Firearms and cartridges that everyone should have in their collection.

[Northern Shooter]

What are those quintessential firearms and cartridges that belong in everyone's collection? They don't all need to necessarily pertain to African/dangerous game hunting but those will be included as well.

CRF Bolt Actions for the big stuff:
1. CZ 550
2. Winchester Model 70
3. Ruger M77.

Three classic designs that many of us own at least one of. Cartridges that would best suit these rifles - 375H&H/Ruger, .416 Rigby/Rem Mag/Ruger, .458 WM/Lott etc.

Double Rifles:
No one make in particular but the likes of Heym, Merkel, Chapuis etc. are popular choices.
1. If you have the means for a double, adding one in either .470NE or 450/400 NE would be excellent choices.

Longer Range Mountain Rifles:
Having the option to reach out to distances common in Western Canada/Western USA in mountainous terrain. I'd argue that everyone should own at least one of each of the following cartridge families.
1. 6.5 - Swede/Creed/PRC
2. 7mm - 08/Rem Mag/ PRC
3. 30cal - .308/ 30.06 / 300 WM
4. 338 - Federal / 338 WM / 338 lapua.
Lightweight rifles from Tikka, Bergara, Sako, Weatherby etc. would make ideal choices for these cartridge selections.

Cowboy Action:
No collection is complete without a trio of lever guns from Winchester, Marlin and Henry in:
1. Pistol caliber carbine - either .357Mag or .44Mag
2. 30-30 or 35 Rem.
3. 45-70 or 444 Marlin

Varmint Rifles:
1. Something in .223 comes to mind for this type of hunting, bonus points if you live in a country where you can own a semi-auto MSR along the lines of the AR15, Mini 14 etc.

Rimfire for the small stuff:
1. Ruger 10/22 - most ubiquitous semi auto .22 ever produced.
2. CZ 457 - Same as above, but in the bolt action world.

Shotguns:
At a bare minimum every hunter should have at least 1 pump action and 1 semi.
1. Pump Action 12 Gauge - Mossberg 590
2. Semi Auto 12 Gauge - Beretta 1301

What firearms/cartridges would you add to list of "must haves" for hunters and collectors?

 

[krish]

270 winchester. If you can a 500 NE.
Very good selection.
Krish

 

[BeeMaa]

At least a 375H&H bolt action, larger if you would like

300WM (or comparable) bolt action

257WBY (25-06 works well too) bolt action

22lr bolt action or semi-auto...your choice

12 bore O/U or SxS...again your choice

12 bore autoloader

5.56NATO AR

 

[colorado]

270 winchester. If you can a 500 NE.
Very good selection.
Krish

Perfect. I have a 270 Weatherby Magnum (gave my 270 Win to my youngest son) and a 500 Jeffery.

 

[Fabnosh]

.22lr, .308 and .375H&H double. Just add fieldcraft and all bases are covered.

FN

 

[K E Johnson]

270 winchester. If you can a 500 NE.
Very good selection.
Krish

I will see your 270 Winchester and raise you to a 270WLFUM.

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Would like to add Dakota to the bolt action list. Would like a Model 10 single shot as well.

I can’t believe that @BeeMaa didn’t add the Blaser R8 To the list.

I would also add the 32 WCF just for fun.

1911 for concealed carry is a favorite as well.

 

[BeeMaa]

I can’t believe that @BeeMaa didn’t add the Blaser R8 To the list.

I'd like for everyone to have a Blaser R8...but I don't believe it falls into the "everyone should" category.

Forgot a pistol...
Something 9mm or 45ACP for concealed carry...like @K E Johnson said, but not a 1911 Make it a Springfield Armory XD or a Glock.

22lr semi-auto pistol would be nice for plinking too.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

For the sake of simplifying things, I’m going to stick to only currently manufactured firearms:
.22 Hornet (Ruger Varmint)
7x57mm (Mauser M98 Standard Diplomat)
.375 Holland & Holland Magnum (Mauser M98 Magnum Diplomat)
.600 Nitro Express Holland & Holland sidelock ejector
12 Gauge 3 Inch Magnum Westley Richards Sidelock Ejector (left barrel will be full choke & right barrel will be improved cylinder)
.45 ACP Colt M1911A1

I’d be happy to substitute the .600 Nitro Express with a .505 Gibbs custom built by JP. Smithson on a Granite Mountain Arms African Magnum Mauser action.


