What Three Hunting Rifles Would You Choose?

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22lr, 6.5 Grendel, 270 WSM. If I spent any time where brown bears roam, I would swap the 270 for 325. As it stands, these are what I already use, excepting my favorite 25 WSSM for most deer.
 
Hmm. Looks like I have them down stairs.

.223 for varmints

.300 win mag for dangerous game.

.308 for everything else (and my favored round).
 
My three would include one 270 win (Remington M700 BDL), 223 (in some semi-auto), and 22LR. The hardest choice in rifles would be the 22LR. Have not hunted dangerous game and not likely to in the future.
 
.22 lr in a classic bolt. .308 win in a pre '64 model 70. 35 remington in my great model 8 for a handy brush gun.
 
I know a case - a very good case - can be made for the .22 rimfire, but since this is supposed to be for rifle cartridges, I'll limit my choices to centerfires.

1. 5.56x45. I state it this way so I can use EITHER .223 Remington ammo or 5.56x45 milspec ammo. Suitable for varmints, usable (but not ideal) on deer. Ammo available nearly everywhere. Bolt actions are the most traditional varmint rifles, but very, very accurate target/hunting rifles in this caliber are being built on the AR platform.

2. .30/06. With proper loads, a good choice for nearly all thin-skinned, non-dangerous game worldwide. In addition to deer and hogs, I've used it on game up to kudu, leopard, zebra, and gemsbok. A bit light for giraffe and eland, but with proper loads and good shot placement, it will get the job done. As good as it is, and though it will - and has! - worked on big bears, African lion, tigers, and such, I'd really want something a bit heavier for those.

Which brings us to . . .

3. .375 H&H Magnum. Though not considered by some to be a true "stopper" rifle, plenty of hunters have used it with great success on pachyderms, big bears, and big cats. (If it's marginal for elephant and rhino - it's on the right side of the margin.) No experience hunting elephant or rhino, but I found it worked just fine on Cape buffalo, lion, hippo, and lesser game.
 
.22 LR (it suprises me that this is not on everyone's lists), 30.30, .270. I can kill anything I want to kill with those.
 
Within your parameters (rules I do not play by for my own collection but I get it),

Something in 22lr. Either a 10/22 or a CZ 452 or 455.

Something in 30-06 (30-06 is never a mistake). Probably a Winchester M70 Alaskan because open sights.

Something in 375 H&H. Likely a CZ 550, but again, a Winchester M70 safari would do just as well.

Now, for MY ideal 3 gun battery? (Disregarding your parameters)

Barrett Fieldcraft in 6.5x55
Steyr CL II 9.3x62
CZ 550 Safari Classic in 404 Jeffery
 
.243 Winchester probably in Winchester Model 70 or Browning X Bolt,
.257 Roberts in Winchester Model 70
The third cartridge choice would be the tough one. I for one would object to not four.....
As .22LR is a must, probably in Winchester 94-22, or Kimber Super America
But one other centerfire needs to be added. And it could be .270,.280, or .308.
I own all of these in several types. I usually would take a bolt action over any other action.
The 1972 -2005 Winchester 94-22 is a beautiful little rifle. The CZ USA .223 a
Carbine is ideal for light. I believe there is a tendency to select too large a rifle and not shot it well, cause it kicks like hell! Former LTC USArmy
 
17 hmr:
I used to shoot clays at 400 yds using a mildot reticle before I moved to the windiest place in the world.
6.5 cm:
It is very close to my 260, but has better availability
300 winmag:
trajectory is very close to the 6.5 so with a little load development you could use one drop chart.
I would want a Savage, Howa or an old Remington as a rifle.
 
BSA1 said:
The term Sporting Goods Store does open up a lot of choices doesn't it? Cableas will probably have most if not all of the cartridges mentioned so far but a lot of towns do not have a big box store other than Walmart. In a nearby town for many years a ACE hardware store had the best selection of guns and ammo. Now that a super Walmart has come in I am not really sure the ammunition selection is all that much better as they mostly seem to stock only the most popular cartridges in a fairly small glass display case. There is a Farm Supply Store that has a fairly good selection of guns and ammo but the ammo is kept behind the counter so you have to ask a clerk if they have what you want.

How will your choices be affected if you went on a long hunting trip and your ammunition is still sitting on the kitchen table (you left it there so you would not forget it :uhoh:)?Is there a small town with a farm supply or hardware store that has your choice of ammunition or are you going to have to lose at least a day of hunting driving to large city gun store?

Help me out here. How commonly available are the following cartridges as they are being mentioned but I am not familiar with them;

6.5 Creedmoor

300WSM

22-250

375 H&H

338 Win Mag

Remember no custom reloads or wildcat cartridges. Store brought stuff only.
Click to expand...
I'm in the Upper Peninsula for Christmas. The gas stations even have 32spl on the shelf. No WSM calibers though.
 
For North America a .220 Swift, .260 Rem and .338 Win Mag. For Africa a .25/06, .338 WM and .458 Win Mag. This isn't a wish list, I've used them all in these places and they work well for the game and conditions they they are intended for.
 
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