Edit- I deleted most of this post because it was long winded and a lot of people seemed to be getting confused or just bad reading comprehension.

Here the deal, and to simplify it this time. Everyone is allowed a .22 and a shotgun and all the rifles and pistols you want.
You can have all the specialized rifles you want for dangerous game or varmints etc.

Now you will have two rifles that you use more than any of the others for big game.
First will be for deer size game. Think CXP-2
-The 2nd rifle will handle elk, moose etc Think CXP-3.
If your elk rifle is a 416 that is fine also.
The main idea is you have two rifles that you grab most of the time that you know inside and out. Or it can be one as far as that goes. These two should always be ready to go hunting at any time. Should always have plenty of components/ammo on hand for them at all times.

Two is definitely cutting it too thin for me.
But, within your guidelines.

223 / 5.56x45
338 Winchester

Well if your calling for suggestions I say 223 or 22-250 and a 30-06 or 270. Keep the 243 for the easy nice weather hunts.

223 and 270 would be vanilla

204 and 257 weatherby more flavor

22-243 and 7stw for the looneys

257 Roy’s are a lot of fun, however I’m not a 204 fan so I would have to substitute something else for it.
Cerakoted 243 and a light 257wby or 270 Wby would work. Too many combinations.

243 Win. and 280 Rem.

308/308

I did this years ago, added a couple the last few years but could’ve just as well stayed with the 2 for my hunting. I don’t shoot varmints so no need of a 22 or 6mm. Matched pair of 300Wby chambered custom M70s was and is my pick. Makes ammo simple to keep track of and never worry about different trajectories.

A 308 and a 270mag/300/338/257 etc would work. But if all I had was two 308’s I would probably fall asleep.

I could see merit in similar sporters chambered in 6.5CM and 30-06. I'm not a big varmint hunter, but there are some lightweight options for the 6.5 if needed.

I like that idea but I would want to add a low recoil option. It could even be something with similar trajectory.

It depends on what you hunt. The biggest game animal I hunt is whitetail deer, and the past 5 years, I've been using a 6.5 Creedmoor. I also do a lot of coyote hunting, and use a number of rifles for that, but could get by perfectly with a 223. Actually, I could compromise and use a 243 for everything.

But, to play along here........270 and 223. I picked the 270 in case I ever draw a Kentucky elk tag.

To me a Creedmoor works but it’s like driving a Honda Civic.
For years the only centerfire rifle I owned was a 243 and around here works perfectly. Some days I just want something different.
I would like make a few hunts out west and want to already have a familiar set up when I go.
Im applying for those Kentucky elk tags as well. Those folks are stingy with those tags.

I suppose I could make a big donation to our governor's re-election fund, and maybe he'd pull some strings and get me a tag. On the other hand, I'm hoping that little girly man is going to be a one termer.

I'd go 6.5x47, that way you don't get points deducted for using the 6.5CM:) And for number 2, I'd go 300WM. But it would really be nice to add a 223, a 280AI, a 308, an 06 .....

I’m with James here as I primarily hunt whitetails and my 6.5 creed has been getting the job done nicely the past few years.

I also have a semi custom 280 rem and if I could only choose two calibers it would be the 223 and 280. Eventually I want to get out for Elk and the 280 shines a little more then the creed for bigger game with the ability of using 160’s.

.223 and 30-06. Both in Kimber Montana flavor. Go forth and slay.

A 223 and a 30-06 would be tough to beat

I wonder if little Andy has ever had calluses from work in his life?

I’m embarrassed to admit I even own a 6.5CM. I would be afraid to show up somewhere with one, be afraid I wouldn’t get invited back. Maybe I just wouldn’t mention what cartridge I was shooting.

That would work just fine but with the 223 it would be so boring I would have to add one more for a little excitement somewhere. 257 Roy or something speedy to spice it up at least a little bit.

Not a big fan of "all around" rifles that are marginally good for a lot of things, but not particularly good at anything.

There why I said two.
With a 270, 300 Mag
270, 338WM
6.5, 300
7-08, 300 etc what could you not kill between antelope, deer, bighorn, Mtn. Goats, caribou, Kudu to Moose and not do a good job of killing it?
You can have specialized rifles for Cape Buffalo, Brown Bears, etc.

Being as I’m mainly a BG hunter my two would be a 270 Winchester and a 338 Win.



I can’t imagine living without my ARs so I’ll just put those in the “22 and 12 gauge” bracket.

.270 Win and a .338 Win mag.

Copycat

Great minds.

I’ll take that too!

Hmm - a little twisted but rooted.

