Only two rifles for everything hgeaven forbib. I'm haveing a hard time picking a couple to go to deer camp with. I need something for long shaots and short range. In the spirit of your question and to keep it within your guideline it would be a 280 & 375 H&H.

7mm rem mag, since I already got one and a near lifetime supply of brass. I also enjoy using it for groundhogs, crows and stray cats. 375 H & H since it would work fine for me for my only big game rifle.

STRAY CATS

Aren't cats just the most useless, annoying creatures...I hate em!

Like DonMartin says, it is a trick question because unless you live in Alaska the cost of an adequate rifle isn't that large a factor for things like big bears, cape buffalo, or elephants. So if we take those out of the equation I would choose 2 guns that cover everything else.

My choices would then be 25-06 and 338 WinMag.

I think the 338 would be a much better choice on most large game than a 416 and cheaper to shoot too. For what you specify on the small end, I think the 25-06 is pretty hard to beat, whether for long range coyotes or mulies, or whitetails.

The 30-06 for the light rifle. It shoots quite a variety of bullets from 110grs to a 220gr. which makes it a real rifle for bigger game....and besides, Winchester chambered more rifles in this caliber than any other in the pre-64 rifles which are my favorite.
For the heavy rifle, the 375HH is probably the most useful all round cartridge for Africa. A fairly flat shooting rifle with the 235gr and 270gr and the 300gr for the big stuff, and with tolerable recoil.
I think I could get by with just those two.

1. 6,5 x 55

2. .416 Rigby

This is interesting,

Your parameters leave out my go anywhere,do anything(albeit boring according to some)30-06.
Two rifles?I guess if I were to go new,a SS-A-bolt in 7 WSM and a Brno in 416 Rigby.

ABH

264 win mag and 375 H&H. Though a 300 H&H, Win Mag or Weatherby makes more since on the light end.

Two Pre-64 H&H's in 300 and 375, with English Walnut and Rust Blueing. "Come on PowerBall!!!"

Saludos..Frank

On the low end, I'm currently shooting a 25-06, 270, and 280 to see how I like em and I may even try a 7mm Rem Mag or a 257 Wby(again) in the near future. I must admit that the 25-06 is really growing on me fast!!! It's accurate and a real pleasure to shoot. If I'm not careful, I'll get in so much shooting with that gun that someone may accuse me of being a good shot.

On the upper end, I just shot a 375 H&H at the range this weekend and it wasn't nearly as stout as I was expecting....which is good! I enjoyed shooting it and shot a 1" 3-shot group at 100 yards(which looked really cool considering the size of the holes). As far as recoil goes, that would be towards the upper end of what I would want in a BIG game rifle. Are the Ultras in good in this category? Is there a big difference in recoil between the 338 Win, 338 Ultra, 375 H&H, 375 Ultra, and 416 Rem?

I can't afford, nor do I want a bunch of rifles but how can one choose?!? Whoa is me! I guess I'm doomed to go insane with these kinds of decisions haunting my every thought.

If I had to choose today, I think I'd opt for my Rem 700 BDL SS in 25-06 and a Win Model 70 Classic Stainless in 375 H&H. I'm a little leary of Winchester(contempt prior to investigation) but I like the CRF idea and Ruger doesn't make a stainless 375 H&H . Thanks for all the replies so far. Keep em comin'.

[ 11-12-2002, 13:48: Message edited by: Nebraska ]

I love these rifle battery threads.

My vote is for a 30-06 and a 9.3x62.

I own both of these and I call them goat and bull, respectively. They're named after two Biblical sacrificial animals as well as what I consider excellent targets for the rifles in question.

I can think of a bunch of other perfect combinations, of course.

Time to think outside the box.
338 Win Mag
12 Gauge

I think I'll go along with Allen Days suggestion.
A 7mm Remington Magnum and a .416 Remington Magnum. Makes sense to me in a two rifle scenario with Africa in the picture.

One rifle? A .375

Three rifles? A 7 Mag, A .375, a heavy, from .458 Lott to .505

Because I already own them...6.5x55 and 35 Whelen

7MM Rem Mag & 416 Rem Mag...

I take my 300 win mag and buy a new 416 rigby or remington.

I just hate it when I agree with Ray I would have to take a 338 and 416. The 338 is a little big for song dogs but I can testify it will work on them.

My choices would be .30-06 and 375H&H.

Husqvarna lightweight fullstock in 7x57
Husqvarna Double rifle in 9.3x74

Of course I am biased since I am a Husqvarna collector and have these in my collection.

[ 11-13-2002, 09:10: Message edited by: sbhva ]

I'd cheat and do it with one and a half. My Valmet combo .30-06/12 gauge and the spare set of barrels I missed by a day in 9.3 x 62.

With a couple of boxes of Accerators and a .32 S&W L adapter in my pocket, I could kill anything that needed killing.

Well, I'll go with something that's easy to get ammo for. A .223 which will do anything from average size deer and down. A .30-06 for deer and everything bigger in the world as it can manage the big stuff if necessary and which won't be hunted much anyway.