If you could have only one caliber, what would it be?

[415m3]

.44 because my Redhawk is my favorite pistol. I think I need another R92 to go with it.

[5 iron]

Went with 38 special. I like wheelguns and concealed carry.

[David todd]

.303 Brit because it will do everything I need it to do from target shooting to hunting:-P
David

[Slugster]

.30-06 for me. Can pop squirrel heads, and will take down anything in the U.S. Sometimes "one size fits all" is true.

[vtech26]

223/5.56 because ammo is so plentiful. But then again some pistol calibers may be considered as well as they are easier to cast for...

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[grayscale]

30-06 cause you can load it all the way down to to pipsqueek loads with sabot'd 223's or all the way up to 250 gr. thumpers. mice to moose and beyond with one rifle.
That's versatility, plus ammo can be found almost anywhere on the planet. Brass is everywhere, data near endless, 30 cal molds in countless variations, Whats not to like?

[2A-Jay]

30-06, Only gun I have 2 of also my 2 most accurate guns "IF I do my part".

[Camba]

My one caliber would be 35 cal.
I will use the same caliber bullets in 9mm pistols, 38/357 mag and max, 358 win, 35 whelen, 357 sig, 350 Legend, and many more in 35 caliber.
Camba


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[Bongo Boy]

Several years old and still going. I went with 10mm and it looks like only 2 others went that way. While I'd hate to give up the 44 Mag, I could manage to kill all the paper targets I need to with the 10. In any case, I went that way because most of my handguns are 10mm, and I have enough brass to last till eternity comes and goes.

[dakota]

30-06
Good for coyote, deer, antelope, elk, moose, and bear, PLUS a good cast bullet shooter.

[davidheart]

Several years old and still going. I went with 10mm and it looks like only 2 others went that way. While I'd hate to give up the 44 Mag, I could manage to kill all the paper targets I need to with the 10. In any case, I went that way because most of my handguns are 10mm, and I have enough brass to last till eternity comes and goes.

I'm actually surprised it's not a sticky by now.... and my request to change the title from "caliber" to "cartridge" hasn't happened either. :(

[Nodakjohns]

12 gauge would be my choice. home defense, hunting anything it will do the trick.

[Landy88]

Not doable by cartridge as asked. I need at least a rifle cartridge and a handgun cartridge, and PCCs are no replacement for real rifles. By caliber, though, .35 alone is easy .35 Whelan or .350RM (Al Miller was right in making it his choice for the only one rifle, what if.) for rifle and .38/357 for handgun.

[Chris S]

45-70. Because you just can't go wrong with it...guaranteed knockdown for anything.
Chris

[hc18flyer]

I would have to go with .357 mag, max, 358 Win, and Whelan? Runs the gamut!

[Chad5005]

gotta be the 12 gauge, as bad as id like to pick 38/357 or 44

[Hutch556]

Voted 38/.357 but it was a tough call between 9MM and 5.56/.223, Hard to pick just one.

[Bob in St. Louis]

5.57 seems like it would "fit both bills", pretty well.

[onelight]

I would have to pick one that I could get a CC gun for .357 , 41 , 44 probably .44

[John Boy]

For folks that now own few caliber firearms, the poll is easy to answer.
For folks that now own many caliber firearms, the poll is meaningless
In my case, I started acquiring firearms at the age of 14 and am now 77

[Redleg11b]

Old thread...Cartridge 445 Super Mag (44Spcl, 44 Russian, 44 Mag) would be my choice so I voted for the 44 Mag. I was really thinking a 357 Max since I already load for that family, but something bigger for hunting wouldn't hurt too much. Honestly, about 95% of my current shooting and hunting could be done with a 22 Hornet. You don't need much power to kill paper and groundhogs, and a patient person could use it effectively on a whole lot more stuff. A slow fat 44 slug still works for defense, isn't too terrible on older wrists, and loaded up hotter in a long gun will put a hurtin on some big animals.

Caliber: 357/358 38Spcl to 35 Whelen covers everything.

