I'm all about a variety and guns sales, ammo, whatever, dont agree with reinventing the wheel and headstamps, but whatever, thats another story. Recent threads about certain cartridges got me wondering what others think. Need three centefire chamberings, not saying all you can have or was limited to whatever, this is just about your 3 main go to cartridges everyday hunting work. What's the general consensus across the board. B.C.? Speed? Classic? New technology?

For me,
.243 Win.
.270 Win.
.300 Win.
Make every one a 10 twist.

Mr. Coyote10...
If I can only have 3 rifles for hunting.
I pick,,, 270 Jack,,,35 Townie,,340 Roy

If we're talking about big game and including Africa I'd say:

6.5 CM
30-06 (or 7 Mag if you hunt a lot in very open country)
.375 H&H

But I have a bunch of rifles and I'd hate to be limited to 3. Part of the fun is choosing the rifle for the hunt.

Yep, on a 7 day hunt (for example), you should be able to take a different rifle every day. Just sayin. 3? No way!!

Mine, .22-250 or swift, .25/06 or .270 and my .300 Win. Mag. Doing the job for 50+ years.

.223
6.5CM
.308Win

Probably 75% of the time I'm grabbing a rifle, it's in one of those chamberings. 7mm-08 is in the running too, but barely gets edged out by the main three.

Actually, I really like those 3 choices and for almost all hunting in the US they would be great. But if we're including big stuff I'd want a .375 H&H or equivalent.

Hmm

243
6.5x55
30-06

357 magnum or 30/30 wcf

300 savage or 303 british

45/70 or 350 remington mag

this is going to be tough no can't do it!

Can't limit myself to just three rifles but if I was to list the cartridges that get the most use from my safe-

.22 Long rifle by far
223 Rem for vermin and fun shooting
26 Nosler is my go to rifle these days


Everything else is just for fun or to lend out to my children or family if needed

223, 6.5 CM, and 338 FED all in the same matched configuration.

My 3 are stainless Rugers bedded in McM Hunter stocks. They feel the same and weigh about the same, so I can move seamlessly from one to another. The 223 gets shot the most since it is used to varmint hunting, calling predators, and the ammo is cheaper for practice.

I've yet to shoot anything bigger than a whitetail with any of them, but think that the 338 FED would kill black bear, elk, and moose as well as any with proper placement of a properly constructed bullet.

My practice/warm up rifle is a Tradewinds 311A, a version of the Krico 302 that they imported under their name/brand. I believe that having a rimfire understudy rifle set up like your primary centerfire hunting rifle is the recipe for more economical practice and without practice you don't get better, even if you think that you don't need to get better.

257wby
6.5prc
338win

MAINLAND USA BIG GAME - 6.5 CREEDMOOR, .30-06, .338 WIN MAG, VARMINTS-DEFENSE - .223/5.56, ALASKA-AFRICA - .375 H&H

For LA they are

6.5x55
30/06
9.3x62



For Short Action they are

6.5 Creed
338 Federal
375 Raptor

I think I'd be able to manage quite nicely for my big game hunting with existing rifles in 6.5x55 or 6.5 Creedmoor, 30-06 and 9.3x62.

I'd add a 22 LR and 222 or 223 for small game and varmints.

Should my loving spouse hear this I will deny it all.......

StarchedCover

I could easily hunt the rest of my life with those 3.

.223, 30-06, 375H&H covers everything I need. Could sub any .223 cartiridge on the low end, anything from .25-.33 for medium and anything .375 on up for the big stuff.
Bullets are more important than headstamps.

I guess I'll go with the three I mostly use.
30-30
300 SAV
308 WIN

Kinda redundant 😄

A 22 LR, a .223 REM, and a .338 WM or a .375 H&H!

The .338 WM and the .375 H&H have pretty decent factory ammo availability, trajectories very similar to that of the 270 Win. (if using 150’s) and the 30-06, both offer very tolerable recoil, and will work on all big game from Pronghorn Antelope to the largest of NA game…..with the .375 recognized as a very practice African game rifle! memtb

Make mine a .308 a 338wm and a 35 Whelen.

For me, where I live, where I hunt, centerfire,

223 Rem
6.5x55 Swede
7mm-08

If I had to go to my gun safe right now & could only grab 3 centerfire guns to hunt with, I think I would choose:

6.5x55 SE as my all-around favorite. I get a lot of good usage out of this round.

300 HAM'R Wilson Combat Protector Carbine for semi-auto firing with a bit more energy than a 223.

9.3x74r to have something that can lob heavier bullets if I need to. If I'm leaving North America, I might switch that out for my 375 H&H instead. Either is a good choice that I'd be happy with.

