[Brian Pfleuger]

For purposes of what I use a gun for, which is a reasonable definition of "Need" since the actual "need" as in "can't live without" is something that most of use will never experience, I need about 2 but 4 fills the holes better.

I could survive with my carry gun and a single rifle capable of killing everything else in North America from woodchucks to Moose, which is all I'll ever likely hunt. In practice, 4 is better. Carry gun, light varmint gun, long distance varmint gun, heavy varmint, light deer gun and one for where rifles aren't allowed for deer, either a shotgun or Encore handgun.