2 calibers than cover 90% of hunting situations
- Thread starter 357smallbore
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bearman49709
Member
Good choice, but I'd take .22LR and .308Win.
Can't forget the shotgun, make mine a 16GA.
mljdeckard
Member
I inherited my dad's guns, including a 22-250, a 30-06, a .257 Roberts, and a .270.
I gave the 22-250 to my brother, because I just finished my .243 AR-10.
I would use the 30-06 for heavier game, but it's a 1917 Enfield, with an aftermarket no-drill/no-tap scope mount my dad put on it, and I can't make it hold zero. I have decided to restore it to army-issued condition.
So, I will be using the .243 for coyotes and deer, (and some Texas hogs in the near future,) and the .270 if I can make time to go after Elk.
I gave the 22-250 to my brother, because I just finished my .243 AR-10.
I would use the 30-06 for heavier game, but it's a 1917 Enfield, with an aftermarket no-drill/no-tap scope mount my dad put on it, and I can't make it hold zero. I have decided to restore it to army-issued condition.
So, I will be using the .243 for coyotes and deer, (and some Texas hogs in the near future,) and the .270 if I can make time to go after Elk.
Jeb Stuart
member
But it was a good day to die.
Every center fire cartridge from 26 caliber on up will take every game animal in North America. Pick one, or 2, you like. But everything from 26 to 37 caliber will work. You are limited to how much recoil you want to deal with and range limitations.
Personally I like my 223 for varmints up to and including deer. If I got the chance to go to Africa I'd pick a 375. I have rifles in 6.5 CM, 308, and 30-06 and would hunt grizzly with any of them with the right bullet. But I'd not feel the least bit handicapped with any of about 2 dozen other cartridges.
Personally I like my 223 for varmints up to and including deer. If I got the chance to go to Africa I'd pick a 375. I have rifles in 6.5 CM, 308, and 30-06 and would hunt grizzly with any of them with the right bullet. But I'd not feel the least bit handicapped with any of about 2 dozen other cartridges.
Phaedrus/69
Member
IIRC it was even .22LR but .22 Long or .22 Short.
I realize caliber and cartridge are different things but I suppose the OP meant two cartridges. If we're talking the former I'd say 12 ga and .30 cal. If we mean actual rounds I'd say a 2.75" 12 ga and a .30-06. For a lot of folks birds are half their season and you need a shotgun for that. An ought-six is adequate for everything in the lower 48 and probably enough for AK (and HI
) in the hands of a good shooter and with correct ammunition. If you feel it's too small one could always pick a 45/70, .338 Win Mag, .375 Federal, etc etc.
NMachine
Member
.260 Rem and .35 Whelen.
Yotes to Yaks!
Yotes to Yaks!
marksman13
Member
If I’ve got to do everything that I do with two cartridges, I’m going with my 6.8 SPC and one of my 6.5 CM (despite all the hate). I don’t care anything about hunting the larger bears. I shoot a bunch of pigs and deer with my 6.8 and I enjoy range time and longer range hunting with my Creedmoors. Not much in North America that I can’t kill with those two cartridges, haters be damned.
lysanderxiii
Member
At least not recently...Ain't seen me no Elephants roaming the Rockies
Chuck R.
Member
I'd go .22LR and .300WIN.
IF you reload the .300WIN "can" become a .308/30-06, while at full capacity outshines both with heavier bullets. Stick with the 165s-168s and you've got a flat shooting longer range deer gun. Recoil in an "average" weight sporter (8-9lbs) decked out is tolerable.
IF you reload the .300WIN "can" become a .308/30-06, while at full capacity outshines both with heavier bullets. Stick with the 165s-168s and you've got a flat shooting longer range deer gun. Recoil in an "average" weight sporter (8-9lbs) decked out is tolerable.
cdb1
Member
I stated I’d go with a 22-250 and 6.5 SAUM. From 1972 until 2003 I had one centerfire, a .270 and one rimfire, a Model 60. I hunted a lot and did just fine. I now have centerfire rifles in .224, .243, .264 and .308 in addition to .277. Thinking back there isn’t anything I’ve shot with them that I couldn’t have shot with my .270.
