One do it all rifle caliber? What if TWO?

Threads like this....Make a true rifle loonies head explode.

WHAT the hell is wrong with You people? Don't You know You need a light, a medium and a heavy?

So a .22 RF, a .222/.223 and a .220 Swift/.243 Win for Varmints.

Deer/antelope/....... a light weight .243/.25 cal, a std sporter in a normal deer caliber for the medium, a .280 Rem/.280 AI/7mm rem mag, for the LR heavy end.

Elk/moose........ .280/.280AI, .30 cal mag or .338-06, then the .375 H&H.

Took a .280 rem and a .375 to RSA and killed everything from bushbuck to wildebeest/gemsbok. Next trip took the .280 and my M-70 in .338-06....worked just as well.

TWO guns for everything! LOL...You guys are such jokers.

7mm mag for very long range target and great for hunting

Sadly 308 and 223 are the most practical but sadly will be the first to run out during ammo shortages. Neither round is best in class but more than good enough and will be around and popular for the foreseeable future.

A 22lr like a 10/22 should get infinitely more range time than either of the center fire rifles.

Legionnaire said:

what would y'all recommend if a family member asked your advice on two center fire rifle cartridges?

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Just for all around use, but nothing specific? Something in 5.56x45 and something in 7.62x51.

Depending on ammo chosen, a shooter can plink relatively cheaply or target shoot or hunt.

No contest. It's .22 Long Rifle and .30-06.

bnolsen said:

Sadly 308 and 223 are the most practical but sadly will be the first to run out during ammo shortages. Neither round is best in class but more than good enough and will be around and popular for the foreseeable future.

A 22lr like a 10/22 should get infinitely more range time than either of the center fire rifles.

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You know, I wonder if sales of .17 and .22-250 rifles went up significantly during the great Obama Ammo Famine......for awhile, it seemed this was all you COULD get!

I can do everything with a 223 and 308 in center fires. The 22 RF doesn't count, I hope. The 243 is a good round, but it does very little a 223 doesn't do. The 223 in an AR is ideal for varmints, personal protection and is more than acceptable on deer at reasonable ranges. There is nothing, and I mean no animal in North America I'd not hunt with a 308. It is now my big gun and I don't feel a bit handicapped after letting some bigger guns such as 300WM, 338-06, and 35 Whelen go. I kept my 30-06 simply because of sentimental value, but I'll probably never hunt with it again.

I jumped on the 6.5 Creedmoor bandwagon about a year ago and it splits the difference in caliber perfectly between 223, and 308. I'm not yet ready to choose it over 308 if I had to limit my battery to 2 center fire rifles. But I already know that it is a far better target round. And the more I use it, and see the results others are getting with it in the hunting fields, I'm not sure it gives up a thing to 308 as a hunting rifle.

Well geez if I can bring two, I'd go with a GI theme and bring the Garand and the 30 carbine. I don't think there are a lot of bases you couldn't cover with that pair, with style to spare!

My recommendations for others would be different than what I would choose myself on the basic theory that if you have to ask you probably have no business getting anywhere near dangerous game, don't reload, and shouldn't be in anything very peppy.

I think every American man (and any woman who's so inclined) has a responsibility to own a militarily useful rifle and several hundred rounds of ammo and to know how to shoot it accurately out to 400y or so from field positions. This is not an ideal many men meet, unfortunately. But that's where we're at. The obvious choice at this point is .223/5.56. I don't care if it's an AR or a fast twist bolt. Both are functional varmint through antelope guns as well.

For hunting deer and bigger, a nice bolt action in any of ..308, .270, .30-06 or 7mm Remington Magnum would be suitable. I'd suggest .270 to keep recoil reasonable.

If I were only limited to two rifles, period, I'd have a .308 for medium/large game and my RWS Diana 34 Air rifle for small game.

For $200, I can store enough ammo for my RWS air rifle to last me a lifetime and it will put meat in the pot very reliably.

