If you had to start your gun collection over

[Boredrill]

I would probably do everything the same, maybe would have bought a MP5 clone instead of building my grail 300 BO, but I’m pretty happy with my collection and the order I obtained them in.

 

[akrifleman]

I'm assuming we are going from today, as opposed to what a guy shoulda, coulda done back then.
Hunting
22x57 30° 1in8 (224 Clark) - Seekins PH3 (switchbarrel)
375 Ruger
475 Linebaugh
12g Beretta (A400 or A800)
5.7x28 Ruger pistol

22x57 - can be thought of as a modernized 220 Swift (rimless), and handles 80s very well. Modern copper rose or hammer hunter for food, and sintered frangibles for fur retention. Seekins PH3 because it hunts well, switchbarrel, and can be used for competition.
375 Ruger - just works (220g Stone Hammers match 300WM ballistics) through 350gr solids. Insert 375 H&H here if you just can't stand it. Something Cerakoted and synthetic. DG, plains, or boat gun in one package.
475 Linebaugh - practical, packable
12g Beretta - Ptarmigin to geese to turkeys to coyotes - pick the right load and go
5.7x28 in Ruger 5.7 - Least expected choice. 22LR/WMR are just to light when dispatching wolves, wolverines, and badgers. Easy to shoot Ptarmigin due to a flat trajectory <100. Working man sled gun. Very unsexy.

Not much this lineup can't do, which is probably why this is pretty much were I've ended up after going through a ton of stuff that didn't. If I was back in my 20s, the Seekins would have had to have been something else, and the 375 Ruger would have been an H&H. 5.7x28 may have been 22 Improved Jet or 256 Win in a Blackhawk.

Collection:
Ultralight sheep rifle
Savage 99 284
Heym Express 416 Rigby
Heym 89B 470NE

Competition stuff not included here as that would be another book entirely.

 

[Longwalker]

these are my Current rifles not "wish list" ... all bolt action
Dg rifle - Sako M85 Kodiak .375 H&H
Plains game rifle Verney-Carron Impact Plus takedown 9.3x62
Rifle for europe Sauer 202 7x64
Rifle for NA Sako Forester Deluxe L579 .308
Small game 22lr or similar. Anschutz 1415 .22 WMR
and shotguns
12 - Win. M12 Pump for waterfowl
20 - Browning Citori Lightning feather O/U for upland birds

this collection would do nicely after buying, trying, selling, and trading over 100 firearms. These will all do the job asked of them, along with some other favourites that are not on the list. for instance I actually prefer to hunt upland birds with my Browning Citori 16 ga, but that was not an option in the original question.

 

[Gomer]

Just kind of a fun thought experiment if you had to start over knowing what you know now. What would you get.

Dg rifle
Plains game rifle
Rifle for europe
Rifle for NA
Small game 22lr or similar.

and shotguns
12
20
Or 28 gauge
pick 2

Most importantly why you made your choice. And any fun stories related to it.

And if im missing anything feel free to add on. Just kind of a fun thought exercise.

I almost feel like I am on the verge of starting over because my focus is no longer on collecting rifles in “cool” chamberings, but going on hunts. I’ve already started to sell off some stuff. “Logistics over ballistics”. This is what I would keep if I went minimalist:

1: Ruger 77/22 22 LR
2: Stevens 301 .410 Bore
3: Mossberg 500 12 GA
4: Tikka T3x 223 Rem
5: Tikka T3x 308 Win (Short and Suppressed)
6: Winchester M70 30-06 (Pre-64)
7: Knight Ultralight 50 Cal

And I would add:

Winchester M70 375 H&H

 

[Hedge774]

I have to jump back into the game.

DG - Ruger RSM .375 HH
Plains Game - Win Pre 64 (1960) 300 HH
NA - Tikka T3X 30-06
European - Sako Black Bear 9.3x62
Small Game - CZ 457 .22 LR
Shotgun - Mossburg 500 (I know this is not refined, but I've had one for 25 years and it's never had a hiccup)
I'm actually very blessed to own these firearms, which leads me to an quandary. "Do I have everything I need?"

 

[NoStepOnSnek]

I would’ve started getting No.1s earlier. I’ve whittled away at most of my “undesirables.” The few I have left that I wouldn’t have purchased myself at this stage in life where gifts and are at least interesting