Two rifle set for North America hunting, what cartridges would you pick.

Status
Not open for further replies.
John Taylor wrote of the tycoon who hunted the world over with a .375 H&H double, their special lightweight model. He had lots of money but little spare time, so when an opportunity arose he would charter a plane and pick up his rifle and the suitcase already packed for the destination's climate.
He was sensible about it and did not go after American prairie dogs or fight elephants in the bush. But he was well equipped for everything in between. Aided by the regulation of his double which shot 270 and 300 grain bullets together and the 235s just a bit higher at 100 yards.
 
My first thought when I read this was .223 and 30-06 about does it all. Thinking more I thought hmmmm maybe a 6MM Creed or .243 would work better on the low end, is the '06 enough on the high end:) ?
I guess this is why most of us have more than two. I think .223 and an 06 would get things covered well enough in North America, especially if you handload.

-Jeff
 
Robert said:
Na, still just a two gun. I took a small whitetail buck last year with my 375 shooting the same load I shoot for elk. 270gr TSX bullet over IMR 4895 moving along at around 2700fps at the muzzle. Shot was maybe 150 yards. Clean through the heart and almost no meat damage.

It's not the flattest, or the fastest, and people freak out with they see the word 375, but it just plain works. Kicks less and does less meat damage that the high speed magnums and generally out penetrates them as well.
Click to expand...
How much does than gun weigh? I'm not carrying a 9 lbs of rifle 5 - 6 miles a day when when a 7lb rifle will do the job. Unless I'm in danger of being 'et, I just need a gun heavy enough to shoot well.
 
JumboJVT said:
How much does than gun weigh? I'm not carrying a 9 lbs of rifle 5 - 6 miles a day when when a 7lb rifle will do the job. Unless I'm in danger of being 'et, I just need a gun heavy enough to shoot well.
Click to expand...
Yeah it weighs 9lbs or so. I carry it for miles and miles. I carry it in the mountains. I'm out of shape and have asthma. I've never noticed the weight.
 
I never noticed the weight of my old Ruger 270, until I made the mistake of grabbing my wife's Model 7 one year "for coyotes" after I'd filled my tag (who pushes deer without a gun?). Now that d****d old thing seems like it weighs 15 lbs. Never shoulda done it I guess.
 
troy fairweather said:
I've had the idea for years to build a match pair of rifles, like what they would do in Africa. We don't have the big stuff like Africa but still think it would be nice to have two rifle to work with. But a 7mm rem mag would cover every thing here, but two rifles are better one lol. I'll never have The money but thought it would be cool to do a hunting road trip, going state to state and try hunting different animals.

The first rifle would be the most versatile gun, think having the game size cut off around mule deer or smaller black bear game size. But something that could work hunting varmints, like woodchuck or coyote.

Rifle two for bigger black bear, elk, moose, up to big brown bear and bison, even some of the bigger planes game animals like in Texas. The cartridge would have to shoot fairly flat tho, but 400 yards should be plenty for any type of hunting in North America, same for rifle one.


to pick the cartridges the action type used make a big difference, for these I was thinking standard mauser 98 type actions. My choice would be commercial FN's. But m70 type of cz action would be nice to. Both with appropriate scopes, with qd rings and back up sights. stock could be wood or glass/carbon something ambidextrous with a straight comb,

There are a few cartridges I would like for rifle one, it would be hard to pick but many would be great. Here's what I think I I'd use.

Rifle one, 7x57
Rifle two, 375 ruger

what would you pick, I should have done 3 guns because a shotgun would allow more game.
Click to expand...

I had the same idea as a younger man - although with more of an African theme - so put together a matched pair of Ruger magazine rifles.

full.jpg

The lower gun is in .30-'06 with NECG aperture rear sight and sourdough blade, and the top rifle is in .416 Rigby with stock V notch in back and a big ivory bead up front. I figure the pair would be adequate for most things in most places.

At one point I tried to make the Rigby into a one gun battery by mounting a scope and working up a light spitzer at 2700 fps. This more-or-less matched the trajectory of the .30-'06, and obviously would have been effective on typical North American game animals, but in the end I decided it was just too heavy and kicked too hard.
 
.38 Special said:
I had the same idea as a younger man - although with more of an African theme - so put together a matched pair of Ruger magazine rifles.

View attachment 910563

The lower gun is in .30-'06 with NECG aperture rear sight and sourdough blade, and the top rifle is in .416 Rigby with stock V notch in back and a big ivory bead up front. I figure the pair would be adequate for most things in most places.

