I hate to "dumb it down" with a question like this, but: given you could only own five, what would be your ideal 5-cartridge big game battery? Here's mine:

.243 Winchester
.280 AI
.338 Win Mag
.375 Weatherby Mag
.458 Lott

That being said, I don't currently own any of them (after all, we can own more than five). But, if I had to put together a five gun big game battery, those would be it-you're covered from pigs to buffalo.

22lr
223
243
30-06
375 H&H

Hmmm?...you did say big game, 3 is easier

.270 win
.338win
.416rem

If pushed, I could dump the 338 and go with two.
270 with super premiums for deer,hog,sheep etc....416 for elk,moose and everything above,it offers a definite advantage over the .375 for Africa or a pissed off Kodiak bear. with GSCustomHV330gn pills it is a true long range flat shooting calathumpian that outdoes the 375 by far but you still have the option of a nice 450grainer for brute close in work.Sometimes I do like the idea of a 300H*H in place of the 270,but a lightweight 270 is indespensible,so it keeps its position.

Your criteria are somewhat contradictory, as defining "ideals" while limiting the number of choices are at odds with one another. To me, part of "ideal" is ready availability, which leans toward popular cartridges. Another aspect has to do with similar action types for commonality of function. And since this is for big game, we can forget about varmint and small game choices. So, here's my initial take (the first three fit in a standard action/bolt face, and the last two fit in a magnum action/bolt face):

.270 Win (130-150-grain bullets)
.30-06 Springfield (150-220-grain bullets)
9.3x62 (235-286-grain bullets)
.375 H&H (270-300-grain bullets)
.458 Win Mag (350-500-grain bullets)

22mag
220 swift
30-06
358norma
425express

O.K.
22lr
257 Roberts
30-06
338 Winchester magnum
416 Rigby

.22LR
.204 Ruger
.30-06
.300(any of the MAG's will do)
.458 Win Mag

I have five centerfire rifles. 240 wby, 257wby, two 300 ultras and a mini-14. That is my 5 rifle battery.

If the battery were for big game hunting I'd go with:

.257 Roberts AI
6.5/06
8mm Remington Magnum
.405 Winchester
.411/.416Remington Magnum

quote:

... given you could only own five, what would be your ideal 5-cartridge big game battery?

270Win.
308Win. (short action carbine)
338-06
358Win. (another carbine)
375H&H

Ideal, for me anyway:
.260
.280
.338wm (substitute .338-06)
.375h&h
.404jeffery (substitute .416Rigby)
It's kind of 7, but I cheated a bit.

For big game:

.300 Win Mag
.375 H&H
.458 Win Mag

For everything:

.17 HMR
.257 Roberts
.30-06
.300 Win Mag
.375 H&H

IMO you can probably just pick 2 or 3 for big game and be good. I prefer to look at as what I would need for anything I decided to hunt(shotguns excluded). Wonder if anyone will post the .577 TREX.

300WSM and 458WM

Ok here it goes...............my rules are that a .22 lr and 12 gauge are a given they don't count as guns , my five centerfires are;

22/250
.264 win mag
.300 RUM
.416 Rigby
50-110 1886 lever action

This is tonight....................but I don't reckon there is much that combo would not cover on this planet.

The ones I don't own on my list are the 22/250 and .264 win mag.

And I assume your alowd many rifles but only in your chosen chamberings

Calibers that missed out and I will cry ;

45/70
.375 H&H
.458 Lott
.22 Hornet
.243 winchester
9.3x62
.338 winnie
.404 J

22 Hornet

17Rem

243W

300WSM

35 Whelen


PS-There the pic for the month

243 WSSM
270 Win
300 Weatherby
35 Whelen
458 Win

7x64
9,3x62
.404

I'm with Woodjack; we don't need five. Then again we don't really need three either:
30'06
375 H&H

.223
6.5x55
.30-06
9.3x62
.404 or .416 something

375H&H
338-06AI
280AI
243AI
22mag
Man this was hard. I just used about what I have except for the 375. I could switch that around about 4 more times.

6MM rem
.280 rem
.30-338
.35 whelen
.375H&H

6.5X68
300 win
375 H&H
450 Ackley
460 Wby

22-250
.243
.270
30-30
.340

22-250
30-06
375 H&H
45-70
458 Lott

Shot them all Sunday.

Big Game? Which I take to exclude rimfires and dedicated varmint rigs?

223Rem
25-06Rem
30-06Sprg
338WinMag
416RemMag

Though I could just as easily substitute a 7mmRemMag for the 25-06, I'd still keep the 30-06

AllanD

22 lr
338-378 weatherby
416 rem mag
With those three there is nothing from mice to elephants you can shoot.

22 Hornet
9.3x62mm
375 H&H
416 Rigby
505 Gibbs

Cant shoot I ment.The 22 lr is one one the smallest cases with the most power.If you had to survive you can pack 500 rounds pretty easily.I have seen deer shot with the 22 lr but dont recomend it.The 338-378 Weatherby is one of the finest long range rifles around.The 416 Rem mag is more powerful than the 375s and more useful than the 458s or bigger.I have not shot the 416 rem mag that much over 200 yards but with the right bullets its range is alot further than alot of other big bores.

.458 Win Mag (350s for elk and 500s for real)
.338 Win Mag (210 Noslers for everything from whitetails to Eland)
.270 Win (130 Sierras work from coyotes to elk, 160 Noslers shoot well also)
.22-250 for jackrabbits (60 BTHPs) to whitetail (60 NP)
.300 Weatherby Mag (180 Barnes x), for a backup for almost all of the above.

All in Model 70s. Safeties are all the same, etc.

Lots of overlap and bullet selection choices.

Number 6 is a restored Model 88 with the basketweave checkerng in .308; it won't do anything the above can't do 3 or 4 dfferent ways but I just think it's a cool gun for deer.

22LR
22-250
6.5x55
7x64
375 WBY

5 different rounds for big game hunting?!?!? Only one is really needed, as it has been since 1912. 375H&H, the one cartridge big game battery.

1) .243 (varmint, small deer, antelope)
2) .30-06 (mid to large sized deer, caribou, etc)
3) .338-06 (or .338 WM) - (elk, moose, bears)
4) .375 H&H (dangerous African game)

OK I'll play. And ignore the big game part like everyone else.

22 mag
22-250
243
280
338 win mag

My choices for rifles are the following calibers:
1. 22lr (small game)
2. 22-250 (varmints)
3. 30-06 (non-dangerous game)
4. 375 H&H (dangerous game)
For handgun hunting a 44 mag.
For bird hunting a 12 gauge.

243 Win.
6.5 x 55 Swede
264 Win. Mag.
375 H & H
416 Rigby

.22 Long Rifle
.222 Rem
.257 Wtby
.300 Win Mag
.375 H&H Mag
.

22-250
270
338-06
375 H&H
416 Rigby

For featherweight rifles
25-284
300 WSM
350 rem mag
for full size rifles
338 win mag
416 rem mag

.275 Rigby
.318 Westley Richards
.375 H&H
.416 Rigby
.577 Nitro (or the .600 Nitro just for the hell of it..)

quote:

Originally posted by ManCannon:
5 different rounds for big game hunting?!?!? Only one is really needed, as it has been since 1912. 375H&H, the one cartridge big game battery.

Agreed. Maybe add a .30-06