[downzero]

I'm glad .357 mag is winning, since that's the obvious answer for me. .45 (between black powder spec Colt and .460 S&W) is good, but .357 Mag probably offers everything I'd ever need in life. J frame for carry, K and N frames for field carry, and a lever gun for everything else.

[memtb]

My choices will probably raise a few eyebrows. I ‘ve been a hand loader since I was 14’ish, and casting since I was about 19.

If a rifle is my choice.... I would have to pick my .375 AI, for an all around do it all cartridge. With light load cast bullets, can be a very effective small game round.....with careful bullet placement. With cast bullets pushed hard, it can exceed 38-55 Win. performance.....making it a pretty good big game cartridge. Using my modern bullet load, a Barnes 250 TTSX’s @ 3130 mv.....it is easily a 700 yard capable cartridge for big game. That’s pretty versatile!

If it’s a handgun.....I’d have to go with my 460 S&W. I have a light load, 300 grain cast for plinking, or smaller, light game. I have a 400 grain, WNFP cast bullet....if pushed hard, can take any game on the planet. And....I have a shot shell using full-length, .444 Marlin Magnum brass.....which duplicates a 2 1/2” 410 shot shell! Though, the patterns aren’t as good a a 410 shot shell, fired from a shotgun! ;-) That’s a pretty versatile handgun...thogh it’s not great for concealed carry! :grin: memtb

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I think given time, people's selections would change. I can't recall what I picked the first time but it may have been the lowly .22 rf. A real game getter, quiet and cheap. Plus you can carry 500 rounds easily. With careful shot placement you can take larger animals.

[samari46]

For handguns 45acp. For rifles 30-30,308,or 30-06. Frank

[Mr. Crumbly]

It may be boring for it to be the only one, but if only one, it would have to be a 12 gauge. It's just like the old Brown Bess, there is nothing much you can't do with it.

[JohnRoc65]

For me the no.1 obvious choice is 357/38.

44mag/44spc would be a very close second.

[Targa]

.44mag everyday and twice on Sunday..:guntootsmiley:

[Rodfac]

If "Money is no option" nor "Availability is no option", then what's the point? Given the "options/constraints" for handguns, then a .357 with a 4" bbl. With rifles it'd be a .30-06 as Outpost 75 points out and for all the reasons that have validated it's longevity for over 100 years. For shotguns, a 12 ga. Rod

[LinotypeIngot]

I suppose .357 would make sense since it's one of the few rounds that provides handgun ballistics out of a handgun and rifle-like ballistics out of a rifle. The obvious downside being that it's incompatible with modern magazine fed firearms.

[dverna]

I do not recall how I voted originally.

Now, with what is happening and could happen, harvesting game or “fun” shooting seems a lower priority. Being able to defend our homes and families is the priority.

I live in a very rural area, so it must a rifle caliber. Being capable of engaging at 400 yards would be important due to my location. It must be available in a semi-Auto platform. It would be beneficial to have something with low enough recoil to be useable by ladies and children if the SHTF.

Unlimited components means casting has no importance in the selection.

The 5.56 meets those parameters. If I was alone, likely the .308.

BTW, my little rifle arsenal is made up of 5.56, .30/30, .308 and .300 Mag. The .30/30’s are there in case AR’s are abolished, and I do not need the .300 Mag now that my dream of a western elk hunt seems less and less likely.

[AZ Pete]

For me, in AZ, .38 spl./.357 mag. Works well in revolvers and lever guns. If I lived very far north it would be .44 spl/.44 mag. for the same reasons.

[samari46]

Good question. For me it would be 30 caliber/31 caliber. This would include 30 M1 carbine, 308/7.62x51, 30-06. 30-40 Krag, 30-30,7.65x53mm Argentine mauser, 303 British, and 7.62x54r. And for grins and giggles 32-20. Frank

[Cargo]

I'm not as young as I used to be and much older than I ever imagined being so with everything that has brought on I voted .357/.38sp. That allows a plethora of revolvers, and a few semi-autos, to pick from. Add in a Ruger 77/357 or a lever gun and you have a lightweight combo that is 75-100 yd capable. Easy and inexpensive to reload for and not too stressful on a bad shoulder or back.