Ironicaintit said:

Well geez if I can bring two, I'd go with a GI theme and bring the Garand and the 30 carbine. I don't think there are a lot of bases you couldn't cover with that pair, with style to spare!

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I like it.

I still stand on my 308, 30 06, etc from the other thread! With factory ammo you can cover most tasks in my neck of the woods. With some hand loading ability you can do more, and adding in casting you can do just about whatever you would ever need! For me, lets assume this will be a bolt action medium weight repeater, likely 16-20 inch twist barrel. Savage or Remage compatible action to keep one rifle with a few barrels OR allow me to simply put on a new barrel myself.

The second rifle would probably be an AR15 carbine. Simple sleek handgrip, folding stock adapter, with offset iron sights and a small ACOG. 556 NATO caliber in 16 inch barrel, most likely with an 8 twist, but maybe a few extra barrels as well for variety since they are so easy to swap : ) . It would easily a very capable hunting and defensive rifle with inexpensive ammo. Casting and hand-loading of course open up a lot of options for small game hunting and subsonics etc. 223 with a 100g cast bullet will put a hurtin on varmints lol.

Honorable mention for the second rifle... Ruger 77/357 SBR, 10 inch barrel with NECG ghost ring sights. Cheap and very effective ammunition for most uses. Incredibly versatile caliber that I would have a hard time giving up...Handiest little carbine I have ever played with, BUT I would take the AR-15 since it would be more versatile and much more effective as a defensive weapon for most situations I can imagine.

Legionnaire said:

So in the spirit of the "one do it all rifle caliber" thread, what would y'all recommend if a family member asked your advice on two center fire rifle cartridges?

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I think you're going to have to get your thread title amended to show what is in your original post about 2 centerfire rifles.

Guys are missing the "centerfire" part. .223 and .308 for me.

I always assume (maybe incorrectly) that threads like this are a result of two things.

1. Finances
2. SHTF/TEOTWAWKI

Because otherwise this is AMERICA. We can own as many as we want and can afford. If it is a result of TEOTW, the two calibers one would choose should be for two things only: Food and Protection. Cartridges will eventually run out and reloaders will be the wealthiest people if they stock up and they have enough supply to to last.

If it is a result of finances, the two choices are simple: a 22lr and a 30-06.

Buy two of the same rifle in either .308 or 30-06. Redundancy is good and you'll only have one cartridge for both guns.

This isn't exactly in the spirit of a rifle caliber but if I had to narrow it down to 2, it would be .357 and .223. I don't hunt anymore but I sure could if I had to with a .357 and, since I do reload my own, it makes shooting it extremely inexpensive. .223 is so prevalent that I think it is a good idea to own one. If nothing else, ammo and parts are pretty ubiquitous these days.

taliv said:

I think of it as more short term.

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Falling on hard time=finances=short term (hopefully).

Pretty cool that you got to spend that much time in the woods. I’m kind of jealous actually. But unless you towed that camper with a Clydesdale, you had room for more rifles. But you didn’t need more rifles. You chose to bring two. Would your selection have changed if all you had were two rifles?

If my house were on fire and I could only make it out with two guns it would be my Tikka T3 in 25-06 and I would have a hard time deciding between my browning buckmark, my savage mk2 classic, and my browning bps. Now if the zombies were coming it would be my AR15 and the buckmark. If the Chinese were invading like Red Dawn it would be...................................... and so on.

someguy2800 said:

If my house were on fire and I could only make it out with two guns it would be my Tikka T3 in 25-06 and I would have a hard time deciding between my browning buckmark, my savage mk2 classic, and my browning bps. Now if the zombies were coming it would be my AR15 and the buckmark. If the Chinese were invading like Red Dawn it would be...................................... and so on.

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Yeah,
Sometimes when work keeps me from hunting until an hour before sunset, I almost blow it trying to decide what gun to take.:
Will I be in a stand or stalking or over an open field, how far will I be walking, blah, blah.

.22 rimfire and .358 Winchester.