5 Essential guns: What do you shoot?
 

As far as I can figure, there are 5 guns that are essential for any hunter to own (along with a bow, of course):

12 Gauge
.22 LR
Deer Rifle
Predator Rifle
Slug gun/ Muzzleloader
Bow

Did I miss any? What do you shoot?

got to have a decent 12 ga. for birds - Remington 11-87 Premier

big rifle for those pesky elk - Remington Sendero in .300 Win magnum

medium rifle for distant deer and antelope on the open prairie - Remington Mtn rifle in .260 rem

long range predator and pd rifle Remington VSSF II - 22-250

Several medium range pd rifles ...various Remingtons and Savages, couple of TC carbines .221, .223s and .204s

Some rimfires- a few of those

and accurate pellet rifle for those covert tree rat adventures

Is that five ?

Those are essential but I fill in all the caliber gaps and such with other guns.

.22lr Autoloader
.17 Boltgun
.204 Boltgun
.223 AR
.243 Boltgun
7MM Boltgun
.338 Boltgun
.35 Levergun

20 gauge SxS
12 gauge - 2 O/U, 1 autoloader

.357 revolver
9MM pistol



5 essential;

Scatter gun - small game & self defense
22lr survival
medium/large size game
Dangerous game
larger caliber revolver

there was an article on a 5 gun rifle battery...

I believe it was...

243win
.280rem
.30-06
375 h&h
458 lott

this setup allowed for each gun to also have a backup on any hunt and hunt the entire world...

ie... if your 458 broke you still could get away with using your 375...

and vice versa.... if your 280 broke you could use your 243 or 30-06 etc...

Stoeger M2000
Dad's old Remington
AR framed 6.8spc
Same
CVA Wolf
Wicked Ridge Invader

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"! :hit: 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!!! :woot:
HL

I don't need a slug gun/muzzleloader where I'm at, I don't need a predator rifle, and I don't consider a bow a gun, even though I own three.

What I do consider essential for me is;

.22 rifle
Shotgun, primarily for turkey
Deer rifle (30-06 would do fine if I was limited to one caliber)
Revolver (41 or 44 mag)
Semi automatic handgun (40 cal or above)

Thank goodness I'm not limited to only five. As my BIL said the other day, if you know how many guns you have, you don't have enough.

+1....

That being said, here's my take on the list

12 Gauge...One of my Browning O/U 3" Superposed
.22 LR...Rugar 10/22
Deer Rifle...Just 1? Ack!!...Savage 99 in .308
Predator Rifle...Browning A-Bolt in 25 WSSM
Slug gun/ Muzzleloader...Mossburg 500A

1. Mossberg 500
2. Winchester Model 1890 .22 short
3. Marlin Xl7 .270/ Ruger M77 7mm rem mag
4. Savage Model 24 .223 0/U 12 gauge
5. Mossberg Slugster smooth bore/ Lyman .54 Trade Rifle Flintlock
6. Bear Charge 70#

"If you know how many guns you have, you don't have enough."

That is an awesome quote...i might use that one sometime.