How many guns needed?

[Buckscoshooter]

Just wondering how everyone views the topic of how many guns do ya need for hunting. I used to have 4 main hunting Muzzys. Now I have 2. My original Siple which is a .50 and my Daly Hawken. One long on short both in .50 so no need to change out bags or pouches. I did have a .40 for small game and Turkey but hardley used it and my.54 seemed like overkill with a 56inch barrel. So I have one old and one contemporary that get the job done. I know this is subjective but as always I am interested in what you guys are up to. BucksCoShooter.    Please chime in.

[wvmtnman]

I am actually aiming to one have one, a rifle.  I will be beginning it late this spring.  It is going to be a .44 caliber J.P. Beck with a Hollanback lock & set triggers.  Head shots on squirrel, big enough for whitetail and the set triggers for target shooting. 
                                                                                               Brian
                                                                           

[Candle Snuffer]

Hunting only, small game, deer, and Antelope, the .45 works for me if I was to have only one rifle gun for hunting. 

Were I to hunt game that included larger then deer size animals such as Elk, as well as small game such a rabbits,  I'd probably opt for a smoothbore Trade gun in .62/20ga...

[roundball]

Just wondering how everyone views the topic of how many guns do ya need for hunting.

Most likely the key word is "need".....also influenced by the type of hunting.
For my hunting in North Carolina where the biggest game is a whitetail in thick woods and small game includes turkey, squirrels, doves, rabbits, crows...I would really only "need" my .62cal smoothbore Virginia.

But… ...I also “like” my:

.58cal as my main deer rifle;
Smaller .28ga smoothbore for squirrels / rabbits;
PRB out of the .28ga at the end of an afternoon squirrel hunt to sit for a deer;
.50cal as a change of pace for deer hunting;
.45cal for year round range shooting;
.40cal that is just plain fun to shoot;

[rich pierce]

I need more time.  Plenty of guns.  But if I was to make a list of a comfortable minimum, a .32-.36 squirrel/small game rifle, a .54 all-rounder big game rifle, and a 12 ga long barreled fowling gun would do it for most situations.

[Roger Fisher]

.54 Jaeger for deer and 28 Ga smoothy for bunny hops assuming hunting will still be in my bag of tricks on down the road....

My first thought was to say "As many as the attic floor would hold."

[northmn]

I am kind of like Roundball and Roger.  But if at a bare minimum as in owning one gun it would be a 12 bore smooth rifle.  I do not own one but have a 20 bore smooth rifle and it is good for large game out to at least 75 yards.  I do have a 12 bore fowler and have owned others and like the shot capabilities better.  To scratch my itches I have a  25 squirrel rifle, would stay with the smooth bore for grouse and possibly ducks and pheasants, and a 58 for deer.  So you are looking at about three guns that would fit into my normal hunting.   One gun would limit me in range for deer hunting and be too big for squirrels or else fill them with shot, although at times a shotgun on squirrels is not all dumb.  Sometimes one kind of hunts both grouse and squirrel. 
Just the pleasure of having some guns is also considered.  Also am I in the mood for percussion or flint?

DP

[Longknife]

My first "all around" flinter was  12 ga. NW trade gun, 36 barrel with mod. jug choke. I used to to harvest squirrels, bunnies, and birds with #4 or #6 shot, bb or buck for varmits, and each fall a .715 pumpkin ball would be rammed over 100 grains of FF for white tail deer. Thats all that IS NEEDED. Now how many do I actualy own? Sheesh, I gotta count'em?...Ed  

[eagle24]

Let's see.  Not counting bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, and laundry room.......I have 7 rooms in my house with 4 corners each.  That's 28 corners, minus the three rifles I have that leaves 25 empty corners.  So......25 more for me.

[hanshi]

Oh my!  At a bare minimum a .36 for small game, varmints and fun shooting, a .40 for all around, a .45 for deer & down, a .50 for a spare, a .54 for general larger game and a .62 fowler.  this leaves a lot of holes but I think I might be able to just get by with these.

[greybeard]

Beware of the man with one gun as he probably really knows how to use it!!!

[Leatherbelly]

needs,  Two.
One for "Big" game and one for small game. But $#@*, who wants only two? I'd like a .62 smooth for in close big game, a smooth .28g for the trail, a 54 rifled for longer range big game, throw in a few pistols, and a cannon; a 6 pounder! Needs and wants don't match.