.257 Roberts

.338-06


Oops - OP said 2 - deleted 222

.257wby and .338win mag

.223 & .30-06. If I could have a 3rd, 7-08.

If I was limited to one, .30-06, 165gr, Not sure I really “need” more than that.

How about “all around” rifles that are perfectly adequate for most things?

I have 2 Montana’s....a 223 and a 308. Same scopes, same mounts..... I mostly hunt deer and hogs in the fall/winter/spring and shoot ground squirrels in the summer. Truth be told, I use the 223 for most of it.....I just hang onto the 308 for out of state deer hunting where the ranges may be more than 300 yards . Inside 300 I have have FULL confidence in the 223 and have proved it to myself many times over.

I have others but these are the last 2 that will ever leave and really the only 2 I use any more.

Yep, got both

I have all those combos except the 6.5 PRC, but have a 6.5-06, 264’s, 26 Nosler

Im boring.
Rem 700 adl .243 in an HS stock w Leupold 3-9x.
.3006 Steyr prohunter w Leupold 3.5-10x

I do have a .223 and a .35 rem but if I was forced to run only two....the top ones.

223 & 7mm Rem Mag

This, for the easy button.

Or, 6mmRem and 9.3x62 for the less easy button.

6.5x55 and 35 Whelen if I could only have two.

Currently, .308 (Montana) and 7mmRM (tikka superlite).

My choice from the chamberings that I have:

260 Rem (Tikka)

300 WM (Savage w/custom barrel)

Number one needs to be a 223 which will check a lot of squares.

Number two can be anything from 243 up depending on your personal looneyism.

drover

I’d be ok with:

An M700 in 243 with an 8 twist barrel and a 4-12x or 4-16x scope. Probably shoot mostly target bullets.

An M700 in 7mm RM with standard 9 1/2 twist and a 3-10x scope. I’d shoot 160gr Partitions or Accubonds, whatever shot best. Maybe 140gr TTSX.

Whats a bench rear rifle?

5.56 in an AR-15 and a 30-06. With today’s bullets, there’s not much you can’t do comfortably with a 30-06. The state of affairs in our nation makes an AR-15 an absolute in my mind.

I've got more than one! Oh the shame!:)

I’ve only owned it for 5 days and I feel like I’ve betrayed my people or something. Hoping I don’t get exiled.

I suppose if you can get by with an all around hat, an all around hunting jacket, and all around hunting shoes, then an all around hunting rifle would be adequate too.

17 hornet and 257WBY 😎

Easy choice for me.

270 Win and 338-06

Can't do 2.

Could do 3. 22 LR, 270 Win and 375H&H (or 9.3X62)

.257 Roberts and a .300 Weatherby Magnum. Nothing on the planet one of these won’t kill with the appropriate bullet. Happy Trails

I dunno 🤷‍♂️

I agree but the AR doesn’t count toward your two.

7mm-08 and 300 WM.

Since i never varmint/predator hunt i have no need for a .223 Rem class cartridge so my two cartridges would be:
.308 Win in a Kimber Montana
.300 Win in a Tikka T3x Superlite ( Sportsmans warehouse model)......Hb

Two good bolt rifles in 30/06. FN M98 Mauser, Winchester Model 70.

6.5 CM and the 338 WM. Simple!

.300 winchester & .300 winchester...has never left me wanting more and ammo for one would feed the other...

same could be said for 1000 other cartridges, just saying- if a 2 rifle limit is on the table, I’ll keep loading and components simple as well.

7mm-08 & .338-06

270/308

OP stated 22LR and shotgun already included, same as rifle for the big stuff and varmints.

25-06

30-06

I was with you on the 300 Win.. The 06 is about the same thing I guess.

7-08 and 308

If I had to be super practical, I think a combination of .270 Winchester and .375 H&H would be very hard to beat.

If only two - .270 Win. Mountain Ascent and my 375 H&H Talkeetna.

I could go with either.

Currently have the 30-06 was my reason for editing.

7x57 and 9.3x62
280 and 338-06
243 and 338Federal
30-06 and 30-06
Lots of great combos.

257 Bee (or 240 fast twist or 270 Bee)
378 Bee (or 416 Bee)

A custom barrel 1:7 or 8 twist .243 Win and .308 Win in no more than a 7.5lb all up rifle 20-22" barrel. Nice lightish, fast handling, easy to shoot rifles. Present situation excluded, components and ammo were common and easy to get plus there is more than a little commonality between the two for components. If you can't kill a pronghorn, goats, sheep, and deer with a .243 or elk/moose with a .308, it isn't a rifle/cartridge issue is all I'm going to say.

