I�ve very often contemplated having just two rifles for all big game hunting (let�s say, everything above varmint-class�.deer and pronghorn up through elk and moose here and springbok on up to kudu/gemsbok/zebra in Africa). I�ve often thought, as well, that I�ve come up with the ultimate solution�at least several times. But then I start thinking again and decide I can do better.

I know I�m over-thinking it. There are many rifle/cartridge combinations that can do the jobs required. The minutiae of trying to prove one cartridge is better than another really is ridiculous, but we do it anyway. It�s even more ridiculous in light of recent bullet technology (read: BARNES) that make the old argument against light rounds (penetration) basically moot. I mean, an 85gr TSX shot out of a .243 can now be reliably expected to penetrate an elk to the vitals from almost any angle. That just wasn�t true of .243 bullets 25 years ago, but old habits and beliefs die hard. In fact, I can guarantee this thread will have several comments about �greater bullet weight is a better killer� when in reality, greater bullet construction is probably a far better consideration.

I�m concerned with recoil as I have some old injuries that make it nearly impossible for me to shoot big magnums comfortably. However, even if I didn�t have the injuries, I�ve come to the realization that with today�s bullets, you simply don�t need magnum power to kill the game animals we�re describing.

I believe a two-rifle battery should have a bit of overlap�just enough so one rifle could be a backup for the other if absolutely necessary, but not so much that you�d ever have much trouble determining which rifle would be best for any given job. For example, owning a .280 and a .30-06 would have so much overlap that there would be many instances where both rifles would do the job equally well, hence the owner would tend to reach for his �favorite� rather than considering the actual utility of each rifle. If the same owner had a .257 Bob and 9.3x62, there would be less �using the favorite� and more using each rifle for its intended purpose.

I�m very interested in what two rifle folks here would select. Of course, it depends on where and what each of us hunt, but getting ideas always helps. For a guy like me, I�d think a .25-06 or .270 Win is about perfect for the open country I hunt, and a short action sledgehammer like a stainless/synthetic .338 Federal is great for getting in the coastal rainforests and tiptoeing around for elk and blacktails and such. There is enough separation between the .25-06 and .338 Fed that I doubt I�d ever choose one over the other for the same job, but they could conceivably back each other up in a pinch. The line would blur a bit more with a .270 Win, but I think I�d still have a good two-rifle battery for what I like to do�.without excessive recoil and without excessive overlap.

So, my choices would be a 24" Winchester Model 70 Sporter in .270 Win (with Cerakote) and a 22" Winchester Model 70 Extreme Weather re-bored to .338 Federal. The .270 shoots 130gr TSXs at everything and the .338 Fed shoots 185gr TSXs.

What say you all? What are your thoughts on a perfect two-rifle battery for big game?

PS: I�m assuming everyone owns a .223 so I�m not including �varmints� and lighter game or cheap, non-painful practice shooting in this scenario. This is strictly about non-dangerous game animals.

No big bears or DG in my hunting, just elk and smaller.

7mm RM
300 WM

In that order of preference.

Edited to add:

OK, for the picky, those are cartridges, not rifles.

Ruger M77 or MKII would suit me just fine and in fact that is what my 7mm RM and .300 WM are chambered in, respectfully.

375H&H with 270gr TSX and 30.06 with 180 gr TSX

Akin to picking two pairs of socks.

Ain't happenin',in my house................

what the heck, I'll just vote for two of the ones I already have:

35 whelen and 6.5 swede

Any rifle you like with decent sights and chambered for any "modern" cartridge from .24 through .30, and another from .27 through .33. By "modern" I only mean post about-1900

Helpful, huh?

Seriously, I think the hunter and the technique is more important than the tools...

-R44

Beware the Best Injun,with the Best Arrows.............

Best injun do fine with any decent arrow. Poor injun still starve given best arrow ever made.

If limited to only 2 rifles for all my hunting needs from varmints to dangerous game I'll stick with my Win M70 30-06 and Win M70 375 H&H.

But the choice of only '2 rifles for everything' is more of a personal preference than anything else.

Pre-64 M70s in 270 FW using 130 NP or BBC..and 375 using 250 and 275 BBC..

257 Wtby 100gr TSX

7.21 Tomahawk 140gr TSX

Never ain't not been interested in the whole cake and eating it too.

All of which is easily arranged.

Show me a guy with one or two rifles and I'll show you someone who knows nothing about same......................

