Your Ideal 5-Gun Battery for Hunting, etc.
 

A lot of people ask which gun you would choose if you could only have one. Thankfully, we're not stuck with that difficult choice. What 5 guns guns would you choose for hunting and why (game, style of hunting, etc.)? I realize almost everybody on here likely has more guns (and for specific types/game/locations of hunting) but if you were to limit it to 5, what would be your choices and why? It can be as simple as caliber or more carefully defined as to make and model of gun plus caliber. :happy0001:

I'd go with 5 that I have.

Ruger MK II 22 semi auto pistol for potting rabbits and grouse. Shoots well and I can hit what shoot at with it. It goes just about everywhere with me in my truck. I've even dropped a few coyotes with it.

Rem Fieldmaster 22 pump rifle for the same reason. This was my grandfather's rifle and it served him well and has served me well since he passed away. When I carry it afield I can feel grandpa next to me.

Belgian Browning A-5 in 12 Ga I inherited from my father for upland game and waterfowl. Dad shot a truckload of birds with it and every time I use it I feel like he is there with me.

Remington Model 700 ADL in 7mm Mag. Been using this rifle since I was 13. I handload everything I shoot it it so if I want to hunt varmints I can and if want to hunt big game I can as well. I don't do enough varmint hunting to make it worth my time to have a special rifle and this rifle and caliber combo is adequate for 99% of what I will go after. With this rifle I have taken the following: mule deer, whitetail deer, blacktail deer, elk, black bear, pronghorn,wild hogs, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, coyotes, foxes (red and grey), bobcat and a turkey shot in the fall which is legal in CO. It has also been to Africa where it has taken impala, gemsbok, kudu (greater and cape), blesbok, red hartebeest, springbok, zebra, vaal rhebok, blesbok, warthog, jackal, wildebeest (black and blue), nigerian bhor reedbuck, oribi, steenbok, and grey duiker. No reason to change what works.

Remington Model 700 Classic in 375 H&H Mag. Had to think about this one for the 1% the 7mm Mag isn't good for. Nearly went with my 9.3x62 but availability of ammo comes into play. 375 &H is available just about anywhere and it is also the minimum dangerous game caliber that you can legally use in Africa. So if I want to go after one of the big bears, elephant or cape buffalo I have it covered. Like my 7mm Mag I have been using this rifle for years. I handload for it and have a load that shoots both 300 gr softs and solids to the same point of impact. This rifle has already been to Africa 5 times and I see no reason to replace it with anything else. It worked very well on a cape eland, western roan, western hartebeest, waterbuck, warthog and knocked a bunch of baboons spinning in Cameroon.

I have a lot of other guns I enjoy. But if you held a gun to my head and made me choose, the above 5 would make the cut.

And a picture for flags
 

.357 Mag Ruger GP100 with Crimson Trace Laser grip
Ability to shoot .357, .38 Special, even shot for snakes
Rugged, shootable, Accurate, Nightime protection

Remington 870 12 Gauge with 2 barrels; one an 18.5 Sighted, the other a 26" Beaded w/multi-chokes
Why? If you don't have a shotgun on your list that would be just wrong.

Torn on this one, but I'm erring up to a CZ Bolt in 7mm-08 Warne QD Leupold Scoped / Open Sighted .
Wide variety of bullets, Reliable, Accurate, capable cartridge, Easy recoil, controlled feed, semi long range capable (Remington 700 could easily be substituted here w/out the controlled feed)

Blaser straight action bolt .338 Winchester Warne QD Leupold Scoped / Open Sighted
Wide range of bullets, Standard Cartridge Length, Proven smooth action, tolerable recoil, and I've just always wanted one!

CZ .375 H&H Warne QD Nightforce Scoped / Express Sighted
Why? in case dino's invade, I make it to Africa, controlled feed for that contrary dino, will handle any animal in the world!

REM7600

PS: Ruger 22/45 has also done the job on numerous occasions! Stingers Baby! They just plain WORK.

I can't do it. I'm too old and have worked too hard for "my ideal" battery to limit myself to just 5 guns, but in the spirit of this thread's question I'll list my ideal 5 (plus a few additions).


Remington 541-T .22 LR with a Simmons 3-9x scope. A good, accurate bolt action rifle that I like for plinking, gophers, and practice shooting out to 100 yards. I have even taken a few mule and whitetail does with it (legal in Montana).


Mauser Mark X in .257 Roberts Improved with a Leupold VX-1 4.5-14x40 scope with their B&C reticle. I built this as my medium size game rifle, but it is great for small varmints out to 300 or so yards in the wind. I have used it for all of my mountain sheep, most of my mule and whitetail deer and pronghorn antelope, and one of my best 6x6 bull elk. I built this rifle in Fancy walnut and the barrel and action are traditionally blued which is not good for very wet hunting conditions.


