Hunt Talk Radio - Look for it on your favorite Podcast platform

Just 5 cartridges

Rimfire: .22lr. No doubt or hesitation
Handgun: .357mag. Always liked this one. I’m fairly invested in 9mm for self defense but I could give it up and go back to carrying a .357 again if I had to pick just one.
Shotgun:12Ga. I like carrying the 20ga but after carrying the twelve this year after chukars, I’m dumb enough to carry a heavier gun.
East Rifle: .30-06. Been a fan for a long time, heck even before I shot one. As a kid reading OL and F&S in MN shotgun country I knew a .30-06 was for me.
West Rifle: .338-06. Every since I assembled mine I’ve been in love with this cartridge. But I can’t let the .30-06 go and could be happy with both forever.
 
Rimfire : .22 LR
Handgun : .40 I've killed lots of stuff with one - it works
Shotgun : 12 ga because it can do it all
West Rifle : .300 Win Mag ... can double as the East center fire
East Rifle : .45 Muzzle Loader to take advantage of all those special seasons.
 
OK - we did this a while back for "if you could only have 1 rifle, 1 handgun, etc". But now the premise is, you can have any number of firearms/platforms you wish, but you can only shoot 1 cartridge for each of the following, rimfire, handgun, shotgun, west of the Mississippi rifle, east of the Mississippi rifle. How to weigh power, vs shootability, vs cost, vs availability, vs handloading, vs nostalgia is in the eye of the beholder.

My list:

Rimfire: .22LR - cheap, readily available, a classic plinker
Handgun: 10mm - gives a little more "oomph" as a woods gun while still working for personal defense (but giving up 9mm and .357Mag would hurt)
Shotgun: 12ga - really the do all shotgun (hell, can cover the job of home defense handgun and east of MS rifle too)
West of Mississippi Rifle: 280AI - the most balanced NA big game choice in my opinion
East of the Mississippi Rifle: 30-30Win - a true classic, practicality and nostalgia carry the day on this one

Well, it looks like I am going to be the odd woman out on this thread which is not an unusual place for me to be---

After I left the ranch, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I have shot a .22

So considering that fact and looking past the Mississippi river as my benchmark, while staying within the parameters set by Vikingsguy

375 H & H for the Dangerous 7 and the Kodiak and White Bear

300 H & H
and -------------- for everything else
6.5 x 55 Swede

12 gauge shotgun

With only one choice left, I would choose the 44 mag. I could use it in the Winchester 92 for Hogs in Texas, Mountain Lions in Az, in the scabbard when riding horses in the mountains for sentimental reasons------- and/or with the S & W 29 for protection------ when in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles or Portland ( I threw Portland in for Riverdavis and Salmonchaser ")
 
East of the Mississippi would be Nunavut--West, Yukon and Northwest Territories

and I use the same three regardless of which side I am on ;)

348
275 H & H
12 gauge

I am allowed to carry a revolver and if I did it would be a Glock 10mm

According to the regulations we are still allowed to hunt the Snowshoe Hare, Arctic Ground Squirrel and Porcupine with a sling shot, so I will take that one as my fifth :)

come to think of it my husband also only uses three 270 Weatherby, 340 Weatherby and a 12 gauge.

Brent, I know you love to hunt squirrels, what do you think--sling shot or shotgun ?:)
 
Back
Top