In Search of a Lunchbox Hunter All Purpose Rifle
If you are going to hunt big game, you are going to walk ten miles a day up and down mountains, through swamps, across grasslands and over grown clear-cut forest, through thick woodland forest. So you will not want to carry a ten pound long action magnum. Weight will be a huge consideration with the rifle you choose to carry. Additionally, accuracy and shootability must be considered. Being a lunchbox hunter (average hunter on limited budget) that hunts in the South, Midwest, and Western states I needed a rifle that was for an accurate, light weight rife that would be aim and shoot out to 350 yards, into a ten inch target, with factory ammo. Larry Weishuhn, Mr. Whitetail, had taught me at a hunting seminar you must be able to hit a ten inch target to humanly kill whitetail deer.
The noted gun writer Jim Carmichel coined the moniker “Beanfield Rifle” and the name stuck. More than fifteen years later, this popular rifle is now known as the “Beanfield Rifle” because of its long distance accuracy and rugged dependability. However, most lunchbox hunters cannot afford a $ 5,000 to $ 7,000 long range rifle. So, I began my quest for a lunch box hunter’s “All Purpose Rifle”. So, what is an “All Purpose Rifle”? It is a light weight dependable rifle one can accurately shoot in all hunting terrains from 25 yards out to 350 yards within a ten inch target. The “All Purpose Rifle” has qualities of the “Beanfield Rifle” and the close shooting abilities of the “Brush Gun”. I tested five guns in my gun safe and a new rifle to find my “All Purpose Rifle”.
First, I began his quest for a caliber that would meet the aim and shoot requirement to 350 yards. The following calibers were tried: .243, .30 caliber, 7 mm, and .270. I began shooting .243 Winchester in 1973 while stationed in the United States Air Force in Montana. I purchased a Winchester Model 70 Varmint Rifle, in .243 Winchester. The rifle took several deer both mule and whitetail and antelope. Using the Winchester Super X 100 grain power point the rifle could be zeroed at 25 yards and aimed dead on out to 275 yards into a ten inch target. The .243 Winchester is a great deer rifle for me but shoots 125 yards short of my goal and is a heavy rifle.
The next test rifle was a Remington Model 700 BDL with heavy barrel in .308 Winchester. Shooting the Winchester Super X 150 grain power point the rifle zeroed at 25 yards and aimed dead on out to 250 yards into a ten inch target. The rifle was purchased in 1995 before retiring from the United States Air Force. This was this author’s lunchbox hunter’s version (wooden stock) of the USMC M40A1. I had shot the M40A1 and was impressed by the rifle while stationed in Japan. One of my favorite target rifles but shoots 100 yards short of my goal and is a heavy rifle. The rifle has stopped a deer in his tracks at 244 yards with one shot. My love of the .30 caliber comes from my military back ground. This author has shot the US Rifle M1, M14, M40A1, and M1 Carbine during my career.
The third rifle I tested was a Voere Model 2165 in 30-06 Springfield. Shooting the Winchester Super X 150 grain power point zeroed at 25 yards and aimed dead on out to 250 into a ten inch target. The Voere is a great light weight rifle, but falls short of my goal by 100 yards. This rifle has taken bear and Sika in Japan.
The fourth rifle in my “All Purpose Rifle” quest was the Winchester Model 70 Shadow in 300 Winchester Magnum. Shooting the Winchester Super X 150 grain power point zeroed at 25 yards and aimed dead on out to 300 yards. My favorite deer rifle because it is an accurate rifle with a composite stock. I took my largest ten point deer at 102 yards with this rifle. However, although light weight and accurate it falls short of my goal by 50 yards.
Fifth rifle tested was my prized Weatherby Mark V in 7 mm Weatherby magnum. Shooting the Weatherby 7mm magnum 139 grain point expanding and Weatherby 7mm magnum 150 Nosler ballistic tip zeroed at 25 yards and aimed dead on out to 400 into a ten inch target. I have an “All Purpose Rifle”. However, if I had bought the rifle in 1983 in the United Stated instead of Japan I would not be able to afford the rifle on my lunchbox hunter salary. Further, the cost of ammo begins take it out of the lunchbox hunter salary range. As stated earlier, it is my prized rifle. The rifle has stopped a deer dead in his tracks.
After a lot of reading and studying ballistic charts, and remembering in my youth I read in Outdoor Life that Jack O’Conner wrote about the 270. I had never owner a rifle in 270 Winchester. However, I have shot several and zeroed several for friends. In Japan, I shot a 270 Weatherby magnum once and was awed at its flat shooting, but decided on the 7mm Weatherby magnum instead. I became interested in the new 270 Winchester Short Magnum (270 WSM); the cartridge falls between the 270 Winchester and the 270 Weatherby. I settled on a Winchester Model 70 Super Shadow with standard 24 inch barrel and composite stock. Using the Winchester Super X 150 grain power point with the rifle zeroed at 25 yards the 270 WSM aimed dead on. Shot into a ten inch target out to 375 yards. I had found my lunchbox hunter’s “All Purpose Rifle”. Shoots into a ten inch target when aimed dead on out to 350 yards and is light weight so it can be carried easily while stalking deer.
