One caliber you couldn’t do without

[RedlegRick]

.22LR. With the exception of panic-buying shortages now and again, it's available all over the planet, handles 90 percent of the hunting /pest control needs I have, and it's cheap. And if the balloon goes up, 500-1000 rounds carries easier on my back than any other caliber.

 

[ExAgoradzo]

I almost included the 7Rem Mag, but I wanted to see how many would choose it.

The point of rules like that though is to take the ‘obvious’ away and see what other people see as obvious but isn’t to me. I want to learn. I also knew that some would nevertheless choose the Gov and that would be instructive as well...

I wasn’t thinking the 12 ga when I wrote this, that is a great one! The .223 would be mine, esp if it had a fast twist rate. It will handle everything for several hundred miles from where I sit, and though it isn’t as cheap or quiet as the 22sllr, still leans in that direction. But if I widened my horizons the 7RM would be my choice, given these rules, for its ability to fit so many needs.

Greg

 

[Riomouse911]

Like the others, a .22 LR.

Pump, Semi, Lever, Rolling Block; Rifle, Revolver, Semi-auto, Single-shot...
It puts holes in cans, holes in paper, and small game in the pot.

It can teach a newbie safe skills, and give a bullseye shooter x-ring thrills...and if pressed give an aggressor returned-fire chills...
and I've run out of time to think of more stuff that rhymes...

Seriously. it's easy shooting, easy on hearing/neighbors, easy to buy a brick of and even easier to shoot a lot of... It does it all.

Stay safe!

 

[magnatecman]

My 204 Ruger, Why you ask, because I love how it makes the coyotes take dirt naps ! With my 223 they always want to spin and run around acting all crazy and stuff.

 

[Chevelle SS]

7.92x57 because I love shooting my Mausers.

 

[MistWolf]

You cant pick the .270, .308, or .30-06

You must tell why.

Greg

If you're excluding the above three because they're obvious choices, you also have to exclude the 223/5.56.

Mine would be the 280 Remington. I love that caliber and the Remington Mountain rifle it's chambered for. There's something about it I can't quite put my finger on.

 

[MTNSTRYDER]

45colt. With revolvers and a rifle it can do it all with shot shells to big heavyweight bullits. It’s main draw back is you have load your own to get the full range out of it.

 

[George Dickel]

.22lr because I shoot rimfire metallic silhouette and informal benchrest. The cost is reasonable and I don't have to worry about so much about hearing damage as I only use subsonic ammo.

 

[sparkyv]

.22 lr......because its fun

...and relatively inexpensive, great for practice, teaching new shooters, hunting small critters, plinking, on and on...

 

[Pudge]

.357 Magnum. Fun, effective, just can't reach out very far, but truth be told 100 yds doesn't get exceeded very often in my woods. Fits in handguns as well, and is cheap and easy to reload.

 

[Sappyg2.0]

I've had all of the calibers in the PO and can live without them well enough.

On the other hand, 22 LR is the one caliber I cant do without for reasons others have mentioned. It also the one caliber that I cant reload for. That's ok though. The ammo is cheap enough that you can shoot all day and still have some left over for tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after.

 

[Legionnaire]

I’d be hard pressed to give up my .260 Remingtons, in either their original or Ackley Improved versions. 6.5 makes a great long range bullet, with weights capable of most North American game, in a short action no less. What’s not to like?

 

[Charlie98]

TBH, I'd be perfectly happy with the .270/.308/30-06 in this fictitious world of one rifle round. Beyond that.. in a true rifle cartridge, it would be the .223 because of the AR. If we are talking about anything and everything, it would be the .41MAG... not only does it work in my .41 pistols, but my Marlin 1894 as well, and does everything, in your fictitious world, short of the .308.

 

[js8588]

Since the question is "caliber" & not "cartridge" and I'm petty and pedantic, my answer is 6.5/264. Why? Well, I'm pretty and pedantic, so...

 

[joed]

For me it's the .25-06 Rem. Why? It was the first centerfire rifle I ever bought. I was never a person that follows the herd when gun buying. Bought it when a bunch of friends started groundhog hunting in Ohio. That cartridge was as flat shooting as they come, and if I could see a groundhog it was in mortal danger. Back in the day the farms were huge and some of the shots I made amazed me.

But the story doesn't end there. That rifle went bear hunting in Canada with me. Granted I was shooting 120 gr Nosler partitions but it didn't let me down.

Few years later the same rifle went deer hunting and once again came through. Hunting deer while living in FL I used 100 gr bullets as the deer aren't large. Where they grow large I use 115 gr bullets.

The versatility of the cartridge amazed me. From small game about the size of a house cat to bear and deer it dropped them all.

A lot of people put the .257 caliber down in favor of newer cartridges but I just chuckle. Me and that rifle took a lot of game.

 

[troy fairweather]

7mm mauser

 

[bannockburn]

One caliber I can't do without: .22LR.

 

[Mauser lover]

Well... my existence is not tied to any caliber. However, if forced, I would part last with .22 LR. If necessary though, I'd do everything that a .22 can do with something else. But I'd definitely survive...

 

[Llama Bob]

This seems to be hunting oriented, and in that context there's no cartridge that's essential. They all have substitutes. The class of cartridges I wouldn't want to go without is the high velocity 6.5 and 7mm magnums and long actions in a suitable fast twist. 6.5wsm/saum, 264wm, the 7 mags, .280(AI), 6.5-06(AI). I sort of consider the 7mm Ultra mags like the STW, Dakota and Nosler in the same bin.

The combination of high BC, high SD, and horsepower is unbeatable.

 

[DavidABQ]

For me it is the .22LR. I am constantly training for small bore silhouette which is a whole bunch of fun shooting animal shaped steel plates off of a rail.

 

[someguy2800]

I did fine for years with a 12 gauge pump and a 25-06 and was not wanting. I didn’t even have a 22 at the time.

 

[tactikel]

.243 it is good for everything from varmints to deer.

 

[Legionnaire]

^^ My second choice behind the .260 Rem.

 

[horsemen61]

For me it’s 6.5 Creedmoor I do it all with this cartridge hunt target plink you name it

 

[ColoradoMinuteMan]

The .22LR is the only cartridge that doesn't have a comparable substitute that is readily available. Nothing can match the combination of flexibility and affordability. .270, .308, and .30-06 all can be replaced with comparable cartridges.