So, like most weekends, I've been wasting a little time on thoughts of the ultimate rifle battery.
Thought I would try to classify the sorts of work each rifle would have to do, and came up with something like this:
*Walking varminter, something from 6-7mm, lightweight, maybe 300yd effective range sufficient.
*True varminter, same caliber, maybe smaller, bull barrel, tripod or equivelent, 5-700yd effective range, depending on your capabilities.
*General thin-skinned hunter, all-around use, could be most any caliber, depending on what all you might use it for - deer (big and small), sheep, antelope, pronghorn, etc., but there's the dense-cover and the long-ranger, the first of which could be as big a 35 Whelen, and the second of which could even be a 257 Weatherby. Then there's the possibility of bear, depending on area.
*Woods gun [by request], likely designed with handiness and light weight in mind, in a chamber that allows for whatever pops up. (Did I get that right?)
*Mountain gun, sort of the big brother of the walking varminter, lighter weight (and therefore likely less powerful) more for carrying than walking.
*Elk/Moose gun, maybe a step in power, if not range, from the one above, and again largely decided by terrain, weather, and prevalence of big bears.
*Grizzly gun, you know he's out there, you're actually looking for him. You want heavy bullets, and a gun you can shoot them in accurately and quickly. Maybe a bolt in 375 H&H or a lever in 45-70, maybe your elk gun.
*Big-bore "because" gun. You can have whatever you want. Dreams of Africa usually predominate the decision making process, for many a reality. Could be as timy as a wee little 416 Rigby or as big as they come.

So, for those of you that got through the list, what am I missing?
Comments on cartridge selection are welcome, but more looking for "type of gun" suggestions.
Pare it down, elaborate, whatever you like.

Of course I left out the 22 rimfire, mostly because there's little there to talk about.

Taylor, the Bwana-be

[ 06-23-2003, 22:00: Message edited by: Bwana-be ]

These are my choice of cartridges for the uses presented.

*Walking varminter: .243 Winchester
*True varminter: .220 Swift
*General thin-skinned hunter: .270 Winchester
*Mountain gun: .284 Winchester
*Elk/Moose gun: .340 Weatherby
*Grizzly gun: 375 H&H
*Big-bore: .416 Rigby

Add a "Woods Rifle" to your catagories if you don't mind.

Make mine a 99 Savage in .358 Winchester.

My "dream" rifle battery would be as follows:

.270 (or equal in power/bullet combination)
.338WM
.416 (any of the .416's)

But in reality, all I have and use is a .338WM for all my hunting in Alaska. If I ever wanted a bigger gun, then I would bypass the .375 H&H, and move up to the .416.

The .338WM with 250 to 300-grain bullets is "close enough" to the .375 H&H with similar weight bullets, but the .375 H&H provides a heavier punch with bullets from .300 grains and heavier.

Well I followed the list and here's what I use for excuses.
*Walking varminter-High Std. Mil. HD .22, Beretta 76 .22, Sig trailside .22.
*True varminter - don't have one, don't hunt varmits, so I just use .22 pistols when they pop up.
*General thin-skinned hunter,
big deer - 30'06/270 Win.
little deer - 275 Rigby/308 Win.
close range deer - 300 Savage/7.65 Argentine/ 9.3x72.
sheep -275 Rigby.
long range sheep - 300 Win Mag.
antelope, pronghorn, etc., 300 Win Mag.
*Mountain gun - 275 Rigby.
*Elk/Moose gun - 338 Win Mag/8x57.
*Grizzly gun - 338 Win Mag.
*Big-bore "because" gun - also don't have one that I shoot but a 375 H&H or 416 Rigby.

Looks like I need to add a couple more guns.

All I would need is a
.22-250
.270win
.338win
.416Rem

I have the .270 & .338, and working on the others.

*Walking varminter: 243 Win
*True varminter: 22-243 w/1-8" twist
*General thin-skinned hunter: 7mm SAUM
*Mountain gun: 260 Rem
*Elk/Moose gun: 338 Ultra
*Grizzly gun: 375 Ultra
*Big-bore: 416 Rem Mag

varmits: 22 K hornet
Big game: 270 winchester
*Overlap*: 375 H&H
Big Bore: 458 lott 2.85"
Of course who in their right mind would only want 4 guns?

