5 "KEY" guns, hey? Okay, I'll try to narrow it down to five...
1. Ruger SR9 semi-auto pistol with light/laser in 9mm, modded with Ghost Rocket trigger connector, lighter springs, and Galloway Precision stainless pieces.
2. Savage stainless bull barrel bolt action rifle in .17 HMR, with 4-12X40 AO scope.
3. Remington 870 12 gauge with 26" hunting & 14" home defence(with light) barrels.
4. Ruger tang safety M77 bolt action deer rifle in .270 Win, with 3-9X40 scope.
5. '56 Husqvarna Swedish Mauser bolt action moose/elk rifle in 30.06, glass bedded into
a Boyd's laminate stock with 4-12X40 scope, shoots smaller than .5 MOA.

My five that get the most action.

Rem 513T 22lr
Ruger No. 1 22-250
Ruger No. 1 300 wm
S&W 57 41 rem mag
Ruger 22/45 22lr
Okay make it six the Lyman .54 GPR has to get in the mix.
I love my Ruger Red label just don't shoot it all that much.

I agree that these 5 types of guns are a great starting point for a fairly complete gun locker.

12 ga -- For me, I have 2, a Mossberg 500 with a bunch of barrels, and an old Browning auto-5 2 3/4" only. I love them both for certain stuff.

.22 Again, I have 2 favorites. And even though a 10/22 is on my short list to buy, I currently hunt squirrels and other little furries with a Marlin 25 bolt with an old Bushnell 3 x 9 x 32. Works very well. And my other baby is a 1926 produced Winchester model 06. A real beauty that was my father-in-law's gun as a kid. He gifted his Savage 99 to my when I had his 06 blued, and I re-worked the stock myself. It's a great little pump, and will shot 'em all, .22 short, long, or long rifle. after he died my mother-in-law told me to take the 06 as well .. since none of his own son's wanted anything to do with guns. Too bad for them.

I have many deer rifles but my current sweetheart is an old Swede Model 94 in 6.5 X 55 with a 17 " barrel and an older Weaver 2.75 OR 5X ... either or, not a variable. I leave it on 5X and it's mounted on the old weaver pivot mounts and rings. Very versatile and accurate enough for the short range swamp hunting I do.

Predator rifle would have to be my Model 98 German in .243. Though it's a short action round in a long action rifle it will feed well if you load the magazine properly. It is my best tack driver of all my rifles.

My slug gun is the Mossberg 500, but I have 3 different smoke-poles. A traditional cap and ball rifle which is a CVA Frontier with a 24" barrel. Actually shoots pretty good with 65-75 grains of loose black powder. I also have an old in-line "Country Boy" from Navy Arms (from china) which is very heavy but shoots just ok, and then a Traditions Lightning LR in .45 that shoot VERY well with 275 gr bullets in sabots pushed with 100-120 grains of pyrodex or other equivalent powders.

But you forgot to mention a side-arm for target and/or home defense!!!! ???

Here in lies the problem. The way you figure, differs from the way others figure. We have all seen these threads before, only worded a little different. Some threads ask about 5 guns, some ask about 3 guns and some even ask about 1 gun. In my opinion, the 1 gun thread makes the most sense because if the chit really hit the fan you couldn't carry 5 guns and ammo very comfortably.(but this thread is about hunting, not SHTF)

However, if I had to choose five guns out of my safe, right now,(for hunting purposes), it would go like this....

1. Savage bolt action 22LR
2. Remington 700 VTR .223
3. CVA 30.06, single shot (with open sights for the timber)
4. Browning X-Bolt 300 WSM (I'm good out to 500 yards from antelope to elk)
5. Benelli M2 12GA (the best shotgun made)

My 5 essential firearms that I own that meet MY HUNTING NEEDS in KS:

Marlin 60 .22lr semiautomatic rifle: small game and running coonhounds.

Custom AR-15 16" HBAR .223rem semiautomatic rifle: Coyotes and Pdogs

Ruger M-77 Mark II .30-06 bolt action rifle: Whitetail deer

Benelli Supernova 12ga pump action shotgun: Birds, coyotes, and turkey

Ruger Super Blackhawk .44mag single action revolver: Small game, coyotes, deer

So those would be the 5 that I would hang onto if I ever came to dire straights and had to sell out. But, since variety is the spice of life, and luckily for me, I'm NOT in that dire position, I don't have to deal with limiting myself to only 5.

Suffice it to say that I have two safes and have everything covered on shotguns and the rifles are from 22 LR right on up through several 30-06s. I'm not much on handguns and only have two revolvers (Ruger stainless 6 with 22LR and mag cylinders and an older 32-20 six shooter) and a .380 Beretta pistol.

I've got all my bases covered. :)

Marlin 39A .22 - even feeds CB Shorts for squirrels at the feeder
Beretta OU 20 gauge - all I need for grouse & pheasants
Sako FinnLight 30-06 (soon)
Ruger Blackhawk 357 Mag - was my grandfather's - only shot it a few times - boom!
Bowtech Guardian (quietest "gun" I own - hehe)

No fair... No way I'm agreeing to add my bows into my firearms limit! It was bad enough trying to cut down to 5 firearms, let alone trying to cut down to 5 total of firearms and bows!!!

I stand by the statement: variety is the spice of life! I don't like making up my mind, I don't like it so much that I have a left hand bow and a right hand bow!