Curious about hunters

[starmac]

I am just curious, for those of you who primarily use your firearms for hunting.
How many just have one big game rifle?
How many have several, but mostly just use one?

Same questions for hand gun hunters.

[Sweetpea]

Not even close...

[GaryN]

I mostly use my rifles for hunting but have five. The pistols I shoot all the time.

[southpaw]

I have several and they all get used. My 338wm is my favorite but they all get their turn. Same for pistols.

Jerry Jr.

[starmac]

Here is another question.
How many of your dads had or just used one big game rifle.
I have several, but my dad never even owned a rifle other than a 22, he got by with a shotgun for everything.

[x101airborne]

I own many firearms, but use only one.
AT A TIME!
Kidding.
I mainly use one rifle for night vision use and one rifle for daytime use. I mainly use one shotgun for everyday carry, buckshot, doves, ducks, etc.
As for handguns, that is my weakness. I like to trade it up. One day a 1911. The next a blackhawk.

[southpaw]

Dad had 4 guns before I got into them. A 30-30 (win 94), 22lr, 12ga single shot and a 22 pistol. He had others but they were lost in a cabin fire well before my time. He has since gotten more. Growing up his older brothers got the rifles and he got the single shot 12ga with pumpkin balls.

Hunting for him has always been about getting together with friends and family. He has never cared much about shooting anything, aslong as he gets to drink a beer with you and pick on those that missed or congradulate those that didn't. Oh, and if you bring lite beer to the cabin he is gonna pick on you for that too.

I guess to answer your question, he only needs one rifle and a shotgun. But comes out for the BS. Me, I am addicted to guns. I enjoy hunting by myself but don't want to miss any of the bs either.

Jerry Jr.

[DLCTEX]

I have 15 rifle from 22 rimfire on to 22 hornet to 45-70 and use them all for hunting varmits to deer. Same with 8 handguns from 22 to 480 Ruger and black powder.

[km101]

I have several hunting/varmint rifles and use different ones depending on the game I am hunting.

The same goes for the handguns. Shooting just one gun would not be nearly as interesting as using a variety!

My dad had one center fire rifle....a 30-06 unknown brand, and one rimfire....a Winchester 22lr.

He had one shotgun that he used for everything.....a Browning A5 12ga. with the old "spider trap" Cutts Compensator which allowed choke changes.

For handguns, he had a S&W .38spl and a 1911 .45acp.

The Browning A5 and the handguns are still in the family.

[jsheyn]

I have different rifles/handguns for different types of hunting

[Sweetpea]

Dad never owned a gun until this past December...

He finally decided it was time for a handgun, so I helped him get set up with a 9mm.

I've even got Mom to shoot a time or two...

Brandon

[dragon813gt]

There is to broad a game selection to have just one. The only firearm that's legal for all game by me is a shotgun. And I have two of them that I use. And terrain plays a big part in selection as well. If it's wide open, which really doesn't exist here, I use my 308. If it's thick swampy woods I use my 357 Marlin and deal with the shortened range.

[Artful]

When I started as a youth - I had a bolt action 22LR, a single shot 12 ga, a military bolt action 7x57 that was modified to have a scope - My father had a pump 12 ga (western field from monkey wards) before his house burned he had many shotguns and rifles but replaced with just the shotgun after the house fire. My mother had a 22 revolver. The first New Gun I bought was a Savage 24 in 22 over 20 ga because it always seemed like when you where out bird hunting you needed a 22 and when you were out with your 22 you needed a shotgun. After I discovered surplus military ammo I bought a 308 bolt action as ammo was 7 cents a round. I started competitive pistol shooting and it was all over then, 'cuz you had a feeling if you just changed to a better gun you'd get better scores - and you can sometimes.