So a couple of classics at each end with a modern rifle stuck in the middle.

.223

7 WSM

.358 Win

7 Rem mag.

Load it down for rabbits and called coyotes. Midrange loads for deer and antelope. Normal loads for long range and elk/bear.

223AI
284 Win
358 Norma

22-250
270 Win
338 Win mag

223
257 Roberts
300 WSM

The .223 and 30-06 would cover most of the ground for me. If limited to 3, I’d take the .223, .308 Win and add a bigger one like the .338 Win. Th first two come in a variety of actions. The 338 could just as easily be switched to a 300 H&H or 308 Norma. Maybe even a 35 Whelen. Lots of good choices out there.

3 cartridges for me? I can do it with 1, for the game I hunt with a centerfire rifle (whitetails) give me a .308 Win and ill be fine but I would like to own several different rifles chambered in said cartridge 😁.....Hb

223 sporter in a synthetic
275 Rigby wood & walnut
30-06 SS synthetic

Me too

223
308
375 h h

.223
6.5x55
.308 Win

the 3 rifle cartridges i use the most are 22 K- Hornet ,257 Weatherby mag. , 30-06 , but always have a 220 Swift with me in truck .

270 Win.
7x57
3006

22-250
6.5x55 or 257 Robert’s
45-70 or 444

220 Swift
7-08
338 WinMag

Back when I was doing a lot of big game hunting the battery was:

7x57

.300 H&H

.375 H&H

These three are mine, also.

Based on what I have now - .22lr, .243 Win., 30/06

If I were to start over - .22lr, 25/06; 300 Win. Mag.

If I were to start over again, supplies were readily available and I let the influence of Bob Milek creep back into my way of thinking - .22lr, 257 Roberts, 35 Whelen.

If I had to start over because my wife left me and I to sell off everything - .308 Win., 308 Win., 308 Win.

17 HMR.

243/6mm of some sort

30-06.

Really wouldn't need the '06.

44 Magnum

260 Remington

30/06

22LR

257 Roberts

300 Win mag

I would be comfortable hunting almost anything with those 3.

6mm Rem
264 win
35 Whelen

22 LR - my most shot cartridge, I shoot a few thousand rounds a year of it. Inexpensive, and puts a smile on my face.

223 - Varmints through wolves. Accurate, easy to shoot and inexpensive.

30/06 - Wolves through big game.

Due to aging I am paring my rifles back - guess what I am paring them back to.

drover

20 ga, .22 RF, .30-30

From the the rifles I now own:

.250 Savage
6.5 Creedmoor
.270 Win.

I only hunt deer, and the occasional predator that tries to get at my chickens. If I had to choose just one cartridge it would be the .257 Roberts.

243 Win
270 Win
338 Win Mag

Standard
223
6.5CM
308

Varmint
223
6mm CM
308

Off shore and home
223
7mm RM twist right
375 H&H

It gets harder and harder to justify a big gun for me. A not so hot loaded 300 win mag worked great on a handful of Asian buff in AU.

From my current inventory and where I live and hunt.
[img]https://imgur.com/a/2LxZl[/img]
Tikka 223
Tikka 6.5
Tikka 30/06

That’s about perfect.

I’ve daydreamed about keeping my 2 tikka’s, 223 and 243. Then add a .30 cal like 308, 30-06 or 300.

Most likely to be using a 6.5 Swede, 308, or 30-06.
For my use, the guns are more different than the cartridges.


223/22-250 fast twist
308/30-06

That's 2 choices each for a total of 2.
Mostly hunt deer, shoot targets of opportunity.
Any one of the 4 would do everything needed.

.257 Roberts
.308 Win
7mm Weatherby

For me (IF I had to)

.22LR: Small game and Practice
.223: Varmints and HD
.300WM: Load it down to .308 level for whitetails, hogs, load it up for the occasional elk hunt.

.270, 7mm Rem. Mag., 300 Win. Mag.

Well, based on my most recent acquisition of modern rifles, they'd be...
6.5 CM
7mm PRC
308 Win

For me and my hunting needs (eastern woodlands and pastures):

.22 Hornet (Win M54 K-Hornet)
6.5x55 (Ruger#1)
.30-06 (Springfield NRA Sporter)

I could slide through the remainder of my Golden Years of hunting with those three cartridges/guns, but could substitute my .223 Low Wall for the Hornet if needs be, and .30-30 Winchester bolt gun or .30-40 Krag for either of the other two if I had to.