You would be dead wrong there. Go back to Huntamerica.com and strike up a conversation with a guy named Meyrick who go's by the screen name "Herne" and hails from Dorsett U.K..He will prove your assumptions completely wrong beyond a shadow of doubt.

Kimber Montana .223 run out to AI and a CZ Safari .404 Jeffery

Rest assured,you impress far easier than I and have shot a whole lot less too.

If only for starters..............

You are full of more schitt than a christmas goose. The man owns two centerfire rifles and has killed more big game in a year than you and I likely will in a lifetime. I don't really care to argue the point, so if you have doubts, just do as I said and go strike up a conversation with the man.

Huntamerica ? That's the new home of Lee24 aka LeeinSC.

Tell yourself whatever it takes.................

This is gonna get funny ..... and then sad .... I'll stop reading when we get to sad

You too dipschitt.

Take up the same invitation I gave Big schmuck then and judge for yourself.

270 primary
second 270 backup
or 7X57mm?

Dikkfart,

Didn't mean to hurt your feeling and squash your Imagination all at once.

Oops!..............

I believe it's a Ross Seyfried story about an older gent (perhaps in his 70s?) whom he took on safari one time where the sport only owned one rifle...and old Pre-'64 Model 70 in .270 Winchester. This fine rifleman proceeded to take some 14 or so heads of game with an equal number of shots, a few being the most difficult shots Seyfried had ever seen.

But I guess that's false because a man who owns but one rifle can't possibly know what he's doing.....

257 weatherby and an 8mm mag.

Serious long-range smackdown medicine!

That's about as nice a combo as I can think of.

Didn't Mickey Fowler do same with a pistole and wagering on Trophy Fees?

Jusy sayin'................

You didn't hurt my feelings little schmuck, But as with your refusal to face John Burns challenge, you prove yourself the loudmouth coward you are by ignoring mine.

Pardon my having a Life,when you don't.

You whine well...undoubtedly due to all them years of practice.

Too funny!..............

35 whelen /264 win.

Afraid you'll get spanked again and sent on your way like you did by Jack Belk 10 years ago on Huntamerica lil' fish ? Puzzy.

Jeezus Christ,your Imagination is working double over time.

In fairness however...you'll wanna start by [bleep] yourself,because you WILL get more puzzy.

just sayin'...................

For the hunting I do and might do, I wouldn't be better served by anything than I am with my Pre-64 70 FWT in .308 (deer) and my Pre-64 Standard in .35 Whelen (Elk, If I ever draw one of MI's tags) That said, I have several others that I use and like and am thankful that I live somewhere where that is allowed.

I've got more puzzy in one night, and better quality puzzy at that, than you have in your whole ugly little homo life there lil' fish. What I speak is the absolute truth and your sorry little a$$ knows it. Belk spanked your stupid a$$ and you packed your schitt over here cuz your sorry little butt couldn't impress anybody there anymore.

I like that combo, too.

Can the two thread-killers please take their spat to the PM function and get it off my thread? Thanks!

i'll take

270win
7mm mag

for varmits
221fb in a xp-100
22-250

these for are my shooters,year after year.

I'm here. Did someone say they wanted a thread killed?

I'd keep a 7/08 & 25/06.

Actually, John, if just one individual dropped off this thread it would be great. That person isn't you!


I'd have a tough time with those two. Lots of overlap!

Don't shoot anything bigger than pigs and Deer, so I could get by with just about anything.

Jm

For many years I owned just two rifles. Both were Rugger M77's one in 220 Swift, the other was a 270 Win. I still have the Swift and it's still one of my best shooters.

280 ai and 25-06.

257 Roberts
30-06


ddj

257 Roberts
7x57

Currently in tang safety Ruger M77s

.25/06 or its ai cousin
7mm Rem. Mag

Kimber Classic 84 in 7mm-08 and Winnie M70 EW in 300WSM.

I'll take 2 300RUMs and stack up carcasses by the truckload.

I have one 300RUM and a 7mm-08 for my women-friends and children that need to borrow a rifle.

A very sensible pair if I may say so. Stew

Classic!

Retro chic!

270 Win
35 Whelen

I picked one rifle that fits all the calibers.

Awesome! If I thought I could handle the recoil of the Whelen, that's precisely the two I'd have.

The recoil in the Whelen is similar to shootin an 06 with 180`s.
Go for it.