At one point I tried to make the Rigby into a one gun battery by mounting a scope and working up a light spitzer at 2700 fps. This more-or-less matched the trajectory of the .30-'06, and obviously would have been effective on typical North American game animals, but in the end I decided it was just too heavy and kicked too hard.
Click to expand...
Ya that's basically is what I'd like, two similar rifles. As close as possible to make it feel like using the same gun. I'd like to make a custom two gun case, that would be fun to build
 
Last edited:
I've shot prairie dogs, coyotes, mule deer, antelope, and elk with a Model 70 in .30-06. It's overkill for varmints and light for moose and the big bears. I would use it for moose and the big bears. For the purposes of this two gun exercise, I would opt for a .270 and a .375 H&H, neither of which I currently own.
 
I like weird and classic. 257 Roberts in a savage 99, and a Pre-64 Model 70 action 35 whelen. The 257bob is a great medium game cartridge, and the combination with a quick handling 99 would be very interesting. Savage never did it though as they were pushing the 250Savage. Then the whelen is just a beast that will tame absolutely everything in North America easily... arguably would tame anything on the planet. In a pre-64 action you have a nice smooth rifle.
 
JumboJVT said:
How much does than gun weigh? I'm not carrying a 9 lbs of rifle 5 - 6 miles a day when when a 7lb rifle will do the job. Unless I'm in danger of being 'et, I just need a gun heavy enough to shoot well.
Click to expand...
They dont HAVE to be heavy. My abolt weights 8lbs 2oz scoped. Its actually my second lightest rifle, and while recoil is stout its not unpleasant.

Actually I might change my "light" rifle to either a 6.5grendel, or perhaps a 6mm variant of the same. The lightest gun I own is my 527 chambered in the Grendel.
 
I always like reading your stuff Troy...

1. Win M70 270 is great (now the nearly as ubiquitous 6.5 Creed)
2. Make my AHR in 375 HH because HH
3. Rem 870 12ga

(missing a .22lr levergun and a 5.56 for varmints (of any legged variety) a little further than 75 yards

a 1911 and a CZ75 and you’re done

Greg
 
ExAgoradzo said:
I always like reading your stuff Troy...

1. Win M70 270 is great (now the nearly as ubiquitous 6.5 Creed)
2. Make my AHR in 375 HH because HH
3. Rem 870 12ga

(missing a .22lr levergun and a 5.56 for varmints (of any legged variety) a little further than 75 yards

a 1911 and a CZ75 and you’re done

Greg
Click to expand...
Ya really need 4 guns to cover everything. Glade you like what I say, most time I can't get the right words out lol. Handguns would be nice addition to but I'm thinking going state to state.
 
Wow....I only get to pick two....I have been trying to build a rifle (at least one) every year to hunt eastern whitetails with....I don't think I can pick two! .....last year I built a 9.3x62 on a Rem700 action with a 22 inch Shaw barrel...it's a tack driver....year before last it was a 26 Nosler- long hay lots and cut corn fields got shorter with that one....
 
Jim Watson said:
John Taylor wrote of the tycoon who hunted the world over with a .375 H&H double, their special lightweight model. He had lots of money but little spare time, so when an opportunity arose he would charter a plane and pick up his rifle and the suitcase already packed for the destination's climate.
He was sensible about it and did not go after American prairie dogs or fight elephants in the bush. But he was well equipped for everything in between. Aided by the regulation of his double which shot 270 and 300 grain bullets together and the 235s just a bit higher at 100 yards.
Click to expand...
John Taylor was a poacher and not always the most ethical hunter....but he was quite the rifleman...
 
I didn't read all the replies, which is probably a mistake, but had a long day at work and talking guns over a whiskey/ginger ale sounds like fun so I'll take a shot.

Your OP includes Big Bears. That, IMHO, means some big thunder. I think a .338 WM fits well into the "big" category, while still being flat enough for the larger non-eat-your-face critters on your list at distance. 9.3x62, .35 Whelen, .358 Norma get honorable mentions for that role and would work but range on the extreme will be limited a bit vs the .338.

For rifle 2, I'd say it depends on how comfortable you are shooting and toting your .338 around for non-dangerous big game. It's probably the go-to for moose, but would it be THE choice for elk? If not, I'm going with .280 Rem in a modern action such as the ones you mention. If you are comfortable toting the .338 for elk, I'm going with either the classic 6.5x55, 260 rem, 6.5 CR (ish), any reasonable wildcat in 6.5mm, or if you want to be boring, a .270 Winchester.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

P
  • Locked
What rifle for what region?
2
Replies
25
Views
1K
unreal45
U
huntersdog
What rifle and scope would you pick for all your Medium to Big Game hunting, in the lower 48 states?
2 3 4
Replies
94
Views
2K
Mercy Me
Mercy Me
E
  • Locked
Best Rifle/Caliber for North American Hunting?
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Replies
179
Views
13K
Art Eatman
A
L
  • Locked
Go-Between Cartridge
2
Replies
33
Views
2K
lobo9er
lobo9er
theboyscout
  • Locked
Picking a rifle cartridge
2 3
Replies
59
Views
3K
F250GUY
F250GUY
Back
Top