Sorry for inclusion of specific guns, but I feel the platform is as important as the cartridge - can't have one without the other, each cartridge compliments its gun and vice-versa.

7mm-08
350 Legend

22 LR, 30-06 and 300 WM

Uh the OP asked about centerfires. Lots of other guys mentioned LR too so not picking on anybody.

22-250
7mmSTW
338WM

.270 Win.
.243 Win.
.300H&H.

22lr
223
6.5 CM

.22-250 or a Swift.
.300 Win or .300 Roy
Don't need a third CF.
Do need .22lr tho.

Oh.... variety is the flavor of life. But since we are showing some self constraint and limiting ourselves to only 3 center fires then I guess I will choose...

.223
.308 or 6.5 CM, to me they are interchangeable but in my safe the .308s outnumber the 6.5s 3 to 1
30-06. I'd love to pick one of my heavy hitters but the ole 06 has killed everything it has been shot at. To include most of my elk. I don't think the elk I have killed with my 300s would have met their end any less effectively had I had the 06 on that day.

30/30
30-06
416 Rem Mag or 470 N.E.


6CM
7PRC
350 Legend or 450 Bushmaster


243 Win
270 Win
458 Win

You’re correct…I didn’t read very carefully!

So……I only need 2 centerfire rifles, and one rimfire! 😉 memtb

223
7 mag
338 win mag

223
6.5CM
30/06

Anymore, I only hunt deer, so I'm reaching for one these depending on my mood. My 30-06 hasn't been out in years.

257 Roberts
25-06
7-08

204, 6.5X55, 280.

Model seven predator in 223, mountain Rifle in 7x57 and a 99 in 308..
I think these could do most of the hunting I have left to do.
But I would feel like I was really missing something.
Ya gotta have a good 30-06!

.223/5.56
7mm Rem Mag
375 H&H Mag

I can hunt around the world with those 3

22LR
1:10 twist 243 Win
30/06

I included the.223 and .308 due to available rifle choices. In .223 I’d own an AR and both light and heavy bolt guns. In .308 I’d have a Tikka, a Savage 99 and a M1A. If guns were free, I’d throw in a H&K SL7, just to round out the bunch. My 3rd one would be a mid bore in 338, 35 Whelen or 9.3. I could make do nicely with these.

I could swap out the 275R with a 257 Roberts and be just fine.

223 Win.
6.5CM
358 Win

I’d be happy with my Whelen instead of the 358 if someone feels the need to argue.

ARGUE??? ON this forum?? Surely you jest!

In BC, from gophers to grizzlies, I will take:

1:7T 223
1:7.5T 6BR
A 1:8T 7mm, anything from the 7-08 to 7 Rem is perfect.

I hunt Pronghorn, Deer, Elk & Moose in NA. In Africa, I hunt all plains game and all dangerous game, elephant excluded. So, JUST (3) centerfire rifles for all of that? I have to keep in mind what works in America, as well as ammo that I can find in Africa if need be.

OK.

270 Win.
9.3x62 Mauser
404 Jeffery

Another excellent 3-rifle battery that would do the same:

30-06
375 H&H
458 Lott

.223 Rem, .308 Win and .35 Whelen. This will never happen of course!

30-06
12 gauge ( Rem 870)
30-30

I'm not going to Africa or Alaska

257 Roberts
6.5x55 Swede
358 Winchester

or

25-06
7x57
35 Whelen

or

6.5-06
280 AI
9.3x62

They are all No. 1s or High Walls in my battery.

I like this combo a lot and own all 3. If these were to be the ONLY 3, I would replace the .308 with .30-06 so I could launch 200s and 220s at 2700 and 2550 for bigger stuff.

.22 mag
7mm-08
.338 Fed / .338-06/ .358 Win.

Pretty cool to see what you guys like and how the area obviously makes the cartridge selection different. I may change mine to:
.243 win
.270 win.
.338-06

But a .223 and a .30-06 is difficult to not own.

I've been on this and other forums for over 20yrs and these type of threads are VERY common and show up with regularity. They always ask "What is the minimum number of guns you could live with?".

Anyone venture a guess why these come up so often? It's not like anyone here is going down to three guns.

Three guns total for me ....

