I know most people here love rifles and may have many, but I am currently trying to pare my battery down to a few core pieces that I love as my "battery". I am curious as to what others would or do choose for themselves.

GDOG's Battery-so far...

1. .257 Roberts(in Process)--Varmits/Sheep/Deer
2. .300 Win Mag--Deer/Moose/Elk/Caribou/Bear
3. .375 Ruger--Plainesgame/DG backup/Bear
4. .416 Taylor-Buffalo/Elephant

That is a great mix, I would add in a 20-22 caliber centerfire for more economical sniping on varmints etc than a 257 Roberts, and a 22 rimfireand feel like you are covered in the rifle department--you are damn well ready for the big beasties...

But I probably wouldn't shoot a squirrel or a rabbit with a 257 Roberts ,

Fish, Good point!

GDOGS Revised Battery...

1. .257 Roberts(in Process)--Varmits/Sheep/Deer
2. .300 Win Mag--Deer/Moose/Elk/Caribou/Bear
3. .375 Ruger--Plainsgame/DG backup/Bear
4. .416 Taylor-Buffalo/Elephant
5. 12 Gage semiauto-Squirrel/Rabbit/Ducks/Partridge/Pheasant/Turkey
6. <<Someday>> .450NE or .470NE Double

...man the list of REQUIRED guns does grow, doesn't it?

quote:

Originally posted by GDOG:
Fish, Good point!

GDOGS Revised Battery...

1. .257 Roberts(in Process)--Varmits/Sheep/Deer
2. .300 Win Mag--Deer/Moose/Elk/Caribou/Bear
3. .375 Ruger--Plainsgame/DG backup/Bear
4. .416 Taylor-Buffalo/Elephant
5. 12 Gage semiauto-Squirrel/Rabbit/Partidge/Turkey
6. <<Someday>> .450NE or .470NE Double

...man the list of REQUIRED guns does grow, doesn't it?

DOG,

Not sure from your post if you want to pare down the list or increase it?!

So...If I were to increase it, I would add a 22LR and a 223 AR type to the list.

If I were to pare down (which if me I wouldn't do cause a man can't have too many guns) - 257 Rob, 375 Ruger, 12 gauge

Ray,
If you were to narrow your battery down-What would it consist of?

My battery pared to the bone is
12g SXS AYA
22LR Kimber
20VarTarg REM XR 100
7x57 1908 DWM
404 J 1952 FN 98

Von Gruff.

my battery is as "pared" as it's ever going to get, and consists of:

ruger hawkeye in .204 ruger
winchester model 61(??) in .22 lr
winchester model 94 in .22 mag
ruger m77 in .243
winchester M70 fwt in .257 roberts
ruger m77 mkII in 6.5 x 55 swede
rifles inc. strata in .270 wby
winchester model 88 in .308
ruger m77 in .30-06
empire in .300 win mag
empire in .338 win mag
marlin XLR in .444

wish list:
pre-64 in either .257 bob or .300 H & H
something in 7 x 57
.404 Jeffery at some point

the only one of the existing I'll likely get rid of is the Win fwt in .257 bob, other than that they're all keepers for various reasons...

Best Regards,
Craig Nolan

My battery consists of

CZ 452 17 mk 2
Remington 22 lr
Tikka t-3 223
Ruger MkII 257 rob
Tikka t-3 300 wsm
Remington 870 12 ga

Currently mine is:

243 Rem 788 (inherited)
300WM Mod 70
375H&H Mod 70
404Jeff Mod 70 (started life as 300RUM)

Also have 2 mauser actions turning into a 9.3x62, and a 458 WM or AR. Really don't need these last 2, doing it more for the fun of a DIY building project.

This doesn't count the shotguns.

Cable68,

if that 300 was a 300 H&H I'd say you were darn near perfect.

Rich

Mine is a 35 whelen and a 270win.

I agree that Cable68 is damn close to perfect!

I could do without the new .257 Roberts, but I will always lust for a double in my core battery--that means buff and eles!!!

quote:

Originally posted by GDOG:
Ray,
If you were to narrow your battery down-What would it consist of?

George,

Even if I wanted to narrow mine down, I just don't seem capable of following thru!

