If you could only have 3 guns....

[LostinTexas_45]

If you could only have 3 firearms for the rest of your life, what would they be (and what caliber) and why?

 

[K-man]

.223 for small game and varmits, .300 win mag for most plains and north american game, and .375 h&h for anything else. Hunt the world with those 3. I assume you meant rifles, otherwise we would need a 12 gauge shotgun.

 

[LostinTexas_45]

.223 for small game and varmits, .300 win mag for most plains and north american game, and .375 h&h for anything else. Hunt the world with those 3. I assume you meant rifles, otherwise we would need a 12 gauge shotgun.

I meant firearms. Rifles, shotguns, handguns, muzzle-loaders....

 

[Therack]

12 gauge Benelli super black eagle - covers all birds worldwide
Browning A Bolt .375 - covers all big game worldwide
Ruger 10/22 .22 long rifle - just because

 

[cpr0312]

.40 Cal
12 gauge auto
.375

Should about cover it..

 

[mdwest]

12ga Benelli Super Vinci - birds, small game.. and big game if you need to.. Ammo is cheap and easy to find anywhere
Winchester M70 .30-06 - big game all over the world.. Ammo is cheap and easy to find anywhere.. I'll just stay away from big critters that want to eat me..
Glock 19 - 2 legged critters.. Ammo is cheap and easy to find anywhere..

 

[Velo Dog]

1.
Mauser 98 or Brno 602 in .375 H&H, Zeiss 4x scope, low rings, claw mounts.
2.
S&W .22 revolver, with spare .22 Magnum cylinder, J frame, 4" barrel, adjustable sights (formerly known as their model 34 "kit gun" or, in stainless steel model 63, same gun otherwise).
3.
Westley Richards best grade drop lock double rifle, made to fit me, with double triggers, 26" ejector barrels, also in .375 H&H belted rimless magnum, classic express sights regulated for 300 grain round nose soft and solid, with spare 20 bore, 26" shotgun barrels, 3" chambers, ejectors, choked left side true cylinder and right side full.

Do I really have to explain why?
Ok, I will:

I chose the 20 because I suspect a .375 on the 12 gauge frame would be unnecessarily heavy, less elegant looking and less responsive for close range instinctive shooting.

The makers mentioned are all very much favorites of mine (vintage S&W anyway).
The rifle caliber mentioned is available both where I live and in Africa as well, not to mention effective for the things I will likely ever hunt or have to stop from clobbering me (grizzly are common where I live).

I actually own the Brno .375 H&H but with lever rings, not claw mounts (yet, heh heh).
Also own the revolver mentioned but without a spare cylinder (although such was available by special order in my time).
So, I own one each of the described revolvers.
(In the OP's scenario, I'd have to stay with one revolver and extra cylinder, no problem).

Anyway, one is the regular .22 rimfire caliber and it's otherwise identical twin is the .22 magnum caliber.
Both excellent small game hunting revolvers.
The .22 magnum can stand in as a defensive round, if I had no larger caliber handgun available.
It'd be even better for this if 60 grain flat nose solids were available for it.
(Not that the regular 40 grainers would not do passable work on attacking creeps, viscious dogs and such.)

For shotguns, I generally prefer cylinder bore for most bird hunting plus, slug shooting, when called for.
But, a reserve barrel with tight choke and #4 lead shot is handy for the odd longer shot.
I prefer to fire rear trigger first on doubles (so, left barrel) to avoid doubling by "strumming" the triggers in recoil.
Yes, neither the .375 or 20 bore modest recoil are likely to cause this but, it is my habit with all doubles, heavy kickers or not.

(Thankfully I'm not stuck with only 3 firearms, neither with any newer S&W revolver for that matter, )

 

[Scott Slough]

1. 12 gauge Mossberg pump shotgun (bought in 1978...18th birthday present to myself)
2. 300 Win Mag Remington 700 (first Christmas present from my wife in 1980)
3. 375 H & H Mag Remington 700 (bought in 2014 soon after first African safari...after almost 40 years with a Remington 700 there was no need to learn a new gun)

I am all in for less than $2K...with no need or desire to make any changes.

 

[CAustin]

Browning semi auto 12 gauge shotgun. Close in Self defense and small game/bird hunting.
Ruger #1 300 win mag all around game rifle.
Colt M4 in 5.56 NATO to defend the Home land.