Weatherby Vanguard in .300 Wby with a Leupold VX-3i 4.5-14x40 scope with their CDS turret tailored to my 180 grain Barnes TTSX handloads. I built this rifle as my primary elk rifle, but it quickly became my favorite rifle that I've also taken on 5 international hunts for animals from 25 to 900 pounds. I also stocked this rifle in Fancy walnut that I don't like to take out in very wet conditions.


Remington Model 700 BDL SS in .375 Rem Ultra Mag with a Leupold 2-7x30 scope. This cartridge is essentially a .375 H&H on steroids that I built to hunt African Cape Buffalo. I have used it on two African hunts for a variety of animals from 25 pound antelope to 1500 pound buffalo, and it is good for anything that walks this planet.


Remington 870 pump shotgun in 12 gauge. This is a great low cost, dependable all around shotgun that with its screw-in choke tubes is a great choice for upland game, waterfowl, and even Trap and Skeet shooting. With its extra rifled barrel with a 3-9x40 Simmons scope it becomes a good slug shotgun out to 100 or so yards.


So there is my "basic" 5 gun battery, but to that list I'll have to add my alternatives:


Remington Model 700 BDL SS in 7mm Rem mag with a Nikon Prostaff 4-12x40 scope. With this rifle's stainless steel barrel and action and its plastic stock it is my choice rifle for wet conditions. This cartridge is good for anything from varmints to moose and I have used it on multiple international hunts in Canada and Africa.


Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 Rem magnum. Living and hunting for many years in grizzly country, I often carry one of pistols for protection, small game, and hopefully for deer or elk. I did shoot one black bear with one.


Remington Rand Gov't Model 1911 A1 in .45 acp. I have just as many or maybe more miles carrying this pistol as my .44 Ruger. It is great for plinking, small game, deer, and I shot my first black bear with it.


Ruger Single Six in .22 LR is another pistol that I usually carry when deer or antelope hunting in the eastern plains of Montana. It is great for plinking, varmints, snakes, and occasionally a finishing shot on a deer, antelope, or coyote.

buffybr, you CHEATED!

I wanted to do the same. :-)

REM7600

I'll build this list from what I currently have rather than building my "wish list...." I have lots of wishes.


#1) Ruger 10/22 .22LR with a Nikon prostaff 3-9. just a fun plinker that is able to be used on small game as well. Lately it's been getting a workout as a chicken protector as I've had lots of predators hanging around the coop lately it seems. It's reliable, accurate enough for me, I've been shooting it for 25 years, I have confidence in it.


#2) Mossberg 500 12 gauge Similar to the 10/22, I just have allot of experience with this shotgun. I bought it with lawn mowing money almost 20 years ago. It's ugly, and well worn. It's been beat, but it's been used on everything from clays, to squirrel, pheasant, grouse, woodcock, rabbit, coyote, deer, turkeys, geese and ducks. I've probably owned over 100 shotguns since buying this one, but this one will never leave the safe. Too many miles on it to think about selling it.


#3 Remington 700 .30-06 Leupold VX3...Reliable, plenty of thump for anything I'll likely ever hunt. accurate, lots of easy to find ammo.


#4 .458 WIN CZ550 Safari Mag If the '06 cant handle it, then this can. I was tossing up between this and a .338 WIN MAG... However, I don't see enough of a performance jump between the '06 and the .338 to justify putting it in here. the .458 definitely can handle heavier game.


#5 RugerBlackhawk in .44mag This revolver gets the nod only based on my limited options. I need to have something powerful enough to do the job, even though 95% of the time the .44mag wouldn't be ideal.


This list was made with hunting in mind, if defense and duty gear comes into play I would need to drop the .44mag and the .458 win and add my Glock 17 and an AR15. But since we focused on hunting I left duty gear out of it.


Missing from my list are a small bore rifle, rimfire revolver, lever action rifles (what I really enjoy the most), and some other shotguns. But since we're limited to 5 I feel I could hunt anywhere in the world, for the rest of my life, with the five listed.


-Jake

You can do the same if you want. This was just one of those fun things to yarn about. If you do lots of different types of hunting, the reality is you'd be hard pressed to limit yourself to even 10 or 20 guns as there's so many different applications. So feel free to add your alternatives like Buffy did. :biggrin:

Rem. 243 varmit rifle model 700. rem. 721 300 H&H mag. got it when i was about 20 years old. rem. 700 SPS 30-06. retired the 300 H&H. rem. 870 wingmaster 12 gauge. is that better, flags? LOL.

That makes 8. Ya got to trim it by 3.

I would have to keep my brunomk4 heavy barrel 22lr. Then for coyotes and the likes my 22-250 Rem700 heavy barrel. Next ones will be tougher but I guess my Win M70 FW in 6.5x55 for my kids and younger shooters who want to learn to hunt. Man I am going to need 6 because I would keep my 2 Wby chamberings one in 257 the other in 300. Last of all my Sako 270WSM with its Swaro scope it is just to nice to leave out.