If you're goint to use factory rifles 6mm Creedmoor and .308 Win for a lot of the same reasons above.

Exactly... or 270/270, 6.5CM/6.5CM, etc., etc.

For me, one lightweight and one midweight both chambered the same.

If not that, I'd say the finest practical combo for here in Montana is a 243 and 270.

My 7X57 and 35 Whelen would take care of all I want to hunt.

Uh Huh, + 2

Jerry

My Dad had three guns 22LR, 12 gauge and a 308 and somehow he managed

I like that combo as well.

Two rifles:

CXP2 - 6.5x55mm/140 gr.
CXP3 - 9.3x55mm/286 gr.

One rifle:
CXP2/3 - .270 Win/150 gr.




GR

Yup ..... That would cover everything 99% of us would be needing a rifle for.

30-06/30-06

270 & 9.3x62

308 for the little stuff, 300 WM for everything else.

257 wthby & 378 wthby

For two rifles:
CXP2 - 270 Winchester
CXP3 - 338 Winchester Magnum

260 Rem
280 AI

25-06 Deer & Antelope 300 Win Mag Moose Elk and other Big Game

.223 and .280 rem

.257 Roberts and 30-06.

Well that's purdy darned easy, as I only own two hunting rifles.

My winter caribou scabbard gun and mountain rifle is a Bugger Cockeyed 77 in 338 RCM with 2-7 scope. At 39.75 inches, it just barely fits under handle bar of dog sled. 225 grain fusions at 2720 fps. In mountains, if a sheep is taken, I'll probably drop the scope and load up with 275 grain A-frames sighted to the open sights for bear that might sniff around a pack full o bloody sheep meat. Been practicing to 500 yds with the ballistic recticle. Them fusion boattails buck wind purdy good. Affordable and manageable recoil for 30 round target sessions. Benchmade bugout for the steep stuff.



For my fall time moose hunts by freighter canoe, I'm really liking the 41 calibers! What I'm finding with the mighty 41s, is that they have this anchoring effect on really massive, rut-charged bulls. With an animal the size of Yukon moose, that anchoring effect will save your back and knees. Fatally hit, mature bulls along a swift, cold river can continue into the river, and get blasted into a splintered woodpile up, or die in a swampy oxbow pond. They can do this in just seconds. Had a buddy who broke his back packing out a bull about .5 mile from river.

416 Bugger Cockeyed 77 cut down to 22.5"(Stoopid barrel threads gone). 2.5-8 scope in Alaska arms LLC quick release rings.
Bench made crooked river. A 4 inch blade is ideal for moose chores, no shorter.

Gawd dmn is Ruger good to us Alaskans, with good chamberings in this affordable, investment cast bulllllllsht!

**One hole groups with both guns, as if that even matters.**

Agree.

Don’t like the two gun scenario, but those two would cover a lot of uses, make a lot of sense for a number of reasons.

DF

.225 Winchester

.300 H&H

Hard to argue with that.

Maybe but the boredom would kill me lol

CPX will be a 6mm ARC on a CZ527 action.

& my big gun will be 6.5 Grendel on a CZ 527 action.

260 Remington (or similar kin)
358 Norma Magnum

PennDog

Only own 2 centerfire bolt rifles.
The ot6 on top with either of those bullets designs will do on big stuff I imagine.
The 8x57 with the S&B 196gr SPCE bullet I now shoot out of it is a hammer on WTD and probably big stuff also.
Outside of the subject of thread below:
Same exact Sightron SII 3-9x42 duplex on both and my savage 220 and kodiak. 45 ml.
Sight picture the same across all 4.
No mind fugg schit going from wpn to wpn.
Consistency........

A .30-06 and a .338 Win Mag for big game.

.223 and .7-08AI would work pretty good too. Both Montana’s, Hawk Hill on the .223 and hart on the 7-08AI.

I'd want a fast twist .223, either in a qulaity AR or a good bolt gun. One can shoot military ammo, load 75 SSII's or similar for hunting, load down for kids and plinking, etc. Ammo and brass will always be the last to go away.

The '06 works great from light to heavy. It's a screaming WT rifle with 125 NAB's, etc, a monster killer with 200 or 220 NPT's and equivalent. Also does will with mono's pushed fast. There's just not much the old '06 won't do, fed the right ingredients. Brass and compontents will be easier to find than some others. Someone will always have a few cases, etc.

I'm bored to tears by a two gun scenario, would rather have a couple of safes full of good rifles.

But, given that scenario, practicality rules. Pick two that will span the widest of applications and do the most good (or damage). considering hard times, ammo shortages, famine, pestilence, etc.

