I am thinking about thinning the heard a little and going to a four gun battery. Kinda thinking I could cover the whole spectrum with the right four guns. Here are my thoughts, but was wondering what others would choose.

223 plinking
243 coyotes and such
280AI most everything from speed goats to elk
35 whelen elk, moose, and bear


lets here your thoughts on this and what changes you would make. Thanks

I think everyone has their personal choices, but those four would definitely work.
Bob


Here's mine:
.223 Tikka stainless
.25-06 Sako AV
.308 Marlin Express (I like leverguns)
.30-06 pre-64 Winchester M70

For centerfire, just 3:

.223 (mostly through various ARs) ground squirrels, coyotes, deer, whatever.

.308 for Mule Deer, Elk, Coyotes, targets, whatever.

.300 Win Mag for ranges where the .308 runs out of steam.



With that said, I honestly think a guy could very easily do everything with 2, like a .223 and a 30-06(or.270/.280,6.5 Swede, etc), but as a long time .308 and 300WM shooter, I am very happy sticking with my old standbys.

.22 LR

.270 Win

.30/06 or .300 H&H/Win/Wby Tough choice for this slot.

.375 H&H

223 / .556

6mm

7x57

.300 RUM

ok i meant centerfires.....22 and 17 hmr are not going anywhere....lol

223, 257 roberts, 6.5x55, 8x57

223
6.5x55
30-06
375 H&H

.22/250

.270 Win

.30/06

.300 magnum

.375 H&H

Cheater!

22 hornet
6mm Remington
260 Remington
9.3x62

1. .223 rem

2. 30-06

3. 338 wm

4. 375 H&H

As good as it gets!

.223, .22/250,25/06 & .300 mag. Except for the 223 these have done it for over fifty years ..

22lr

223

243

308

Gotta sneak one in some how.

22/250,270 Win,6.5/300 Weatherby, 338 Win mag.

Despite the overt discrimination against rimfires, in order of preference...

All I really need:
1. 22LR
2. 270Win
3. 12ga

For this thread, pick one more:
4. 300H&H / 375H&H / 9.3x62

My own 4-gun battery is:

12-ga
.22
.30-30
.30-06

I would not trade the 12-ga and .22 for two more center-fire rifles.

4 centerfires?

223 for plinking/SHTF
fast twist 22-250 for deer/hogs at normal ranges
7mm Rem Mag for when I want to reach way out there or for larger game
375 H&H for the longshot chance that I ever get to hunt dangerous game.

22, 223, 30/06, 12 ga

My favorites!
.223
.243
.30-06
.338 WM

4 guns? Ok, of those in my safe today?

Remington 552 Speedmaster in .22 LR.

Merkel Helix w/ 3 barrels: 6.5x55, 7mm RM, 9.3x62

Montana 1999: .375 H&H

Browning Citori Superlight Feather 20 ga.


Yeah, I'm cheating. Deal with it.

T/C Encore w/ .17 Fireball & .260 Rem. rifle barrels; .22 Hornet pistol barrel
Savage 16 SS .223
Tikka T3 Laminate SS .308
Beretta Urika 12 Ga. Semi

I'm all over the map,having found anything reasonable works if you feed it good bullets and shoot it straight.

Right now I have a 223, 257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, four 270's, two 7mm magnums, a 30/06,and a 375 H&H.

That's not four but if I had to whittle it down to four,strictly for BG hunting any of those 270 and up would stay; I'd probably keep one each of 270, 30/06, and 7 mag. Lots of overlap but I like them all.

The 375 H&H would be a "must have" for anyone who contemplates travel and BG hunting. It is singular and unique.

Looks good to me. A lot of it depends on where you live. An Alaskans needs might be different then say someone from Iowa.

Take me for example, I used to live in ND. Up there I liked a 300 magnum. We usually walked for miles, shots could be near or far. The weather was windy and cold most of the time. I also liked the 25-06, 30-06,308,257 Roberts, 250-3000, 6.5x55.

Now in this part of Texas a 223 or 22-250 is plenty for deer, they are the size of goats. You just sit in an elevated box blind and wait. I will admit I haven't shot any deer here. I am not paying 500 bucks for a goat sized deer to be shot out of a box.

.300 Win Mag would get it all done on this side of the pond...just don't EVER let my wife know that I don't need those other rifles.

