The general purpose rifle

[Kaleb]

For years and years, I used my FN action .25-06 for everything. I had 70-grain varmint loads and 117-grain deer loads. I shot the barrel out on that rifle and I have since come to accept that I should use a “more efficient rifle” for varmints and plinking.

While I agree with more efficient rifles I can't help but wonder how much more efficient and simpler things could be if I just used one rifle for everything like you did with your 25-06. I'm very guilty of wanting another gun a new gun a different gun or better gun. I can't make myself do it but I could do everything I actually do with a 6cm and only have one rifle. I'd probably go gt because a guy lives about 5 miles from me chambers 6gt for his comp guns. I could even have 3 spun up and make things simple. A tiny one for walking around a mid weight for almost everything and a heavier one for longer range playing. I tried to do something similar years ago with 6.5-284. I ordered a sporter barrel and varmint barrel from Lilja and had the same smith chamber both barrels back to back. I used the same load in both. I hunted the sporter and played with the bigger. I used the same load in both. The wind blew and I just had to do something different. lol

 

[Loper]

As someone who was living in an RV full time for a year, space is a premium and I had choices to make. Thankfully I stored a bunch of my guns elsewhere, but I only had an AR and a pistol, and that was it. I didn’t consider anything else and if forced to do it again, it would be the same choice.

This is a great use case for a single general purpose rifle.

 

[UnckleBob]

Tikka T3x Lite 243 with 1-8 twist barrel
Factory Stock
Seekins Rings
Leupold VX-5HD 3-15X44 CDS

 

[Stinky Coyote]

Yup, sako 90 peak 308, quality lpvo with reticle solutions, shoots steel to 640 great, prolly hardly every go past Mpbr to fill tags but ready if needed. Add tube mount picatinny for a o-light/laser for camp/home defence duty, sheep to everything in between. Love it. Currently wearing a atacr 1-8 yet to be zeroed but has already tried and killed with Trijicon 1-6 German(whitetail), Leupold fx 2.5(antelope), bushnell 4-14(moose), nx8 1-8(coyote)’, prolly find a 1-6x Trijicon mil-dot to try one year, the 10 mil nf dmx would take me further than my applied ballistic lite will take me 875 but dmx takes it to 1000 exactly from 205 zero with its 10 mil grid if really wanted to play but not much I can’t do with this gp setup. 308 eldm Runs out of steam around 600 for big game but so do I and pretty much everyone else. I am definitely in the realistic gp do it all with one rig phase.

 

[Stinky Coyote]

I'm very streamlined on that front.... ugly stik all the way! Lol

Yup and just the dock runner! As a paddleboard boat guy you can do a lot with one of them 3’ masterpieces lol. Except sturgeon, need a bit more rod and reel for them buggers.

 

[Aussie Dan]

Theres no such thing as a "no compromise do all/GP" anything.

Ive always been a firm believer in having the right tool for the job and minimising the compromises that affect the job at hand.

Ive never really subscribed to the idea of trying to be a "jack of all trades"

 

[North River]

Yup, sako 90 peak 308, quality lpvo with reticle solutions, shoots steel to 640 great, prolly hardly every go past Mpbr to fill tags but ready if needed. Add tube mount picatinny for a o-light/laser for camp/home defence duty, sheep to everything in between. Love it. Currently wearing a atacr 1-8 yet to be zeroed but has already tried and killed with Trijicon 1-6 German(whitetail), Leupold fx 2.5(antelope), bushnell 4-14(moose), nx8 1-8(coyote)’, prolly find a 1-6x Trijicon mil-dot to try one year, the 10 mil nf dmx would take me further than my applied ballistic lite will take me 875 but dmx takes it to 1000 exactly from 205 zero with its 10 mil grid if really wanted to play but not much I can’t do with this gp setup. 308 eldm Runs out of steam around 600 for big game but so do I and pretty much everyone else. I am definitely in the realistic gp do it all with one rig phase.

What, no love for the el cheapo Ruger 6.5 Grendel any more?