[ 06-23-2003, 11:34: Message edited by: smallfry ]

It's fun to think but don't let it get in the way of reality! I appreciate it's a US setting of which I have little experience but surely it's possible to double up on a few of these and get some extra quality as a result?

The classic Swedish triumvirate is 222rem, 6.5x55 and 9.3x62 - Faultless!

My picks:

walking/true varmint - .223 Remington

thin-skinned/mountain - .270 Winchester

elk/moose/grizzly - .338 Winchester Magnum

big-bore/coastal brown bear - .416 Remington

OR, to reduce the battery to three.......

all varmints - .223 Remington

thin-skin/elk/moose/grizzly - .300 Winchester

big-bore/coastal bear - .416 Remington

I like the benefits of "simple and few"!

AD

[ 06-23-2003, 17:58: Message edited by: allen day ]

1894, why would you want to limit yourself to just 3 guns? I keep adding more categories just so I can add a new rifle.

*Walking varminter: .257 Roberts
*True varminter: .220 Swift
*General thin-skinned hunter: .300 H&H Mag
*Mountain gun: .270 Win.
*Elk/Moose gun: 338 Win Mag
*Grizzly gun: .338 Win Mag or .416 Rem Mag
*Big-bore: 416 Rem Mag

Walking varminter - 22-250, switch-hit as true varminter when needed
General thin-skinned - 6.5x284 or my M70 '06
Long ranger - 7mm Dakota
Woods gun - Marlin 45-70 guide
Mountain gun - same 6.5x284, or '06
Elk/Moose - 358x375 Dakota
Grizzly - no desire to hunt them - scare me silly - but if I was, I'd take my Big Bore!
Big Bore - CZ 416 Rigby, maybe one day 470 Mbogo.

Now, even once I get all of these, that's only 7 guns. With a 22LR, I'm under ten, so it's not an obsession!

1894, I hear you, and you have a point.
If we were to make it just the 6.5x284, the 7mm and the 358, I could spend a lot more money on the guns themselves. There's merit in that idea, just a different topic. "Ultimate rifle battery" has nothing to do with budget!!!

Walking varminter - CZ 527 American, .223
Sitting Varminter - Savage 10 FP, .223
Deer and antelope - Howa .270 Win.
Long range big deer and elk - Rem 700 .300 Wthby
Timber rifle - Montana Rifleman .358 Win (on order)
Moose and big bear - Tikka .338

Well I'll Play,

*Walking varminter: 243 Win
*True varminter: 243 Win (55 gr bullet)
*General thin-skinned hunter: 7mm Mauser/30-06
*Mountain gun: 7mm Mauser
*Elk/Moose gun: 35 Whelen/338 win
*Grizzly gun: 416 Taylor/375 H&H
*Big-bore: 500/450 (in a double gun of course )

BD

I do not like the idea of limiting my choices, I would rather go to the safe and think, boy I want to use that one today (within the proper caliber range). Besides if my wife reads this it would contradict everything I have ever told her about why I need my guns!!

My Choices "Today" would be

22/250

6.5x55 Swedish Mauser

.375 H&H

.458 LOtt or .450 Rigby.

Now what could not be done with those calibres, the .375 would have alternate loads from say the 235 gr speers through to the 300 gr woodleigh's etc. Each gun could have a couple of scopes representing various loads.

.25-06

.338 Win Mag

.404 Jeffrey

Any more than about 3 rifles and I'm afraid that I wouldn't have time to get proficient with each..

Here's my list:

First, you gotta add "Plinker" - for me a .22LR of some kind
Walker: CZ527 American .223 or Ruger M77 .243 (I use both)
Varmint: Browning A-bolt Medallion Varmint .223 (really want a 250 of some flavor too)
General: Sako L691 6.5X55 (.243 could pinch hit)
Mountain: My Sako works for this (would love to build a nice, light, compact .257AI, maybe on my Encore frame)
Elk/Moose/Plains game: M70 .338 Win Mag
Big bears: see above
Big bore: Don't have one, but would probably choose a M70 .375 H&H or .416 Rem Mag to compliment my .338