270 and 375

7x57 and 375

7/08 and 375

280 and 375

7mm Anymag and 375

30/06 and 375

300 Anymag and 375

375 and ..........................................375.

Duh......

I like my CDL .260 running 120TSX
and a 300wsm running 165TBBC
(may could sub a .270 running 130grTTSX for either)

Why did I see that comin'......?

Since your OP stops at elk and Kudu:

.243 Win.
.30-06

Those would be my picks as well, though I'm sure that lying little pansy from puzzyville AK. would need a 243 AI and .30-06 AI to accomplish anything. That's providing the stupid little schmuck could get Jack Belk or some other knowledgeable smith to build the rifles for his sorry little self of course.

The two I curently use, 257 WBY in an ultralight and 35 Whelen in the 700 CDL.

Bingo!

For the game I hunt I could actually have two rifles of very similar caliber, I hunt whitetails, pronghorn and mule deer, I doubt I will ever hunt Elk but if I did a good ol 30-06 or 7 Mag would do the job just fine. I do think a hunter does need at least two very good hunting rigs especially if he travels in case of any trouble with one he has a backup rig, if I could narrow My big game battery down to just two I'd go with a Remington 700 XCR II 7 Mag and a Ruger Hawkeye Ultralight in say .270 Win, however their are so many great rifles out there I'm sure if I thought about it a while I could come up with a combination that would be just as good..............Hillbilly.

7mm-08 and 300WM,

I have no plan to ever hunt Africa so 300WM is all I will ever need,,,, already have both never use the 300WM, both savage rifles, same model, both wearing warne steel bases and burris sig Z rings with Burris Sig, old style 1.5-6 posi lock scopes,,,,

270 Winchester

90g Sierra HPs at 3500 fps for varmints, 150g Noslers at 3000 fps for everything short of grizzly/brown bears (includes deer, javelina, elk, black bear and most African plains game)


375 H&H

For everything else

What I already have
1)Weatherby Mark V stainless 270 WBY MAG 130 GR. X or BT @ 3450 FPS
My 270 WBY is from the WBY custom shop and weighs 7 lbs 4 ozs bare bones.
2)My Z-HAT Custom Winchester 1895 405 WCF 300 GR.THUMPER
Robar Ind. NP3 finish,NECG ADJ. Express sights,Old Style Pachmeyer recoil pad
Or 3) Ruger 77 RSI Stainless Mannlicher 7mm-08 with good factory open sights in case I broke the scope on it.
Short 18 1/2 in. barrel,Full length wood stock,Factory stainless scope rings.Great Factory AMMO offerings for the 7mm-08
AMRA

Simple ....

25-06 & 375 H&H (or Ruger)

Larger Varmints upto anything

naw ... let's get 20 more pages ... you don't need both of them when the 7-08 is sooooo much better!

For my "needs" I would go with:

25-06
.338 Win

Damn lotta hate in that heart. Try prayer .. it works.

*** Edited to add ***

Knew it would get sad ....

Well lots a choices on this but #1 is my OLD 7mm Rem Mag 700 ADL with its original stainless barrel using 120 BT's and full dose of RL-19 and the 2nd choice is the same gun using 160 gr PT's and full dose of H870. Oh while we are all dreaming anyway(sure I'll cut myself to 2 guns) 2nd gun is my Shiloh 74 Business rifle in 45-110 with 540 gr paper patched bullets with 100 grs of Fg Express ,kill anything that walks and you can still eat it. Magnum Man

You do what you think is best Ned, She's {lil' fish} nuthin' but a runaway to me. It didn't get sad here till your sorry a$$ started postin'.

I'll grab this one first. Plain vanilla ADL 270 Win. It's a workhorse that always hits where I aim with any load. I dumped it in this McGap and life is good

I am going to go with what I got going now...or soon to finish:

308 win
&
35 Whelen

Win M 70 in 270 and a Win M 70 338 WM

Can't see why I couldn't get by with either a 25-06AI & 280AI or 243 & a WSM(have a 270 till the barrel goes or get tired of it then 7WSM).

I've been posting here since 2002 sometime .... If this place has been sad for soooo long, why did you join?? ... to join the sadness?

my buddy was just describing to me today that he was going to a two caliber battery . . . one bolt action and one auto each in 30-06 and .243. Had Coopers in both bolts and was looking at Browning BARs.

