The Two-Rifle Starter Setup: A .308 for Big Game, a .22 for Small Game, and the Case

Two rifles cover nearly every hunting job on this continent, and neither one is exotic. A bolt action in .308 Winchester takes deer, elk, moose and black bear. A .22 Long Rifle takes squirrels and rabbits, keeps predators out of the chicken run, and teaches you to shoot for a few cents a round. Both cartridges are on the shelf at every store that sells ammunition, which matters more than any spec sheet when supply gets tight. This is the setup I would hand a new hunter: the two rifles, the one scope that matters, how to zero and store them, and how to cut a double case so they ride tight.

Ammunition: a 150 grain soft point or bonded bullet for deer, 165 to 180 grain for elk and bear. Buy a case of one load, zero with it, and hunt with it; switching loads moves the zero. The ammunition by caliber page covers what to stock and proper ammo storage covers how to keep it.

The case ships with pick-and-pluck foam, but a traced and cut layout holds the rifles tighter and looks like it was made for them. It takes an hour.

1. Lay out. Set the rifles on the top foam layer where you want them, bolts and scopes clear of each other, at least an inch from every edge and from each other. Put the bolt and a cleaning kit in the gaps if you want cutouts for them too.
2. Trace. Draw around each rifle with a chalk marker. Chalk wipes off; a Sharpie does not.
3. Cut. A fresh blade in a utility knife, held vertical, in shallow passes along the chalk line. Do not try to cut the full depth in one stroke; the blade wanders and the wall gets ragged. Cut inside the line; a tight cutout is easy to open up and a loose one is ruined.
4. Layer by layer. The case has four foam layers. Cut only as many upper layers as the rifle needs to sit flush with the scope clear of the lid, and leave the bottom layer whole so the rifle rides on foam, not on the shell.
5. Test the fit. Close the lid on the rifles and shake the case. Nothing should move. Trim any high spot with the same knife.

A locked case protects children only when the whole routine is in place. Rifles go in unloaded, every time. Ammunition is locked somewhere else, in an ammo can with a padlock or a separate cabinet; the ammo storage guide covers keeping it dry and stable as well as locked. The key or combination lives where a child cannot reach it or guess it. A cable lock through the action inside the case is a second layer that costs ten dollars. A safe is the better long-term answer and the case is what gets used on every trip; I have both, and the case does the work.

Teach every child in the house the same rule: a firearm is never touched without an adult, and if you find one, leave it and tell a grown up. Curiosity is what a locked case is for; the rule is what covers the day the case is open.

Between seasons, wipe the bores and the exterior with a light oil, store the case somewhere dry, and keep the spares and cleaning supplies where you can find them. For where these rifles fit in a larger plan, see home security and defense and the sling guide for carrying in the field.

$1,432 in August 2023, everything but ammunition and rings. Prices have moved since; check current ones. Add a set of rings, a box of hunting ammunition for the .308, a brick of .22 for practice, a cleaning kit and a cable lock, and the whole setup is under $1,600 and will serve for decades.