I've found this generally tends to be the case, especially if what we hunt dosent vary hugely in size (or have special circumstances/requirements). Generally most fo us would be fine with a .270 or something similar for everything.
I've shot birds with a .30-06, cause that's what I was carrying and they looked tasty, damage is generally less than a 12ga hit at the same distance.
I've shot (and seen shot) 500+ lb bulls and cows with everything from a .243 to my .458socom. At this point I'd be pretty comfortable taking anything non dangerous, and at reasonable ranges, with a hot 6.5 on up.
Only requirement (for a general use cartridge) I have is a heavy for caliber bullet at 2800-3000fps.
That said, I enjoy using varied and odd cartridges. I also like using different firearms, and tinkering.
so I'll likely never limit myself to a single round, or two, or three even.
But I have to say, it IS a fun mental exercise.
George P
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Make my rifle a 7-08 and the shotgun a 28 gauge..............
Please don't tell my wife that.
Mine would be 22-250 and a 300 Win mag.
22-250 covers from whitetail down. 300 covers from elk up.
Riomouse911
Member
I’d go smaller than .243 and choose .22WMR in my Ruger American and stick with the ol ‘06 for all the other stuff in a Win 70.... especially if I’m handloading for the ‘06.
These rounds sit just about in the middle of their respective zones of effectiveness without much overlap... since I can only have two and need to cover animals as diverse as squirrels on up to bison.
But if I’m loading for the .30-06 I can also load for the .223... aaaargh!
Stay safe.
These rounds sit just about in the middle of their respective zones of effectiveness without much overlap... since I can only have two and need to cover animals as diverse as squirrels on up to bison.
But if I’m loading for the .30-06 I can also load for the .223... aaaargh!
Stay safe.
someguy2800
Member
If I could only have two it would be a 357/38 special lever action and a 30-06.
While I use and enjoy various cartridges, the 06 is perfectly capable of covering all my hunting needs from coyotes to Nilgai. (There is no demand for fur down here.)
Having said that, current favorites are .223 and 338 Win Mag.
Head to Head: .30-06 Springfield vs. All Other .30s
by Philip Massaro - Friday, July 12, 2019
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It’s been proclaimed dead, it’s been said that its heyday is past, that it’s yesterday’s news. It’s an old design, and we’ve moved past the Springfield; our new designs are vastly superior, relegating this cartridge to the old folks’ home. I say that nothing could be further from the truth, at least from the hunter’s point of view.
I’ll give you this: the .30-06 Springfield is boring. That statement is not meant to be derogatory; in fact, the opposite is true. The .30-06 Springfield works so well, so reliably, that there really isn’t a whole lot left to be desired. Though it has been with us for over 110 years, it remains the benchmark by which all other .30-caliber cartridges are measured. It’s light enough on the shoulder, yet gives velocities that are nearly perfect for the hunting fields. Its position has been challenged for almost a century, yet when you sit back and look at it, the Springfield gives us exactly what we need.
It can be a flat-shooting cartridge, well-suited to the mountains and plains, yet when loaded with the heavier bullets, can take almost all the world’s big-game animals, save the true heavyweights. It is an all-around choice for the hunter who wants just one rifle, yet it complements the big-bore rifles very well. It has one of the best selection of bullets of any caliber, and ammunition for the .30-06 is available nearly anywhere. While it could be argued that it is one the heavier side of cartridges for deer hunting, it has and will continue to account for a whole lot of deer.
So, what is it about the .30-06 Springfield that makes it fare so well against all the other designs? If the history of all the cartridges were to be erased, would the Springfield still hold a position at the top? I think so, for a good number of reasons.
