What’s your five? 5 Calibers to do it all...

[.222 ND]

22 mag
223
243
270 Winchester
338 Lapua

I would probably have a little bit different list if it weren't for the current shortages, it kind of makes you look at things differently.

 

[Paladin300]

22-250 Remington
264 Win Mag
300 RUM
416 Weatherby
405 Win

Why only 5?

Try to see which ones show up consistently on everyone's short list!

 

[DNADave]

7mm Wby,so u can have four of a kind,,add one more for a straight flush lol

If Weatherby made a handgun with a proprietary cartridge, I'd probably buy one.

 

[Paladin300]

7mm Wby,so u can have four of a kind,,add one more for a straight flush lol

I'll see your 270 and raise you a 6.5x284 Norma!

 

[Trooper1]

223
264 Win Mag
280 Ackley Improved
300 Win Mag
338 Win Mag

But the 280 AI gets used the most

 

[JMW67]

223 remington, 260 ackley, 280 ackley, 300 win, 340 weatherby

 

[Treeslug]

17 WSM Good plinker
30-30 Win. Very short bbl for heavy-duty plinking
257 Weatherby I don't know why. I just like Weatherbys.
340 Weatherby I like the 338 calibers.
460 Weatherby If you are going to go big, ... and did I tell you that I like Weatherbys.

 

[scope-eye]

220 Swift
257 WBY
7mm Rem
300 Rum
338 Edge

Dean

PS: Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.

 

[Paladin300]

17 WSM Good plinker
30-30 Win. Very short bbl for heavy-duty plinking
257 Weatherby I don't know why. I just like Weatherbys.
340 Weatherby I like the 338 calibers.
460 Weatherby If you are going to go big, ... and did I tell you that I like Weatherbys.

The 460 is about as big as it gets! I can take a lot of punishment but that dude kills on both ends. Shot mid weight 20" Mark V Safari with magna ports about 23 or 24 years ago. Still haven't got over it!

 

[FrogFire7]

Fun!!

Every varmint hunter needs a .223

I'd throw in a good 6mm for varmints, since that's where a lot of my personal hunting opportunity is... I am a little partial to the 6BR.

A good mid caliber for plinking/practice at long range... 6, 6.5 or 7mm... so 6 or 6.5 creedmoor maybe, or .284 win? I like to see a little bullet splash, and traditionally 6.5 Creedmoor is easy to obtain, easier to see splash than a 6mm, easy on us soft shouldered folk, so let's go with that. Also makes a decent deer rifle at most of the ranges I get shots at. Don't hate!!!

Good hard hitting 7mm or 30 cal for hunting long range... 7 mag, 280/ai, 28 nosler. Or 300 win mag, 300 rum, 30 nosler, etc. I personally have always had a fascination with the 28 Nosler. Zero personal experience and mostly out of my budget for a "luxury" gun, but hey, it's MY list, so we will go with 28 Nosler.

I'd have to top it off with a 338. Had an Edge once, found it would be difficult to mag feed. So I'd either go with one set up for that already, or (likely) a different cartridge. None in particular. Lets say lapua for the sake of argument.

There you go, the definitive list of 5 "best" cartridges

 

[Paladin300]

Fun!!

Every varmint hunter needs a .223

I'd throw in a good 6mm for varmints, since that's where a lot of my personal hunting opportunity is... I am a little partial to the 6BR.

A good mid caliber for plinking/practice at long range... 6, 6.5 or 7mm... so 6 or 6.5 creedmoor maybe, or .284 win? I like to see a little bullet splash, and traditionally 6.5 Creedmoor is easy to obtain, easier to see splash than a 6mm, easy on us soft shouldered folk, so let's go with that. Also makes a decent deer rifle at most of the ranges I get shots at. Don't hate!!!

Good hard hitting 7mm or 30 cal for hunting long range... 7 mag, 280/ai, 28 nosler. Or 300 win mag, 300 rum, 30 nosler, etc. I personally have always had a fascination with the 28 Nosler. Zero personal experience and mostly out of my budget for a "luxury" gun, but hey, it's MY list, so we will go with 28 Nosler.

I'd have to top it off with a 338. Had an Edge once, found it would be difficult to mag feed. So I'd either go with one set up for that already, or (likely) a different cartridge. None in particular. Lets say lapua for the sake of argument.

There you go, the definitive list of 5 "best" cartridges

 

[Jcook02]

6.5
270
7-08
7 Rem Mag
300 RUM

338 RUM (Might get added to the list but I need to buy one first

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

If 22lr and a 12 guage are a given (everyone has to own those) then my 5 would be
17hmr
6mm creed
6.5 prc
7mm rem mag
35 whelen

 

[Treeslug]

The 460 is about as big as it gets! I can take a lot of punishment but that dude kills on both ends. Shot mid weight 20" Mark V Safari with magna ports about 23 or 24 years ago. Still haven't got over it!

I did not say I was going to go plinking with the 460. I fired one once when I was a teenager. I was a lot tougher back in those days, but I still want one, so it stays on the list. Also, when I was a teenager and lived on a ranch, I used to hunt jackrabbits, raccoons and other varmints just walking around plinking with my cousin's 30-30 Trappers model that came from the factory with a 14-inch barrel. Great fun. I'll save the 460 for Texas sizes armadillos.