This is like being sentenced for a violent crime (like the liberals limiting the 2nd Ammendment). If you love guns, love to shoot or hunt you can't survive with just 3 long guns.......that's like asking a woman to survive with 3 pair of shoes!
I think the minimum has to be 6
.22LR
.223
6 mm Remington
6.5 PRC
.30-06
12 gauge 3" shotgun
But then under .22's you need lever, pump, bolt and semi auto actions.
Need a .17m2, .17 hmr and/or a 5 mm Remington for the longer shots at gophers
A .17 Remington for the really long shots at gophers
A .220 Swift for those longer shots at woodchucks and coyotes... to spell the 6 mm remington
One needs a cowboy lever action .30-30 or .45-70 with an octagon barrel for shooting one's second deer...or a black bear in the huckle berry patch for memories of an earlier time.
A 20 gauge for shooting pats.. and grouse
And darn, I almost forgot my favorite .25-06 for shooting coyotes, bobcats, cougar, antelope, deer and elk.
And it goes on and on... No way can a person live with 3 long rifles and I am glad we don't have too. And if I had grown up east of the Mississippi or in a large city, would probably had to have a .300 WM and/or a .338 Lapua for shooting elk.