2 calibers than cover 90% of hunting situations

[357smallbore]

My 243 and 06 I believe cover 90% of all hunting applications for North America. From Badger to Moose these two calibers will fill the larder.
In the lower 48 I'd say 100% of game is covered. Alaska we have Kodiak and Coastal Brown bears. The Arctic has the Polar Bear.
Those are the only two animals I'd consider the 06 a bit light for. It's still on the right side of the margin, but it isn't ideal for the alders or the frozen plain of the ice fields.

 

[troy fairweather]

i pick 222 rem and 375 H&H from chipmunks to elephants.

 

[mcb]

3.5 inch 12 gauge does it all in one; dove to polar bear and everything in between.

 

[357smallbore]

i pick 222 rem and 375 H&H from chipmunks to elephants.

Ain't seen me no Elephants roaming the Rockies

 

[caribou]

.22 and .30 are the calibers, though each can choose the case behind 'em....

 

[troy fairweather]

Ain't seen me no Elephants roaming the Rockies

got one less then a mile from me, and he broke out 2 months ago.

 

[brewer12345]

12 gauge and 30-06 would do it in my neck of the woods for 100%.

 

[Boattale]

Caliber or chambering, assuming the OP is restricting the question to rifles?

 

[Garandimal]

6.5x55 and 9.3x62.




GR

 

[cdb1]

Ain't seen me no Elephants roaming the Rockies

Look harder.

 

[cdb1]

If I stayed in state it would be 22-250 with a fast twist barrel and 6.5 SAUM.

 

[PWC]

3.5 inch 12 gauge does it all in one; dove to polar bear and everything in between.

Granted, but shooter must have 2 big ones to stand your ground and wait for griz or polar bear.

 

[labnoti]

Ain't seen me no Elephants roaming the Rockies

You're too late. You missed them.

 

[.455_Hunter]

... or you can pick 7mm Mauser for 90% of North American rifle hunting situations with ONE caliber.

 

[Alaskan Ironworker]

I dont own one, but .338 win mag would be my 1 gun choice. For two, I choose 6.5x55 and .375 h&h. Possibly changing the 6.5 for 22 long rifle.

 

[LoonWulf]

.22lr

.375 ruger

 

[earlthegoat2]

Can’t believe no one has mentioned 6.5 Creed for a one rifle plan....

 

[highlander 5]

223 and 30'06 no matter the conditions be it hunting,,plimking or zombie apocalypse you'll always find ammo.

 

[LoonWulf]

Can’t believe no one has mentioned 6.5 Creed for a one rifle plan....

I've shot a couple big animals with my 6.5-284.....ive never even carried my creedmoors hunting lol....and I want more bullet weight if I'm hunting game or an area I'm not familiar with.

For a single gun I'd still probably take my .375, but my next option would most likely be a fast .30

 

[.455_Hunter]

Can’t believe no one has mentioned 6.5 Creed for a one rifle plan....

Why? It's the leading candidate for overhyped cartridge of the century.

 

[Rembrandt]

243 and 06 I believe cover 90% of all hunting applications for North America......In the lower 48 I'd say 100% of game is covered.

Most likely will kill anything in the lower 48, but certainly not legal. Many states prohibit necked rounds.

 

[Sergei Mosin]

.22LR
.30-06

A fellow could go his whole life and never need anything else.

 

[Speedo66]

Agree with the above, but for the thirty, make mine a lower recoil .308. My 90% would not include grizzly or similar bear. I think I would be covered for everything else, straight cartridge states not withstanding.

 

[Picher]

The '06 handled all my hunting needs when that was the only centerfire I owned. I shot everything from crows and chucks to deer with it. Later, I found a spot where deer could cross an abandoned road anywhere from 5 yards to 500 yards, so we put up a permanent blind. The old '06 was okay, but the .270, with the right handloads allowed less holdover at longer range, so I made the switch.

The .22-250 Rem was a logical choice for me when we were hunting chucks on the rolling hills in Central Maine, and it did a great job winning turkeys at informal shoots in the fall. When I stopped doing that, it seemed that the .223 was a better range cartridge because it handled pests out to 300 yards and much less expensive to shoot at the range. The .22-250 also had case-stretching problems and I probably should have had it re-chambered to the Improved version, but was afraid to lose accuracy in a rifle that shot 3/8" groups at 100 yards.

Today, two rifle rounds handle all my hunting needs: .243 Win, and .270 Win.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Why? It's the leading candidate for overhyped cartridge of the century.

That was the punch line.