4 calibers- Minimalist (rifle & pistol)- Change my mind.

[Forsyth21]

I’ve had probably 10 calibers over the years and I’m trying to streamline ammo, space and time with rifle(s). So I believe I’ve come up with 3 calibers (suppressed- cause who actually shoots loud these days, that’s so 90s….) that covers everything in North America (and most of Africa).

I believe stocking up on a lot of ammo (especially if the sh*t hits the fan) makes a lot of sense and many calibers is extremely inefficient.

So here we go. Change my mind.

7mm PRC bolt rifle - suppressed with a high comb stock- like a rok stock. I use TSCustoms. Used for long distance at range and Elk- yes I know you can go smaller. And in the apocalypse scenario- can shoot armored folks far away.

6.5mm CM bolt rifle- lower recoil with suppressor. Good for teens to start to get into hunting. Ammo fairly cheap. Very accurate, long barrel life (unlike 6mm CM)

6mm Arc bolt rifle- very low recoil suppressed. Accurate. Could still take antelope and mule deer bucks out to 600 yards (listen to Forms podcast if you don’t believe me)

6mm ARC AR platform - will already have ammo. No recoil suppressed. Fun predator/varmit rifle. And good for self defense in apocalypse.

9mm pistol- your personal choice on platform. But the argument has been clearly made that the extra ammo in clip is better than the .40. And 10mm/45 cal too much gun. Great back up.

9mm PCC. Delayed blow back. Will already have ammo. Great self defense within 50 yards. Also super fun suppressed. Just hear the bolt cycle with 147gr subs.

So with 6 firearms, and 4 calibers. You cover all hunting, self defense and apocalyptic scenarios.

Oh, I don’t bird hunt. And you could always shoot them with a 6arc if necessary.

Thoughts?

 

[IowaNative]

22 to the head kills most things. Ammo would be a lot easier to stockpile and practice should be a consideration.

Give me a 22, a 30 cal, 9mm and a 12 gauge.

 

[MuleyFever]

If you want to talk minimalist, you only need one rifle and one pistol.

 

[peaches]

Any list without a 22lr is a bad joke.

For me 22 lr., 9 mm, 223/5.56, and a 308 Win but I'm overly practical I guess.

 

[rickyw]

Because you don’t bird hunt:
9mm pistol
Ar15 556/223
300 win mag
6.5 creedmoor
You specified four. But I would do
30-06
AR15
9mm pistol
If my wife saw this she would be asking me why I don’t do that

 

[wesfromky]

Why not just 6arc AR and a 9mm pistol? I would also add in at least one .22, Three guns, three calibers. Infinite possibilities.

 

[Forsyth21]

Probably should have phased a few things differently for perspective. But hey, it was my first actual post. Probably should have said- the only rifles anyone needs in their safe.

I’ll give you the 22lr. And in fairness I have one and like 10,000 rounds. But it never comes out of the safe. I believe many of the replies base on availability of ammo in “one second after,” however, I’m not a prepper. More of a preparer. I believe the chance of that is 0.0001% so I’m not really designing with that in mind. Although, sometimes helps in conversation with the wife about budget.

I believe that the 30-06 is antiquated. And yes I hunted with it for decades. But with the inability to use long/heavy for caliber bullets and old case design, any of the newer rounds will significantly outperform. Not to mention, muzzle energy doesn’t really matter. It’s bullet constructing and wound channel that matters. Hence the 7mm prc. This goes for all 30 caliber- honestly no reason to shoot them unless you life rifle jump and not being able to watch your hits in anything over 5x. Since wound channel is the only thing that kills animals, I want the lowest recoiling caliber/rifle design that would create this. Accuracy also matters more than the old “30 packs a whallop”. How is whallop even defined?

The 5.56 is, of course, a good round and will be everywhere for centuries. But not a great hunting round. Hence the 6mm arc- which was designed to a “special operations group” to solve the 5.56 shortcomings. So why not sure that.

The 6.5cm is just in the middle and could probably get rid of it. But good for kids that want a larger caliber cause they 16yo boys and that matters for some reason.

Glad to hear nobody had a problem with the 9mm. Looks like I’m doing something right.

 

[waspocrew]

Any list without a 22lr is a bad joke.

For me 22 lr., 9 mm, 223/5.56, and a 308 Win but I'm overly practical I guess.

This. If truly for SHTF, this is probably the easiest ammo to stockpile and would cover all your bases.

 

[RockAndSage]

This list seems like a good way to starve.