[RC46]

If I am voting from my "heart" it's gotta by a .45 Colt,
vote from brain (or w/ common sense): .22LR - after all what won't it do?
If I gotta grab and go and get the hell out of here: 30-06.
And, the Sig 229 isn't on the list 'cause it's always with me.

[quail4jake]

.38-56 W.C.F. doesn't everyone have Marlin 1895 chambered in .38-56?

[RU shooter]

My one caliber would be my 35 Rem . This is based just off what I would hunt in the range limits in my area . I can kill anything in Pa with it , have the option to use light pistol bullets at low vel For small game .

[SSGOldfart]

38/357 [smilie=b: it could do everything needed but it would be hard to leave the 1911 behind.I've seen how well a 45 and a 308 works first hand.

[Baltimoreed]

Chose the .45 acp as I have more revolvers, autos and sbrs in that caliber than any other. Great defensive caliber, accurate and in a pinch with the right load could be a close range hunter.

[BUFFALOW RED]

44-40
Fits my pistols& lever rifle

[Dekota56]

I think I would have to go with a 308, you can load it down to a ground hog load or beef it up to take deer ( that is if I could only have one )

[Daekar]

Another for 357mag here. I think it's the best compromise, letting you have a practical carry gun and a meaningful rifle with the same case. There is probably nothing I will need or want to do that it cannot handle with a proper handload.

[444ttd]

9.3x57 for me.

[robg]

38/357 load them up or down ,light boolits heavy boolits .leverguns revolvers semi autos bolt actions .now thats adaptable.

[8uck5nort]

I voted other. However, it is still in the 35 cal realm. For me it would have to be the 35 Whelen. It appears to be a cast friendly cartridge. It can use pistol or rifle boolits or bullets for that matter. It can be loaded light with pistol powders or TrailBoss for small game hunting, plinking or suppressed ninja shooting. It can then be loaded with heavy projectiles and turned into a real thumper capable of taking almost anything on the planet. Brass is readily available and can be easily formed from 06 or 270 brass.

A close second was the 38/357 mag for all the reasons already listed in previous posts.

[suburban redneck]

Soo many situations in life so I would go 300B/O, mainly because I can go super and subs 100gr-250gr. Good for quiet sub H.D., 0-250yd Varmint-med game hunting, low powder consumption, tons of bullet types, casting options, easy to get parts and more...I think in my case this would be an all around good caliber as it fills nearly every situation.

[curioushooter]

Pretty sure 357 magnum. It has an unbeatable combination of being cast boolit friendly, potent enough for deer in a rifle, works well in revolvers, and uses up less lead than bigger bores, and the ammo is more compact than bigger bores.

[9mmskng]

45acp

[1hole]

Only one cartridge? Okay, but I'm not one dimensional person. So -

shotgun: 20 gauge magnum
rifle: .22-250, .30-06, .35 Rem
handgun: .22 RF, .357, .45 ACP

[davidheart]

It befuddles my mind why this post is not a sticky yet! Haha, I created it in 2016 and it's still going strong in 2021! :D

[getterdone]

7.62x39 is my choice also. ammo cheap.,200yard knockdown good.very accurate in a good bolt gun,also in a ar platform . low recoil. easy to load for. favorite deer hunting round. oh also dont mess up to much meat. i use speer golddot bullets in a wolf steel case. works for me.

[shampine]

Hard choice to pick one , 30-06 if I can only have one I guess.Changed my mind as soon as I voted.

[Lloyd Smale]

im a hunter so its an easy answer. 06 all the way. it can be loaded up or down to do about any animal in the US. From squirrels with cast to griz with good 180s.

[justindad]

I love my .357 SIG. Good for black bear when hiking with my kids, and general self defense.

.45’s are nice, but things just explode more when hit with the SIG. It’s made me want a Kimber K6 .357 Mag, so I can have a slim carry in summertime.

[Beaverhunter2]

.30-06

Bullets from 100gr to 220gr. Can be loaded down to squirrels and up to moose, elk, and bear. And you can probably (in normal times) find .30-06 ammo on the Moon.