Rem 121 22 LR
Ruger 77 250 Savage
Savage 99 EG 300 Sav
Remmy 7600 35Whelen

I get by

22 LR
17 Hornet
204 Ruger
6.5 Creedmoor

405 WCF
30-06
270 WBY
300 WSM

Georgia deer hunter

Rem 700 257 Roberts
Marlin 336 30-30
AR 25-45 Sharps
Ruger 77/22 22LR

1. Pre 64 model 70
2. Pre 64 model 70
3. m1917 sporter
4. Ruger m77...

How's that for 4 gun battery?

Not again!

Okay, here goes:

.22 pistol w/red dot and irons.

.22 Hornet (light loads duplicate .22LR rifle, hot loads are good on varmints to 200-300 yards. A .223 would do just fine, but my Low Wall ain't going anywhere!)

.270, .308, .30/06, maybe even .243.

12 gauge o/u or A5 Light 12

I could do anything I'm going to do for the rest of my life with those four. Glad I don't have to.

Getting close, here. As my 74th birthday looms in the distance, I am paring down (partially to be able to build "just one more" )

.22 LR
.257 AI
.30-06
.338 Improved

Still have three or four to move along, but I'm not giving up my Parker Reproduction 20-guage anytime soon.

.22 LR for squirrels, gophers etc

.223 for predators

6.5 Saum for all big game and sometimes predators

12 ga for birds and snakes

This covers it for me although I do keep a cheap 6.5 creedmoor in the truck, just in case

9mm
12 ga
243
338

4-gun isn't the best but I could get by

rather 22-250 and some 7mm skipping the 243

22LR...plinking and practice
223...targets, ground squirrels and coyotes
308...all big game
12 Ga..birds

22-250
25-06
8x57
375 H&H

If we have to pick a four-gun centerfire battery, it would be:

1). A good .223 Remington

2). .243 Winchester/6mm Remington

3). 7mm-08 Remington

4). 30-06 Springfield

However, for what I hunt or probably will hunt, numbers one and three will do all I need to do.

Short action:

22-250

6.5 Creedmoor

308

9.3x51

Long action:

22-6mm (22 TTH)

256 Newton

30-06

9.3x62

My choice as well. I already own them FWIW.
Of course four is not enough. A guy needs a few spares.
1. Ruger Hawkeye SS UL
2. Win Model 70 SS Featherweight
3. Win Model 70 SS Classic
4. Kimber Talkeetna

22lr
260 rem or 6.5 Creedmoor
300 H&H
9.3x62

.223
.270
.338
.416

...All Model 70's

I like the way you think. Especially the "all model 70's" part...

22LR
7MAG
30-06
300 WIN MAG

Exactamundo. You and I need to get together my friend. You have any 308 Norma magnums I can try out?

Model 70's or Mauser 98's.

Remington 700's all the way!!!! What do I carry in my hunting pack? Well: Bolt handles, extractors and triggers. What else would I put in there? .... Oh wait, that's a different thread.

223
7x57
300 H&H
375H&H

These are what I'd keep, the rest is fluff.....

22-204

6x47 Lapua

7-08

338-06 Ackley

Gun 1: Benelli M2 12 Gauge
Gun 2: Beretta 682 Sporting with matched 30" .410 and 28 guage barrels
Gun 3: CZ 455 American Combo with .22 LR and .17 HMR barrels
Gun 4: Blaser R8 Professional S with barrels in .223, .270 Win., .300 Weatherby and .375 H&H

That should about do it for long guns. Would need a four more for handguns, though.

Rem 870 12 guage

.223AI

6.5 CREED

.280AI

1. 22lr

2. 6.5x55


The rest goes to pay off mortage and finance more hunts!

22 lr

223

6.5X55 Swede

12 gauge



The mortgage is already paid off along with everything else I own.



Shod

Congrats on the mortgage buddy. I have 5 years left on mine!!!!

What, no love for the quarter bores around here.

22 LR
223 Rem
25-06 Rem
300 Win Mag

1. Ithaca M37 16 guage with screw in choke tube 2. Forbes 308 sent to Melvin and fixed. 3. Any reliable AR in 223. 4. Reliable 1911

.223
.250-3000
.280 or 7mm RemMag
.338-06

223 Rem
30-06
12 ga
.45 ACP

.22 hornet for everything smaller than a caribou.
9.3x62 for everything else

.223 accurate bolt gun
.223 mini-14 for fun and SHTF
30-06
375 H&H

4 centerfires?...nice!
1. 223
2. .300 Win
3. 45-70
4. .300 Win
........................Hb

22 Mag
308
35 Whelen
45-70

I have little use for anything between the 22 Mag and the 308. I am not a long range varmint shooter so the 22 Mag can take care of any thing i want to shoot in that category. Actually, I could live pretty well with only the 35 whelen and the 308.

