Only one rifle which one? Recommendations please

Hummmm, tough one, there are a lot of ways you can go here and be moving yourself forward.

If this is your ONLY rifle and it has to kinda be a do everything reasonably well I would have a hard time not considering a Lever Action. In such a case I would be looking really hard at the good ol 30-30. It does a lot well, and is adequate for others it doesnt always do so well at. With the Leverevolution (I think thats what they call it) ammo you can get some decent range out of it when compared to the traditional flat tipped ammo. While I am not one to jump on the trick of the week caliber, the 350 Legend is looking pretty good too, especially if you need to use a straight walled Cartridge to hunt in your area. Im in Texas and this is one of the calibers I am starting to see in the supply chain more so than a lot of other things. It has some decent ballistics too and good penetration in Gel Blocks. I wouldnt over look a 357 or better yet 44 Mag in a lever gun either, especially if you have a handgun in one of these calibers. They are solid out to 100 yards and in some cases a bit beyond that with good effect.

Im a bigger fan of Bolt Action rifles though and if this is something thats suitable for you as a do it all kinda gun and you dont see your self having to get in a fire fight, I would definitely gravitate to a Bolt Action. I like its availability, reasonable price, caliber selection, simplicity and durability. A good Bolt Action can be had for less than 400 bucks these days that will serve you well. A excellent bolt action can be had for the price of a decent lever gun. I really like the Mossberg MVP series in 5.56 or .308 for "survival purposes". Its not a sniper rifle but it is very accurate in the ones I have shot and very modestly priced although not the cheapest gun out there. Mine in 5.56 will put 5 rounds in a 3/8th inch group when I do my part with 69gr SMK's at 100 yards! It take AR mags to boot too!

Dont over look something as simple as a Break Action single shot. Not something you wanna get in a shooting match with but a very good gun for subsistence hunting. Their prices arent as economical as they used to be but they still run less than about 500 bucks. Many a farm here still has one of these behind the door for things that go bump in the night out in the barn yard and take deer and hogs every year. If your a reloader they make a heck of a lot of sense especially if you shoot reduced loads in them for economy. They are really easy to check for squib loads that didnt exit the barrel.

For what its worth although I own a lot of "Modern Sporting Rifles", I make it a point to have a single shot or a bolt gun in every caliber I own!!! That way when they consfiscate my MSR's, I can still use my considerable stash of ammo. Becuase I reload I am often times using reduced loads. Such gunbs are perfect for this and allow for a quick check of the barrel per chance I had a squib load. They also have a tendency to make you a better shot becuase they make you take your time so you can make the shot count too.

Just my buck o five on this....

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Only one rifle which one? Recommendations please