 2 Rugers right now I forgot to mention above - a Mark III, a SR22 and a Springfield Range Officer Champion. I have been looking at .243 and .204 but also considered a 22mag. Not really sure if I want to dive into AR yet, I don't have any knowledge on them- yet.

Big Uncle

I would think that a bolt action big game rifle for hunting mule deer would be a good choice. Nothing wrong with your 7600 .30-06 but the bolt rifles tend to be more accurate and reliable. If you currently hunt mulies it is quite possible you will expand to hunting elk. Maybe something along the lines of a 7mm RM chambering in a M700, M77, or M70.

Nomercy448

50cal ML
7600 .30-06
1100 20ga
870 12ga
Savage 17HMR
Marlin 22LR
Vanguard 223rem
Ruger Mark III 22LR
SR22 22LR
1911 45acp

So you have a ML, big game rifle, varmint/predator rifle, rimfire mag, 22LR rifle & pistol, wingshooting well covered, defensive pistol...

Kinda missing a big game revolver, not many other holes.

If an AR intrigues you, don't be scared. C'mon in, the water is fine. Largely, AR's are AR's on the inside, not a lot different for function or reliability. Not everyone has a purpose for the AR, but you might be surprised how versatile the AR can be if you had one. I never thought I'd need/want one until I "needed" one for 3gun shooting, 15yrs+ later and over a hundred AR-15 builds (majority for customers), there's not much that I don't use the AR-15 to do. Unless you pick an AR model at one extreme or the other (meaning a 16" lightweight carbine vs. a 24" heavy barrel or bare bones model vs. super tactical rail-o-matic), it's pretty hard to go wrong with an 18-20" AR-15 with collapsible stock, free float handguard, and standard weight barrel (or heavy barrel with 0.750" gas block).

.243win in a bolt gun might make sense (or 7-08). Very different handling than your 7600, and would do just fine for mulies. While there might not be much of a gap between your functional needs, the 243win would fill a big gap between 223rem and 30-06 in energy.

.204Ruger is different, but not significantly so than your 223rem. Depending upon the twist of your Vanguard (the original ones 1:14" for some un-Holy reason), you might be stuck shooting lightweight pills already, but if you're shooting 69+grn pills in the 223rem, then a 32 or 40grn 204ruger would be a different flavor, but between a 40grn 204 and 45-50grn 223rem, I don't see a ton of difference. Just something different for the sake of being different.

22mag isn't hugely different than your 17HMR. The 50grn loads set it apart, but unless you're trying to kill stuff at 200yrds, the difference isn't really substantial.

So a 44mag or 41mag Super Blackhawk or 44mag Super Redhawk or Redhawk (or 629) revolver would fill a void - assuming your state allows revolver hunting and you have interest in doing so. An AR might be worth looking at if you're intrigued, otherwise a 243win bolt repeater might be a good option.

btnovotny

Thank you for the input Nomercy. I do believe revolver hunting is permited here, I may have to look into and shoot a couple hawks to see what I think of them.

Oldtimr

I will apologize in advance in case I offend anyone. I don't understand why anyone would ask perfect strangers who do not know what my preferences are or how I hunt what should be the next firearm I buy to put in my gun safe. If you are buying a gun simply to fill your gun safe and not use, it doesn't matter much what it is. If you are buying one to suit your style of hunting or hunting a specific species, only you will know what you think you need or want and perhaps a question about the suitability of that firearm makes sense , simply what should I buy to fill an empty space does not, it could be anything from a .22 single shot to an RPG.