Hi,

Interesting answers. I'm sorry (again) if some of you feel this question is out of reality. I don't think so. Many people own only few rifles and i don't really think that answers "we will not want live in world that allows only 2 rifles" are too realistic - if it would be reality would there really be mass-suicide ??

IMHO The hunter who has two good rifles build around controlled feed action, and has used them for, let's say 2 decades is 10 times deadlier than a man who owns 29 rifles and tries to use all of them in hunting. Just my opinion...

Regards, Mark V

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[ 01-24-2003, 22:04: Message edited by: Nebraska ]

Well I love my new guide gun but playing by your rules and leaving every possible option open I choose:

270WSM
416 Rem. Mag.

really hard to leave out my 45-70 though.

Myne will be

300 Win
9.3x62

Although I'd prefer a three-gun (223R/308W/375H) battery, I suppose I could live with a 22LR (Ruger) and a 375 WhnAI (Mauser), or 8mm Mauser. ~~~Suluuq

Only two calibres allowed, thats not fair !!!

Here goes;

6.5x55 & .375 H&H

Like another poster a 3 calibre allowance is more reasonable then it would look like this;

22/250
.30/06
.416 Rigby

I guess I would have to pick the 308 Winchester and a 300 Winchester mag. Or maybe a 270 Winchester and a 7mm mag, Heck I don't know there are just to many good chioces.

Although I suggested a .22 caliber centerfire and a 375 H&H above, another excellent combination would be a .243 or 6mm Remington and a .375 H&H. The smaller rifle would work for varmints, deer, antelope, and anything else up to about 400 pounds, and the .375 H&H for everything else.

If I have to chose only 2 they would have top be 223 & 308.Only because of ammo availability & all the research that has ben done with these two rounds.Maybe not the best but hard to beat for allaround=CJ

I'm thinkin a .243 and a 338-06 or mag

I''ll have to say:

6,5x55
375 H&H

I own them both

What kind of sick individual would even pose such a question? Two calibers, now really. This is America you know and so far we are only limited to as many calibers as our spouses will agree to.

.25-06
300RUM

The variations in these couple gun threads always grab me. Makes me wonder what combination would NOT work! I dont think there is one! Sep maybe a Muzzeloader and some freaking Thompson Center abomination.. Not to put down Muzzeloaders..!

How bout just a 308 and a 45-70.

I've said it before, a Contender carbine with barrels in .22 LR, 7-30 Waters, and 28 gauge.

Add a .45-70, and you have your elk and moose gun. Oooooooooorah!

You guys all have it wrong.
What you, I and everyone else will need is a .223 and a .308, both semi-auto, so we can get rid of whatever caused this "only two guns" scenario in the first place!!!

I could get by with a .338 Win. Mag. and a .416 Remington for the rest of my life and feel real good about it.

AD

I think that I would have to go with a .22 LR and a .260 Rem.

I could not give up the sheer fun of shooting a 10/22 and since I dont foresee Africa nor the big bears I really cant see a need for anything else.

Jim

.50 BMG... Two of 'em!!!