1. 20ga SxS upland gun
2. 222 or 223 700 sporter
3. 30-06 or 7x57 or 270 or 280 or 308 etc 700 sporter

The three I hunt with the most:
308 Win
6.5-300 Wby
340 Wby

If I only could have three rifles:
.22 WMR
308 Win
340 Wby

For big game hunting, only if I had to:

270WCF
338-06
416 Rem

Super practical would be:
223
30-06
375 H&H

For three only……..a great selection/choice! 😉 memtb

I am. Or at least I better be

RickF
Why not a 6 GT rather than a 6 BR?
RD

270 1-9 twist 6.75# 22”

375 H&H

If I was still chasing NA sheep…a 7 PRC

Just for this year....

223

6 x 45

6.5 Grendal...

I'll just be shooting sage rats, and a deer this fall...

Next year may be different...


I'll probably be shooting a couple thousand sage rats or more...

and Oregon Allows me to shoot ONE deer.... I don't elk hunt, due to I've been shot at by too many trigger happy elk hunters over the last 10 to 12 years...

and Oregon Allows me to shoot ONE deer.... I don't elk hunt, due to I've been shot at by too many trigger happy elk hunters over the last 10 to 12 years




WOW! 🙀😟 memtb

"I don't elk hunt, due to I've been shot at by too many trigger happy elk hunters over the last 10 to 12 years..."

You're not supposed to wear the decoy!

😂 memtb

Give me 3 reliably accurate bolt guns with decent glass and chamber it in

Small

Medium

Large

Middle of the road in each category and readily available

(a "Tikka Trifecta" would work perfectly for me)

.243 win
.35 rem
.30 06 sprg

Boring but thats my main group

I gotta have a 22 or 6mm. my 22-250 has been rechambered to 22-243AI, and there are 6mms in 243, 6mm Rem, and 6mm-284 in the safe. I would be hard pressed to pick between the Vanguard in 243, or rebarreling one to 22-250. The vanguard is already here.

Since there are three 260s in the mix already, that would edge out the 264 and 7-08 for the middle spot. Probably keep the fast twist Rem 700 5R with AICS bottom metal, just in case I ever want to stretch its legs past 500 yds.

The Ruger #1 in 7mm STW has covered my needs on the heavy end very well. I will never shoot at anything which that cartridge would be a poor choice.

243
260
7 STW

3 is not do-able!

Center fire:

260 rem
270 win
30-30 w/peep sight

223 varmint
270 win
375HH

Well, my last three DIY builds would do the trick from light, versatile and powerful enough:

6.5 CM (light, fun and easy to shoot)
308 Win (versatile, range of bullet weights, ammo generally available, good enough for anything in lower 48)
7mm PRC (heavy enough for anything I might hunt with 175s)

Won't be limited by anyone with moron mentality.

Wow, reading comprehension is really not that elusive …..for most of us! memtb

I'll never hunt in AK, so my lower 48 battery would be .223, 6MM Creed and 6.5 PRC.

This has my vote as the least nostalgic list so far. Definitely not from an antique collector. I’ll bet Paul is the oldest thing in his house! 🤭

223
30/06
9.3x62

222
280 rem
375 h&h

And many other good 3 gun options not much on the planet you couldn’t hunt with these

For where I live and what I do the 3 would be:

.220 Swift
.25-06 Remington
.30-06 Springfield

If I was going to include Africa:

.220 Swift
.30-06 Springfield
9.3x62mm Mauser

250 Sav
7-08
30-30

CZ 527 in .223
Barrett Fieldcraft in 6.5X55
Either my R700 Ti in 7SAUM or my 1885 in 7 Mag

.223
.308
.300 Blackout

If 22LR is a given and doesn't have to count...

30-30 Win (of course)
270Win
300 Win Mag

My three would be

44 Rem Mag
6.5X55
30/06

35 Remington

260 Remington

30/06

.223
.30/06
.375 H&H

22LR
7X57
35 Whelen

220 Swift
7mm Rem Mag
45/70

358 Winchester/200 grain ttsx’s or 200 grain interlock’s
35 Whelen/225 grain tsx’s
300 Winchester magnum/165 grain ttsx’s

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.

Yes I could do two as well
A 223 and a 270

Can't believe you'd leave that .222 badger pounder out of the mix. Hard to not like a good ol 270.

I’d ream that to a 223 before I sold it. As hard as that would be to do, getting down to 2 guns would be worse, near impossible.

.357 mag
6.5 Grendel
30-06

338 Federal would be right in there though.

223, 30-06, and 45-70. Patriotic!

30-06
7mm-08
Marlin 35 rem.

22-250, .280 Rem., .350 Rem. Mag. cover my bases well. However i never stick to the plan.

22lr
222 Rem
6.5x55 SE

I like this combo too

22LR
250 SAV
6.5x55 swede