First World Problem: How do you pick which rifle to take on a hunt when you have many that would be great?

[AntelopeEater]

So, I definitely have a "first world problem" now that I have spent a bunch of money buying a bunch of different rifles and scopes, and I really like a bunch of them.

A lot of these rifles I have only used at the range so far, and with how hard it is to get decent big game tags in the area I live, I want to pick the best one for the hunt, and I can't realistically hunt with them all, at least not this fall.

For example, I am going on antelope hunts in September (Nevada) and October (Wyoming), and then black bear in California, probably in November.

I have 6 rifle/scope combos that all would work perfectly fine for either animal within their effective ranges, all are zeroed at 200 yards, can be more accurate from a solid rest than I am, and I generally enjoy shooting them, though they each have slight pros and cons:

5.56 Nato Ruger Am Gen II bolt action, main pro, super light and compact for carrying, just 7lbs total with everything and loaded, main con, a little less effective range, especially since its lighter bullets are more affected by wind (and I don't reload);

.243 Tikka T3 bolt action; main pro, almost as light and compact for carrying as the above, main con, its kind of boring compared to the other guns but it works, it also seems subjectively "unlucky" because I fruitlessly carried it over my shoulder three long days in a row on a past unsuccessful antelope hunt;

.308 Browning BAR semi; main pro, semi-auto for fast follow up shots if needed, and I also just really subjectively like it a lot, main con, with the awesome but heavy scope I have on it, it weighs over 10 lbs, so fun to shoot at the range, but significantly heavier for carrying than my other hunting rifle set ups;

30-06 Remington 700; main pro, power and wind resistance, main con, I already used it to harvest a couple animals in the past (pig and ram) so I am thinking I want to use rifles I haven't killed anything with yet;

300 Win Mag Tikka Ace Game, this is my newest rifle, and it is my second heaviest hunting rifle, and kind of long and seems bulky when I think about carrying it while doing a long hike, I don't have as much experience with this one yet, but I do have time to take it to the range more before my hunt trips; and

.375 Ruger Hawkeye Guide Gun. Main pro, I like big boomsticks and part of me thinks it would be fun to use an "elephant gun" especially on the bear hunt. Main con, ammo costs a lot more, and while I can do some limited shooting at the range without flinching, and then dry fire, it definitely kicks more than all the above guns.

So, which rifles would you take on which hunts, and why?

Picture is of one of the .375 Ruger cartridges next to a 5.56 Nato to show the diff ends of the spectrum.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Enough difference between those that the choice should be pretty easy to make


american......You carry that thing in the woods, theres a chance somebody will see you with that ugly thing

T3 243. You could hunt with that one rifle the rest of your life and not be undergunned. 243 is hard to beat.

BAR...be a cool rifle, I'm not packing that heavy thing around though.

700... '06 is also hard to beat. Though in a 700 everybody on here knows the bolt handle will break off, and the gun will either not go off or will go off when you dont want it to. If you want a trouble free hunt, best not read any threads about that. Just play ignorant like the millions of other 700 owners and you'll be fine.

300win an the 375.....To much gun for my needs.

 

[KHntr]

I opted to hunt the entire season last year with the one that would torque people up the most - stone sheep (in grizzly country), elk (in grizzly country), moose (in grizzly country), black bears (in grizzly country), whitetails AND muleys, yep, in grizzly country.

Long live the ultimate killing round, the 223AI.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Take the Tikka. No rifle is unlucky.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

 

[JBradley500]

I pick whatever is my lightest rifle that is practical for the range. I choose a 3.5-4.0 lb AR with a red dot for the woods. When I'm over a field I'll choose a Tikka with a medium power scope.

 

[KenLee]

Tote what you have the most confidence in. That's always the correct answer.

 

[mattmann]

My son and I took my 700 in 300 win mag to Africa for plains game and it did NOT disappoint. I love a 300 win mag especially with a can or brake.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[deserthunter2016]

Take what functions best for the hunt and what you shoot best. I think a couple of those options are definitely overkill for what you are going after.

I have the same problem, too many guns that never get shot. I always end up grabbing one of my two favorites because I’m confident in them and they pack around easy. These two rifles also cover anything from antelope up to bear, moose, etc.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CC55]

I would go with the 243 or 06. What bullet you shooting out of each?

 

[TaperPin]

I used to live in ballistic tables when deciding which rifle to take on various hunts, but now I enjoy treating it like a restaurant menu and choose which ever one makes me smile at the time. In addition to it being with me salmon fishing on Kodiak, one year back in Wyoming I carried a 375 around for elk, deer and antelope and it was really fun.

A 300 mag is a great choice - if you go by what a ballistic table tells you, everything should be hunted with a 300. Getting used to the recoil is easy for most folks that don’t mind putting the time in.

Having killed a bunch of stuff with a 243, it works, but wouldn’t be a first choice. If you don’t have time to practice enough to manage recoil well, it’s better than flinching and a miss.

