Dedicated rifles or multi-task?

000shock

New member
This is pretty much just a conversation piece, but do you prefer to keep dedicated rifles for one task/game or have more than one for the same use? I hear mixed opinions of what most ppl prefer. I prefer to have some level of overlap in what i own/want in the future. Ive talked to guys about this before, and have gotten the “your crazy” look more than once, along with the “why didnt i think of that” look.

Either way, what cartridges do you use for plinking, range, competition and/or hunting? I know some of you might as well have your own gun store in your closet, so give your favorite if you have more than one for the same dedicated use. Mine are as follows:

.22 long rifle: a must have imo, but i only use it for plinking, fundamental work and teaching new shooters.
.17 hmr: small game hunting, prairie dogs, some target shooting, and that coyote that laughs at me from 20 yards on my way into work. Ill get him one of these days.
204 ruger: (fav) targets and prairie dogs up to coyotes if the pelts should be decent.
12g shotgun: because, well...its a 12g shotgun! Bird hunting, should use for coyote stands, and it may have killed a garbage can or two when i was younger (oops!).

What i still want/need:
.243, 6cm or 6.5 cm: coyotes if i dont care about fur, up to deer and antelope.
6.5prc or 300wsm: deer up to elk (though i dont do much big game hunting).

So i guess if you made it this far, lets hear what you’ve got!
 
I'm in the dedicated bunch to the extreme.

Open country coyotes

Savage custom in 22-204 1.5-6x40mm Sightron II
Rem 722 custom in 22-250(Rem LVSF barrel and 700 sporter stock) Bush. Elite 2.5-10x40mm

Close cover out to 200 yards coyotes

Sako Vixen FS 222 Rem Leupold 1-4x20mm or 2-7x32mm Compact

Tighter cover coyotes

Combo guns 16ga/16ga/6.5x58R Sauer, 12ga/22 Savage Highpower, 12ga/5.6x50R Magnum all wearing Leupold 1-4x20mm

Deer/big game, all my deer hunting has been in the forest of northern WI & MN

Still hunting

Rem 721 in 35 Whelen Nikon 1.5-4.5x20mm
Savage 99 in 375 Win Weaver V-3 1-3x20mm

Trail sitting

Custom savage bolt in 25-204 Weaver V-3 or Leupold 1-4x20mm

Small game

CZ 455 22 Mag Burris 1.5-6x40mm

Targets/varmints

Savage 93 Thumbhole Varmint 22 lr, Mueller 8-32x44mm
Savage custom 222 Rem HB in thumbhole stock Vortex Viper 6.5-20x40mm
Howa Mini HB 6.5 Grendel thumbhole, Vortex viper 6.5-20x40mm

Then there are a selection of shotguns for grouse, woodcock, dove, pheasant and water fowl.

It has take me 60 yrs of buying, selling, trading to put this together, I also do 95% of my own gunsmithing.
 
I am a simple person so I try to keep my firearms inventory simple also.

22LR for target, small game, just wandering.

243 or 6mm (Favorite)for informal bench shooting, varmint hunting and deer hunting. I just use different weight bullets and loads for each task.

20ga 99.9% of the time for clays, ruffed grouse and woodcock (A passion of mine since 1957) on occasion I will use a 12ga.
 
I personally like to go Dedicated Rifle, which usually ends up being caliber specific for particular situations.
Everything from trigger time and trying to get a lot of reps, to 2000+yards.
Honestly probably too many options in between that I've accumulated LOL.
 
I love reading what everyone does for this. I know everyone has different opinions on what is best, and this topic is what really drove home the idea of what is best for each individual person. Targets of opportunity get whatever is handy at the time, and guys calling seem to have that one go to rifle and cal for where they call.

Keep the responses coming everyone. Thanks so far!
 
My rifles are a lot like AWS

Open to mid range country calling far from the truck.
Tikka22-250 Ruger m77 220swift

Open country not far from the truck.
Savage M12 20 practical,

Long range over bait
Savage M12 6mm creedmoor

Day to day mid range calling
Tikka t3 222

Day to day truck/tractor gun
Savage axis with a 20 practical barrel.

Coyote shotgun
Chinese single shot with 14" barrel and a cheap red dot.

Shotguns.
Browning maxus-waterfowl
Benelli supernova with 15 round capacity -pigeons/3 gun
Browning citori-targets and upland

Big game.
Browning xbolt 270
Winchester 94 30-30

Then of course multiple 22's handguns and milsurps for the range and various other odd jobs.
 
17hmr
.22lr
.22wmr
Tac 20
.204 R
.243 Win
.25-06 Rem
Custom .458 Rem 700SML
Customized .451 Sav 10MLII

Yes, there's quite a bit of overlap. Some have yet to draw
blood and used mainly on paper.
 
.22lr--Custom 10/22
.223--Custom AR-15
6.5 Creedmoor--Custom Rem 700
12ga--Mossberg 935
Archery--Ten Point Turbo GT

Plans for 9mm Ruger PC Carbine, possibly a 20ga slug gun, and a Muzzleloader.
 