Myself, I could never be just a two rifle man.

A .270 Win. in a 84L and a 375 H&H in a Talkeetna.

My 7x57 .......and my 30-06.


(and I will sneak the 270 Win in also!)

7mm.

270 WSM
325 WSM

Hate these stupid pick 1 rifle, 2 rifle threads.........................

My 6.5x55 Win M70 classic FWT and Cooper M52 30-06

Maybe I got lucky as a teenager but I bought a Ruger in 270 Win as my first rifle and a Savage 99 in 358 Win for my second. 31 years later, I can't say as I would change a thing.

Dale

My 243 and 300wsm

.308 and 7mm rem mag both in Ruger M77 MKII

Why even go with two different calibers? I have thought that maybe two 7 mags or two 30-06's or any same caliber two rifle battery would be the best for a practical man, very simple and ammo would be less hassle, especially if they were both accurate with the same load............Hillbilly.

Deer and pronghorn to elk and moose with a little overlap?

.30-06 and .338 Win Mag are the two I use most of the time.

The real interesting discussion is why did you pick one head stamp over the other? Did it have anything to do with personal experience and boolits?

Laffin . . .

Good friend of mine does most of his hunting with two M70 Classic 30-06's..

He has one sighted in with 125 GR cartridges and uses it for everything from coyotes and other varmints up through Whitetail deer sized game. Those little 125 GR pills are poison on game up to the size of antelope and deer.

The second is sighted in with 180 GR Partitions and is used for heavier game such as elk, moose and bear.

In a worse case situation either one could be resighted in with either heavier or lighter weight bullets.

To the OP:

U didn't pick nothing the qtr bee couldn't handle...and handle well...

Pretty interesting that Lee24 is still alive on that huntamerica.com site. God it would be fun to get him an stick scrapping.

I think for me a Cooper Excaliber in 300 Roy and a 40X or a model 52B Winchester is all you would need.

I would probably get a Chapuis if I decided to go to Africa anyhow.

Sincerely,
Thomas

Easy answer for me: 1. 30-06 (any of the 3 i've got). 2. 338 win mag (Ruger M77 MKII).

for me and the hunting that i do and any hunting that i might do and the hunting on my wish list ,[which would include coyote,deer,antelope,elk,moose,sheep,pigs,
black bear,caribou,and mountain lion,note this includes everything i would like to hunt along with what i do hunt already]i think i would opt for either a .280rem and a .300 rum or then a 7mm wsm and a .338rum

I'd take my current M70 in 270 WSM and build a 35 Whelen on a M70 action to round out the pair.

Since varmints are out, it's easy.

A nice Mauser in 30-06.
A nice Mauser in 458 for anything too big for the 30-06.

Since we are having a blizzard, I'll play.
How about a 7x57 and a 375 HH
or 7x57 and a 9.3x62
or 30-06 and a 375 HH
or 257 and a 9.3x62
or 257 and a 375 HH
or 30-06 and a 9.3x62
These be my favorite combos.
All on nice commercial mausers of course.
Take care Les

I'd actually need to have 3 cartridges to cover everything.

I could get by very well with my 30'06 Mauser, especially with two different scopes. Another rifle would function only as a backup if the primary broke down. Another '06 with the same M70 safety, and same scope or scopes would work just fine.
I don't dig the idea of having to hunt elk with a .243, but certainly would if forced to, simply because my '06 broke during an accident. I fail to see just what a .243, or any smaller round will do for me that the '06 won't.
While one can argue that a magnum might shoot flatter, I'd point out that a simple '06, with the right ammo, will shoot plenty far enough for me.
As for a .375, if I ever go to Africa, I'll simply borrow one from my PH. E

If I had to have a sell off, I would choose a couple of good ones to keep.
.270 Win.
.300 WSM
Don't really have to have a N. American game round any smaller or larger

.257 roberts and 30-06

+1 If you don't have to then why even consider it???

257 WBY with 100 gr. TSX's(Win. Mod. 70 stainless classic) and 375 H&H with 270 gr. TSX's(Win Mod. 70 stainless classic)........throw in a Rem. 870 12 guage for bird or small game and I think I would always eat.

.22 rimfire and a 338 win mag

308 and 45/70

Already got them, .260 and .30-06

I'll go with a 308 Rem. 700ss 5R milspec and a M1A Nat'l Match. Gives me a bolt gun and a semi, both in 308.

