Firearms and cartridges that everyone should have in their collection.

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

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

Introducing....The New 270 WLFUM (WINCHESTER LONG FAT ULTRA MAGNUM)

Check out this new caliber I'm developing for Winchester. The 270 WLFUM will fire a 130 grain WW Power Point at 5000 FPS! It will be the longest range deer/elk/PG rifle ever produced! The Cartridge will be housed in the new M70 Long Fat Ultra Mag Action, and will be sure to spawn a plethora of...

www.africahunting.com

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.

@K E Johnson
Can't beat a goog ol 1911 45 for putting big holes in things quickly.
A few big holes with a 45 trumps a lot of little hole with the prissy little 9mm

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

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

@BeeMaa
Alice 35 on an M17 actionn or Savage 110
A fast 25 on a P14 action and a slow 25 on a Winchester 92 f I r fun
And an ever reliable hornet or K Hornet
Plus a Bruno 22
Mosberg bolt action shotgun .
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

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.

@Tundra Tiger
I'm glad you said the Winchester 71 or Browning copy there of would be nice.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

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

@318AE
You can keep the faith my son I am here.
HA HA HA HA HA HA
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

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

@Northern Shooter
May be the suffering middle child but it does everything the 338s will do and comes close but no ceegar to the 375H&H
Bob

 

[0002S]

22LR

7mm Mauser/30.06/375 H&H
243/308/338 Federal

257/300/416 Weatherby
264WM/300WM/458WM
6.5PRC/300PRC/416 RUGER

12 guage shotgun

 

[209hunter]

This is a topic I think about a lot for my own collection. I don’t like having guns I don’t use unless they have sentimental value and I don’t like too much over lap in my cartridge selection. This is my current collection

Handguns
9mm Sig Sauer semi auto
357 mag Ruger SP101 revolver
45 acp 1911

Shotguns
16 ga Browning A5 (Belgium made)
12 ga HK SBE
12 ga Beretta A350

Rifles
.17 HMR Savage bolt action
.22-250 Tikka T3
.25-06 Ruger M77 Tang Safety
.30-06 Ruger M77 Mark II

Muzzleloader
.50 cal Knight Ultralite

I’d like to add a 20 ga over/under or SxS, a Ruger M77 Hawkeye in either .338-06 or 35 Whelen. I think after those additions I would have a pretty well rounded collection for most situations short of dangerous game.

 

[gzr]

1. FN/BACO Winchester Model 70 in .30-06 in your favorite flavor.
2. Anschutz 1710 .22 LR along with some Eley or Lapua match to reset your perspective on rimfire accuracy.
3. A lithe 20 gauge side by side of decent quality
4. One of the match grade 10/22 clones e.g. Volquartsen, Kidd etc.
5. A CRF .375H&H
6. Probably a Blaser R8.
7. A quality .223 bolt action. I like the Kimber Pro Varmint.
8. A Remington 870 Wingmaster, Police or Marine Magnum so you can see how good they are supposed to be.
9. A Ruger Mark II or Mark IV in .22LR
10. A quality 1911 or 2011
11. A Winchester Model 61 and/or 9422 so you can see how good a production rimfire repeater can get.
12. A good 6" to 8" revolver in .357 magnum.

 

[MS 9x56]

22lr, Mannlicher Schoenauer in 6.5x54, 7x57 mauser model 98 preferably around 100 years old, CZ 550 or BRNO in 9.3x62 ( In deference to Bob we could let a 35 Whelan slide in here), Boss side by side in 470 NE. That should cover the essentials.

 

[CastShooter]

I like these games, they make me think.

Rimfire:
22 LR - CZ 452

Deer Rifle:
6mm ARC - Howa 1500
308 Winchester - Ruger M77

Elk or Medium Game:
7mm PRC (or Rem Mag) - Rem 700
350 Rem Mag - Rem 700

Dangerous Game:
450 Ackley Magnum - CZ 550

Shotgun:
12 ga Rem 870
12 ga Benelli M3

Revolver:
41 Mag - Ruger Blackhawk

Handgun:
9x19 - Glock 19

Tyrannical Government Rifle:
5.56X45 - AR-15 - Knights Armament

 

[Nevada Mike]

For rifles I have...

404 Jeff on magnum M98 action with Pacnor barrel
.375 H&H Win Model 70 - restocked with dropped floorplate
308 Norma Mag Model 70
Ruger 77 Mrk II in 30-06
7mm Rem Mag on Mathieu Action with PacNor barrel
280 AI Model 70 Custom stock with Kreiger barrel
Ruger No. 1 in 250'06 with 25" Brux barrel
Dakota 76 SA in .257 Roberts
Remington 700 SPS in 22-250
Savage .17 HMR
Plus several 22 rimfires

For shotguns, I like doubles...

12 gauge
Henry Atkin SLE lightweight
1937 Browning Superposed

16 Gauge
Jos, Harkom BLE lightweight
1915 graded A.A. Fox ejector

20 Gauge
50s era Browning Superposed
Perazzi MX20
Robertson BLE
Henry Atkin SLE

Handguns
Colt Series 80 Officer's Model 45 ACP
S&W 651 .22 Rimfire and Magnum Rimfire
S&W 629 44 Magnum

God loves a sinner.

 

[Jay Kelley]

Everyone should have...
handguns
.22LR, concealable 9mm and a .44 magnum revolver (usually small enough to wear and big enough to get the job done)

Rifles
Good quality 22LR
Carbine for your truck (.44 Mag or .30-30 for traditionalists. 5.56 for the black rifle crowd)
A quality rifle in 7mm up to .30 cal
A quality rifle in .338 to .375
A quality rifle in .416 or larger

Shotguns
20 or 28 for upland birds and small game
3 1/2 12 for waterfowl and turkey.

