Hello from Georgia,
For me, this seems fairly simple. All would be Marlin, since I have never had one let me down. The calibers are fairly predictable when trying to cover every game animal on our continene. they would be.
1. Marlin 39 .22. The takedown model I have is very accurate and will run through everything from the shorts to the Stingers. Very effective, and always predictable.
2. Marlin 336 30/30. I would choose the .35, but with the 30 caliber bullets available, this is truly a versitle gun. With hot loaded Nosler 150 gr. bullets it makes a very potent 2 shot rifle. Remember that with the tube magazine, placing pointy bullets right on the primer of the one in front of it could lead to more excitement than you can handle. I have loaded the 30/30 up to .308 WIN velocity, making it a true 300 yard gun. And, with the good ol 170 gr. round noses, you can have a bunch of shots.
3. Marlin 45/70. Anything on this planet can be taken with this gun. It has been proven on the African continent as a very capable dangerous game weapon. Loaded with some good handloads, it is hard to find a better short to mid range hunting rifle. Moose ? YES ! Elk ? Of course. Bears ? All of them up to and including the Kodiaks. And, it actually does make a fine varmint gun too ! Hey, watching a coyote take a 405 gr. in the shoulder is quite encouraging. And all this at 300 yards, come on ! How could ANYONE not love that ?
This is just the opinion of a good ol Georgia Boy. Good Luck, and have a great day.
Dave