 

[SwiftShot]

My do everything is a scout style 308. 16 inch barrel, it has a magazine. One mah is 5 the other is 10 rounds. It is still handy with a silencer on it. Not a true scout as Cooper would say as it is 7.5 lbs with the can on it. Still does just about everything. My other is a Marlin Lever action that is really small in 44 Rem. That is an amazing little rifle. It shoots Hornady Lever Revolution so well. Cabelas made a scope for it and that round. Hash marks out to 200 yards. I have dropped a nice doe with it at 200 and was stunned how hard it hit.

 

[8mille]

In this age of specialized rigs for every niche...does anyone out there still pursue the idea of a general purpose rifle? Something that's not perfect but will work for most of the hunting you do, or that you drag along as you go about your daily life. Jeff Cooper had his scout rifle concept which had some neat ideas, but I think eventually became too narrowly focused on specifics to be truly general purpose. I also think where people live has an affect on what features they want. For me personally...at this point I consider my rss my general purpose rifle. It's relatively short, light, handy and easy to pack around. The 6x swfa is simple and so far reliable. The .223 is cheap and easy to shoot, has long barrel life, and I've proven to myself that it works on game up to moose reliably. At this point the only thing I'd like to add would be a good set of back up iron sights and a wood rokstok lite if I can ever scrape up the cash....lol.

So... anyone else have a rifle they consider general purpose? If so... what features do you look for? We have members here scattered world wide... I'm genuinely curious what others consider general purpose, should make an interesting conversation!

In this age of specialized rigs for every niche...does anyone out there still pursue the idea of a general purpose rifle? Something that's not perfect but will work for most of the hunting you do, or that you drag along as you go about your daily life. Jeff Cooper had his scout rifle concept which had some neat ideas, but I think eventually became too narrowly focused on specifics to be truly general purpose. I also think where people live has an affect on what features they want. For me personally...at this point I consider my rss my general purpose rifle. It's relatively short, light, handy and easy to pack around. The 6x swfa is simple and so far reliable. The .223 is cheap and easy to shoot, has long barrel life, and I've proven to myself that it works on game up to moose reliably. At this point the only thing I'd like to add would be a good set of back up iron sights and a wood rokstok lite if I can ever scrape up the cash....lol.

So... anyone else have a rifle they consider general purpose? If so... what features do you look for? We have members here scattered world wide... I'm genuinely curious what others consider general purpose, should make an interesting conversation!

Years ago (decades) the average person likely had more of a general purpose rifle. Even nowadays I’d imagine. And iron sights make a rifle what it was intended to be ; which is a practical general purpose rifle.
In modern times we have better equipment and more specialized categories of shooting. Optics has enhanced long range shooting to where scopes are desired more. Throw in marketing to sell products and you get folks that are sold . How about the fact that people want more than one ? Once you own more than one your first becomes less and less general purpose. There’s the necessity factor that probably developed large bores as in dangerous game. Or at the other end of the spectrum where you have pests and then varmint. Personally, I love iron sights. I love the way they look and I prefer having them if your scope breaks. I make it a point to still shoot with them on occasion, just to stay in shape, even though my aging eyes would disagree- lol. I’ve always considered the shotgun to be the quintessential general purpose rifle barring longer ranges. When you get older many (not all )downsize back to the general purpose concept. One more thing about scopes, I’ve always figured rifle manufacturers encourage people to use them because rifles can be compensated better for their lack of refined production and performance . So there’s a few ways to look at it. It’s interesting you brought it up. Even though I will be getting a couple of more rifles for precision and will buy customs, I intend to get another iron sighted Deluxe (Likely a sako 90 Bavarian or Steyr Mannlicher SM12- or something) in 8x57 that has to have iron sights. I’m even considering not putting QD Rings and keep it as another purist rig. Glad you brought this up. Sorry I got so wordy about it.

 

[Loper]

I’ve always considered the shotgun to be the quintessential general purpose rifle barring longer ranges.

I 100% agree!