What if there were only 10 or 12 rifle cartridges in the world, all others having become obsolete? Only a dozen cartridges to hunt all species of game, from the tiniest to the largest, everywhere in the world. Which cartridges would you want included on that list?

That was the essence of the e-mail question recently posed to me by Philip Koch, who included his own list (of 10 cartridges) and asked for my comments plus a couple of additions. After some thought, I composed my list, which corresponded closely to his. I found it to be an interesting intellectual exercise, hence this article. You, gentle reader, might want to select your own dozen cartridges to see how they compare with the list at the end of this article.

Starting with the smallest caliber, Philip and I agreed that it would be impossible not to include the .22 Long Rifle. This is the most popular rifle cartridge in the world, far out selling all other cartridges. It is not only the top small game hunting and plinking cartridge; it is also the most popular cartridge for formal target shooting. The .22 LR definitely has to be first on the list.

Next would be a varmint (CXP1 class game) cartridge. High volume varmint shooters who operate in semi-populated areas would doubtless prefer a quiet, economical cartridge such as the .17 HMR or .22 Hornet; others would prefer a maximum range cartridge, such as the .22-250. But the most popular and widely distributed of all varmint cartridges, world wide, is the .223 Remington. It is also about in the middle of the centerfire .22 spectrum in terms of performance. (On such a short cartridge list, compromise is unavoidable.) Since there can be only one specialized varmint cartridge on such a short list, the .223 is the obvious choice.

The next selection is a combination long range varmint and medium game (CXP2 class) cartridge. All over the world the .243 Winchester has become the most popular of such cartridges. Long range varmint shooters already know that the .243 is excellent in that role. And the .243 is an excellent, low recoil, long range cartridge for the smaller species of antlered game, popular with both beginning and advanced shooters. So the .243 Winchester became our third selection.

On the next cartridge Philip and I diverged slightly, he picking the .260 Remington and I choosing the 6.5x55. The two fulfill the same purpose with nearly identical ballistic capabilities. Both are low recoil, big game and mountain rifle cartridges nearly ideal for most of the CXP2 class game shot around the world. The .260's advantage is that it is a short action cartridge that uses the same basic case as the .243 and .308 and has the same standard .473" rim diameter. The 6.5x55's advantage is that it is better established around the world and its longer case, neck, and action allow it to handle the long 156 grain bullets so widely used in Scandinavia for moose hunting better than the shorter .260 round.

The next selection was obvious to both of us, the .270 Winchester. The .270 is the standard of comparison among long range big game cartridges and one of the great all-around hunting cartridges. The .270 shoots almost as flat and hits almost as hard as most of the magnums, and it is far more popular as well as easier to shoot accurately.

The other great long range big game cartridge is the 7mm Remington Magnum, the most popular of all the world's magnum rifle cartridges. It is said, with considerable basis in fact, that the 7mm Rem. Mag. shoots as flat as a .270 and hits as hard as a .30-06. It is widely recommended for CXP2 and CXP3 class game. Given the general popularity of 7mm cartridges around the world and the all-around greatness of Remington's big 7, it became one of the two cartridges I chose to add to the list.

Not every hunter needs a long range cartridge, however. The two most popular rifles in the world, the Winchester Model 94 and the Marlin 336, are both fast handling lever actions deemed nearly perfect for woods and brush country hunting. And both are chambered for the relatively mild but effective .30-30 Winchester cartridge. Out to about 225 yards a .30-30 is all that is needed to bag most of the world's antlered game. The .30-30 is a living legend, one of the most effective big game cartridges ever designed, and simply had to be included on our list.

Following the .30-30 is the ubiquitous .30-06 Springfield, perhaps the most versatile single hunting cartridge of the last Century. Neither Phil nor I would dare to leave this classic off of our list. From Africa to Alaska, the .30-06 is a workhorse for hunting both CXP2 and CXP3 class game.

The .308 Winchester is one of the most successful and widely used military and big game cartridges in the world. It is also the queen of the short action cartridges, rivaling the .30-06 in versatility. I felt that even though it largely duplicates the ballistic performance of the .30-06, its popularity and the popularity of short action rifles in general demanded that the .308 Winchester be included. So the .308 Winchester became my second addition to the list.

As tempting as it would be to include one of the excellent European 8mm cartridges, such as the 8x68 S, both Philip and I concluded that a powerful medium bore cartridge would better serve the needs of hunters pursuing heavy CXP3 class game, or any of the world's large, dangerous predators (the bears and big cats). And without question the most popular, and perhaps the most versatile, of the breed is the flat shooting and hard hitting .338 Winchester Magnum. A further plus is that the .338 Mag. uses the same length action as the .270, 7mm Mag., and .30-06.

Above the .338 lies the most famous medium bore cartridge of them all, the .375 H&H Magnum, which was initially chosen by both of us, with the .458 Winchester Magnum elephant cartridge rounding out the list. But on reflection I convinced Philip that the .338 Mag. could cover most of the .375's applications, and we would be better served by a big bore caliber suitable for dangerous thick-skinned (CXP4 class) game that could replace both the .375 H&H and the .458 Win. Mag. The final choice for what became the second to last slot was the proven .416 Rigby.

Which left an opening for the venerable .45-70 to round out our dozen cartridges. The oldest rifle cartridge still regularly produced, the .45-70 is just about ideal for woods or brush country hunting of heavy game and the big predators. The .45-70 is the most popular big bore caliber according to the readers of Guns and Shooting Online and is simply too good to leave out.

So the final list of a dozen cartridges looks like this:

1. .22 Long Rifle
2. .223 Remington
3. .243 Winchester
4. .260 Rem. or 6.5x55 SE
5. .270 Winchester
6. 7mm Remington Magnum
7. .30-30 Winchester
8. .308 Winchester
9. .30-06 Springfield
10. .338 Winchester Magnum
11. .416 Rigby
12. .45-70 Government

We did not include an "ultra-long range" cartridge (i.e. .257 Weatherby or .300 Ultra Mag, etc.) because their advantage over more ordinary long range cartridges is slight and the price paid in recoil and expense for a few extra yards of maximum point blank range was deemed excessive. As mentioned above, we both considered the popular .22-250, but could not justify another varmint cartridge since the .223 and .243 had the performance spectrum covered. We both realized that these would seem like significant omissions to some shooters.

Every cartridge that did make the list is at least reasonably common on every continent where big game is hunted. And they fall into neat groupings. The .223, .243 and .308 (plus possibly the .260) for short action rifles; the rimmed .30-30 and .45-70 for lever actions, doubles, and single shot rifles; and the .270, 7mm Mag., .30-06, and .338 Mag. (plus the 6.5x55 if chosen over the .260) for standard length actions. Only the .416 Rigby would require an extra long "magnum" length action. Something for just about everyone and at least one cartridge suitable for every one of the world's game animals. No mean achievement with only a dozen rifle cartridges!

Note: All of the rifle cartridges mentioned in this article are covered in detail in articles that can be found on the Rifle Cartridge Page.