[justindad]

I scavenged the moon last month. No more ammo up there either.

[pashiner]

12 gauge for sure. Its so versatile, I'd feel wrong leaving it out. As far as metallic cartridges go, .45-70 gets the win for it's ability to fire anything from a 125ish gn round ball at squirrel hunting velocities to 500+grain grizzly stompers. You can get revolvers, and even Derringers chambered for it. Most of all that cartridge and the guns chambered for it are ideally suited to shooting cast boolits at full power. You leave nothing on the table for hunting anything in North America out to 200 yards.

[Bigbore5]

500 Linebaugh. It's not SAAMI, I don't think, but it is factory chambered and commercially loaded.
Just because...

[gwpercle]

Bogus Poll ... Need one rifle and one handgun and one shotgun .

My Dad lived and hunted his entire adult life , hunting lots of small game birds , larger ducks and geese . Small game , rabbits , squirrels , a few coons , possums and armadillo's .
White tail deer , wild hogs and a turkey .
His whole life he hunted with a Sears Roebuck bolt action 16 ga. shotgun he bought in 1946 when he got out the Navy and went Rabbit hunting with his cousin's .
Said he always meant to buy a better gun ...but with birdshot , buckshot and slugs it was all he ever needed and my old man didn't spend any money if he didn't absolutely have too ...
Mamma said she forced him to take her to the hospital for me and my brother to be born !

I could probably get by with a scatter gun and assortment of shells .
12 ga. because of availability of different ammo , but 20 ga. would do .
Shotgun makes a dandy self defense tool .
Gary

[Char-Gar]

Rifle: 30-06
Handgun: 38 Special

[hlvabeach]

Marlin 1894 CST 357 Magnum. Lightweight and flexible in that it can take 357 mag and 38 SPC.

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[high standard 40]

I voted 7-08, simply because it's the best, and most accurate rifle I own. If I was starting from scratch, I'd choose 308.

[magyars4]

Hands down, 45 Colt. Bullets from 185-300 or more. Powder can be BP to pistol to shotgun...
Easy to load and handle

[Butzbach]

Y'all are killing me. I'm down to 5 and thought I was doing OK.

[Capt.Red.44]

.45 acp: very useful for all activities required for survival out to 50- 100M, firearm dependant. Hunting, Defense, recreation. It is arguably , third or so on the list of remaining popular calibers so if a run was made on ammo ( current events) I am still able to find componants vs 9mm. It has a wide array of useful componants and reloading recipes. It is also extremely easy to load with bare minimum equipment. Just my 2 cents.

[Rapier]

The 22 LR, easy answer. A single shot and a little ingenuity and I can shoot clothes pins off of a clothes line at 100, quietly.

[marlin1895]

38-55 good all around load

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Think I'm still in the .22 rimfire camp. But if I lived on the plains or in the desert or in griz country my choice would probably be different.

[marlin1895]

my choice is 30-30 ammo is plentiful & good deer shell

[JLF]

The one I had from the beginning .... 338 win. mag., because it is enough for me for everything.

[remy3424]

12 gauge, makes pheasnt hunting easier and most other close work.

[John Crusher]

12 gauge, because you can use it for everything from food to defense .
What else do you need ?

[mr surveyor]

12 gauge, because you can use it for everything from food to defense .
What else do you need ?


a handgun for daily carry

[Beaverhunter2]

"A .30-06 is never a mistake." Col. Townsend Whelen

[Sgt H]

I can hardly imagine only one. How about one caliber each for CF rifle, CF handgun, shotgun and rimfire, I could live with that barely. Then I would chose 30-06, 357mag, 12 gauge and 22lr. 30-06 takes care of the big game and 357 for a defensive handgun, however I would hate to give up my 45 autos. A 357 carbine makes a passable defensive rifle but is not an AR15. 12ga for feathers and 22LR for furry small game/plinking/fun and everybody needs a 22LR or 5 or 10 or 12 rifles and handguns.

