What's the question? 5 ESSENTIAL as is "must have" or as in "starting/foundation", "you aint a gun man without these 5" etc???
My personal "must have/do all" list of 5:
1). 22LR (I own 3, started as a kid with a Marlin bolt. Now prefer the Ruger 10/22)
2). 30/06 (Rem 700, for me it was a "good ol" woodstocked, blued, blind magazine ADL under the Christmas tree when I was 12yrs old back in the early 80s. Have many bolts, love others, have another 06 700, a 70s vintage BDL as well. I honestly feel sorry for the youngsters today not getting a chance to appreciate what the old ADLs and QUALITY Remingtons used to be like. Rem still builds a decent rifle in their BDL and higher lines but the ADL/SPS/What they are calling it this year/Wallyworld trim line guns are JUNK!)
3). 12ga (Of all my shotguns I prefer my A-5, Benelli or my Citori. BUT for someone just starting or looking for one shotgun I'm going with the tried and true Rem 870!)
4). 45acp (Well if you call yourself a "45 man" and yet yours ISN'T a 1911, then you AINT a "45 man"!
Of my 3 1911s, 2 of them are Colts.)
5). 50cal Muzzleloader (I have a "retired" Knight Wolverine that did it quite nicely for it's decade plus that it admirably served me. But it was replaced by a Savage ML10ii that I would KILL to protect! If for some reason I couldn't have the smokeless or someone asks me to recommend a good inline, I would recommend the T/C Omega.)
That's my "5 gotta haves". I started to drop either the 22, the 45 or the ML and subsitute a Winchester or Marlin lever gun (I have a W94 30-30, and Marlins in 35 & 45-70) but honestly I feel a person is better covered with the above 5 vs dropping any of the above and subing in a levergun.
Good Man Above says we MUST spend the rest of our lives with the same woman, he didn't say NOTHING about the same gun!!!
HL