Beware the man with one rifle, he knows how to use it.

22lr

WKR
Joined
Apr 14, 2020
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755
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AK
I made the mistake of buying a pre-64 win 70 in 30-06, and its not that I don't want another rifle... but I can't find a better rifle... ya ya, I own a Rem 700, a bunch of ARs and shotguns, but if I'm going hunting for anything, I always grab my tried and true.
 

TheGDog

WKR
Joined
Jun 12, 2020
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3,422
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OC, CA
Really? I dig on the mission of getting each different tool (Rifle, Pistol, Bow) it's "first blood"!

I'd say it's more important being able to quickly reign-in and control the parameters of YOU at the snap of a finger... getting cold-blooded... reigning in breathing and heart-rate, your body positioning relative to your available rest, being extremely focused and reading that critters body-language to the nth detail, in the moment. Waiting for that right exact moment to act!

Although my experiences so far have mostly been close-quarters, in terms of shot opportunities (Except for Squeeks!). So that changes the strategy a bit. It's often about the freeze-game and waiting until just the right time to bring that rifle to bear or to draw that bow back, so they won't see your movement! Tension so thick you can cut it with a knife!

That whole thing of maintaining your nerve. Relishing in that whole feeling of "That Ass is Mine!"

Although I'm hoping to change things up a bit with another location that's OpenCountry. I want to conquer taking one out there, and all the difficulty that will entail in terms of possibly having to figure out a long-winded roundabout stalk-in, in order to take like 700yds and bring it down to like 200yds possibly.
 
Joined
Apr 5, 2021
Messages
483
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Washington
I see it both ways. Many one-gunners don’t shoot great, but shoot well enough to hunt. Then again, I’ve seen a bunch of guys with lots of guns that can never tell me how their guns shoot because they don’t hardly shoot either.
 
Joined
Jan 17, 2017
Messages
579
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sw mt
I know lots of guys with one gun......most are the type that shoot maybe half a box at the range per year and go kill stuff. One guy (who is in his late 70s) has one rifle ( I believe it is a sako) that gets fired once or twice per year, and only on game , using ammo that he and a friend loaded in the early 80s (loaded several thousand rounds). Watching him set up for a shot is pretty impressive, every step in his process deliberate, and the bullet goes where he wants it. He told me many years ago that there were times he could see the hair part as the bullet hit.
 
Joined
Apr 4, 2017
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1,080
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north idaho
I went with one model. one in 270wsm, the other 338 win mag. i figured i had the whole continent covered. then i shot out the barrel of the 270wsm and am now looking for its replacement. but for 15 years, the combo worked well. i had both guns set up the same. same trigger, same stock lenght, same scope.
the system worked well.
 

Lelder

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 28, 2018
Messages
286
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N.E Ohio
Reviving this thread because If people would spend the time and just shoot the rifles they owned instead of spending all the time looking/thinking about what the next have to have, latest and greatest rifle is they could actually shoot theirs have descent
 

Lelder

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 28, 2018
Messages
286
Location
N.E Ohio
And while I’m ranting Soooo many people seem to change their optics yearly, why ??
I understand when a truly innovative thing changes everything or your vision isn’t what it once was but man seems counterproductive to keep changing. My 2c
 

TheGDog

WKR
Joined
Jun 12, 2020
Messages
3,422
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OC, CA
Beware the man who is intimately familiar with and can recite from memory the drop and windage on his current load out to like 300yds. in Increments of 25yds. Regardless of which rifle it was from his safe.

Beware the man who is patient enough to wait and let the animal saunter by even closer so it doesn't even matter which rifle it is!
 

Bigcat_hunter

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 1, 2015
Messages
105
My dad knew how to use his model 70 until the groups got bigger and bigger! I replaced the barrel for him then they returned to normal. He was a hell of a shot. Mostly on running bucks too. He would run and slide to one knee and shoot them. Crazy. I can't do that. Seems that's how all the old timers shot around here.
 

S.Clancy

WKR
Joined
Jan 28, 2015
Messages
2,555
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Montana
#1 is a stainless Win 70 in 270. It weighs 9.5 lbs scoped, I complain about packing it anywhere, but the damn thing just shoots lights out and puts them where they need to be.

Backup is a M77 270 with an ancient Leupold 3.5-10 x50 scope. This was my dad's gun, it'll go with on any real special hunt cause he isn't around anymore to go with me.
 
Joined
Nov 6, 2017
Messages
587
Location
WA
Huh, TIL I am in the wrong for shooting one box a year and having confidence in a single hunting rifle set-up that has been unchanged for years and kills bucks every season.

The more you know!
 

BigNate

WKR
Joined
Dec 24, 2020
Messages
419
Location
Athol, Id. USA
The guy that quoted the one rifle mantra first was an owner of one rifle, and was stroking his ego!


Seriously though, I have more rifles than I need, but not all that I want.
I find it fun to try new things, bullets, scopes, rifles, bows, arrows, etc. I shoot quite a bit usually, I hunt varmints and big game with cartridges loaded to similar ballistic performance. When they all have similar trajectory it isn't hard to make good hits. If you practice.

Practice can be formal, but spending time in the field calling coyotes and cats, or shooting chucks is very good for honing your shooting skills in the field.

I will say I find myself using two rifles more often. One is a. 25-06, and the other is a. 338WM. Most of my elk hunting is not in open country so closer shots are most common. Either would work most of the time, but a 250gr Woodliegh weld core is a great confidence builder in the dark timber.
 
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