The smaller-cased .30s like the .300 Savage, .308 Winchester and even the now-rare .30 T/C—which are excellent choices for medium game—have trouble using bullets much heavier than 180 or 200 grains. Their velocities drop off considerably with the heavy bullets, though modern premium projectiles may raise the question of whether or not a .30-caliber bullet of more than 180 grains is actually necessary. Still, as effective as the short-action cases are, they do have trouble matching the velocities of the Springfield. Now, I’ve hunted with a .308 Winchester for deer and black bear in my native New York for decades and it has served me very well, but no matter how hard I tried, I cannot get ’06 velocities from my .308. As the shooting here is definitely on the close side, I haven’t really needed more than the .308 Winchester could give me, but once I began hunting around the world, I felt as though I needed the option for a bit more.
I was given a .300 Winchester Magnum for my 30th birthday, and we became fast friends. It was an Interarms Mark X rifle, lacking in the looks department but delivering big time in the accuracy department. I took it as my light rifle on my first safari, and took my first head of African game with it, loaded with 200-grain Swift A-Frame bullets. It provided a visible improvement in striking power and trajectory over my .308, but that came at a price: increased recoil. Now, I’m not overly sensitive to recoil, but sit at the bench with a .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield and a .300 Winchester Magnum, and you will quickly feel the difference in recoil. I’m not saying it’s a huge issue, but I am saying I’ve met more than a few shooters who can shoot an ’06 well, but fall apart with a .300 Magnum. The 200 fps velocity gain in the .300 Winchester—and the .300 H&H, .300 WSM and .300 Ruger Compact Magnum could be thrown in as well—translates to a 3- to 4-inch trajectory advantage at 400 yards depending on the bullet; with a 200-yard zero, the .300 Winchester will drop 19 inches, and the .30-06 will drop 23 inches.
Ramp up to the bigger .30-caliber cartridges like the .300 Weatherby Magnum, .300 Remington Ultra Magnum and .30-378 Weatherby Magnum, and you’ll see 500 to 600 fps velocity gains over the .30-06, but with a radical jump in recoil and report. I’ve shot and loaded a whole bunch of these giant cases, and while they can be accurate and flat shooting, they come with their own issues, namely burning near to 100 grains of powder in addition to the bolt thrust, and the fact that most of these rifles come with a muzzle brake to tame the ferocious recoil. Trust me; they’ll flatten your ears.
(From left) .308 Win., .30-06 Sprg., .300 Win. Mag., .300 WSM, .300 RUM
I find the .30-06 Springfield to be smack in the middle of the useable velocity ranges for .30-caliber cartridges. It is an efficient design, giving everything a hunter could want, within sane hunting ranges. My personal limit is 400 yards, and then some under near-perfect conditions, and the .30-06 can handle that range with its compliment of bullets. It maintains a velocity advantage over the .308 Winchester, and it’s much easier on the shoulder than the magnums.
On my last safari to Namibia, where I brought a .300 H&H along, we had a bit of a luggage debacle; my pal JJ Reich from Federal ammunition didn’t receive his suitcase or rifle case for several days. He was hunting with me using a borrowed Kimber .30-06 Springfield. We hunted together, me with the magnum and he with the Springfield, and we both took good animals at distances between 190 and 275 yards; no animal could tell the difference between the two cartridges, nor could I.
The Springfield is predictable, the Springfield is mundane, the Springfield is commonplace, but the .30-06 Springfield just plain works. For the hunter who is more concerned with spending time in nature than arguing over belts, velocity figures or the latest cartridge fad, it is damned hard to beat the U.S. Government’s design of 1906—and that will remain a truth for decades to come.
Looking for previous installments of our "Head to Head" series? We've got you covered.
• .17 HMR vs. .17 WSM
• .450 Nitro Express vs. .470 Nitro Express
• .350 Legend vs. .35 Remington
• .280 Ackley Improved vs. 7mm Rem. Mag.
• .404 Jeffery vs. .416 Rigby
• .243 Winchester vs. 6mm Creedmoor
• .300 PRC vs. .300 Win. Mag.
• .30-06 Springfield vs. .270 Winchester
• 6.5 Creedmoor vs. 7mm-08 Remington
• 8x57 Mauser vs. .318 Westley Richards
• .358 Winchester vs. .350 Remington Magnum
• .22-250 Remington vs. .220 Swift
• .270 Winchester vs. .270 WSM
• .26 Nosler vs. 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum
• .458 Win. Mag. vs. .458 Lott
• 7mm Rem. Mag. vs. .300 Win. Mag.