Dr. Charles Watson Smith Jr.
If you are going to hunt big game, you are going to walk ten miles a day up and down mountains, through swamps, across grasslands and over grown clear-cut forest, through thick woodland forest. So you will not want to carry a ten pound long action magnum. Weight will be a huge consideration with the rifle you choose to carry. Additionally, accuracy and shootability must be considered. Being a lunchbox hunter (average hunter on limited budget) that hunts in the South, Midwest, and Western states I needed a rifle that was for an accurate, light weight rife that would be aim and shoot out to 350 yards, into a ten inch target, with factory ammo. Larry Weishuhn, Mr. Whitetail, had taught me at a hunting seminar you must be able to hit a ten inch target to humanly kill whitetail deer.
The noted gun writer Jim Carmichel coined the moniker “Beanfield Rifle” and the name stuck. More than fifteen years later, this popular rifle is now known as the “Beanfield Rifle” because of its long distance accuracy and rugged dependability. However, most lunchbox hunters cannot afford a $ 5,000 to $ 7,000 long range rifle. So, I began my quest for a lunch box hunter’s “All Purpose Rifle”. So, what is an “All Purpose Rifle”? It is a light weight dependable rifle one can accurately shoot in all hunting terrains from 25 yards out to 350 yards within a ten inch target. The “All Purpose Rifle” has qualities of the “Beanfield Rifle” and the close shooting abilities of the “Brush Gun”. I tested five guns in my gun safe and a new rifle to find my “All Purpose Rifle”.
First, I began his quest for a caliber that would meet the aim and shoot requirement to 350 yards. The following calibers were tried: .243, .30 caliber, 7 mm, and .270. I began shooting .243 Winchester in 1973 while stationed in the United States Air Force in Montana. I purchased a Winchester Model 70 Varmint Rifle, in .243 Winchester. The rifle took several deer both mule and whitetail and antelope. Using the Winchester Super X 100 grain power point the rifle could be zeroed at 25 yards and aimed dead on out to 275 yards into a ten inch target. The .243 Winchester is a great deer rifle for me but shoots 125 yards short of my goal and is a heavy rifle.
The next test rifle was a Remington Model 700 BDL with heavy barrel in .308 Winchester. Shooting the Winchester Super X 150 grain power point the rifle zeroed at 25 yards and aimed dead on out to 250 yards into a ten inch target. The rifle was purchased in 1995 before retiring from the United States Air Force. This was this author’s lunchbox hunter’s version (wooden stock) of the USMC M40A1. I had shot the M40A1 and was impressed by the rifle while stationed in Japan. One of my favorite target rifles but shoots 100 yards short of my goal and is a heavy rifle. The rifle has stopped a deer in his tracks at 244 yards with one shot. My love of the .30 caliber comes from my military back ground. This author has shot the US Rifle M1, M14, M40A1, and M1 Carbine during my career.
The third rifle I tested was a Voere Model 2165 in 30-06 Springfield. Shooting the Winchester Super X 150 grain power point zeroed at 25 yards and aimed dead on out to 250 into a ten inch target. The Voere is a great light weight rifle, but falls short of my goal by 100 yards. This rifle has taken bear and Sika in Japan.
The fourth rifle in my “All Purpose Rifle” quest was the Winchester Model 70 Shadow in 300 Winchester Magnum. Shooting the Winchester Super X 150 grain power point zeroed at 25 yards and aimed dead on out to 300 yards. My favorite deer rifle because it is an accurate rifle with a composite stock. I took my largest ten point deer at 102 yards with this rifle. However, although light weight and accurate it falls short of my goal by 50 yards.
Fifth rifle tested was my prized Weatherby Mark V in 7 mm Weatherby magnum. Shooting the Weatherby 7mm magnum 139 grain point expanding and Weatherby 7mm magnum 150 Nosler ballistic tip zeroed at 25 yards and aimed dead on out to 400 into a ten inch target. I have an “All Purpose Rifle”. However, if I had bought the rifle in 1983 in the United Stated instead of Japan I would not be able to afford the rifle on my lunchbox hunter salary. Further, the cost of ammo begins take it out of the lunchbox hunter salary range. As stated earlier, it is my prized rifle. The rifle has stopped a deer dead in his tracks.
After a lot of reading and studying ballistic charts, and remembering in my youth I read in Outdoor Life that Jack O’Conner wrote about the 270. I had never owner a rifle in 270 Winchester. However, I have shot several and zeroed several for friends. In Japan, I shot a 270 Weatherby magnum once and was awed at its flat shooting, but decided on the 7mm Weatherby magnum instead. I became interested in the new 270 Winchester Short Magnum (270 WSM); the cartridge falls between the 270 Winchester and the 270 Weatherby. I settled on a Winchester Model 70 Super Shadow with standard 24 inch barrel and composite stock. Using the Winchester Super X 150 grain power point with the rifle zeroed at 25 yards the 270 WSM aimed dead on. Shot into a ten inch target out to 375 yards. I had found my lunchbox hunter’s “All Purpose Rifle”. Shoots into a ten inch target when aimed dead on out to 350 yards and is light weight so it can be carried easily while stalking deer.
Dr. Charles Watson Smith Jr.