Uncomfortable truth: if you aren't already experienced as a well-rounded hunter of big, small, and migratory game, you're going to starve after a few months in any SHFT fantasy. Because everyone around you will be wiping out the big game and cattle and other lower hanging fruit - especially west of the Mississippi, where there's just so much less carrying capacity on the land, until you get to the coast.

At some point, the only thing left will be migratory game birds as seasons change, and small animals - for years, until game populations recover after predator populations collapse, including people. And nobody's feeding their families on those animals consistently and efficiently without a shotgun and a .22.

 

[rickyw]

any of the newer rounds will significantly outperform. Not to mention, muzzle energy doesn’t really matter. It’s bullet constructing and wound channel that matters.

A 7 prc recoils on average more than a 30-06….
A long heavy high BC bullet like the 200 grain eldx loads just fine in a 30-06 and in a 24” barrel can reach circa 2700. Or chop it to 20” and put the suppressor on it and it’s going 2600. Antiquated as far as case design but far from not useful. You can do a lot with it. JMO

 

[Forsyth21]

I love how this immediately turned to a SHTF thread. I mean hasn’t that horse been best to death already? That was not the point, and if you read the original post and the OP reply (which is me) it was never meant to be. Yes there is a 0.000001% that SHTF and it’s fun to buy stuff for that reason. But this isn’t about that. It’s about the other 99.9999999% of the time (and my life) when normal hunting and ELR at steel gongs is going to be 95% of the purpose and self-defense the other 5%.

 

[rickyw]

and ELR at steel gongs is going to be 95% of the purpose

I didn’t get this from the first post - it definitely would have altered my answer

 

[RockAndSage]

I love how this immediately turned to a SHTF thread. I mean hasn’t that horse been best to death already? That was not the point, and if you read the original post and the OP reply (which is me) it was never meant to be. Yes there is a 0.000001% that SHTF and it’s fun to buy stuff for that reason. But this isn’t about that. It’s about the other 99.9999999% of the time (and my life) when normal hunting and ELR at steel gongs is going to be 95% of the purpose and self-defense the other 5%.

So with 6 firearms, and 4 calibers. You cover all hunting, self defense and apocalyptic scenarios.

You see how you're doing this to yourself, right?

 

[Forsyth21]

A 7 prc recoils on average more than a 30-06….
A long heavy high BC bullet like the 200 grain eldx loads just fine in a 30-06 and in a 24” barrel can reach circa 2700. Or chop it to 20” and put the suppressor on it and it’s going 2600. Antiquated as far as case design but far from not useful. You can do a lot with it. JMO

Entirely agree. But if you’re going out to buy a new rifle, why buy a 30-06 when more modern cartridges are available?

 

[rickyw]

Entirely agree. But if you’re going out to buy a new rifle, why buy a 30-06 when more modern cartridges are available?

my intention is not to change your mind per se.
if you like your 7s, stick with it. I almost went with the 280ai, after all. Instead I’m building a 7-08 off a long action with a 1:9 twist so I can load the eldx or m out long and hopefully get around 2700 fps.
I didn’t choose a 7 prc because: it’s a barrel burner, it recoils more, and it only fits three down (at least without some magazine sticking way out). Also, I haven’t looked, but I would bet brass is not as easy to come by as other options.
I like to run a 30-06 currently because I can still: load high BC bullets to decent velocities for moderate long range hunting, brass is everywhere, and I can fit 5 down. I could also load it way down for my son to shoot with a lighter bullet. I like five down because I hunt in grizzly country and I’m sometimes alone. Three shots go way too fast on grizzlies and they can still be up and going. That’s just me. Carry on

 

[jimh406]

NATO and very popular consumer cartridges seem like the play.

 

[Axlrod]

I can't even begin to play this game. I would have to get rid of 43 chamberings, with some having multiple firearms.

 

[IowaNative]

Entirely agree. But if you’re going out to buy a new rifle, why buy a 30-06 when more modern cartridges are available?

100%, but why settle for something in 7mm? When I said 30 cal, I meant that component selection is wide and in no way going to stop improving with such calibers as 300prc, 300wsm, etc.

If your worried about muzzle jump, try a timed brake or a can, technology now days is amazing.

 

[BLJ]

Entirely agree. But if you’re going out to buy a new rifle, why buy a 30-06 when more modern cartridges are available?

I agree with this completely. I’d get a 308.

 

[mitchellmountain]

22lr, 12 gauge, 223 and a 270. The 12 gauge is the only viable choice for many reasons that have been stated. 22lr is extremely effective inside 50 yards on most game, heck I've killed 1200 pound steers with it, not too worried about anything smaller. 223 just plain works on everything, especially at relatively short ranges and if I feel the need to reach out long and kill something a 270 will do anything that needs doing.