I currently own the following on my personal licenses.

A 12 Gauge 3 Inch Magnum Beretta Model 626E (I’ll always hate Beretta for discontinuing this one, since I personally consider it be be their finest side by side ever made)

A 7x57mm Mauser Churchill Gunmakers Model Deluxe

A .32 ACP Webley & Scott Model 1921

Hope to add a Winchester Model 70 Safari Express in 416 Remington Magnum to the battery in the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, Winchester doesn’t appear to be manufacturing new ones as part of their inventory lately (or indeed, any of the Safari Express models).

 

[Daveboone]

I have a lean to the traditional....
Mauser bolt action in 8x57. 30-06, .270s and a ton more came from it, havent improved much.
.270 Winchester. Bolt action of your choice (but preferably Mauser style).
Lever action 30-30 of your choice.
.357 Magnum Smith and Wesson..
Colt 1911 in .45 acp.
.22 Ruger Mark 2.
45-70 in your choice of single shot...mines a Browning falling block.

Nothing in the big African calibers...They have their place, but I do not see that happening. Anything big enough, my 45-70 with modern loads will handle in North America.

 

[Josh P]

Some form of surplus/sporterized .303 and a green/brown Right Arm of the Free World.

 

[Safari Dave]

I've taken several rifles to Africa from the USA:

A Heym Model 88b Safari in .470 NE, a CZ 550 Safari Magnum in .416 Rigby, a Winchester Model 70 in .375 H&H. and a Weatherby Vanguard in .300 Winchester Magnum.

The opportunity never presented itself with the DR.

I got 5 animals with the .416, 2 with the 375 H&H, and 6 with the .300 Win Mag.




I would use use a .300 mag with solids or borrow a shotgun from your PH for anything small.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

A Marlin 336 (I prefer a .35 Remington)
A variation of Marlin 1895
A Savage 99
A Winchester 1895
A Winchester 88
A Marlin 39
A Winchester 1886
A Winchester 94
An Ithaca 49 (personal choice)
A Winchester Model 71
A Browning BLR

I am sure I am omitting someone's favorite.

 

[PerH]

12 bore

16 bore ( on the list )

7,62x39 bolt

7x57 bolt

.375 bolt

.458 bolt

Want to have on list , drilling 16 or 12 bore 7x65R or 8mm possibly .

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I have three,
375 Fl Magnum
30-06
450/400 double

But will get rid of the 375 FL. The other two should cover everything.

 

[casey]

I would think a m70 crf in .375 would just be ducky!

 

[318AE]

We’ve made it to 15 posts without a 35 Whelen? On this forum? Don’t let me lose my faith…

 

[Northern Shooter]

We’ve made it to 15 posts without a 35 Whelen? On this forum? Don’t let me lose my faith…

I always viewed the 35 Whelen as suffering from the middle child syndrome slotting in between the 338s and 375s.

 

[mark-hunter]

What are those quintessential firearms and cartridges that belong in everyone's collection?

22lr (Must!!!),

Rifle:
30-06,
375 H&H,
7x64,
9.3x62,
300 win mag (or 8x68 if you are European),
338 win mag,
458 win mag,
8x57
6.5 x 55

Smooth bore:
12 GA

Lever action:
Add to this, if you are from New World:
30-30,
45-70

Revolver cartridges
357 mag,
44 mag.

Pistol cartridges
9x19
45 ACP

All others in existence are good, or even better - but none of the others have appeal and history as those above.

 

[eyedok]

.22
.222 Remington 700
6mm bull barrel
7x57 whitworth
300 H&H pre64 model 70
.375hh
.450/400
covers alot of stuff

 

[ET1775]

Pistol:
.22 LR semi auto
9mm semi auto

Rifle:
.22 LR bolt
.223/5.56 semi auto
6.5 CM bolt
.308 Win bolt
.300 H&H Single shot
.375 H&H Single Shot
.470 NE

Shotgun:
20 Ga SxS
12 Ga pump

I can hunt or fight the whole planet with that selection and I have all but the .470 DR. Plenty of other options out there, some of which I have had or tried but this is what I have accumulated and kept over the decades.