For instance, this 270 just followed me home from deer camp:

CZ452 17 HMR - fancy plinker
m70 coyote 25wssm - antelope and long range varm
R700 .30-284 - Ultralight mule deer/elk/sheep/goat
M70 300 Wby - main elk/moose rifle
M70 9.3x62 - fair weather elk/moose, PG and light DG
(9.3 is still coming together, barrel should arrive soon, stock needs final touches)
Spr 1903 10.75x68mm - main DG rifle (in progress)

I think I'm pretty well covered, however I still want a lighter walk around main "deer" rifle, probably a 280 or 7x57, and I need a short range thumper of some sort. Not sure on that one, I have always wanted a 350Rem Mag and I also really want a 9.5x57. Probably could use a fast .22 of some sort, but I don't get the chance to do any p'doggin so it'll likely be more of a carbine style.

Actually, this is a really good question. I've been going through a lot of thought on this - and I don't have any good answers!

Current Battery:

1. .22 LR Remington bolt rile. An old 54x model with the tube mag. Dad's old gun and still a great shooter.
2. .223 Sun Devil / DPMS Heavy Bull - 1/2 MOA rifle. Because chipmunks are bad, bad news.
3. .257 Roberts Remington M7MS
4. 7mm Mauser Ruger #1 Light sporter
5. .35 Remington Marlin 336 LTD SS
6. .350 RMag Remmington 673
7. .375 H&H 1999 Montana Custom (in works)

I'd be lying if I said I haven't considered selling No's 4, 5, 6.

The Marlin's there because every safe needs a lever gun...but the truth is that the only time I'd use it would be at short range brush areas...and in that case I'd rather be holding a revolver. And finally, I just plain don't shoot it all that well. Not the guns fault there.

The #1? Heck, I just bought it and it's a beautiful tool. But it's just a little too close in nature to the Bob...and I'm not getting rid of the Bob. And quite frankly, since the PRK has passed their stupid laws on internet ammo sales, 7mm Mauser might become a real problem.

The 673 - good heavens it's a hammer on Deer and I actually do like the looks of the shark fin up top. The problem is that I have a .375 H&H...which makes the .350 Rmag a bit, well, un necessary.

So yes, I've actually toyed (many times) with selling those three rifles and buying just one .30-06 or 7mm Mag to replace all three. Likely an '06 so I don't ever have to worry about ammo issues.



And here are the "Toys"
1. .223 AR15 Carbine
2. .22 LR Remington Speed Master
3. 30-06 M1 Garand


So, yeah. It's a legitimately good question.

GDOG, I think the shotgun has you pretty darn close, I thought of throwing that out there, but I thought we were talking only rifles--so for long guns I think you are right on track with that scattergun added, but I still think you need a 20-22 of somesort, probably a rimfire.....

Remington 572 BDL 22 LR
22 Cheeta MKII 600 Rem action
280 Remington 700 Mountain rifle
358 STA 700 Rem action
375 Ruger No. 1 boddington model
475 FA Model 83
12 ga. Rem. 11-87

You have to have a pistol and shotgun. I have others but this would be my battery if I had to choose.

If I HAD to narrow mine down...I'd probably build the 280, keep the 300wby and the 10.75, and the 17hmr. That covers me mouse to ele!

at time being:
.300Wby

when i'm done with my battery it will look like this:
12ga 3" o/u shotgun
12ga 3"/7x57R combination gun
6,5x55 and 9.3x62 OR a .308 win
and if i move to a place where i can shoot in my garden, i'll add a .22lr

Fish,
I guess if I went "rifles only" and ditched the SBE II for a Ruger 10/22 that would be ok too.

I could reduce the battery by removing the upcoming 257Roberts and just use my 300WM, but I need that 5# 257Roberts bad!!!

<<ALERT>>> I just figured out that if I buy an expensive double, I could get rid of the taylor!

Steffen,
I always look at those drillings--they are really cool!

Ray- that wood is incredible!

RNovi- every safe does need a lever or two doesn't it. I have a couple 30/30 winnies in there and all I do is clean them a couple times a year! ...maybe i would use a .35 lever for bears???

win 9422mag trapline
win 70 predator (wolf) rig
ruger 77 257 bob sheep
win 70 30 gibbs sheep,caribou,moose
win 70 358 norma usual guiding carry
win 70 425 express fall brown bear

quote:

Originally posted by GDOG:
I know most people here love rifles and may have many, but I am currently trying to pare my battery down to a few core pieces that I love as my "battery". I am curious as to what others would or do choose for themselves.