The BAR is mechanically a cool rifle. Back when they were inexpensive used I should have picked one up. One of my funniest hunting memories was some black tail hunters gunning for a small mule deer with one. The barrel was smoking by the time that poor little deer fell over. I’ll be in a small pawn shop one of these years and get a deal too good to pass up and walk out with one.

Even an unfamiliar ‘06 Remington feels right at home and I’d not hesitate to shoot anything with it. An ‘06 is only a few hundred yards behind the 300.

You can’t go wrong with any of those choices.

 

[roadrunner]

Enough difference between those that the choice should be pretty easy to make


american......You carry that thing in the woods, theres a chance somebody will see you with that ugly thing

T3 243. You could hunt with that one rifle the rest of your life and not be undergunned. 243 is hard to beat.

BAR...be a cool rifle, I'm not packing that heavy thing around though.

700... '06 is also hard to beat. Though in a 700 everybody on here knows the bolt handle will break off, and the gun will either not go off or will go off when you dont want it to. If you want a trouble free hunt, best not read any threads about that. Just play ignorant like the millions of other 700 owners and you'll be fine.

300win an the 375.....To much gun for my needs.

Decision should be easy since you only need one rifle anyway:

Suppressed Tikka .223 shooting a 77 tmk.

 

[Cactus kid]

I only got one primary rifle. Makes choosing a rifle at game time pretty easy.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Decision should be easy since you only need one rifle anyway:

Suppressed Tikka .223 shooting a 77 tmk.

Oh yes, the rokslide way. Recommend something that he doesn't have.

 

[roadrunner]

Oh yes, the rokslide way. Recommend something that he doesn't have.

Just trying to help. I hate to see anyone get labeled a "Fudd" for going a different route.

But, since he does have a 6mm, he's good to get rid of the rest to make it easier to decide later...

 

[kickemall]

Only own one and know how to use it. Solves the problem.

 

[Pilsner]

The last couple of years the decision has been made by what rifle I have a zero'd optic mounted on and which ones I have ammo loaded up for. The downside of constantly swapping around rifles and optics I guess.

 

[Spoonbill]

So, I definitely have a "first world problem" now that I have spent a bunch of money buying a bunch of different rifles and scopes, and I really like a bunch of them.

A lot of these rifles I have only used at the range so far, and with how hard it is to get decent big game tags in the area I live, I want to pick the best one for the hunt, and I can't realistically hunt with them all, at least not this fall.

For example, I am going on antelope hunts in September (Nevada) and October (Wyoming), and then black bear in California, probably in November.

I have 6 rifle/scope combos that all would work perfectly fine for either animal within their effective ranges, all are zeroed at 200 yards, can be more accurate from a solid rest than I am, and I generally enjoy shooting them, though they each have slight pros and cons:

5.56 Nato Ruger Am Gen II bolt action, main pro, super light and compact for carrying, just 7lbs total with everything and loaded, main con, a little less effective range, especially since its lighter bullets are more affected by wind (and I don't reload);

.243 Tikka T3 bolt action; main pro, almost as light and compact for carrying as the above, main con, its kind of boring compared to the other guns but it works, it also seems subjectively "unlucky" because I fruitlessly carried it over my shoulder three long days in a row on a past unsuccessful antelope hunt;

.308 Browning BAR semi; main pro, semi-auto for fast follow up shots if needed, and I also just really subjectively like it a lot, main con, with the awesome but heavy scope I have on it, it weighs over 10 lbs, so fun to shoot at the range, but significantly heavier for carrying than my other hunting rifle set ups;

30-06 Remington 700; main pro, power and wind resistance, main con, I already used it to harvest a couple animals in the past (pig and ram) so I am thinking I want to use rifles I haven't killed anything with yet;

300 Win Mag Tikka Ace Game, this is my newest rifle, and it is my second heaviest hunting rifle, and kind of long and seems bulky when I think about carrying it while doing a long hike, I don't have as much experience with this one yet, but I do have time to take it to the range more before my hunt trips; and

.375 Ruger Hawkeye Guide Gun. Main pro, I like big boomsticks and part of me thinks it would be fun to use an "elephant gun" especially on the bear hunt. Main con, ammo costs a lot more, and while I can do some limited shooting at the range without flinching, and then dry fire, it definitely kicks more than all the above guns.

So, which rifles would you take on which hunts, and why?

Picture is of one of the .375 Ruger cartridges next to a 5.56 Nato to show the diff ends of the spectrum.

Tikka 243 for antelope. Antelope are small and a 243 does a great job on them. I hate the t3 stock as it doesn’t fit me so I picked up a couple t3x take offs and added a vertical grip, it makes a huge difference.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Only own one and know how to use it. Solves the problem.

Unless regulations don’t allow it.

 

[Dave0317]

Have you shot Forms hunting rifle drill with them?

Or a Kraft drill?

Which of them do you shoot the best at each of those test? If you don’t know, I’d start there.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Take whatever rifle you want as long as it will meet your needs for that specific hunt in that specific terrain in that specific weather and is legal to use on the target species.