MarkV: Try as I might, and over the last few days I have racked my brains trying to remember even ONE Hunter I know that only owns TWO RIFLES! I am selling a collection right now for a widow who's husband was killed recently in a traffic accident here in Montana. He was a relatively young man and not afluent at all - he had 23 Rifles! I have sold all but 7 of his Rifles and all these recent buyers also owned several other Rifles. I went "back home" just before Christmas a few weeks ago. While out in Seattle a friend of a friend of mine died suddenly. His widow wanted the Guns sold. I helped out as I already had reservations at a Gun Show. Again this was a "not wealthy man" and he had 18 Guns mostly Rifles. They were virtually all sold (quickly) to myself and guys that owned other Rifles. I now live in Big Game Heaven here in the Rocky Mountains. Everyone I know here owns several Rifles. Prior to moving to Montana I was a decades long member and served for 9 years as a director for a 16,000 member Gun Collecters society in Washington State. Virtually none of the members I knew owned just 2 Rifles! In addition I have Big Game Hunted and Varmint Hunted in all the western states of America and never ran across a serious Hunter that owned just 2 Rifles! Not once! I had an F.F.L. for many years and sold LOTS of Guns. Most all the people I sold Rifles to bought more than one Rifle over the years - just from me. I never really sold a Rifle to someone that wanted to fill out his "2 Rifle all around set". I am sure that across the world there are a lot of folks that own just 2 Rifles (and Heaven forbid some that own JUST ONE RIFLE!)! Good for them. But to intimate that someone that owns a lot of Rifles is not much of a Rifleman is... just goofy! I own at least 150 Rifles and I will match my proficiency with Rifles and record of Big Game and/or Varmint Hunting with you anyday! I shoot (when the wind permits) several times a month! Firing 30 to 60 rounds from my Rifles an outing. In addition I Hunt year round starting with Spring Bear Hunting then Antelope in early fall then Deer and Elk in the long fall season here (6 weeks long). I often Hunt other western states and Alaska when I feel the need! Many times I have Hunted 3 states in one year for Big Game alone. My Varmint Safaris occur year round and often include 4 states per trip. Right now I am awaiting better snow conditions to round out the year Hunting Mountain Lions. I have Hunted Fox, Coyote and Bobcat in the last 30 days. Last week I went along while my friend Hunted Buffalo (my freezer is already bursting at the seams!) I did not actively Hunt but was the back-up shooter by the way with a very rare Winchester Model 1895 in 405 Winchester caliber! Just off hand I know I have killed in excess of 200 head of Big Game including Moose, Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetailed Deer, Blacktailed Deer, Antelope, Black Bear and Mt. Goat. I do not feel my large battery of Firearms detered in anyway my efficient harvest of these fine Animals! Quite the contrary in fact!
I am proud to say the last several head of Big Game I havetaken were all killed with one well placed shot from a Rifle suited to that Game!
And now to prove I am a good sport I will enter into your NIGHTMARE scenario of a 2 Rifle battery with these two choices: 240 Weatherby and 7mm Remington Magnum. These two fine calibers are capable of very good accuracy and very flat trajectories. They have worked well for me in the past on Game and should the need arise, could fulfill most of my Hunting needs.
Long live America!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Mark V: Pardon me, in addressing my last post to you I forgot to put a space between Mark and the V. Again pardon me.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Gentlemen

This is NOT Fun, just two rifles

Todays choice would be a 300 wby and a 375-404.

Tomorrow, I might prefer a 280 rem and a 9,3X62, or maybe 340 wby and a 416 rigby

This is not right, just asking for just two rifles

Now, I know why some calls them self's riflenuts

/ JOHAN

For North America--7mm-08 and 35 Whelen
For rest of the world--7mm-08 and 375 Ackley Improved

VarmintGuy,

Thanks for your long and detailed post. I have never said that man who owns a lot of rifles isn't a good rifleman. I just said that man hunting only with 2 rifles is deadlier than a man who tries to use dozens of different rifles in hunting.

IMHO To know your weapon thoroughly and how it shoots is much more important than the theoretical advantages that some particular weapon/calibre has compared to some other weapon. There is big difference between 60 rounds or 2000 rounds under your belt with the rifle you are using.

Regards, Mark V

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[ 01-24-2003, 22:04: Message edited by: Nebraska ]

