How many rifles do you need?

[kb2zya]

i say 4.
30-06 bolt <deer big game>
22. semi <just for plinking>
.17 hmr <small game>
12g semi <turkey and HD>
and all mossberg's thats how i roll

 

[f4t9r]

At least one

 

[CapnMac]

Well, gee, I probably need at least another safe's worth <g>

How mamy do you need? Probably at least one more.

 

[jbkebert]

I guess its like how many fishing lures do I need. That's about how many rifles are needed.

 

[browningguy]

Once I hit 40 rifles I slowed down quite a bit. Now I mostly look for pretty guns rather than useful guns. I could probably get by with a dozen or so if I absolutely had to though.

Got to have some .22's for cheap plinking

Need a .223 for shooting 3 gun and for HD, and you need a spare, and a backup for the spare

A small bore for hunting in something like .243 or 25-06, really a coyote gun for long range shots ,would be useful if it could also do long range paper punching

A couple of medium bores for hunting, something like a 7x57/280/270

And some .30's, I mean you're just not a gunnie without a couple of .30's, I like the .300 Savage, .308, 30-06 and .300 Winnie

A true medium bore in .338 or .35 is also handy for elk and bear hunting

Then at least one big bore, and I'll even let the .375 H&H slide in here, 'cause you never know when you'll wind up in Africa

Then a couple of fun guns, maybe a 45-70 1885 Browning, .50 Beowulf, .45 ACP and 9mm carbines, just because life should be fun

And a couple of pretty guns, just because you're out hunting doesn't mean you can't look good too.

 

[gga357]

There should be a minimum of one per every able bodied person. After that as many as you have room for without booting the kids out of the house.

 

[Gewehr98]

How many rifles do I need?

One of each.

 

[22-rimfire]

How many corners in rooms inside your house do you have?

Honestly speaking; here's the list for a hunter of a wide range of North American game.
A 22 rifle or 10
223/222 size centerfire for medium range varminting and perhaps deer sized game with proper bullet choice.
243/6mm/25-06 for larger varmints or longer range varmints, and up to deer sized animals
270-308-30-06 for whitetails, elk, and black bear
7mm or 300 win mag for elk or long range elk and mule deer; including black bear, moose and elk
338 for bigger stuff up to grizzly bear
375 H&H for dangerous game if you are uncomfortable with the 338. But you could take everything with one 375 H&H rifle.

Toss in a couple AR or similar black rifles and a lever action centerfire or two for whitetails, hiking, plinking, and fun.

 

[elktrout]

Never have enough. Affording them is another matter.

 

[Mr. Alloy]

I don't think there should be a strict limit on how many total rifles or long guns to have, but when I see pictures of peoples' collections of twenty ARs or a dozen scoped bolt-actions, I think it's a little bit ridiculous. Get an M4, a fancy target AR, and a pistol, then move on. Get a .223 varmint-type 700 for target practice, a 308 for hunting or whatnot (I'm not a hunter, myself), and a .338 or .50 for long range. Get one or two that satisfy the different "categories" that are important to you, and then spend your time working on those guns, instead of hoarding more. You can always trade if you need some new blood, too.

 

[federalfarmer]

.22 Mag - fun

.270 Win - 'small game'

.300 win - medium game

.45-70 - just because

But there appears to be more then that in the safe? Hmmm how did that happen?

 

[22lr]

For me its my 10/22 and my 1903a3. Anything else is just going to slow me down.

 

[Claude Clay]

all those that i have i need cause after i bought them i kept them.
even those for which i no longer remember why.

 

[Brian Dale]

I don't think there should be a strict limit on how many total rifles or long guns to have, but when I see pictures of peoples' collections of twenty ARs or a dozen scoped bolt-actions, I think it's a little bit ridiculous.

I suspect that you've never spent much time with model train hobbyists, or around people who collect old hand tools, have you, Sir?

 

[Badger Arms]

Need 1, want ALL

 

[12131]

A self-respecting gun owner should not have "need" in his/her vocabulary.

 

[proplinker]

I need one of each 17M2-378 Wby.

 

[10-Ring]

I've been told 'need' ended after the 1st one

 

[DeathByCactus]

one.

 

[Mr. Alloy]

Brian Dale,

No, I suppose that I haven't. By the way, do you have to reach a certain status level on this site before you can quote? It'd sure be handy if i could do so.

 

[Deckard]

Can you really ever have too many rifles? I think not.

There's always just one more.

 

[benzy2]

Brian Dale,

No, I suppose that I haven't. By the way, do you have to reach a certain status level on this site before you can quote? It'd sure be handy if i could do so.

No status, just understand the forum. To quote you put

the quote you want quoted[/quote*] except in the [/quote*] remove the *. That will give you a quote. The

[/quote*] go at the beginning and end of the quote to tell the system what to put in the quote.

 

[hadmanysons]

Given the right financial status, I'd say about one rifle per caliber.

 

[Ignition Override]

At least three: both for plinking and the spread of feral pig hordes eastwards into AR, then swim the 'big muddy' into western TN.
It will be "The End Of Civilized Pork As We Know It"...TEOCPAWKI. They've already seen or killed cougars in Illinois, far from the river.
At least it will be 'free-range' puerco.

A .22 rifle, a .30 caliber carbine and a boomer, such as a surplus military bolt-action which costs less than $200, if one can afford at least 2,000 rds per gun (or can economically reload).

 

[Brian Dale]

Mr. Alloy, benzy2 is right.

{Edited the next afternoon to remove a long explanation that's elsewhere at THR: Link to FAQ reference and Link to a relevant thread. }

It's very useful.