Must have calibers for gun collection?

[Daniel75]

What are the cornerstone rifle calibers of a good gun collection? I'm thinking .22 LR, .22-250, .25-06, .270 Win (or a .30-06 here), .300 Win Mag. Thoughts?

I know if you have enough money you could have a bunch of the calibers in between but if you're starting a collection and you say, "Ok, you've GOT to have a .270 in your safe." or whatever caliber you insert there.

[Bhuntinfishn]

308,257 weatherby,300 win mag would be a heck of a start. 22 lr ,17hmr,22hornet

[Daniel75]

308,257 weatherby,300 win mag would be a heck of a start. 22 lr ,17hmr,22hornet

I've seen the .257 weatherby's ballistics, they're outstanding. Saw a YouTube video of a caribou hunt and this guy's dad shot one right in the boiler room and it ran about 30-40 yards I think, took a good minute to expire. I wasn't that impressed....I know it's only one hunt but I thought it would DRT that caribou since I've heard they're not very tough animals.

I put a .26-06 because I think you'd have to have a .25 caliber in there, maybe a .257 Roberts/Weatherby/Ackley Improved, etc.

[Daniel75]

Here's the caribou hunt:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rHA79M5h0A&feature=youtube_gdata_player"]2009 Caribou.m2ts - YouTube[/ame]

[RealTreeHunter]

I've currently got a pretty good gun collection, but if I had to pick my 5 "most important" calibers, then here is my list:

.22LR-- Perfect for small game and typically a cheap, first gun.
.22-250-- Super fast, smaller caliber that's great for varmints as well as whitetail and hogs.
.270WSM-- My elk gun. It's big enough for just about anything the average hunter will hunt and was able to drop an elk for me.
.30-30-- I have an open sight, lever action that I consider my brush gun/truck gun. Not to mention it makes me feel like John Wayne.
.45ACP-- The only pistol I HAD to have. 1911 model that looks great and also is nice to carry as a back-up for bow hunting.




(Dangit, just saw you only wanted rifle calibers. Consider this my "Top 4" with a pistol thrown in for good measure)

[Daniel75]

I've currently got a pretty good gun collection, but if I had to pick my 5 "most important" calibers, then here is my list:

.22LR-- Perfect for small game and typically a cheap, first gun.
.22-250-- Super fast, smaller caliber that's great for varmints as well as whitetail and hogs.
.270WSM-- My elk gun. It's big enough for just about anything the average hunter will hunt and was able to drop an elk for me.
.30-30-- I have an open sight, lever action that I consider my brush gun/truck gun. Not to mention it makes me feel like John Wayne.
.45ACP-- The only pistol I HAD to have. 1911 model that looks great and also is nice to carry as a back-up for bow hunting.

How far did that elk go after you hit him?

[Old Bald Guy]

For me and what I hunt:
Good spring piston air gun
.22 auto pistol
.22 bolt action rifle
.22 hornet or .222 or .223
,25-06 or .260
7mm mag
good 20 guage dbl. bbl.

[HELLRAZOR]

My collection :
remington 30-06
browning 270
remington BDL 6MM
savage 243
rossi 223 single shot
300 weatherby
257 weatherby (should be on the way to the house)
winchester 22 mag lever action
marlin 22lr
ruger red label 12 gauge
remington 1100 12 gauge auto
410 single shot
22 mag revolver
s&w 38 special

[Daniel75]

My collection :
remington 30-06
browning 270
remington BDL 6MM
savage 243
rossi 223 single shot
300 weatherby
257 weatherby (should be on the way to the house)
winchester 22 mag lever action
marlin 22lr
ruger red label 12 gauge
remington 1100 12 gauge auto
410 single shot
22 mag revolver
s&w 38 special

Nice variety there.

[trophy8]

220 swift. Lots of people forget that one.
7mm mag is a nice round to
I have lots of calibers. From 22 to 300 win.

[RealTreeHunter]

How far did that elk go after you hit him?

Dropped. I was only 75 yards away and he was facing me. 150 grain bullet right to the chest and down he went. I wasn't sure if I had enough gun, but the guides told me that quite a few hunters bring .270's with them. It worked out better than I expected.

[Slick8]

Here's what I like to call a "need" list.

30-06
22lr
12 ga

That will do anything in the world execpt dangerous game. I on the other hand seem to take it to the extreme, Like Many Others do.

22lr (x2), 22 mag, 17hmr, .223, .243 (788 rem), 25-06, .280, .300wm, 12ga (x2), and a 20 ga.

I've go my eye on a .308 next.

[Old Bald Guy]

Here's the caribou hunt:

You can chalk that one up to poor bullet performance-no exit hole and more than likely the bullet came apart on entry at the .257's velocity. I've seen the same thing happen on deer with thin jacket bullets in .22-250's. They may drop like the've been hit by lightning or stand there and bleed to death.

[Daniel75]

You can chalk that one up to poor bullet performance-no exit hole and more than likely the bullet came apart on entry at the .257's velocity. I've seen the same thing happen on deer with thin jacket bullets in .22-250's. They may drop like the've been hit by lightning or stand there and bleed to death.

Made a good entry hole though, he was pouring blood like a stuck pig.

[Mike D]

My list of must haves are/would be:

22LR
.223
.308
9mm
45 ACP
12 gauge

This is what I have narrowed my personal collection down to with a couple of oddities like 10mm and 6.5 Grendel thrown in for good measure.