What I use the most:
.222 Rem Anschutz 1531- for all furbearers and varmints
.308 Win Sako L579 Forester- for targets, deer, and "civilized" elk and moose hunting
.30-06 Ruger 77MKII canoe paddle/SS for tough conditions in remote bush camps and pretty much any game
.375 H&H Ruger RSM for anything big or tough or exotic.
to the OP: your four are perfectly good choices, and I really like the .35Whelen, could easily substitute it for my .375.

25/20, a fun, light weight, centerfire plinker
260 Remington, great light weight deer rifle for open areas
35 Remington, because I like my Marlin 336 T and it is great up close, in the thick stuff.
30/06, because anything I'm likely to be able to shoot from here on out, that needs to be shot with a centerfire rifle, can be shot with it.

left handed 223 rem bolt action (can also hand load subsonic rounds to duplicate 22 lr)

left handed 308 win bolt action.

don't know if anyone makes left handed 375 H&H. If not, I'd buy left handed 30-06 and convert to 9.3x62 or 35 whelen which ever one I can find reloading components more available.


Can't think of fourth center fire rifle.

Of my current battery

1. 223 or 22-250 for plinking and varmints
2. .257 Roberts for deer and antelope and coyotes
3. 270 wcf or 7x57 for deer+
4. .300H&H because I had to pick a 4th

Out the current inventory:

223 - AR-15
223 - Ruger American Predator
30-06 - Rem700 sporter
30-06 - Rem700 heavy long range rig

17 Remington left hand
6.5x54 Mannlicher Schoenauer 1905 with a Lyman 36
300 H&H left hand
400 Whelen left hand

223 AR
223 Tikka
243 Tikka
308 Tikka

This is what I have

223 Tikka bolt action LH
30/06 Remington 700 LH
375 Ruger Hawkeye LH
#4 None

1) cz 452 22 LR

2) cz 452 22 mag

3) rem 700 221 fireball

4) rem 700- 338-06

Would do everything that i could want in a rifle battery

For my needs (Colorado):

4 guns?
.22LR (rifle)
.280 Rem/7mm RM/.30-06 (take your pick)
12 ga. (shotgun)
.45ACP (1911)

4 rifles?
.22LR
.223 (AR)
.280 Rem/7mm RM/.30-06 (take your pick)
.338WM

4 centerfire rifles?
.223 (AR)
.280 Rem/7mm RM/.30-06 (take your pick)
.338WM
.45-70 (Marlin)

OK, if it's just center fire rifles.

223
6mm Rem (or 25-06 OK)
30-06
375 H&H

Early Remington 700 BDL's with wood stocks. I had better have spare barrels for the 06 though.

Three pre 64 M70 FW 270's and a 375 H&H.

Someone give me a knife and a blank check, I will hunt the world....

Since it's a blank check, I'll tag along. I'll only bring the ol 06 though.... If I need to shoot squirrels, I'll borrow your 270...

22lr
223
30/06
375/06

4 rifle battery:

223rem
6XC
260rem/6.5x55
30-06
9.3x62

Oh crap that´s five guns....but that´s as low as I can go

4 gun battery

Benelli 12ga.
22LR
260rem/6.5x55
9.3x62

the boys are making real sensible picks mate!

my thinking:

6.5x55
280AI
338WM
450-400 double

.223
7mm-08
338 win mag
45/70 lever

- .223 Rem
- 6.5 Creed
- .30-06
- .30-06 (back-up)

You could substitute one of the .30-06's for a .308 if you wanted to have an AR-10 type rifle or some such. If you ever actually get the chance to hunt brown bear you can buy a heavier rifle specifically for that hunt. With the above list you would have a main rifle and a viable back-up for hunting pretty much any NA species other than the brown bears. Back-up rifles are important, stuff happens, and when it does it's nice to be able to retrieve another rifle from the truck.

For "hunting" only, not plinking, target shooting or self-defense:

.350 Remington Magnum Remington Model 7 KS...weighs 7# even and a joy to hunt with. This gun covers 90+% of the big game hunting I do.

.257 Weatherby in a Remington Model 700 stainless fluted 26" that needs a good quality synthetic stock. When you have to reach out there..