270 win. and 375HH

I might have to go with my Tikka .30-06 and my Marlin 444P.

A fast 7, say a 7 RM. Next, a 223 Rem.

Tomorrow it would be a Win 71 .348 Win and a 94 Rifle/Carbine in 218 Bee

Joseph

A compact .358 and a light 300 WSM, if only two.

Already have them. A .243 & .375 H&H.

Including, IIRC, a lion, and all with careful hand loads and 150-gr Nos Part's. Again, IIRC, RS stated he allowed the attempt on the lion only after he had watched the gent operate the rifle on the other game. He killed the lion with one shot.

Hard to argue with that...

270 Winchester

338 Winchester Magnum

If all my hunting was just in the Western Hemisphere then 257 Roberts & 30-06 or maybe one of the 300 mags.

If I was to include Africa big 5 then 270 & 375H&H

Actually for all I'm actually interested in, the 257 would do it.

I think these one rifle, or two rifle threads are started by someone's wife so she can say "See, I told you you didn't need all those guns!"

I'm just kidding guys.

N.A. 257 Roberts & 338 win mag
Africa 30-06 & 375 H&H

WTF!!!! Jeff you are the last one I ever thought would jump off of the 325wsm band wagon!
358 and a 325 would be hard to beat. Stew

How about a .300 WBY and a .260 Rem?

Nice combination as well.

if only 2, 7-08 and 358

croldfort - my $.002 worth: 6.5mm Swede & .338Win. From small "soup" to very large "nuts". LOL Homesteader.

Remington Model Seven KS...20" barrel.. .350 Remington Magnum....would handle most of the hunting I do. Only change I would make would be the gun would be blackened stainless like the Custom Shop used to do with the Model Seven AWR.

As a second gun I would want something flat shooting out past 300. For that it would be a Remington 700 CDL stainless fluted in .257 Weatherby Magnum. 26" barrel but would take the wood stock off and a Ti or other good quality composite stock for all-weather performance.

This would take care of any hunting I do from varmints to bear on the North American continent. If Africa was on tap I would probably go to a Model 700 Custom Shop .375 H&H for a heavy rifle in place of the light weight .350.

Bob

Hard to argue with those choices.

25-06

338-06

K but I will...

Roberts and my Mashburn

Dober

I'll take a .22-250 and a .308...

ep, that would do too.
Randy

That suggestion has gotta be near perfect. The .338-06 probably thumps a tiny bit too much for my bionic shoulder, so I'd replace it with the .338 Fed and get just about the same utilty.

SS MV in .257Roy and a Ruger #1 in 9,3x74R

300 H&H w/ 200gn Swift a frames
505 Gibbs w/ 600gn Woodleigh softs and solids

Gunner

338 RCM, 7mm/08

Personally I would stick to a 270 Win and a 375H&H.

I often wonder if I should sell all but these 2 and take a Teddy Roosevelt style safari someday. Seriously, why do I have so many centerfires between 6mm Rem and 450 Marlin all with Leupys???

243 -308

I agree with Dog Hunter. 270 - 375 what else is there?

6.5x55 Swede
&
9.3x64 Bernnenke
both in nice sport Mauser rifles

since i have them already, 7mmRM and 338RUM. If I were directing a new hunter, 243 and 30/06.

25-06 and 300 win mag

There are just so many choices that would work just fine.

I suppose I would be satisfied with a .308 and a .300win.

.....or a .270 and a .338.

....or a 6mm rem and a 30-06...

in the end, it really does not make much difference.

30-06 and something big, in my case that's a 9.3x66Sako, but a 375 HH will do.

My 7mm Rem. mag and my .416 Remington both in model 70 Winchester rifles with pre-64 action.

Kimber 84 in 257 Bob
Mauser '98 in 338-06

M70 in 270 Win.
TC Encore 460 S&W with a 20" Katahdin barrel

Rem. 700 7mm Rem Mag
Win. 70 375 H&H Mag

.243 and 6.5x55. i have no need to shoot anything that weighs more than my couch lol

7 mag, 338 mag

257 Roberts, 30-06

For my type of hunting my choices would be :
358 Win.(own 5) & 350 Rem Mag (own 4) now.

Ken

My choice is my 7x57featherweight Winchester and 338 Win. Mag.

At a blistering 300fps, this would prolly be my second rifle choice

7mm-08 and a
8mm-07

In that order.