Mark V: You are welcome! But your argument is not convincing - in the words of the legions of American attorneys your argument is specious (full of words but no specifics or facts and without merit!). Lets forget me for now and concentrate lets say on my retired civil servant friend Ben. He is not a wealthy man and has 3 children. An average but dedicated Hunter! Ben is 55 years old and has been retired for 6 years (his wife still works!). He has Hunted all over North America and 3 Canadian Provinces! He has 2 Trophy Dall Sheep on the walls of his home along with a Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, a Stone Sheep (3/4's of a Grand Slam there!), a monster Moose from Alaska, a Kodiak Bear rug, a Brown Bear rug, a Black Bear head mount, two types of Caribou, 2 Trophy Bull Elk (6X6's) and a 7X7 Bull Elk (that I was with him when he took), a 29" Mule Deer, a Boone & Crockett Mt. Goat, a European style mounted Walrus and several Antelope. This guy loves to Hunt and has to make sacrifices to enjoy his Hunting. He dreams of Hunting Africa but can not yet afford to! Again I would call him a dedicated Hunter! His arsenal of Rifles conists of a small safe full! I am not sure of what all he has in the way of Rifles but I know he has these calibers as I have been with him when he used them. 6mm Remington, 270 Winchester, 30/06, 300 Winchester Magnum, 338 Winchester Magnum and a 338/378 Weatherby Magnum. Like I say I am not sure what all he has but I know he has these. This past fall he took Big Game with 3 different Rifles! And we are both wating for conditions to improve so we can get back out Hunting for Cougar. He is proficient and familiar with all his Rifles. Other than being knocked unconscious by his 338/378 last year shooting at a 6X6 Bull Elk, I have never seen him falter while using any of his Guns! The incident last year was this - he was shooting uphill, prone and at a steep angle with the big magnum. Apparently snow got between his Rifle butt and his shoulder. The Rifle "slipped" during recoil and gave him a bloody forehead and a short nap! This neccesitated a long trip to a hospital and several stitches. So maybe he made an "unfamiliarity" type error there but all Hunters are human! I guess to prove my point I must challenge you - if you are ever in Montana during our long Big Game season I will let you pick out which one of my Rifles I would Hunt with that day. I am quite certain I could handle it well! As a matter of fact I know lots of folks here that have two different Rifles just for Elk Hunting. And they will often use them both during the same day of Hunting! They use their longer ranged higher scope powered Rifle in the morning and evening Hunt then take a different Rifle into the bedding thickets during the day. Also the Elk Hunters in the far NW part of our state (where its heavily forested and very few parks) use the thicket type Rifle more often and when and if they go and Hunt in the more open parts of the state use their longer range rigs. I have two different Rifles I use for Whitetail Deer Hunting - if I am going to drive or stalk a river bottom or Hunt from a tree stand I use my short barreled Winchester Model 88 with 2X7 scope in 308 Winchester. But when I am Hunting the cultivated fields and pastureland on the bench's above the river bottoms I use my 25" barreled custom Winchester Model 70 in 280 Remington with 4X12 powered scope. Remember the Model 88 is a lever action and the Model 70 is of course a bolt action. I have no trouble handling them. Again I think your argumment is ambiguos (not clearly defined) and specious (lacking merit). Lets go Hunting sometime!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VarmintGuy,
Dang,I enjoy reading your posts!Very well written and very interesting.You're kind of verbose though.

Brian.

How about a .223 and .358 Winchester. Both should be bolt guns.Both can be handloaded to full potential or downloaded. I haven't done lots of varmint hunting but my 25-06 HB Remington always loses the scope image in recoil. My .223 is a light barrel MX minimauser and still loses its image. In the .358,I can load 200 gr bullets for whitetail and up to 310 gr for heavy stuff. You can even find a few FMJs if needed. Look at Paco Kelley's comments on the 9.3/.358 size bores for their utility in most hunting of medium to large game. Good shooting with whatever the choice is. Pak

I am going to join the " Wachtel and PC club "

6,5x55
375H&H

Ben

I'd go for 300 wby and 416 rem.

That is like saying pick two foods to eat the rest of your life it isn't going to happen. Or one rifle take your choice food or breathing.

I have no choice but to opt for suicide. For me to live with only 2 guns would mean that the "man" has come to my door to get the rest. Since I doubt that any scenario consisting of that act highly unlikely, The point is moot. However, in the light of fun I will say this. A triple barrel gun in .22lr 12 ga and 30-06. And a quadruple barrel in 6.5x55, .280 rem, 375 h&h and 416 rigby. No make that a quadrupel barrel and pentaple barrel in.............is pentaple a word? Will a 1911 fit in there somewhere? This is just too difficult.

This is a tough question to answer. I guess it would be a 308 win. and a 7 MM rem Mag. But I would like to also throw in a 223 Rem and a 270 Win also but that makes four. Oh well, I tried anyway

[ 01-22-2003, 19:15: Message edited by: Handloader ]

Picking 2 guns is extremely tough, but if I had to get rid of my entire collection with exception of two rifles I would keep my Dakota 76 330 Dakota and my custom heavy barrel 7 STW. Or maybe my Arnold Arms 220 swift and my 338 Lapua, heck I don't know. Just hope it never comes down to that.

Jim

Well seeing that African Dangerous game is just out of my league financially speaking, I could get by with my current battery of:
.270win
.338win mag.

A .223 would be a nice 3rd.

[ 01-22-2003, 20:59: Message edited by: Mark G ]

My current centerfire battery consists of two Model 70's, a pre-64 30-06 and a Safari Express .375 H&H. Is there something out there I can't hunt with those?

Jeff