If there were only 12 rifle cartridges....

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1. 375 H&H
2. 416 Ruger
3. 416 Remington
4. 416 Weatherby
5. 416 Rigby
6. 458 Lott
7. 460 Weatherby
8. 470 Capstick
9. 470 Nitro Express
10. 500 A-Square Magnum
11. 500 Nitro Express
12. 577 Nitro Express
 
I only agree with five on his list.

Mine would be:

1: .17 Remington (Perfect predator gun)
2: .22 Long Rifle (Duh)
3: .223 Remington (just for the autos)
4: .220 Swift (Unsurpassed for varmint shootin')
5: .25-06 Remington (Everything from vermin to elk)
6: .280 Remington (best use of the .30-06 case, including the .30-06)
7: .308 Winchester (again, just for the autos)
8: .30-06 Springfield (Just have to)
9: 8mm Remington Magnum (I have a love affair with this cartridge)
10: .375 Remington Ultra Magnum (Anything that breaths, this can kill it)
11: .45-70 Government (perfect brush gun)
12: .50 BMG (For zombies at 1 mile)

I presently own 10 of these 12. My sister got the .280, and incidentally, the 8mm RM is the one I'm still after.

I really could get by with just 4:

.22 LR
.25-06 Rem
.375 RUM
.50 BMG

Originally posted by Clancy12 said:
1. 375 H&H
2. 416 Ruger
3. 416 Remington
4. 416 Weatherby
5. 416 Rigby
6. 458 Lott
7. 460 Weatherby
8. 470 Capstick
9. 470 Nitro Express
10. 500 A-Square Magnum
11. 500 Nitro Express
12. 577 Nitro Express

How's your shoulder doin' these days?
 
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Counting up the rifle calibres I shoot, I find it comes up to exactly 12. I have duplicates in some, but only 11 that I need to reload for, and the .22.

1. .22 rimfire
2. .223/5.45mm
3. 6.5x55 Swedish
4. 7x57mm Mauser
5. .30 Carbine
6. 7.62x39 Russian
7. .30-30 WCF
8. .308 Win/7.62x51 NATO
9. .30-06
10. 8x57mm Mauser
11. .45-70 Government
12. .577-450 Martini-Henry
 
For rifle calibers only... I think the choices would be easier and more uniform if it was limited to 4 or 5 calibers. So I'll self-limit to 5.

.22LR
.223 Rem
.308 Win
.375 H&H Mag
.458 SOCOM
 
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Here is my 10 (not 12).

Here is my list...although I did mix things up a little.

Instead of creating a list of rifles I decided on a list of guns that I think are the most important to keep around.

1. 22LR
2. 17HMR
3. 223
4. 243
5. 30-30
6. 308
7. 30-06
8. 45-70
9. 20g shotgun
10. 12g shotgun

I included the 12/20g shotgun since they could shoot slugs.

But the ones I have are
1. 22LR
2. 17HMR
3. 223
4. 30-30
5. 308
6. 20g
7. 12g

JLW
 
22LR
223/5.56
260 Rem (alternately 7mm08)
30-06
338 LM
50BMG

There's really little use for the 308 when you think about it...it can't do what a 30-06 can and its 6.5/7mm cousins outperform it in every possible way.
 
12?

1) 17HMR - good for sniping small game, and with fmj it pokes small holes in pelts.

2) 22LR - great for most small game, and lots of training. I have around 20k rounds of this already

3) 204 Ruger - I have one, so ammo would be important to feed it. Very accurate, and I'd Imagine it woud work for head shots on 2 legged predators if need be.

4) 223/5.56 - very common and capable round, lots of rifles floating around for it.

5) 7.62x39 - very common and capable, lots of rifles floating around for it. Decent woods dound for moderate ranges and game sizes.

6) 308/7.62 Nato - Once again, common, and capable and good to longer ranges.

7) 7mm Rem Mag - More power and longer range than the 7.62 Nato, not as punishing on the shoulder IMO as the 300 Win Mag.

8) 50BMG - Because I don't have one, and it could handle about anything you wanted to punch holes in short of a Klingon battle cruiser, and maybe even then.

9) 12 gauge - very flexible, slugs or shot, hunting or defense

10) 357 Mag - Dual role, handgun/lever rifle

11) 44 Mag - Dual role, handgun/lever rifle, extra power

12) 5.7x28 - Another dual role, great for small platforms, tight quarters, and traits seem to make it easy to train people on.


I would have to keep some handgun ammo on hand also, of course.

9mm Nato
357 Mag
40 S&W
45acp
44 Mag

Since some of these can be found in more common submachineguns or pistol caliber carbines, I would want to keep these around also. Not part of the game, I know, but I like to cover my bases. I frequently but ammo for guns I don't yet have, but may want.
 
klcmschlesinger said:
Someone beat me to the concept, but....

1. 22LR
2. 223/5.56
3. 22LR
4. 22-250
4. 22LR
5. 30-30
6. 22LR
7. 30-06
8. 22LR
9. 338 WM
10. 22LR
11. 416 Rigby
12. 22LR
Did you use the 22 LR as a spacer LOL??
 