[Eddie Southgate]

If you ever come to my house a can only find one gun, CALL THE POLICE ! I been robbed. I am planning on selling quite a few in the next year or so , want to get down to 75 or 80 but I'll likely never have less than that . Can't play the " Only One Gun " thing.

[mr surveyor]

I guess I am for sure getting old. This thread reminds me of the old game of "pass it down" from 60 years ago when us kids were all herded out to the bus shed to play games on rainy days.

Wasn't the original intent of this thread "what one caliber?" and not "what one gun?"

Yep, I'm gettin' old, and cranky ;)


jd

[lastborn]

12 GA. Can do just about anything, if you have the appropriate ammo for the task at hand.

[gishooter]

Another vote for .30-06. Paired with a good bolt action rifle. Mine is a Remington 1903A3.
Versatile and easy to load for. Small game and gallery loads with buckshot/pistol bullets to full strength hunting loads for anything in North America.

[smokeater]

My absolute choice would be my 308Win. Will do anything expected of a centerfire rifle east of the Mississippi River. Jacketed or cast. From subsonic to supersonic. Even now, stores in my area full of 308 ammo at pre-COVID/pre-Biden prices. Can you tell I love my 308? Plinking, hunting just seems a natural. Course same can be said of any caliber using same ammo options it's just that of all my centerfires, the 308 is MY favorite Only downfall but not the 308's fault is Alabama does not allow centerfire rifles for small game hunting but in a worse case scenario (food shortage), fraid my cast bullets would lead to the demise of a few squirrels or anything else edible. Way things are looking, probably need to start casting

[rbuck351]

But it's not really the same post. You have changed the parameters from caliber to cartridge. Caliber makes more sense as there are calibers that can be used from CC to antelope and single shots to machine guns. Cartridges aren't nearly as versatile. Imagine trying to hunt cape buffalo with a cc weapon or trying to conceal a buffalo gun. Most of us on this web site use guns for several different reasons. One cartridge doesn't work well in such varied uses where one caliber can be used over most if not all areas.

My uses range from cc to moose, all of which could be covered nicely with a caliber ranging from 30/35. With 35 caliber I could even hunt elephant and cape buffalo using a 358N and 300gr solids. A 35win in an AR10 would work nicely as a long range defense weapon and a 9mm for cc. One cartridge or guage doesn't even make sense for most folks on this site. Imagine that cc weapon in 12 ga.

Anyway I voted to the as titled question already and will stick with 35 cal

[Velosa]

Winchester 1894 chambered in 38-55.

[DanishM1Garand]

12 gauge no explanation is needed
Yup, I can take any legal game in North America!

[sandog]

For me, in AZ, .38 spl./.357 mag. Works well in revolvers and lever guns. If I lived very far north it would be .44 spl/.44 mag. for the same reasons.

The same way that I feel. When I lived in Alaska and Montana I had other calibers to choose from but mainly I carried a .44 mag for a handgun and .45/70 for a carbine.
Now that I live in Arizona I find the .357 handgun/rifle combo to be perfect.

[Shadow9mm]

44mag. Where I live bottle neck rifle cartridges are not legal on public land. Also, unless hunting a field, a long shot is 75yds. in addition 44spl loads are effective for self defense. so if I have to choose just 1, 44mag/spl

[Electrod47]

44mag. Where I live bottle neck rifle cartridges are not legal on public land. Also, unless hunting a field, a long shot is 75yds. in addition 44spl loads are effective for self defense. so if I have to choose just 1, 44mag/spl

My choice also for rifle and side arm, to last a life time.

[wilecoyote]

... .44 all the way, from spl. to mag. to .444_

[45_Colt]

Apparently, some others have the same idea as I: the caliber would be .45. But a 45 ACP in a 1911, a .45 Colt in a 10" Contender, and then a .45/70 in a lever action.

Kinda covers a bunch of ground.

Although those that espoused the 12-gauge have a good point. Can cover a lot of ground with one.