I do not have a rifle in .416 or larger, (although I have a .375 H&H) and my 12 gauge is 3" only. Otherwise I'm pretty well stocked.

 

[WH1]

22 Rimfire
Rifle - Ruger 10/22 - one of the all-time great does everything rifles.
Handgun - Colt Woodsman

Varmint
Savage 110HB .223 (1/4" 3 shot groups at 100 yards)

Bolt Midweight
Tikka T-3 30-06 (my go to elk rifle)
or
Ruger American .300WM Stainless and ported

Bolt Large
Whitworth 375HH - mine has a fantastic crisp trigger, smooth bolt polished feed and shoots tight.
I have taken elk/mule deer out to 250+ yards with a single shot multiple times, so it is one of my favorites. Nothing in Africa YET!

Cowboy
Winchester 1873 in 45LC
Colt SAA 5 1/2" 45LC or S&W Russian 45LC (Italian Copy) [one of the finest shooting revolvers I have ever had]

Handgun
Colt Python 2 1/2" .357Mag (EDC)
Colt Anaconda 44Mag 6" (Montana Gun)
Sig P226 9mm
Colt 1911 MarSoc .45ACP

Shotguns
Beretta A400 20 Ga
Ithaca SxS 16 Ga
Ruger Red Label O/U 12 Ga

Flintlock Rifle
Ian Pratt .60 cal muzzleloader

 

[Red Leg]

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

But if you are serious about a Lee make it a Lee Speed.

My "Ghost and the Darkness" .303.

 

[CoElkHunter]

But if you are serious about a Lee make it a Lee Speed.

My "Ghost and the Darkness" .303.

Beautiful wood!

 

[Josh P]

But if you are serious about a Lee make it a Lee Speed.

My "Ghost and the Darkness" .303.

That's the plan, but they're hard to come by. It's just my opinion, but, to me, they're the prettiest rifle. It'd put me halfway to literally never shopping for another rifle again.

Beautiful piece. Thank you for sharing.

 

[AimSmall]

Sure fun to have people with whom you can have discussions like this.

Consider a rifle set. So all actions, triggers, and safeties work the same. Everyone that shoots one can be comfortable with any of the set. i.e.:

(Well, of course the R8)

Or, Kimber (or insert your brand) in-
22
223
22-250
243
257
270
308
300
338
375
416

But those dang wants keep showing up!

 

[cash_tx]

For rifles I have...

404 Jeff on magnum M98 action with Pacnor barrel
.375 H&H Win Model 70 - restocked with dropped floorplate
308 Norma Mag Model 70
Ruger 77 Mrk II in 30-06
7mm Rem Mag on Mathieu Action with PacNor barrel
280 AI Model 70 Custom stock with Kreiger barrel
Ruger No. 1 in 250'06 with 25" Brux barrel
Dakota 76 SA in .257 Roberts
Remington 700 SPS in 22-250
Savage .17 HMR
Plus several 22 rimfires

For shotguns, I like doubles...

12 gauge
Henry Atkin SLE lightweight
1937 Browning Superposed

16 Gauge
Jos, Harkom BLE lightweight
1915 graded A.A. Fox ejector

20 Gauge
50s era Browning Superposed
Perazzi MX20
Robertson BLE
Henry Atkin SLE

Handguns
Colt Series 80 Officer's Model 45 ACP
S&W 651 .22 Rimfire and Magnum Rimfire
S&W 629 44 Magnum

God loves a sinner.

308 Norma Mag, 375 H&H, 25-06, and 257 Bob. We can be friends... ;-)

 

[ftrovato]

So hard to do but I'll pick 5 that I think can hunt the planet.
1. 22-250 Remington
2. 257 Weatherby
3. 30-06 Springfield
4. 340 Weatherby
5. 500 N.E.

 

[C.W. Richter]

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?

Did you ask a question and then answer it?? You seem to mention modern stuff that's currently mass produced and for sale at run of the mill stores. What about custom rifles? What about M98s that shoot rings around most factory plastic junk today? lol I'd say: Whatever the beholder desires, not what someone else suggests on the MSM....Nothing beats a fine custom rifle or whatever design or cartridge you desire! Bansner, Borden, older A-Squares, Dakota traveler takedowns, Ryan Breeding, Paul Jaeger. Don't buy factory POS plastic rifles! Mossberg? LOL suited me fine when i was 10. Buy Walmart stock; Don't shop there!!! lol Wby is ok. Semi-custom rigs that shoot well and will cost 4x the wallyworld plastics. A fully custom will be 10x+ but fully worth it. Custom rig + quality matched optics + handloading and practice cannot be beat. Other than the Win M70 (CRF) I wouldn't consider anything above. I got my WWII era Win '94 in 30-30 back (kid gun I fast outgrew for a 3006 carbine pump and then custom M98 300 WM) but I don't use it anymore. Severely underpowered, like our present "Leaders." I try not to collect, and if i'm not shooting something, I sell it in favor of something that I can put to work in the field...Hot .223 (NOT a 223!!!), HOT 257, HOT 264 NOT A NEEDMORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, (on par w/ the 30-30), HOT 284, HOT 308, 338, 416. Big cases do great stuff. After a certain case volume, the benefits drop off at the expense of powder and recoil in bigger bores (e.g. all 416s can do 2,450 fps no problemo w/ 70s-100s gr powder. The Chatfield-Taylor is fine.) Small cases are more profitable to the Mfrs, so that's why they're peddled now.