This really does not apply just to medium bore rifles but seemed like as good a place as any to post it.

Question:
Over the course of a normal years hunting, which of the following applies to you?

Choices:
I use one caliber only for all my hunting.
I use two or more calibers during the year.

 

Deleted as it offended the OP.

You are not the one that started the poll, I have owned more than one rifle at one time of the exact same caliber.

When and if I ever feel the need to obtain your advice on how I should word a question for a poll I will ask you, Do Not Hold Your Breath.

The poll deals with rifle calibers, not brands or manufacturers. Please try to accept the fact that I simply want honest answers to really simple questions.

Yes, I use two or more calibers during the year.

How about you?

You have not offended me. If you believe you did, that is your problem.

There is however a lot of difference between different rifles and different caliber rifles. You are at least that intelligent.

This past deer season, I killed deer with a .44 Rem. Mag., a .38-55, a .35 Whelen and a .375 H&H.

That is 4 different calibers. As far as different rifles, two were lever actions and two bolt actions.

You will never live long enough to offend me, so why don't you just stick to the questions as they are asked!

Randall,
No offense, but I want to make sure I don't stand next to you in either a lightnin' or a shit storm........LOL
Seems you draw (f)ire no matter how benign the post or question. ..........

But you state your case and stand your ground. I admire that quality in a fellow.


IIRC,
last time I went to my lease I took a rifles in
.224
.243
.308
.366

in a year, prolly 11. Quien Sabe?

GWB

For six years 1980 to 86 I only used a 25/06, but the biggest game I shot was Red Deer. For 11 years (1996 to 2007), I only used a 338 Win Mag, but the biggest game I shot was a Sambar Deer. Now I have 25/06, 338 Win Mag, 416 Rigby, and 505 Gibbs, and the biggest game I have shot to date is Eland (with the 416 Rigby). I will be chasing Asiatic buffalo in the Northern Territory in July with the 505 Gibbs. One gun was out of necessity, simply because that was all I could afford at the time. More is better.

quote:

No offense, but I want to make sure I don't stand next to you in either a lightnin' or a shit storm

You don't have to worry about the Geedubya. The ONLY place where I have trouble getting along with anyone, is on internet forums, you know, the REAL WORLD

On the home front however, your list of guns reads about like mine does. Because of my job, if it can be called that, I am out in the pastures on the places the boss and his family own or manage everyday, 7 days a week. At present, I have two center fire rifles and 1 .22LR in the vehicle at all times. Come dove or duck season there will be 1 or 2 shotguns in there also.

As 338user stated, there have been times that I could afford only one gun and that is what I hunted with. As I got to where I could afford more guns I bought them. I guess I could have listened to my Dad, he always told me that all I needed was a deer rifle, a .22 and a shotgun.

One thing I did listen to Dad about and glad that I did, was to never judge folks until you have actually had dealings with them. Course, he did not make it into the age of the internet, which is the only true window on every mans soul.

I always take 2 rifles with me when hunting on my place. Most times I may hunt the morning with one and the evening with another. This upcoming year, I think I'm going medium bores and taking my 338 Federal and 350 Rem Mag. Last year I hunted with 257R and 7mm-08.

Last year...6.5x55, 270, 280ai, 338-06ai, and 50cal.muzzleloader for deer, 22-250 for coyotes and bobcats, .22rf for Squirrels...

Z

17 HMR, 22lr, 243AI, 6,5x55, 30-06, 8x57IRS, 9,3x62/64....

M

The first year I can recall taking two or more rifles hunting on the same trip was about1953. I took a Mossberge 42-M .22 LR to get those deer which sometimes attacked the tractor from up close when the headlights were on them (honest, self defense, officer) , and a .256 Mannlicher for the ones stalked on horseback and/or foot during the daylight hours.

And before you get all over my case it was on our family's 40,000 acre ranch, and a case of bring home venison or possibly don't eat any meat for a l-o-o-o-o-n-g stretch.

When things got better, I used a .32-20 Rem pump, a Marlin 36 in .30-30, and a DCM '06 1903.

Then I finally got enough guns to be able to pick and choose until I quit hunting for sport or profit about 7 or 8 years ago.

Hunting is like golf---you need to have the proper iron on hand--I carry 3-6guns, not counting pistols depending on what part of the country I am in.

I have been known to hunt white tails in broken country carrying 2 rifles. Usually it was an iron sighted pump, single shot or lever gun carried in my hand with a scoped rifle slung over my back.

This gave me more opportunities to test various bullets and calibers on the really plentiful white tail.

We had a joke about it. The joke goes - rifles wear out and break so you should never go hunting with a used rifle. Start each hunting season with a new rifle or rifles.

The only thing I didn't do was shoot the same buck with two different rifles, but then I never had to shoot them twice since I don't use .223s to hunt deer.

sometimes I swap rifles during the day while hunting.
our deer hunting covers thick tangled brush, stands of pines and quakies young and old,open rolling sagebrush plains and draws, to open mountain vista's, and across or down canyon shots.
shot distances range from, what was that that just passed me, to man I wish I had more than a 12 power scope on this rifle.