I don't hunt much anymore - but I had graduated at the end to a short heavy hitting brush gun (Savage 99 in 358), a Long range clear cut rifle for deer (300 win mag), a Long Range Elk rifle (375 Weatherby),
Waterfowl Gun (Citori 12 ga), small game (Savage 24 22/20) - Still used my single Shot 12 ga with it's long barrel for some upland birds - I tried a few other things like 44 mag pistol and 357 mag pistol and bow and arrow for hunting deer, had a single shot phase (Ruger #3's). But I would say you could hunt pretty well with just a 22LR, 308, 12ga and if you want bigger game like bear a heavier caliber (.35+).

[waksupi]

When I get around to buying a gun, I think I will get one of each.

[Boyscout]

I have two rifles for hunting neither of which I can use in Indiana: 30-06 and a 35 Remington. I also have a Mosin-Nagant and a Remington 03A3. I hunt with my Remington 870 or my 50 Cal. Muzzleloader. Next year I may use my .44 Remington Mag Handi Rifle for whitetail.

[Shooter]

I like a new caliber or rifle every year. Do the development work, hunt, put them in the safe, and try another next year.
Same with handguns.

[Hogdaddy]

I have a few,, but only use one a 06. I've used a thurdy thurdy before ; )
H/D

[Rick Hodges]

I have considerably more than one rifle that I use to hunt. Most of the time during the past five years or so I use one of the muzzleloaders or the Marlin 45/70. Before the Marlin my go to deer rifle was my Contender Carbine in 7x30 Waters.

I do not hunt with a handgun.

[firefly1957]

No i do not use a specific rifle for hunting i just pick one that works for the purpose.

[300savage]

OK you caught me, I'm a gun *****.

[runfiverun]

yep I have a rifle for hunting.
maybe one of these day's i'll get the stock shortened, the recoil pad installed,
the scope rings might finally get lapped, and i'll get a scope bought for it.
or i'll just continue grabbing whatever I see boolits for first.

[fouronesix]

Here is another question.
How many of your dads had or just used one big game rifle.
I have several, but my dad never even owned a rifle other than a 22, he got by with a shotgun for everything.

That's a much easier question! My dad only had 2 guns-- one rifle and one shotgun. Winchester M54 30-06 carbine with open sights and a Rem pump 12 Ga. I still have both.

[dk17hmr]

One rifle for hunting....ha
There are times the rifle I use in the morning isn't the same one I use in the afternoon, and the one I use the next day wasn't used the day before.

[hiram1]

Me to 300savage me to.3006 243 223 ruger 44 mag 357 mag 686 and marilin 357 ruger target 223.and that is all im saying

[bear67]

My dad grew up in the depression with 13 siblings on a sharecrop farm. He had a bolt action Rem .22, a 1952 870 Rem and after I left home he kept a Savage M94 .410 behind the back door. I had more than that when I was 15, all but one bought with my earned money.

I have more than one rifle, shotgun, and handgun, but less than 1,000--always can make room for one more. But I do have a favorite and it has taken more than 100 whitetails and mule deer. Itg is a Rem 722 in .257 Roberts that I bought sitting on a tractor working for $0.50 and $0.75 an hour. I can just hold it and memories flood out in my mind. Now I am sharing them with children and grand children

[bear67]

An ex brother in law once asked me "Just how many guns does a man need?" and my immediate answer was "Just one more."

[gbrown]

I have several rifles for hunting. A 94 Winchester (Dad's), a model 70 Featherweight ('54) in '06(Dad's), a T/C Contender carbine in 30/30, another in .357 Herrett, and a Rossi 92 in .357. For the younger grandson, a T/C Contender carbine in .223. The older grandson (20) loves the 70 of his great granddad's. He used the .223 until about 14-15. I primarily use the T/C 30/30, because of it's compactness and weight. It will fit nicely in the box of my 4 wheeler. The 94 and 92 I use in ladder stands in rainy weather for close in shooting--neither are scoped. The .357 and 92 both belch out RCBS 162 grain GC boolits that are "thumpers" for hogs. .357 Herrett comes out at 2450 fps (24 gr 2400), and .357 at 1650fps (14 gr 1400).

