“If I Could Only Have One”: My Go To Rifle

What is your go to rifle and caliber? If you could buy just one all-around hunting rifle for everything from deer to moose, what would it be? For so many it ends up being that rifle that’s been in the family for many years. Grandpa's, or even great grandpa's, go to rifle which has now become yours. Personally, I don’t think there is anything better than that if that is, in fact, the case for you. For me, I grew up in a shotgun only state with minimal hunting trips where a rifle was needed. So for my grandpa and dad, the collection was minimal and a .270 could handle just about anything. When taking into consideration my upbringing and little knowledge on rifles and ballistics, I had no reason to doubt the mindset or the rifle they had passed down to me. I remember reading something years ago that helped solidify this for me. It was an article by the legendary Jack O’Connor that said. By 1954, he felt he had his ultimate rifle, a custom Model 70 in .270 Winchester that he had taken to Wyoming for elk, to India for blackbuck, and to Iran for red sheep and ibex. He liked the rifle so much, he called it his No. 1, and set out to build a second to give his favorite a break from testing new bullets and developing loads. Although I would go on to explore other rifles and calibers over the years to come, I always knew it could be my go to rifle for anything I would do. 

The author's grandfather in the 1960s with a whitetail buck he harvested in Maine

Savage Arms - 110 Ultralite .270

Over the last 15 years or so, I’ve been fortunate to travel and hunt in many places. And because I know my grandpa never got a chance to chase the animals I have, or to even see the parts of the country I have, I sometimes think about how he must be looking down on me smiling and enjoying these trips with me. And even though I am blessed to still have my dad around, he too, has never had the opportunities to hunt moose, elk, antelope or anything west of Ohio for that matter. So for me, I feel as I carry a .270 around the country, there is a sense of pride in them. One that continues to prove their mindset and that it is, in fact, the rifle and caliber that could do it all. But as with many things, sometimes you need to hang up the old and bring in the new. Leave that old rifle on the wall for the memories and all the stories it could tell. The Savage 110 Ultralite in .270 is what became my new No. 1. A go to rifle I was excited to make the new family gun. One filled with many new stories from some really cool hunts I had coming up. My first was an antelope hunt in Wyoming. Such a fun hunt in the vast, wide open rolling prairies. A hunt that didn’t allow you to get in close. A hunt that ended with a beautiful goat from a single shot at 256 yards. And second, was the hunt I was looking forward to the most. A rifle elk hunt with good friends in Colorado on a familiar ranch that I’ve bow hunted in the past (Cutty Creek Outfitting). This was the ultimate test with my new No. 1, and one that I knew even though dad couldn’t tag along, that both him and grandpa would be there with me the entire time. 

The Hunt

On October 11, 2024, we spent my birthday setting up elk camp. Wall tents, cots, wood stove, grill and all the fixin’s of what you dream of when thinking about this kind of hunt. I had a couple of close friends along who would be running cameras and there to share this moment with me. Our confidence level was high going into it, and got even higher as the first day we saw so many elk and had several encounters. We were hunting cautiously to not push anything out, and to also get a good idea on what specific bull we wanted to hunt. Unfortunately, as hunting often goes, it only became harder and harder after that first morning. The weather changed drastically with temperatures reaching close to 80 degrees midday. And before we knew it, we were heading out on the last evening of the hunt with only a few close calls throughout the week. Now don’t get me wrong, personally I am not a “trophy hunter”. I was open to looking at any bull that was legal to take. But I am also a hunter that believes you don’t shoot an animal unless it feels right. You need to feel that adrenaline, and it should provide you with a hunt that you are going to be proud to talk about and an animal that you won’t feel you need to justify. I admit, this topic is a touchy one and can certainly vary from hunter to hunter. But for me, I was there with my new Savage .270. I knew I could reach out to 300-400 yards comfortably with my skills and I was looking for that bull that would bring a tear to my eye. I wanted to bring that bull home to my dad and family to see that look of pride and happiness on their faces. I wanted an ear to ear smile on my grandpa's face up there in heaven when I walked up to that bull. I wanted to prove to myself once again, that the old trusty .270 would do the trick. And that's what I was looking for. 

As we crept into the final hour of the last day, the wind was whipping so hard you could barely hear a thing. I remember telling my guide Sean, “I’m pretty sure I just heard a bugle”. He kinda laughed and looked at me as to say, “yeah, I'm sure you did”. And then, 3 minutes later, it happened again. Only this time it was much louder and both of us turned our heads in that direction. And there, standing at 400 yards were several cows and a glimpse of antler coming out of the oak brush. What I saw, and what I was thinking as I was looking through my binoculars when he stepped out, was not only that this is a bull I would be proud of, but it was the kind of hunt that gives you the instant nervous quivers and shakes. It was a bull that far exceeds the general expectations in this area and on this ranch. A super heavy, giant bodied 7 x 6 who gave us everything you could ask for in that moment. From bugling, to bumping his cows, and the kind of “show” we as hunters and producers of outdoor content dream about. What I then felt could be a final window of opportunity presented itself at 330 yards. I settled, took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger with confidence in my rifle. As I watched my bull drop and disappear into the sage brush hillside, time had frozen for a bit. Thoughts of my grandpa, my dad, my family, my friends, my rifle and all that led up to this moment came flooding over me before I said my first word. I had done it, the Savage 110 Ultralite .270 had done it. I had taken both an antelope and a huge bull elk with my new rifle. I had hiked the mountains and the prairies out west, laid eyes on animals and landscapes that I wish I could have shared first-hand with my dad and grandpa. I am extremely blessed and thankful to do what I do and hunt the animals I get to hunt. And now, I have a new No. 1, a go to rifle that I will continue to take with me on these adventures and hope too for many years to come.