I have been fortunate enough that my business has allowed me to hunt all over the world, so I own and have used many rifles in many calibers, its what I like to do. I know and work with hunters and shooters on a daily bases and have most of my life.

The one gun man is a ficticous character whos skills with his one gun are overplayed no doubt about that. I know many, and for the most part, they are poor shots, not particularly interested in hunting...It's basically an old wives tale that has spread amongst the masses, and apparantly everyone has met him.

My dad was one of these folks, he was a rancher and owned one old 25-35 and later a 250 savage. He was a bad shot, but he could get horseback and find deer when nobody else could, ride up on it and kill it, or after working all day go get in the pickup and shoot one out the Pick up window at the ranch at 35 yards and be home before supper..He didn't like to hunt but he liked to have deer meat in the freezer at all times. He knew where they we're hanging out as he was horseback there every day..Folks thought he was the famous one gun man! He was but he wasn't a good shot.

Most of the good shots are folks that like to hunt and shoot, they own a number of guns. Same applies to golfer, ropers, and I suppose race car drivers, the good ones practice, hone their skills, and spend their money on good equipment.

That's the way I see it..

BTW most of the guides I have seen in Mexico, many indian guides, and Eskimo guides were the same as dad..Very few of the one gun indigenous of Africa can shoot and most game scouts can't shoot, 99.9% of them own or have been issued one gun, but they can slip up on an elephant and poach him on any given day and under the most severe of circumstances. The success of the one gun hero is not his shooting.

I used and only owned one rifle most of my life, a 60s vintage BDL in 270. I was a better shot for it too! Shot everything from crows and grouse with Sierra 90g HPBTs and everything bigger with 150g Partitions.

Got a 500 Jeffery five years or so ago, and try to use it for hunting everything so when I finally get to hunt buffalo and tuskless I'm as familiar with it as I was with my 270. But some days I don't feel like lugging an 11 lb rifle in the Rockies. So two rifles for me the 500 and a beat up but good shooting Mark V in 270 Weatherby I picked up last year...

Good poll Crazyhorse

In the process of selling off all of my hunting rifles and most of the other weapons. Will re-equip with a single medium for nearly all of my hunting and a .223AI for coyotes/paper/small deer. This is not driven by a lack of interest in other guns, but financial reasons and a desire to have fine guns over many guns.

This one will be a 9.3 or .375, and the next one will be a double in .45 or .50 caliber.

The last time I went pig hunting I took 3 rifles my 416T my No.3 45-70 and my 06 scout.
Plus a 41 and 44 mag pistols.

last deer season I used my 760 270 and my 99 Sav. in 300sav.

Last elk hunt I took my 338wm and my 300wm.

Some years I use 4 or 5.

Most gun nuts and avid hunters go thru cycles!
At some point in life they are one rifle hunters, but they graduate to "many gun" hunters, and return to few guns...I have owned as many as 100 rifles at one time, get an itch and sell all but two or three or even less..it just happens!

Today in my old age I usually have a dozen guns at a time, some are family guns however and that doesn't count I don't think..Gift guns don't count either..so lets say I have settled on a 22, two varmnt rifles, 3 med bores and two big bores..Will that change? not before tomorrow.

Additionally I build custom rifles and I always have two or three projects in the works, I usually sell them cheap and use that money to build another custom rifle and support my habit, just a hobby thing. but that doesn't count either.

I will typically carry three rifles to my lease every day. One for the morning stand, one for stalking in mid-day, and another for the afternoon stand. There is no need to do this as most of my rifles are suitable for most hunting conditions. It is due more to a desire to own, shoot, hunt with, and enjoy as many rifles as I can.

Ray, I believe your premise of the one gun hunter is generally true, but there are exceptions. My B-I-L has been carrying the same Mark X 308 for over 30 years and I don't even understand how he can zero the dang thing because of his poor target shooting ability. But for targets that have brown hair on them.....it's all over.

He is the finest game shot I have ever seen. There is seldom a year that goes by that he doesn't pull off at least one shot that makes my jaw drop. The funny thing about it is that it must be genetic because both of his boys are the same way.

FWIW, I use my 270 Win or 358 Win for 90% of my hunting for deer-size game - occasionally I bring the 9.3x62 or 375 H&H, just because they need a little attention. For elk or Alaska hunting I primarily use the 9.3 or 375 H&H. For coyotes and smaller, I currently use a 22-250. I have owned many more calibers over the years, but but have been reducung the size of my armory over the past 7 years, cuz I don't collect anymore - just hunt.

Two rifles for me: bolt-action scoped first rifle (longer-range shots) plus double-barrel open-sighted second rifle (close-in shots).
Good practice for all-over-the-world hunting!

I use rimfires, muzzle loaders and varmint calibers but I have a hard time hunting deer or elk or boar with anything but my 1976 manufacture Ruger tang safety model 77 in 7mm Rem mag (the sexy elk caliber back then) that I bought new when I was 18.

I have other medium bores that would work on that class of game as well and have shot deer and elk with my fathers old 30-06 for sentimental reasons. But the old 7 mm just hits whatever I put the cross hairs on and confidence is a big part of shooting well.