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

[Jdeck09]

If I had to pick 4 calibers-

300 Win Mag- Will handle anything in North America
.22LR- Small game, cheap, easy to shoot
9MM- Self defense
223/5.56-Self-defense and hunting

 

[Thegman]

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

And not to forget...

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.

Thoughts?

"I'm talking about SHTF but I'm not really talking about SHTF"...make up your mind...

 

[goalie]

People that think lots of ammo are the #1 thing they need for SHTF haven't been in a gunfight before.

 

[ctafoya]

10/22
USP45
Rem870
300 WSM
I'm going to cheat and add an AR

 

[MoeFaux]

I think the most practical solution is this:

1 - Big Game Cartridge. For me that's 7mm-08. Power enough to kill anything I intend to shoot within the ranges I intend to shoot without unnecessary recoil. One could also build an AR-10 around it for funsies. For you, the big game cartridge might be anything between a 300WM and a 6CM. Pick your poison.

2 - Shotgun. 12 gauge for me, but arguments can be made for 20. Allows you to shoot turkeys on the ground, birds on the wing, rabbits, clays. Add a slug barrel or a separate slug gun, and you've got a medium to large game cartridge for closer shots, dense woods, and dangerous game. Legal in straight wall areas. Also works for home defense.

3. 9mm. As described in the OP. Innumerable options for pistols and carbines.

4. 22 lr - pistols, pumps, levers, carbines, bolts, ARs. You can get anything in 22 and shoot it cheap. Also the perfect solution for small game and some birds.

The practical solution, however, lacks pizazz, and I would have to change something to make it more fun:

- ditch the 9mm. I don't really care for pistols anyway. Replace it with a fun and capable small and fast cartridge like 223, 25CM, or your 6ARC. Now you've got a varmit rifle that can also harvest medium game that's easy to shoot for fun and accuracy. Of course some of these also have the the AR option.

You, however, don't hunt birds and don't seem to have any interest in shotguns, so your list looks different. If I were to comment specifically on your list, I'd say this:

- forget the 7PRC. It's more gun than you need for almost anything, so it's going to be relegated to the back of the safe while you take the fun stuff out to the range and woods. Replace it with a 6.5 PRC so you've still got something big enough for all of NA and much of Africa that's also tame enough for the teens (especially suppressed).

- ditch the 6.5CM cuz you no longer have a gap to fill between your ARC and your PRC. Make that 4th cartridge whatever you want for fun, since your bases are already well covered. For me, it's a lever gun. Research shows that lever guns are undeniably the bestest guns. . . . I'm sure there's a pie chart somewhere that proves the point. A Marlin 336 in 30-30 for the whitetail woods? A Henry 45-70 as your sidekick in bear country? Maybe the new S&W 1854 in 44 mag for straight wall states? Any of those would be a blast, and I would find any gun safe incomplete if it lacks the fun of a lever action rifle.

-Keep the 6ARC and the 9mm. Love what you did there.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

What single .22lr gun would everyone look to cover all the use cases?

Obviously some guns will be better suited to different use cases. Just looking for opinion on “if you’re getting one, get this one.”

Suppressed 16 inch T1x for the accuracy
I have 10/22,short barrel braced 10/22 charger and mark pistol but none are near as accurate.

 

[Wprinkle]

Not to derail this thread but I will anyways... When I was a kid I read a book about a man who took a 30-06 and was showing it was the "1 gun." I cant remember everything but he took it from Shooting prairie dogs to hunting in africa.. Had different loads for everything and bullet grains.. I cant remember if he swapped barrels to shoot super light bullets or not.. But at 12 years old he had me convinced that was all I needed... And back then he was probably right.

 

[Speaks]

I guess this would be different if explicitly for SHTF. But for just general use case I would likely do

223 - in both AR and Tikka bolt gun
Either a 6cm, 6.5cm, or 6.5 prc in a bolt gun. The 6cm is my favorite, the 6.5 PRC really covers all hunting scenarios, though I suppose the 6.5cm would really be best in true SHTF. Anyway for now I am going 6cm
20 ga shot gun
9mm for handgun and also in a carbine.

If I were going to realistically look at trying to consolidate cartridges (and I have been doing this to some degree)

22lr
223
6cm
6.5 prc
20ga
9mm

Those 6 do everything I need to do and frankly most other guns I have in other calibers are for nostalgic reasons on the specific gun not that it adds any function.