• .243 Winchester vs. 6mm Remington
• 7x57mm Mauser vs. 7mm-08 Remington
• .25-06 Remington vs. .257 Weatherby Magnum
• .338 Winchester vs. .375 H&H Magnum
• .30-30 Winchester vs. .35 Remington
• .257 Roberts vs. .250-3000 Savage
• .270 Winchester vs. .280 Remington
• .35 Whelen vs. 9.3x62mm Mauser
• .416 Rigby vs. .416 Remington Magnum
• .308 Winchester vs. .30-06 Springfield
• .22 Nosler vs. .224 Valkyrie
• .300 Win. Mag. vs. .300 WSM
• .223 Remington vs. .22-250 Remington
https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2018/5/4/head-to-head-35-whelen-vs-93x62mm-mauser/
Having said that, current favorites are .223 and 338 Win Mag.
Head to Head: .30-06 Springfield vs. All Other .30s
by Philip Massaro - Friday, July 12, 2019
More
SUBSCRIBE
It’s been proclaimed dead, it’s been said that its heyday is past, that it’s yesterday’s news. It’s an old design, and we’ve moved past the Springfield; our new designs are vastly superior, relegating this cartridge to the old folks’ home. I say that nothing could be further from the truth, at least from the hunter’s point of view.
I’ll give you this: the .30-06 Springfield is boring. That statement is not meant to be derogatory; in fact, the opposite is true. The .30-06 Springfield works so well, so reliably, that there really isn’t a whole lot left to be desired. Though it has been with us for over 110 years, it remains the benchmark by which all other .30-caliber cartridges are measured. It’s light enough on the shoulder, yet gives velocities that are nearly perfect for the hunting fields. Its position has been challenged for almost a century, yet when you sit back and look at it, the Springfield gives us exactly what we need.
It can be a flat-shooting cartridge, well-suited to the mountains and plains, yet when loaded with the heavier bullets, can take almost all the world’s big-game animals, save the true heavyweights. It is an all-around choice for the hunter who wants just one rifle, yet it complements the big-bore rifles very well. It has one of the best selection of bullets of any caliber, and ammunition for the .30-06 is available nearly anywhere. While it could be argued that it is one the heavier side of cartridges for deer hunting, it has and will continue to account for a whole lot of deer.
So, what is it about the .30-06 Springfield that makes it fare so well against all the other designs? If the history of all the cartridges were to be erased, would the Springfield still hold a position at the top? I think so, for a good number of reasons.
The smaller-cased .30s like the .300 Savage, .308 Winchester and even the now-rare .30 T/C—which are excellent choices for medium game—have trouble using bullets much heavier than 180 or 200 grains. Their velocities drop off considerably with the heavy bullets, though modern premium projectiles may raise the question of whether or not a .30-caliber bullet of more than 180 grains is actually necessary. Still, as effective as the short-action cases are, they do have trouble matching the velocities of the Springfield. Now, I’ve hunted with a .308 Winchester for deer and black bear in my native New York for decades and it has served me very well, but no matter how hard I tried, I cannot get ’06 velocities from my .308. As the shooting here is definitely on the close side, I haven’t really needed more than the .308 Winchester could give me, but once I began hunting around the world, I felt as though I needed the option for a bit more.I was given a .300 Winchester Magnum for my 30th birthday, and we became fast friends. It was an Interarms Mark X rifle, lacking in the looks department but delivering big time in the accuracy department. I took it as my light rifle on my first safari, and took my first head of African game with it, loaded with 200-grain Swift A-Frame bullets. It provided a visible improvement in striking power and trajectory over my .308, but that came at a price: increased recoil. Now, I’m not overly sensitive to recoil, but sit at the bench with a .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield and a .300 Winchester Magnum, and you will quickly feel the difference in recoil. I’m not saying it’s a huge issue, but I am saying I’ve met more than a few shooters who can shoot an ’06 well, but fall apart with a .300 Magnum. The 200 fps velocity gain in the .300 Winchester—and the .300 H&H, .300 WSM and .300 Ruger Compact Magnum could be thrown in as well—translates to a 3- to 4-inch trajectory advantage at 400 yards depending on the bullet; with a 200-yard zero, the .300 Winchester will drop 19 inches, and the .30-06 will drop 23 inches.
