Four Rifle Cartridges to Cover Any Hunting Situation in the United States

by drewsprecision | Sep 14, 2025 | General Discussion

If you spend enough time around hunters or riflemen, one question always comes up:

“If you could only have four centerfire rifle cartridges for the rest of your life, what would they be?”

It’s a strange question for a guy like me-someone who owns 40+ different reamers to support my customers. I get asked for opinions on rifles, calibers, and cartridges almost daily. So why condense all that variety down to just four?

Two reasons:

It’s a fun mental exercise.
Custom rifles are expensive. So are optics, thermals, and all the gear that goes with them.
Personally, I’d rather own four perfectly built custom rifles than 40 factory rifles gathering dust.
Here are my four choices-starting small and working up.

1 – .204 Ruger

I bet this one surprised some of you. The .204 Ruger is an awesome little round that does a lot more than people give it credit for. It shoots extremely flat, works flawlessly in both AR-15s and bolt guns, has no recoil, and the light bullets tend not to ricochet.

It’s small enough for prairie dogs, yet plenty for raccoons and other tough varmints. In my opinion, it’s one of the most underrated all-around varmint cartridges out there.

2 – 22 Creedmoor

No surprise here. The 22 Creedmoor is a coyote hammer at just about any range most shooters can realistically hit them. It has minimal recoil, very little wind dritt, and excellent bullet options with high-quality brass for reloaders.

It’s also legal for night hunting in most states (since it’s still a .22 caliber), which isn’t always the case with the 6mms. And truth be told, inside 300 yards, it’ll do everything a 6mm can do on a deer.

3 – 6.5 PRC

This was the hardest slot to fill. I needed a cartridge that could stretch past 500 yards on deer and antelope, maybe even elk if the conditions were right.
It also needed to be mild enough for long-range practice or late-season coyote calling when they hang up at 500-800 yards.
After looking at ballistics, recoil, and bullet selection, my choice is the 6.5 PRC.

I’ve shot the 6.5 Creedmoor for over a decade with excellent results. The only thing I wished for was just a bit more impact velocity at extended ranges-without moving up to a long action. The 6.5 PRC checks every box, with great brass options (including Lapua) and endless bullet choices.

4 – .33 Nosler

When it comes to the “big gun” slot, I skipped over the 7mms and 30s and went straight to the .338s. For me the .33 Nosler is the winner.

I’m not a fan of belted magnums, so the .338 Win Mag was out. The .338 Lapua and .338 RUM are excellent but long and less efficient in terms of magazine fit with high-BC bullets. The .33 Nosler offers the power needed for anything-from big bears to long-range elk or moose-without unnecessary compromises.
This is the cartridge I’d want in my hands when I need maximum authority on target.

Final Thoughts

Obviously, this is subjective. Everyone’s list will look a little different depending on what and where they hunt. But as of right now, if I had to narrow down my rifle battery to just four cartridges that cover every situation in the U.S., these would be my choices:
.204 Ruger – varmints and small predators
22 Creedmoor – coyotes, light deer work, night hunting
6.5 PRC – deer, antelope, extended-range general purpose
.33 Nosler – elk, moose, bear, and “anchor it now” hunting
That’s my take.

What about you? If you had to pick just four, what would make your list?