45_Colt

[35 Rem]

I struggled to make a choice but finally went with the 30-30. You can download it to make do for small game. it works perfectly for any woods deer hunting. And it can do all that with cheap cast bullets. Also the long neck adds versatility to the bullets it can work well with.

[technojock]

Only one? I'd have a hard time wittling the list down to 10...

Tony

[Alex_4x4]

.223Rem

Yes, and I only have one rifle chambered for that cartridge.

:-)

[HollandNut]

458 Lott

[Ramjet-SS]

My vote was based on versatility.

12 GA
Birdshot
Slugs
Buckshot
Sabot
2-3/4” or 3”

Hunting or self defense it does it all with authority.

[Mal Paso]

Multi! That's whats stamped on my AR15 receiver. Can be anything from 22RF to 90% of a 45/70. Got to keep em guessing here in the State.

[Noah Zark]

Winchester 1894 chambered in 38-55.

My very first thought.

But if really pushed, the caliber would be 44, and the cartridge 44 S&W Special. I have multiple handguns and leverguns so chambered, including a Ruger 96 that I tuned to feed the Special.

But I'd miss a 94 in 38-55 very much.

Noah

[Milky Duck]

I went .410/.45LC purely because I couldnt give up bird hunting and can still achieve that with .410...the .12ga is extremely versitile and with my .45/70 insert it would trump all other options hands down.

[technojock]

I'd go big. How about a 105mm howitzer... :kidding:

Tony

[braddock]

For the last decade my rifles have been 223 and 308, I just bought a 94 30/30 and that's going to be me for what's left of my life. I love this rifle and the versatility that cast bullets give it, I have cast and gc bullets from 100grn up to 175grn and don't feel the need for anything else. I also have a couple hundred factory rounds, 160 ftx hornady, 150 fp speer and 170 grn fp Federal which just sit in my gun safe.

[Good Cheer]

I'm just about settled on the best cast bullet guns not using brass.

[Chief TC]

A 30-06 is never a mistake.

Agreed. Kills everything and anything at any range. Seems it is truly the number 1 multi-purpose caliber. 357 was my #2 and is in the lead right now. And I understand why. Before i voted I thought the votes would be more diverse but seems the majority are 357 and 30-06.

[ElCheapo]

Just one? Gotta be the 22lr.

[GRem]

5.56 because its readily available!

[tmag97]

30/06 is my answer

[Chena]

Hand loaded, a .30-06 will do good work on any game on the planet. If cross caliber listing is allowed I vote for my Baikal combination gun in .308 Win/12 gauge.

[signalcorpsoperator]

I'd say for rifles, 30-06 no question. Pistols, definitely .38/357, a winning combo with virtually unmatched versatility.

[papaglenn]

30-30 hands down.

[Chena]

This veers off topic, but does state my preference. I don’t believe there is any one caliber that is right for any game under any conditions in the U.S., but as our European friends have long known, doing almost anything with one gun is possible. Thirty years ago I hunted an area near my house where ducks, grouse or moose might all be encountered in the same hour-long walk after work. Instead of one caliber I went with a 12 gauge over .308 Baikal combination gun. After some mechanical tweaks, mounting a long eye relief scope and testing of hand loads, it regulated well at 25 yards and would reliably drop five rounds of .308 into two inches at 100 yards. By sighting over the thick lower post of the duplex reticule, it can be made to place its favored reduced loads at point of aim at 25 yards. It came with a set of interchangeable chokes for lead shot, to which I added a couple of extended chokes for steel. I still carry it rambling the forest trails near my cabin and it is one of only three firearms I would never consider selling. Like most Russian guns it isn’t very elegant, but neither was the American Arms 10 gauge side by side I traded for it.

[gloob]

If I can commission my own custom bolt action rifle and single shot rifles, then I would go with 10mm. Because building a semiauto pistol is a lot harder. There are also some commercial 10mm semiauto carbines, out there. And 10mm revolvers, too.

In a custom rifle using SPP brass, I get to load them extra long and exceed SAAMI pressures, right?

[PhilC]

One caliber? 7mm. Cartridge? 280AI.

[cf_coder]

Gotta be the .357. Got rifles and pistols for it and it'll take most game within 100 yards and all the two legged critters in between.