.22-250...don't have one at this time but did and the added range over a .223 just makes it better for hunting... Shot Travis' when I visited him and was very impressed...

Last would be the boring .308...a bolt gun of some kind with a 20-22" barrel. Mackay's daughter killed her elk last year with one at 375 yards...what won't it do?


Bob

A Ruger 77/22, a Ruger 77 MKII RLS in .308, a Ruger Hawkeye in .375 Ruger and a S&W 3000 12 Gauge Pump with a multi choke and slug barrel. I'd probably add a small pocket pistol to put myself out of my misery after getting rid of all my Sharps, Auto Fives and lever guns though.

223 Rem
6xc
280 Rem
300WSM

Hunting only. Hard to pick less than 7-8 but these would do.

.22-250 sporter only. Fast twist... or not. Overachiever. Second choice .223 Montana. I have one. Love it to death. Wish it was a .22-250.

.270 Win. Better now than its ever been. 110 TTSX @ 3450-3500 point-and-shoot-right-now, to 150 Partition @ 2950-3000 leave-your-magnum-at-home-for-elk. Second choice 7x57 just because 7x57 unless its a .275 Rigby.

.375H&H KS. Light, yet still potent even at 85-90% throttle. Once you have a .375 H&H its hard to go without. Ever. An oversized .30-06. Cast bullets are an excuse to use it on pygmy deer. Pygmy deer don't care.

.44 Mag. B92. Wrap your hand around it goodness. Easy to cast for. Easy to have 600 rounds laying around. Takes me back to my beginnings. Iron sighted primal. Other side of the mirror. Second choice, same gun in .357 Mag.

Husqvarna .30-'06 loaded with 180's for big stuff
Remington 760 carbine loaded with 150's for deer
Remington or Savage bolt .270 with 130's for western hunts and varmints
Remîngton 141 .35 Remington with 200's for iron sight hunting

204 Ruger
240 PSP
7x57
9.3x62

donsm70

22mag - Ruger 77 SS or Cooper Jackson Squirrel
7-08 - Montana or M-70 EW
.338-06 Faux TI or EW
20ga Rem 870

If it's anything/anywhere (including big and bad:

223
fast 300
fast 338
416

One could make a case for the 375 taking the place of the last two and adding a diff caliber but for less than the biggest and baddest the 338 (or 9.3x62) is plenty and for that top tier I think the 416 better than the 375.

Every man in America should own the following four.....

1) Bolt action 30-06

2) 22LR semiauto

3) 12ga pump action

4) 357MAG revolver 4"

These kinds of scenarios requiring a commitment to just a few or only one give me fits. I could go round and round over them (unintended pun). However, I do intend to pare down what I have since I just don't use them all, so this is a useful exercise. The OP's original post seems to only apply to hunting rifles so I guess mine from what I already have would be:

Marlin 39 .22LR
BLR .358 Win
444 Marlin
LH Ruger 77 MKII .30-06

I can't deny there is significant overlap in that group, especially between the BLR 358 and Marlin 444. But I like the idea of having backup rifles for similar applications. With that line of thought, I now get to have 8 rifles (4 pairs).

The above does not include handguns, shotguns or defense.

12 gauge
.223 for plinking, varmint
.270 or any of the 7mms for general big game
9.3x62 or .375 for everything bigger

Easy one for me -

22 LR - can't imagine not owning a 22.

223 - Varmints thru Deer.

308 - Deer thru Elk

12 or 20 gauge Shotgun


drover

Or a shotgun.

My 4-gun battery: .22 Marlin 39D, .30-30 Marlin 336C, .30-06 Pre'64 M70fwt, 12ga Abercrombie & Fitch (Zoli Rizzini).

Pre War Model 70 30-06,
Ruger Red Label 12ga.
Anschutz .22lr
CZ 455 .17 HMR.

Really need to add a 617 .22lr revolver and an Airweight .38

223
308
300wby
340wby

.22LR
.222 Rem
.30-'06
.45/70 Gov't

A man after my own heart.

Tikka T3 SL all the same...
.223Rem 1-8 twist.
.243Win.
.270win.
.30-06Spr.
May not be perfect but I like to take 2 rifles with me in case,I have a custom FN. Mauser in .375 H&H just in case...ScottyO.

Yep. 'Cept a 300 Mangle 'em in 3rd. And maybe a 7-08 in 2nd.

220 Swift
257 Roberts
308 Win
375H&H

Would work for anything that I'd ever get after.