If you could only have one rifle cartridge for each bullet caliber from .224 to .375, what do you choose?

For me

.223 Remington
.243 Winchester
.25-06 Rem
.260 Remington
.270 Winchester
7mm-08 Rem
.30-06 Springfield
8mm Mauser
.338 Lapua
.35 Whelen
.375 Ruger

.223 Remington
.243 Winchester
.25-06 Rem
6.5 Creedmore
.270 Winchester
7mm Rem Mag
.308 Win
.325 WSM
.340 Weatherby
.35 Whelen
.375 H&H Mag

(I am leaving some gaps, based on my needs)
5.56x45
6CM
7mm Rem Mag
30-30
.338 LM

These will do everything I need done, and then some, chances are I'll never shoot the bottom two but I have several cases of sealed 308 and 1800-2000 rounds of 8mm ... for just in case.

5.56/.223 Remington
6.5 Creedmoor
308 Winchester
8mm Mauser

Now, if I could only have one rifle cartridge, as per the title of your thread, I would sure miss the economy of the 5.56/.223 Remington;
but it would have be the 6.5 Creedmoor

This message has been edited. Last edited by: kimberkid, October 20, 2020 10:26 AM

375 H&H

With the right load it can take any game the world has to offer.

If I could only choose one rifle cartridge it would be 7.62 x 51mm.

I could use it in a either an AR platform or a traditional long rifle.

I have always wanted a 25-06 but I am not sure how available ammo is for it.

I have a TC in 35 Remington and would love a lever gun chambered for the round but ammo is pretty scarce/limited. So with that being said I would go with a .30-.30.

My dad has a nice Remington 700 BDL chambered in 30-06 that he got about 40 years ago that he pairs with a with a neat little Bolt Action Marlin in .22 Mag.

Plus the 2- 5.56x45mm that are in the safe.

I think we would be pretty set for all contingencies.

I love my .338 Win Mag.

.243 Win.
.257 Roberts
6.5 Creed
.270 Win
7x57 (really difficult choice here)
.30-06
.338 Federal

5.56
308

Pretty much covers my bases.

quote:

Originally posted by kilyung:
5.56
308

Pretty much covers my bases.

Yep, same here.

The only rifle calibers I have are:
17Hornet
.22lr
5.56
.243
.308

And a lever action carbine in 357magnum

Think I’ve got all of North America covered from squirrels to two legged feral humans.

I can accomplish most, if not all tasks with my

.22 LR

.35 Remington

30-06

If only one it would be a 30/06.
If two, I would add the .223
If three, add a 375H&H Magnum

Why are you guys restricting your choices to the pipsqueak calibers? Were you aware they made rifles in manly calibers? No it doesn't need to be .50, but it could be. Or even interesting .41 mags or .45s. Thumpers need love, too.

6.8 spc

I'm content with these:

.22LR [1943 Remington 513-T]
5.56mm/.223 Rem [2007 Noveske N4; 1995 H&R SB-2 Ultra]
.243 Win [1966 Winchester M70V]
7mmBR Rem [1981 Remington XP100]
.308 Win [1998 Savage 10FP]

If you reload, there are some tricks you can use. Buy a gun with a really strong action. Then you can load it up some. Covers more than one base. You can always load it light to move downward. Not that you'd want to, extra guns are fun to buy.

quote:

Originally posted by xmod:
6.8 spc

^^ This.

Where I currently live, I can get everything I need to do done with 6.8 SPC. Works well in rifle and pistol barrel lengths for hunting and personal defense. It is my chosen cartridge.

I am no expert, but if I lived in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Alaska etc... I would want to add 30.06 and probably 375 H&H.

- 5.56x45 69gr
- .243WIN noncommittal on grainage
- 6.5 Creedmoor 140gr
- .270WIN 150 to 155gr
- .300WINMAG 180gr, though I doth protest giving up 300BLK, especially the subsonic loads
- .338 Lapua MAG, just about any grain

...and that's about it.

Not sure why smaller calibers weren't included, else I'd have .22WINMAG, .204 Ruger and .17HMR as well as my "rifle" cartridges of choice.

6.5 Creedmoor is probably the best all around cartridge so if I had to pick one this would be it. But 308 is a close second and it's what my bolt action is chambered in.

5.56 is a fantastic defensive round.

But ultimately the ongoing research and development of the new military cartridge is seeking to answer this exact question. And the answer is probably a 6.5 to 6.8mm high performance cartridge in a shorter casing, pushing a 120 gr cartridge at around 2500 fps. That covers an overwhelming majority of use cases and platforms.