Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Cartridges. Need 3.

I only hunt deer in Alabama and Ohio these days.
350 legend
7mm08
270 win

If I ever stopped Ohio then
.223/556
7mm08.
270 win.

I don't want to be without a good deer rifle if one has some problem. Problem would likely be me dropping the dang thing.

For use in Western Canada, make mine


9.3 x 62

.280 Ai

6.5 x 55

Classic battery-22LR, 30-06, 375 H&H.

22-250 6.5 PRC 30 06

Using what's in the safe it would be 22-259 Ackley for varmints, a 280 for most all else, & a 358 Norma for bigger than normal.

If I get to buy new stuff, a 22 or 6BR or maybe a good 222, a 280 Ackley, & 338 Federal or maybe a 375 Whelen.

223
6.5 creedmoor lightweight hunting rifle
6.5 creedmoor on KRG Bravo chassis set up for PRS

That's all I need anymore

7.62x39
.22-250 rem
.270 win

I could get by with just those three. It's all I pretty much use anyway these days.

22-250
30/06
375hh

I use a couple of 22-250’s A LOT. Oddly I have used the 30/06 very little. I’ve used 30/30, 35rem, 358win,308, 7/08, 270, 280AI, 7mag, 300 mags,8 mm mag, and 338 quite a bit…. But the 30/06 would have sufficed for all of them. Same story with the 375hh…. I’ve never used mine on game…. Usually picking my 8mm Rem mag, 338 or 416 Rigby on heavier game…but again nothing I’ve killed with them could not have been dealt with adequately with the 375…. But damn I’d hate to not have the options!

223, 8 twist
25-06, 9 twist
30-06, 10 twist

Make them all Remington 700s with factory sporter contour barrels and Grayboe Outlander stocks.

Current 3 centerfires:

22-250 Rem
6.5 Grendel
358 Win

22?
30-30
308/30-06
Nothing fancy, and do anything you need in The lower 48.

Three centerfires for hunting…

.223 for “varmints” up to and including coyotes
.308 Winchester for all big game
.338 RCM for the biggest game in NA (the .308 is probably sufficient, but a little “more” is necer a bad thing.)

I hunt both NA & Africa.

NA:
1) 25-06- varmints, Pronghorn, & Deer
2) 35 Whelen- Elk, Bear & Moose

Africa:
1) 9.3x62-PG & (DG backup)
2) 404 Jeffery-DG

Only need 2 for each continent.

Centerfire only. Based on what I use, I'll go to two.

.223
300wsm

That'll do everything I need. The rest just sit. I should probably sell them.

For what I do here in S. Oregon - 3 can handle it well.

.22LR - (pistol and rifle) teaching tool, plinking, practice, etc...

.223 - 7, 7.5, or 8 twist. more teaching, colony varmints, coyotes, deer if I or a kid wants.

6.5 CM - any big game animal in my state can be easily harvested with one. Mine has a pile of dead elk to its credit - along with antelope, and deer.

My center fires are
.222 Rem for varmint hunting
.303 Brit for big game out to 350 yards or so
280 Remington for longer shooting on the river.
Cat

204, 25-06 or 270 or 280, & 300 Weatherby

For the center fires

But I have more 30-06’s than any other rifles, then 280’s, then 270’s, then 6mm’s, then …

I’m to old to go to Africa, but if I went to a ranch in Texas to shoot buffalo, then I’d have to have my 45-90 or a 375.

I don’t hunt varmints other than shooting coyotes while out hunting and have zero inclinations for dangerous game so my list is geared that way:

270 Win
6.8 Western
300 Win Mag

Lou

22LR

223 Rem

308 or 30/06

There isn't much that can't be done with these three

drover

Since you didn't take away the reloading press, in this scenario I could probably whittle it down to the .223 and either a .30-06 or .300 Win Mag. I have hunted extensively with those cartridges but recently have been enjoying more esoteric cartridges so they tend to stay home or get loaned to others. In other words, if limited, I would hunt with the cartridges I almost never hunt with anymore I probably don't use them because they work so boringly well without a lot of headache to make work.