What would be your only center fire rifle?

[Legionnaire]

I voted "Other." I hunt, and if I could only have one center fire it would be chosen with that in mind. I like short actions, so make mine a Remington Model 7. Not sure if I'd opt for the .308 or the .260, but it would be one or the other.

[Deltaboy]

A Marlin or Whinney in 30/30.

[mr surveyor]

A Marlin or Whinney in 30/30.

you and I seem to be in the better informed minority


jd

[LeonCarr]

Remington 700PSS .308

If the world goes to Hades in a Hand Basket, there will be plenty of ARs laying on the ground. Unless you have mad skills with an AR honed by years of service rifle competition or something like that, my choice will allow me to out range the bad guy carrying an AR or AK, then I will walk down and pick up his rifle :).

Also, with the right load it will handle anything in the lower 48 as far as hunting goes.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

[The Annoyed Man]

Remington 700PSS .308

If the world goes to Hades in a Hand Basket, there will be plenty of ARs laying on the ground. Unless you have mad skills with an AR honed by years of service rifle competition or something like that, my choice will allow me to out range the bad guy carrying an AR or AK, then I will walk down and pick up his rifle :).

Also, with the right load it will handle anything in the lower 48 as far as hunting goes.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

Pretty much exactly why I went with my Remington 700 VSF in .308. When you have 800-1,000 yards of range, like you said, battlefield pickups, etc.

However, I was at the range today (Parker County) showing a friend how to shoot rifles, and I had another chance to run a few rounds through my FN SCAR 17S. I appreciate what SRO1911 said about his G3, and I have the same appreciation for my FN. It seems to shoot 150, 168, and 175 grain loads with equal composure. It is extremely accurate for a battle rifle, and a friend of mine is hitting 1 MOA steel plates at 800 yards with his, so it has respectable range, with accuracy at range. (I haven't had the opportunity to shoot mine beyond 275 yards yet, but it is very accurate at that distance.) I like my ARs a lot, but the SCAR is just a whole lot more rifle.

But if forced to choose between the two, I'd still take the 700 over the SCAR for the fact of greater range, greater accuracy, and fewer moving parts. If I could pick 3 centerfire rifles to keep, I'd choose an AR, the SCAR, and the 700........but the OP didn't give us that choice.

[sookandy]

The Finnish M39 wasn't on the list. But it's not like I could make up my mind anyways.

[Crash]

Shouldn't that Howa rifle on the list be a "1500" rather than a "500"? I've had a Howa 1500 with the 20" barrel and the Hogue overmolded stock in .308 Winchester for 7 years and it's probably the only one I'll have till I go to the Happy Hunting Grounds. Shoots more accurately than I can hold and I've never needed more than one shot for any animal. Dropped it on some rocks once, bunged up the stock, broke the plastic spacer between the stock and recoil pad in three places, and knocked paint off the scope in several places. Took it to the range to check it out and shot a 3/4", three-shot group off a sandbag. What more could I want?

Crash