 

[mikeinarkansas]

Remington 870 12 ga takes care of birds and home defense. Remington 700 30-06, easy ammo and versatile. Glock 19 9mm, pretty common and very reliable. I live in a place where I carry all the time.
If I had a choice of one more it would be a 10-22 and or an m4 style AR.
Thankfully we don’t have to make that choice

 

[wesheltonj]

(1) 308 Win - will kill anything within 400 years with ease, ammo is cheap
(2) 12 G - has the reach for high flyers and will kill anything with a few yards
(3) 9 MM Ammo is cheap and will kill anything with ease short range.

 

[Divernhunter]

Not going to happen. I would find a way to sneak others in.

 

[IvW]

1. 7x57mm or 7x64 Brenneke(either would be perfect) Brno mod 21 spoonhandle or ZKK 600
2. 9.3x74R/12ga Combination(german made).
3. 500 Jeff my custom one built on a Brno ZKK 602 action.

or

1. 7x57R/16ga combination gun(I am looking at a Heym in this combination at the moment and I am in negotiations to buy it) or 7x65R/12ga Ferlach(I have this rifle my son uses it at the moment).
2. 9.3x74R/12ga Combination(I have a Renato Gamba in this combination).
3. 500 Jeff on ZKK 602 action.

I hunt in Africa.
I own 17 guns so it would be extremely difficult to confine myself to only 3 but if it has to it would be the top ones.

 

[Dr Ray]

If you could only have 3 firearms for the rest of your life, what would they be (and what caliber) and why?

I would have a 22 rimfire, 270, and338 Winchester magnum.
That would cover just about everything I hunt. 338 is okay for buffalo here in Australia although phs seem to think it to be marginal.

 

[johnnyblues]

I’m a simple man.. 270 in standard or WSM for almost anything here in our country. To clarify , I’ve shot everything from deer to sheep to moose and caribou with my 270. My second choice would be my 300 WSM for the big bears. And last but not least my 375 which needs no introduction as it made its mark many years ago in Africa. If you own these guns you will prepared for most anything in the world you may want to hunt.

But remember one thing this thread will have multiple responses and opinions, none will be wrong.

 

[Pheroze]

Two rifles: Brno ZKK 600 in 308 Norma, and Brno ZKK 602 in 400 H&H. The similar actions to ensure confidence with the actions no matter which I am using. The odd chamberings just keeps my life interesting.

One 12 ga over/under or side by side for birds.

 

[BeeMaa]

This is a great question, but one I am finding it very difficult to answer.

How about 3 of each? 3 rifles, 3 shotguns and 3 handguns...
Everybody else seems to make up their own rules as they go along, now it's my turn.
Let's call it 3 for me, 3 for my wife and 3 for my dog.

223 Rem bolt action Ruger for varmints,
300 WM bolt action Kimber Caprivi for large game
416 Rigby bolt action Rigby for DG

12ga SBEII for turkey/ducks/geese/home defense
12 ga O/U Beretta for field birds/clays
20ga O/U Beretta for my wife

9mm Springfield Armory XDM for daily carry
357 mag S&W J-Frame snubby revolver for deep carry
44 Rem Mag S&W 6" for hunting

 

[Chago]

12 guage Browning maxus. Because I can literally shoot anything with it.

My custom 6.5 creedmoor. I use heavier calibers to hunt. But if your restricting me to just 3, this is what I would keep. I would have no issue shooting a Canadian moose with this caliber.

PGW Timberwolf 338 Lapua Magnum. Only because I need to see my bullets fly a mile at least once every two weeks. Laying prone and watching a vapor trail is my therapy. Some guys go to the spa. I go to the well groomed power lines.

 

[Ridgewalker]

1. Cerakoted Remington 870 12ga. Pump vs auto so it can go to Africa and still use for home defense.
2. Kimber Talkeetna in 375 H&H so it won’t get ruined on the Alaska coast.
3. Stainless steel S & W J frame 3” in 357/38 (sort of like Velo Dog, but a little more umph).

As has been stated, glad we don’t have to limit ourselves.

 

[Hogpatrol]

#1 A 12 gauge shotgun of some stripe.
#2. A .22 S/L/LR bolt action of some stripe.
#3. A rifle that shoots ammo I could procure in the mountains of whoknowswhere-istan.

In other words, firearms that shoot ammo available anywhere in the world.

Aside from that, the OP is on my "BAN" list for asking a question like that.
Only three firearms? In this country? Now? You gotta be kiddin'.