I could get by with less than 12

My 12 cartridge list;

.22 (S, L, LR these three lengths I consider one category, the standard .22 cartridge)- plinking, practice, varminting, small game, Zombies ;)
.22 Mag - Practice, larger small game, Zombies
.223/5.56 - HD, Zombies
.30-30 - medium game (Deer/black bear size), HD, Zombie Deer, Zombie Bear
.308 - Large Game, Zombie Møøse*
.45-70 - *REALLY* Large Game, Zombie Møøse*, Zombie Helicopters (what, they exist ;) )
.....come to think of it, that'd do me just fine, 6 cartridges


I could even trim that list down further;
.22LR
.30-30 - Deer-sized game
.45-70 - Bigger-Than-Deer sized game

Three rifle cartridges
 
Better toss in my two cents here.
22 LR because ya just have to have one and they make a great 22LR upper for my AR.
5.56 cuz I love my AR's
6.8 SPC cuz again, I love my AR's
.25 WSSM, the AR thing again.
.450 Bushmaster, yup, you know why.
7.62 x 51 hmmm, oh yeah, the AR and it's a very accurate round. Just good all around.
I need a lever gun now, maybe a 45-70 Marlin 1895
A single shot in 300 RUM,
Another one in .257 Weatherby
A bolt gun in 338 lapua
A double rife in 7x57 Mauser because...how awesome would that be!
Another double in 416 Rigby
Sometimes I like a caliber for the kind of rifle it woks best in, for me at least.
Well there's my 12.
 
Originally Posted by Originally posted by Clancy12
1. 375 H&H
2. 416 Ruger
3. 416 Remington
4. 416 Weatherby
5. 416 Rigby
6. 458 Lott
7. 460 Weatherby
8. 470 Capstick
9. 470 Nitro Express
10. 500 A-Square Magnum
11. 500 Nitro Express
12. 577 Nitro Express

How's your wallet doin' these days?

Fixed it for ya.
 
1. .20 Practical
2. .22 LR
3. .223 Rem/5.56mm
4. 6.5mm Grendel
5. .260 Rem
6. .280 Rem
7. .30 Carbine
8. .338-06 (or .338-.280 to keep things simple)
9. .35 Rem
10. .375 H&H
11. .416 Rigby
12. .45-70
 
.22lr No explanation need

5.56x45 Again I really like a number of rifles chambered in 5.56, not the least of which is my AR.

7.62x39 I like AKs.

.22-250 I just love this cartridge. I like its performance but a lot of it is sentimental reasons

.308 I like lots of the semi auto rifles available in this chambering

.260 remington Makes a great hunting cartridge for medium game and great target round out to 1000 yards or so.

.375 H&H This is a very versatile cartridge. It is one I probably don't really have need of but I just like it anyways.

.416 Rigby Good for things that one might be pushing it with the .375 H&H

45-70 or 458 SOCOM: 45-70 classic caliber, hard hitting short range gun. I'm a fan of the AR platform however and could maybe live with just having a SOCOM for the same types of uses.

.338 Lapua Magnum: This is a cartridge I really like it gives serious reach out and touch ability along with ability to engage hard targets. Yet is in many ways much more manageable and economic than a .50 BMG.

.50 BMG There is just something about a 50 BMG


Hmmm one more . . .

I'd probably keep the 30'06 just because of sentimental and nostalgic reasons even though it is a bit duplicative of the .308 that is up there for most purposes. Otherwise I might choose something like a 300 win mag.

I could probably do most anything I do or might do with a rifle with only 4 or 5, but what fun would that be?
 
1) 22 mag
2) 22 Hi-Power
3) 257 Weatherby
4) 6.5 Swede
5) 6.8 SPC
6) 7mm WSM
7) 30 carbine
8) 303 British
9) 7.62x39
10) 7.62x54R
11) 416 Remington
12) 470 NE

Yes, I chose obscure and unpopular cartridges on purpose. The point being that nobody would be wanting regardless.
 
My Twelve Pics

Well I'm bored, so here are mine - (* are those I own / + are those I want)

1 .17 HRM
2 .22 LR*
3 .223/5.56*
4 .243 Win
5 6.5x55+
6 .270 Win*
7 7.62x39
8 .30-30 Win+
9 7.62x54r*
10 .30-06 Sprin*
11 .338 Win Mag
12 .45-70 Govt+

Honorable Mentions....

.22 Mag (Would love to have one)
.303 Brit
.308 Win
.338 Lapua
.375 H&H Magnum
.50 BMG
 
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I was going through and straightening up my ammo shelves this evening, decided to update with a pictoral demonstration of my "top 12", along with their respective (IMO) optimal performance loads (yes, I push the envelope).

101_1135.jpg

Left to right, loads are listed test barrel length/bullet weight/muzzle velocity/muzzle energy:

1: .17 Remington...........................22/20/4,320/829
2: .22 Long Rifle............................16/32/1,610/184
3: .223 Remington.........................16/40/3,580/1,139
4: .220 Swift.................................26/50/4,115/1,880
5: .25-06 Remington......................24/117/3,195/2,653
6: .280 Remington.........................22/150/3,050/3,099
7: .308 Winchester.........................16/150/2,640/2,321
8: .30-06 Springfield......................24/180/2,800/3,134
9: 8mm Remington Magnum...........24/220/2,980/4,339
10: .375 Remington Ultra Magnum...26/300/2,970/5,877
11: .45-70 Government..................22/405/2010/3,634
12: .50 BMG..................................30/750/2,880/13,816
 
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