[Lloyd Smale]

well it would have to be a 223 because if i was down to one rifle it would be a ar15 to protect my family. Now if your talking one jacketed bullet hunting rifle it would be either my win 70 featherweight in 06 or its twin brother in 280. One cast bullet gun? A 44 mag without a doubt.

[5090SS]

A difficult choice to make but we are lucky to have the choices we do.
It's the 44 SPL/44MAG for me, covers snake loads, nightstand loads and a lever gun for deer/hogs.

[DW475]

I'd have to go with 45-70 as it's never let me down and i'm primarily hunting Elk, Deer and Black Bear in heavy timber.

[Outer Rondacker]

Still think if it was a one job does all it would have to be a 38/357. In a lever of course.

[Gobeyond]

I’ve had more fun with a 44 special than with any other. Smith 624 and rbh Bisley 4 3/4 until they shut down my shooting area.

[kopcicle]

I noticed that the 38/357 got a lot of traction.

.308 because I have Single Shot, Single Shot Pistol, Bolt, and Semi-Auto.
Cast, Jacketed, Mono, there isn't much that I can't do with .308.

Back to 38/357. If it was caliber instead of cartridge it would have been the .358 bore.
That would cover the 38/357, 357 Sig (not really a fan but), 35 Remington, 35 Whelen, 358 Norma Magnum, and any or all wildcats in between.

Very specific obscure mention of the 358 bore in the AR15 platform and a silly project from years ago where a 358 found its way onto a 404 Jeffery case. Recoil from the 358/404 was uncomfortable in an 11 pound rifle.

[Bill*B]

Well, as the creator of this post stated, it's just for giggles. That said, if I could have only one rifle, it would be a .22 rimfire. Nothing else is as practical. In a pinch, it will produce. When I was dirt poor on the farm, it was all I had. But really, it was all that I needed.

[davidheart]

I love that 7 years later this thread is still going strong despite never being made into a sticky or the thread title being changed to "If you could have only one cartridge, what would it be and why?" like I requested it to be changed to years ago. :razz:

Glad everybody is enjoying!

[Tall]

My favorite cartridge - 45 Colt with a 250 grain LSWC (or Berry's Flatpoint) over 7.1 grains of W231. Epic round.

[Charlie Horse]

22 Hornet. It is just a very effective round in rifles and my Contender pistol. The military used to use it in survival rifles.

[dverna]

5.56

If only one caliber, I need something for when the SHTF. The AR15 is my preferred weapon. I can still shoot it for fun but I would sorely miss my other toys.

Over seven years, and my choice has not changed. BTW, had to find my old post to be sure. Lol.

The most important function of a weapon is to kill people that need to be killed. The 5.56 does thst well. It can down deer, so I could still hunt and there will never be a shortage of components to reload it, or ammunition.

Everything else is just fun shooting and I can still have fun shooting 5.56.

My last CF guns will be a few AR’s and a bolt action Howa mini-Mauser.

[Lloyd Smale]

depends. if your talking shooting cast make mine a 44mag, if its a hunting rifle 06 hands down but if i could only have one gun it would be a 556 ar

[BUFFALOW RED]

44-40
My favorite rifle is a copy of 1866 yellow boy and I have 2 Rugers in that caliber

[kaiser]

A .357 Magnum would be my choice for the following reasons: 1) small, economical powder capacity 2) small ammo carry requirement, ie. can carry more rounds with less weight than competing cartridges 3) a rifle in this caliber is usually 300fps faster with the same load as a pistol, increasing its power and range considerably 4) very accurate caliber 5) easy to load out of a "shoe box" with a Lee "whack-a-mole" or 310 "tong tool" 6) gun in this caliber will also chamber and shoot .38 Special and .38 Long 7) lastly, any .357 rifle or pistol is a caliber that pleasant to shoot = easily controlled recoil, although loud in a short barreled pistols.

[white eagle]

there is only one choice for me that would be the 220 Swift
don't really know if I already answered here but that's my story and I'm stickin to it