GDOG's Battery-so far...

1. .257 Roberts(in Process)--Varmits/Sheep/Deer
2. .300 Win Mag--Deer/Moose/Elk/Caribou/Bear
3. .375 Ruger--Plainesgame/DG backup/Bear
4. .416 Taylor-Buffalo/Elephant

A good start for sure, but you need a rim fire and scatter gun to round things out.

I need to reduce the herd some too.....a few years ago I successfully curbed the shotgun supply.

I now own a SKB O/U 12 GA and a Citori 20 Ga.

I truly don't miss all the other shotguns.....and have been quite successful at holding to two of them.....if I want something else....one has to go!

22 rimfires are also under control.....

It's those darn centerfire rifles that keep proliferating.....Mausers everywhere.....and M-70s too.....I've tried to corral them....but have been a miserable failure!

Funny you should bring this up.

I just went through and looked at my stuff today and pondered this with my wife.

Bare bones of my preferred cartridges.
22 lr rifle
12ga shotgun
44 mag pistol
22-250
270 Win
338-06
9.3x64 Brenneke
404 Jeffery

I would love to get to that, but I just can't bring myself to sell everything else off.

Absolute bare bones common sense approach:
22 LR
12ga pump with all the assorted chokes
223
30-06
375 Ruger
I feel the Ruger can be had in a better handling rifle.

I could live with the following very easily:

Rifles
.22 LR
.223 Rem
.308 Win
.338 WinMag
.375 H&H

Handguns
.22 LR
.40 S&W
.44 Mag

Shotgun
12 Gauge

But if I had to pare it down to what I could carry and leave the rest then I would just take the .22 LR revolver, the .40 S&W auto, and the 12 gauge shotgun.

Only when the FEDS limit me on what I can own, will I start parring it down to a 'minimum'.....

My modest battery is:

12 ga shotgun Rem. Wingmaster pump (1968 model inherited from my dad)
12 ga shotgun Benelli S-90
22 lr Cz 452
223 rem Sako 75 Varmint
25-06 rem Sako 75 Hunter
300 wm Sako 85 Laminated stainless (gray wolf)
338 wm Sako 75 Hunter
9.3x62 Sauer S202 with an extra barrel in 30-06

To make this battery complete I think it lacks a good classic big bore like 416 rigby or something similar. But for my next rifle I really would like a Sauer S-202 classic synthetic in 6.5x55 something I have always wanted

12 Ga Ithaca auto
.22 LR lever gun
.223
.260
.375 H&H
This about covers it!

Why pare down when you can buy another safe?

quote:

Originally posted by Blacktailer:
Why pare down when you can buy another safe?

This thread made me look again, and my 22's seem to have multiplied when I wasn't looking. A trip down memory lane stopped my counting at a dozen. I guess I do need another safe.

1. .223 rem: mini 14, ar 15
2. 7.5x55: k31
3. .308 win.: custom savage 110 lefty (made it in school)
4. 7mm rem mag.: savage 110
5. 12ga.: mossberg 590
6. .45 acp: glock 21

Obviously no need for two .223s but the mini was my first rifle and I can't bring myself to sell it.

Don't buy an new safe!

Just remove the racks and put silicone gunsocks on 'em and lean 'em up on one another from back to front of the safe you already have!

They won't get scratched and your safe will hold more!

In my battery I own 34 hand guns,Shot guns and rifles. I couldn't begin to say how many of one
group I have off hand. I'll put it this way if
a rifle comes up and I don't have it I know I do not have it.

My minimum battery increases at every gun show, and every time I check the threads on Accurate Reloading!

I think I'm finally at peace with my battery of rifles. Surely I have covered anything I'll ever hunt.

Ruger 22LR
Rem 700 .223 Rem
Ruger 6.5x55
Win 70 30-06
CZ 9.3x62
Win 70 .375 H&H

Barebones?? Guess this would have to do??

Browning - 22LR rifle
HS Precision -.270 WSM
Pre 64 Mod 70 Win.- 300 H & H
CZ 550 FS - 9.3 X 62
Sako -.375 H & H

HK - 40 S&W Compact
Beretta - 12ga. autoloader

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

.416 Rigby
.7mm STW
.223 wssm

Shoot lot's of them extensively, but could par down my shootin iron's to just:
.375 Ruger and a .243, and be a happy camper.