Ramp up to the bigger .30-caliber cartridges like the .300 Weatherby Magnum, .300 Remington Ultra Magnum and .30-378 Weatherby Magnum, and you’ll see 500 to 600 fps velocity gains over the .30-06, but with a radical jump in recoil and report. I’ve shot and loaded a whole bunch of these giant cases, and while they can be accurate and flat shooting, they come with their own issues, namely burning near to 100 grains of powder in addition to the bolt thrust, and the fact that most of these rifles come with a muzzle brake to tame the ferocious recoil. Trust me; they’ll flatten your ears.
(From left) .308 Win., .30-06 Sprg., .300 Win. Mag., .300 WSM, .300 RUM
I find the .30-06 Springfield to be smack in the middle of the useable velocity ranges for .30-caliber cartridges. It is an efficient design, giving everything a hunter could want, within sane hunting ranges. My personal limit is 400 yards, and then some under near-perfect conditions, and the .30-06 can handle that range with its compliment of bullets. It maintains a velocity advantage over the .308 Winchester, and it’s much easier on the shoulder than the magnums.
On my last safari to Namibia, where I brought a .300 H&H along, we had a bit of a luggage debacle; my pal JJ Reich from Federal ammunition didn’t receive his suitcase or rifle case for several days. He was hunting with me using a borrowed Kimber .30-06 Springfield. We hunted together, me with the magnum and he with the Springfield, and we both took good animals at distances between 190 and 275 yards; no animal could tell the difference between the two cartridges, nor could I.
The Springfield is predictable, the Springfield is mundane, the Springfield is commonplace, but the .30-06 Springfield just plain works. For the hunter who is more concerned with spending time in nature than arguing over belts, velocity figures or the latest cartridge fad, it is damned hard to beat the U.S. Government’s design of 1906—and that will remain a truth for decades to come.
Looking for previous installments of our "Head to Head" series? We've got you covered.
• .17 HMR vs. .17 WSM
• .450 Nitro Express vs. .470 Nitro Express
• .350 Legend vs. .35 Remington
• .280 Ackley Improved vs. 7mm Rem. Mag.
• .404 Jeffery vs. .416 Rigby
• .243 Winchester vs. 6mm Creedmoor
• .300 PRC vs. .300 Win. Mag.
• .30-06 Springfield vs. .270 Winchester
• 6.5 Creedmoor vs. 7mm-08 Remington
• 8x57 Mauser vs. .318 Westley Richards
• .358 Winchester vs. .350 Remington Magnum
• .22-250 Remington vs. .220 Swift
• .270 Winchester vs. .270 WSM
• .26 Nosler vs. 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum
• .458 Win. Mag. vs. .458 Lott
• 7mm Rem. Mag. vs. .300 Win. Mag.
• .243 Winchester vs. 6mm Remington
• 7x57mm Mauser vs. 7mm-08 Remington
• .25-06 Remington vs. .257 Weatherby Magnum
• .338 Winchester vs. .375 H&H Magnum
• .30-30 Winchester vs. .35 Remington
• .257 Roberts vs. .250-3000 Savage
• .270 Winchester vs. .280 Remington
• .35 Whelen vs. 9.3x62mm Mauser
• .416 Rigby vs. .416 Remington Magnum
• .308 Winchester vs. .30-06 Springfield
• .22 Nosler vs. .224 Valkyrie
• .300 Win. Mag. vs. .300 WSM
• .223 Remington vs. .22-250 Remington
https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2018/5/4/head-to-head-35-whelen-vs-93x62mm-mauser/
I have both. While I really like them, they're not my primary choices.
tactikel
Member
.243 and .338 Win Mag. There is nothing in the USA that you are over/under gunned with.
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
My bolt action .223 and my 7mm-08 are both Remington Model Sevens.
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