22mag - small game , short yardage `yotes @ night
6.5grendel 20" - deer , `yotes , hogs , zombies day or night
6.5creedmoor h.c.r (fav) - deer , hogs , `yotes , {bucket list = antelope + mule deer} lr target rig
6.5creedmoor sav model 12 - deer , hogs
mossy 500 12ga tac - close range `yotes (woods) , zombie rig

Miss my 204 , 223 , 22-250 , 243 .
Working on a 243 build/using the savage 12 action
wink.gif

Along with a complete ar 15 upper in 223 wylde
 
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I will always have two calibers even if I rarely use them, a .22 and .223.
I hunt frequently with two calibers that don't interchange, .22-250 and .300 WM.
 
Originally Posted By: HuntAll depends on your budget.
Yea, i definitely agree. I was just curious what others mindset was and what they used, whether they had tens of thousands into their rifles or just hundreds. If i was making 6 figures a year, my locker sure would look different than it does today!
 
I have dedicated rifles but I've found over the years they just sit in the safe for the most part. In my truck I've always got a combination of the same few guns.
Pistols are either a 10mm Glock or a .45 Colt Vaquero
Rifles are either a Ruger Frontier .308, Ruger GSR .308, Winchester 94AE Trapper .30-30 or a Winchester 1895 .30-06
Notice all but the .30-06 have 16" barrels... short barrels and .30 calibers work just fine out here in the desert. If I shoot a coyote I don't care about fur. Any of those rifles will work fine for anything up to and including elk.

About the only dedicated rifle I still use regularly anymore is an old Remington 700 that has been my big game hunting companion since I was a teenager.

The rest of my guns are pretty much just relegated to the occasional trip to the range it seems.
 
* I have a Core15 AR for a lightweight carry gun for coyotes, scoped with a 3-9x40 Vortex.

* For long range coyotes, varmints, and jackrabbits here in the desert, I have a Ruger RPR in 6mm Creedmoor, scoped with a Nightforce ATACR 4-16x50. This one always gets used, as it is so accurate.

* I also have a Ruger M77 in .220 Swift that was my grandpa’s and is deadly accurate. It has an old 3-9x40 Scope Chief on it that still holds zero, 40 years later.

* For a “spare” gun or one I lend to new shooters, I have a Savage 10 FCP-SR in .308 with a Nikon Black X1000 4-16x50. Another very accurate gun, especially for how cheap it was.

Shotguns are a Remington 11-87 SPS in 12 gauge 3” that has killed so much game over the years I have lost track. LOL! Another sentimental gun that my grandpa bought for me when I was in college. Always dependable.

Finally, my grandpa’s Ithaca SxS 10 gauge magnum Silver Hawk that I refuse to shoot because the stock is cracked but I’ll never part with it. Again, sentimental, as my first hunting memories at 7 years old are watching in awe as my grandpa just hammered ducks with this gun.
 
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Depends on how I feel when I head out the door. But, I too use specific guns. 17-223 is all I use for calling coyotes. For night hunting coyotes, bolt action 223. For bears either a 348 winchester or 45-70, or 405 winchester, again depending on the mood. Moose a 375-338 or maybe just the regular 338. Deer most often the 270, but then again maybe the 264 win mag, or perhaps the 300wsm.
Fortunately I have the space, and the resources to have those options.
 
If you are mostly looking for another coyote gun that could be used for deer and pronghorn then I think a 243 win or 6mm creedmoor is your best option.
 
Originally Posted By: BrianIDIf you are mostly looking for another coyote gun that could be used for deer and pronghorn then I think a 243 win or 6mm creedmoor is your best option.
Exactly why those are on my short list! I was more trying to get others opinions on what they use for all of the shooting they do.

I dont like going anywhere planning to shoot and only having one rifle. Targets, whatever i want goes. Prairie dogs, my 17hmr and one of my 204’s both go. Coyotes, a 204 and my next rifle will be along. Not on stand, but at least in the truck. Worst thing i can think of is falling or dropping a rifle and now all you have is a loud, high velocity, inaccurate paperweight! Thats why i personally like the overlap.
 
I have 3 main rifle i shoot a lot. My calling rig which I have two my ar15 in 6x6.8, and my 22-243 bolt gun. Which one I grab just depends on my feeling and how long of shots are presented on the stand I’m heading to. For deer hunting I have a 270 win Ruger Markii I have had for years. I just built a new big game rifle it’s based off a Remington 700 it’s a 7mag carbonfiber stock triggertech trigger, criterion barrel, I’ll proably use this deer hunting and anything bigger plus will shoot long range with it some to verify dope charts and just to practice with it for hunting. For prairie dogs and varmints I use my ar mentioned above and my 6.5 creedmoor. For banging steel anything I hunt with I will shoot steel with use it as practice. If you want to be good at shooting your rifles especially at distance you need to shoot them distances to get used to it. Barrels can be replaced. My 6.5 could be used for deer hunting but it’s heavy and sucks for carrying.
 
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Definitely dedicated.

Marlin Model 60 22LR Prarie dogs and plinking
Reminton 700 VTR .223 Prarie dogs and coyotes
Ruger AR 15 .223/556 Prarie Dogs, home defense and yotes
Tika T3 6.5 Creedmoor Deer, Antelope and pigs
Kimber Mountain Ascent 300 WSM Elk and deer
Henry 45.70 Brush elk and deer.

Benelli Montefeltro 20ga ducks, geese, doves, pheasants and rabbits
Benelli M2 12ga Duck, geese
 
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