 

[Ozzy841]

.22 LR, 12 gauge, large rifle - .308, 30-06, or 6.5CM for ammo availability, and a 9mm pistol. My dad and grandpa have hunted everything for their entire life with just a .22, 12 gauge and .308. I love having lots of calibers and combinations so I have several, but could easily be content with those 4. I realize that is some serious “fudd” territory but my dad doesn’t seem to care. He’s happy to get out and put some meat in the freezer. Something to be said for that I guess.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

22lr, 12guage, 308...I dont need a pistol I am more accurate throwing one than shooting it.

 

[omicron1792]

I guess this would be different if explicitly for SHTF. But for just general use case I would likely do

223 - in both AR and Tikka bolt gun
Either a 6cm, 6.5cm, or 6.5 prc in a bolt gun. The 6cm is my favorite, the 6.5 PRC really covers all hunting scenarios, though I suppose the 6.5cm would really be best in true SHTF. Anyway for now I am going 6cm
20 ga shot gun
9mm for handgun and also in a carbine.

If I were going to realistically look at trying to consolidate cartridges (and I have been doing this to some degree)

22lr
223
6cm
6.5 prc
20ga
9mm

Those 6 do everything I need to do and frankly most other guns I have in other calibers are for nostalgic reasons on the specific gun not that it adds any function.

This is me. 5.56. 6.5prc. 9mm. 20 gauge.

 

[Don Fischer]

Four cartridges huh. Well have to start with a 22 rim fire but I prefer my 22 mag to the standard 22 rf. Handguns, my carry gun is a 9mm and I like it. I can shoot it without excessive recoil. Gonna throw in one extra handgun, have a 32 long that I love. makes a goog small game, rabbits, gun. Faforite shotgun is 28ga. Light and low recoil and will kill anything I hit. Rifles is my truely big thing. Toss up right now between new 260 Rem I recently got and my 6.5x55. Both with the right bullet will easily handle anything I'm liable to hunt. Have a 243 but have never been real crazy about it. To many cartridges cand do all it can and more. have two rifles I used for elk, 30-06 and 6.5x06. Both have taken down three elk each with one shot. Probably 30-06 should be considered the better of the two for better bullets. I use 180ge bullet's in it for elk and that all I hunt with it. Simpl not needed for deer or hogs If I were a hog hunter. In the 6.5x06 he bullet's used were 140gr Speer hot core's. Really like the hot core bullet's. That's mostly because they are what I can find around here. Would like to try some 156gr bullet's in it but really can't complain about the 140 gr bullet's!

If four was all I could have it would be the 22 mag, 32long and 9mm for carry gun, 28ga SxS for a shotgun and either 6.5x55 or 260 Rem rifle. In shotguns I've had a few 12ga but now have two 16ga's, a 20ga two 28ga's and 410. One 16 ga is an Ithica mod 32 pump everything else is SxS's. Only ever had one auto shotgun, Browning Double and it was truely a great gun for me! But for hunting the 28 rules to road these days for me.

My choices are about rifle weight and shotgun weight and recoil from both. Getting old and don't get around that well anymore and have never enjoyed recoil. Getting around get's harder every year now, pushing 80 pretty hard.

 

[bnewt3]

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

Because 308, 30-06, 556, 22LR, 12ga are EVERYWHERE, not just in a SHTF scenario, but in normal everyday life.

I dont think any of your choices are bad from an effectiveness standpoint, but you did say apocalyptic too.

And I havent yet heard an argument that trumps a 22LR/12GA combo gun in all but self defense scenarios.

 

[coyotekilla]

In the interests of a minimalist...
1. Beretta brx1, cal 300 win mag or 30-06 and the 243 or 6.5cm barrel / bolt

2. Ar15 in 223/5.56. Handloads can be done as cheap as 5.50 a box

3. A good 9mm

That being said, being a minimalist is for those living in a van, down by the river... I like my tikka collection

 

[WoodlandCritter]

How apocalyptic we talking?

If its bad enough, a .50cal Browning M2 would definitely make it onto my list of stuff to have. Probably truck mounted but parked semi-permanently near the front gate of the village walls.

 

[K9kodi]

22lr pistol and or rifle
9mm auto pistol and or pcc
44mag revolver
300 win mag
223/556
12 ga

You’re good to go with that list.