Those two rounds will see you thru the hardest of times and look good doing it. There are flashier choices, more interesting choices, but I don't think there are better choices, given the limitations the OP has sugggested.

DF

I have two already my 700 in 270 win and my MCR in 7mm08. Both all weather and ready to rock. If I would change that I would ditch the MCR in 7mm08 and replace it with a Kimber Montana or Model 7 or Barrett Fieldcraft in 7mm08 and go with one light weight rifle.

If you held a gun to my head and made me go with a magnum on one rifle I would go with a 700 in 300win mag and a lightweight 7mm08.

,30-06 and .30-06

I'd take a 35 whelen and have two loads sighted in and ready to hit the woods. One load with 158swc 38spl bullets at 1400 fps for small game, and the other for large game. The trick is knowing what you're doing with either equally well

One can do similar with a .358 Winchester.

Having two scopes, each set up for a specific load solves the different POI for the two classes of ammo.

I have three set up for mine, have that many types of loads.

Those 35’s are interesting calibers with lots of options. I’d say it would be hard to find more effective options in another bore size.

DF

300 H&H Magnum, 200 and 220gr Partitions.
375 H&H Magnum, 300gr Partitions.

2 rifles? Nope, not going to happen...

DF

Then what would you do for a big gun...?

DF

I bought 3, just in the last month...

30-06


308. Trying to make it a 30-06:


Good shooting sucker though:



I also bought a new barrel for one of my AR's:


This 2 rifle bull crap is not going to cut it...

Whew!!! Thank god the op changed his OP!!!


Ok, 2 rifles:
1. 30-06 shooting 200gr partitions:

Its my old faithful. Fits me like a glove, since I filed and sanded down the custom stock to fit me. Works very well on critters.

2. Trusty old 338wm. Built on a pre 64 H&H action:

Knocks the snot out of elk... and paper


Group shot off of a rickity ol 1962 table.. Just sayin


Oh, and it was snowing and it was cold..

LOL, OP already said we could have our elephant rifles ; ]

.224 TTH (post 64)
300 WM (pre 64)

243win/7mm Rem mag

I did have two rifles out at the range today. My trusty 35 Whelen and even trustier 35 Remington. Today only the Remington got fired

For the needs I have it’s the Hill Country customs built on 700’s in:

25-06
&
35 Whelen

The rest in the safe are just spectators I guess.

I know a dude who shoots far away rocks and varmints with one, actually several. A few belching big clouds of smelly smoke. Go figure...

DF

Good choice. I wonder what it would have been if the op would have said 3 rifles?

Three would be more interesting than two...

DF

25/06 and 8 mm rem mag

MK V UL .25-'06

or

70 Classic Stainless 7-STW

and

Stainless Stalker .375 Roy

Good for whatever ails ya

You're right. Probably be lucky to keep one after president harris has her way.

Already stated previously:

25-06 Remington
30-06 Springfield


Maybe in one rifle that is a switch barrel.

Current collection: .270 Win and .243 Win.

If I felt sporty: .270 Win and .300H&H

Why two? I got by with a 7mm RM for nearly 20 years, prairie dogs to elk. Dad gave me his 22-250 at the end of that period.

These days I'd take my Ruger MKII .223, even with its slow 1-12 twist, and Ruger M77 7mm RM, but I don't use them "more than any of the others for big game". Don't really know what I use the most as I bounce between a lot of different rifles - more for fun than need. The .223 is not big game legal here.

Two for big game? Ruger M77 .257 Roberts for the small stuff like antelope and deer and my old Ruger M77 7mm RM for elk.

If I was starting fresh with no rifles at all it would be a similar choice:
.243 Win or 6.5 CM for the low end
7mm RM or 300 WM or PRC for the larger stuff.

Looking at my safe, I have the pick of 222, 223, 22-250, 6.5x55, 270, 7-08, 30-06, 300 H&H and 338-06 for deer.

Then I have the pick of 6.5x55, 270, 7-08, 30-06, 300 H&H, and 338-06 for elk and moose.

Then I have the pick of 375 H&H or 416 Remington for big stuff.

But my go to are the 270 Win and 338-06. But am quite fond of my 6.5x55 and 300 H&H too.

7-08's and 30-06's have not grown on me as much.

Enjoy being a looney, that is certain.

Same but my 7x57 is marked .275 Rigby. Both are Ruger No. 1's

Now, don't that just beat the heck out of a two rifle handicap...

You think like I do, no surprise here...

DF

Myself, the two most used are the .270 wcf and the .450 Marlin.Both are Browning BLR's.
I tote the .450 in the off season, checking livestock, mountain riding .The .270 for hunting.