[mnkyracer]

For the past couple yrs, a mossberg 835 has been my go-to for deer, mainly as its shotgun only where I do 90% of my hunting. A .50 cal ML and a .44 contender make up most of the remaining carry time.

[Adam10mm]

I am just curious, for those of you who primarily use your firearms for hunting.
How many just have one big game rifle?
How many have several, but mostly just use one?

Same questions for hand gun hunters.
NEF pardner 20ga single shot
Stevens 15A .22 rimfire bolt
Kimber Pro Carry/Fusion Firearms 10mm Commander 1911 custom (I built myself)

That's all I own. Shotgun for birds, a .22 for the trapline, and the pistol for hunting and carry. I currently own no "big game" rifles.

[Recluse]

No i do not use a specific rifle for hunting i just pick one that works for the purpose.

That's pretty much where I'm at.

My 30-06 Savage is my elk and mule deer rifle as well as larger whitetail if I'm hunting north of Texas where there are larger deer.

Around this area, the Winchester 94 in 30-30 will handle any deer we have. I also use it on wild pigs and the occasional coyote. I've used the SKS on wild pigs as well and the Enfield .303 MkIII I have is an absolute shooter. Problem is, it's pretty dang heavy with all that wood so I'm putting on a synthetic stock and then am going to scope it and use it for small deer, wild pigs and see if I can put some cast boolits in some wayward coyotes.

The Ruger Mini-14. . . I've been working on its accuracy by matching bullet (jacketed) weight with the twist rate. It likes a much heavier bullet and I'm getting closer to MOA at 50 yards with some new loads, so for that gun, that's progress. Will probably order a barrel stabilizer this summer and then bed the barrel as well and see what happens.

I know I'm leaving out some guns, besides shotguns, but can't think of them right off the bat.

In hunting, my gun is a tool so I simply choose the correct tool to do the job I need done. But a gun is a much more fun tool to use than a pair of pliers.

:coffee:

[429421Cowboy]

Yes, i think i can say honestly that i have one dedicated hunting rifle. My Rem 700 7mm Rem Mag 26" stainless rifle is my baby, and i've tuned it for out to 600 yard hunting accuracy. I saved up the money for it and a Leupold VX-3 when i was 16 and see no reason to change now. I use it for everything from wolves (if i ever do manage to get a shot off at one) antelope, mule deer and elk. Our whitetails are on our riverbottom pastures and hay ground, so it really isn't fair to use it on them, 300 is a long shot down here, shotguns or handguns take most of our whitetails now.
I have a BLR levergun in .243 that is my varmint and saddle gun, and a Henry .22, and that is about it for rifles.
I have three shotguns, 12, 20, 410 all 870's because they have all been in my family longer than i have, and i really only use the 12 for everything under the sun.
Handguns, i have a Ruger SBH and a Kahr PM9, the Kahr is my carry gun and the .44 does everything else for me including shoot a few deer a year.
Being raised poor on a ranch without a whole heck of alot of extra money, most of our guns are passed down through the family, and they all are very practical, multi-use items. We simply cannot afford to have several rifles for different critters, if you have something from a .270 on up, that is your deer-elk-sheep-moose-bear-angus cow-coyote rifle and i think that is all a person really needs. One rifle is an amazing tool that will keep a family fed in the toughest of times, and will always be one of the last things i ever would get rid of if it ever came down to that. I feel it is better to be deadnuts with one rifle, and know exactly what it is going to do each and every time, rather than be so-so with several rifles. Again, being poor, it is cheaper to tool up for one caliber and one good load for everything than it is to have a die set for everything you may shoot and 15 different bullets/boolits and powders for each. But that is the practical side of me showing, where my reloading supplies are also chosen for the number of things i can use them for. Thus i have two main pistol/shotgun powders, and two rifle powders that will work for everything i reload.
My father is even more practical than i am, knowing that all he needs is his .270 m70 for any critter that walks this state, and maybe his 12 guage for the faster or flighted critters, and a Hi-standard .22 pistol is all the handgun any man needs.