Jeff Olsen
Handloader
- Nov 10, 2006
- 294
- 2
POP":2khq8rpo said:
I guess my 30-06 would have to make the short list. I killed my first deer with it 6 years ago, shot it so much I wore out the barrel, had Pac-Nor put a sporter-weight 22" tube back on it... I love the thing. It started out as a M700 Mountain Rifle LSS but now has the heavier barrel and a Jewell trigger. I killed last year's buck with that rifle and a 180-gn AccuBond and it worked perfectly.
It'd be awfully hard to not have a .358 Winchester around now that I've gotten hooked on it for blacktail hunting. It's perfect. My first was a BLR bu then I had my Model 7 rebarreled with a 20" P-N Supermatch barrel and it's just an unbelievable little rifle. This year's blacktail were both small but it sure did put 'em down.
And I'd sure hate to be without a .338 Win Mag. My XCR shoots great box stock and I love it. While I know it can be a great all-arounder, for me it's my elk rifle, and my fantasy "go to Alaska" rifle.
I could, except for sentimental/practical reasons ($$) replace both the '06 AND the .338 WM with a .325 WSM, though. That's a great caliber. In my rifle, it ain't what Winnie claimed for velocity, not even close, but it's still cool. I'd be just fine hunting any deer or elk or black bear tag with a good .325 WSM. In my case, it's a BLR, but if I could only have a rifle or two the BLR would not make the list due to the trigger. But how about a Kimber Montana 8400 in .325 WSM?
If I could only have ONE of my rifles, it'd have to be the 30-06. I could hunt any critter I want to hunt with that rifle. With modern bullets a 30-06 is one hell of a hammer.
As far as pistols, if I could only have one, I guess my Kahr P45 since it packs some punch but is very concealable. But giving up my 44 mag S&W would hurt, and I love my dinosaur, a Kimber 1911.
Having started a new career as a real estate agent, which is notoriously hard to get started in, believe me when I say that I have cast an appraising eye into my gun safe, "just in case"...
-jeff