[greybeard]

Theres a tremendous difference twixt "NEED' and "DESIRE"

[Daryl]

Greybeard - from where do your hail?

[greybeard]

hi Daryl;  Duncan on Van Isle.

[hanshi]

Beware of the man with one gun as he probably really knows how to use it!!!

I don't know about that; back when I had only one gun I wasn't worth a #&%@$.

[Sequatchie Rifle]

I figure at least 20 or 30.  But if you have to narrow it down, I'd say a small bore .32 or .36 for squirrels- plus it saves lead and powder.  For serious hunting- a .45 or .50 cal.

[longcruise]

I guess you are refering to how many ML guns one needs?<g>

I'm in the slow process of upgrading my ml guns and want to end up with four.  A cap and flint .40 cal and a cap and flint .54 (or maybe .58).  That will cover all hunting I do and also allow me to shoot all of the rifle classes in the local shoots.

Probably won't live long enough to make the upgrade!<g>

[A.Merrill]

    For me? all the guns I can get ;    AL

[Old Ford2]

I really wish you guys would not post a topic like this!
"Wifie" already asks me this ridiculus question, every time she walks in to the gun room.
So next time this is discussed, if less than 20 guns, it should be in code.
There are 365 days in a year, right, and why not one for each day of the year, kinda like shoes. My daughter gets away with that concept.
So in other words any of you guys with less than 10 guns, are just newbies!
So keep it in code!
Best regards
Old Ford

[Mike R]

I used to have a MLing rifle in every [standard] caliber plus two 20 gauge smoothies--I still have too many. I guess I am sort of a collector [or maybe "accumulator" would be more accurate]. I have three .50s--overkill perhaps, but they are all different--two .54s, two .45s, a .32, a .58, and a .62 smoothie.  I used to have another .58, another .62, a .36 and a .40.  The .32 serves me well for small game and for big game I have a problem: which rifle-gun to take out?   Too many choices and I'd probably be better served with one or two big bores instead of all the ones I have.  Some of these rifles/guns were bought more for reenacting than hunting, so I do have favorites for hunting that narrow down the choice.  Frankly a fellow could be well-served with two or three and if starting over I might make different choices.  I have the same problem with modern rifles/guns--too many and a lot of favorites--and yes I still hunt and shoot cartridge guns--I was raised with them and they are old friends with many memories in the field to entertain me in my old age...

[Daryl]

I firmly believe that a person "needs" as many rifles an smoothbores as he/she wants.  I am no where near that number, but it is a lot of fun not to have to shoot the same rifle or smoothbore weekend after weekend.  There are favourites, like the Kodiak double barreled .58 which must use 100gr. or 110gr. 2F to regulate and the old 9 7/8 pound .45, exceptionally accurate and easy shooting offhand rifle with it's .45 x 7/8" straight 42" bl., but the other .58, a Musketoon, the 14 bore rifle, 20 bore smoothie, .40 and .32 are fun as well and sometimes I really enjoy using those over any others.  Variety is the spice of life.  Yeah - beware the man with one rifle - or shoot enough to be good with them all.

[northmn]

I will add that it does not hurt to have one as kind of a spare.  Broke a fizzen spring on a flintlock one year and went to the percussion for deer hunting.  Its a matter of reference I guess as I could keep spare parts on hand, but a spare rifle is still handier.  So now you can double the number you think you need.  I still like keeping the caplock on hand for that purpose.  Like Daryl says also, if you shoot a lot on weekends then a little variety does not hurt.  I have often thought I would like to play with a civil war rifled musket.

DP

[Daryl]

  I have often thought I would like to play with a civil war rifled musket.
DP

Taylor bought one for that purpose, but hasn't played much with it yet. So far, it's got it's new sights - that's all for now.  I really like shooting my Musketoon with patched round balls - very accurate - just about as accurate as any othe rifle I have - honest.  It shoots well indeed.

[whitebear]

My answer would be two, a 50 cal, and a smooth bore.  It has been an idea of mine for a long time that when a settler needed a deer to feed the family if all he had was a .50 then the .50 became a deer rifle, or if what he had was a .50 and he saw a squirrel then the .50 was a squirrel rifle.  I enjoy owning several rifles but I really only need one.  However a smoothie is an excelent all around gun.