All Around Caliber for North American Game

If it's too big for a 30-06 I'd rather have a bigger, heavier bullet than the same bullets faster.

If it's too far away for a 30-06 150 grain Light Magnum @ 3100 fps, then it's too far away, period.

So I can't see much point in getting a 30 caliber magnum if you're happy with your 30-06. So either get a 338 WM or a good 22.

You have the 30-06. Buy a reloading setup if you don't have one already and a raft of components and SHOOT that sucker. You don't NEED anything more...

For hunting the '06 is plenty. You don't NEED anything bigger. Now if you WANT something bigger for whatever reason, that is different. But you really have hunting needs covered just fine (assuming you can hit what you aim at).

Different way to go would be to get something more on the 'fun' side rather than the hunting side.

For any hunting in the lower 48, the .243 and the '06 already fill the bill just fine.

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I'd hate to go moose or elk hunting with you is they ran out of 30-06 bullets at the closest store. I'd especially hate to go buffalo hunting with you.

I'd hate to go moose or elk hunting with you is they ran out of 30-06 bullets at the closest store. I'd especially hate to go buffalo hunting with you.

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I always laugh at the 'local store' argument for whether or not to buy/own a rifle. Seriously, ammo is like #2 on my list right after the rifle itself. Seems a silly argument to me. Plus you are talking '06 ammo. Any store that sells ammo will have 30-06 and .270 in abundance. Most will also have .243 and 7mm mag as well. But '06 and .270 will always be found if you are enough of a moron to forget ammo on a hunting trip.

.300 Remington Ultra Mag-(you can use the factory 'downloaded' ammo and stretch it's versatility)

.338 Winchester Mag.-(don't need to justify this round)

.338 Remington Ultra Mag.-(if you think you might need the extra punch... but man,what an extra punch you get)

Has no one mentioned the 7mm, or did I miss it.

The local store argument makes no sense. What serious hunter going on a big elk hunting trip is not going to have their rifle sighted in for a certain ammo and have plenty of it. Also if a local store was to have any ammo at all chances are they would have a common caliber such as 30 06.

I would have to agree with Art, the 30 06 and .243 should be fine with the wide range of different ammo available. Where I see a gap is in the varmint rifle category. I think you need to add a .223, .204 ruger, or a 22-250. To me they are a lot of fun and cheaper to shoot.

I you are not interested in a smaller caliber then I say go all out and get one of the big boys. .375, .416, or 45-70.

Is the .270 really the second most popular centerfire rifle in America? I have been hunting for nearly 50 years and only have seen about 2 of them.

Depends on where you live I suspect. I grew up in eastern MT and .270's were plentiful out there. .243, .270, 308, 30-06 were pretty much the norm for deer/antelope.

.270's are popular in SD (where I live now) as well. Good all around caliber for most NA game.

Here in Alaska the 338 Winchester Mag and the 30-06 Springfield are the two most popular cartridges for actual hunting. The 375 HH and 45-70 comming along soon thereafter in various polls.

Since you already have a 243 and a 30-06, which meet almost all hunting needs in the lower 48 and most of those up here, anything you get will have to have the Intersting Factor or the filling a gap factor.

So lets look at the filling a gap factor. Between the 243 Win (6mm) and the 30-06, you have some great stanard cartridges like the
257 Roberts,
260 Rem,
6.5x55mm Swede Mauser,
7mm-08
and 7mm Mauser.

If you go bigger than the 30-06 but do not want the annoying recoil of the 338 Win Mag, you have some nice standard cartridges that have some interesting factor.
338 Federal
358 Winchester
35 Whelen
45-70

Or if you do not mind loosing magazine capacity something like a 350 Rem Mag or the new Ruger 338 Compact Magnum.

If you go smaller than your 243 Win, you have some interesting varmint cartridges like
22-250
22 Swift
and to a lesser degree 223

30.06

I still like the idea of a 338 Win Mag or even a 340 Weatherby Mag I agree I would'nt get a 300 Mag if I had a 30-06

30.06

You have the 30-06. Buy a reloading setup if you don't have one already and a raft of components and SHOOT that sucker. You don't NEED anything more...

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I hear a lot more talk about bullets than calibers, from serious hunters, including elk hunters. It's not for nothing that they handload.

If you're shooting box ammo, chances are you're not getting the most from your rifles -- not velocity, not accuracy, not terminal performance.

The only problem with handloading is, once you start, you don't look back.

Seriously, if you only practice once a month, handloading isn't too much of a PITA. Half the group size, 100 fps bump in velocity, and high-performance bullets of your choice will get more out of a .30-06, or a .338 WM, or whatever. Sure, you can cross your fingers and hope that the high-end bullets come in a factory load that your rifle shoots worth crap, and maybe you'll get lucky -- or maybe you'll go through a box of a bunch of different ammo and get really frustrated.

That's why it's hard to go back after loading your own.

You would have all your bases covered if you purchased a .338 Win Mag; 338 would be your caliber for trophy elk, moose and any bear you would ever want to hunt. The 243 is a great varmint/small game round. The 30-06 will cover all deer and cow to smaller bull elk.

Get your self a 45-70 Guide Gun or Cowboy, $500 worth of leverlutions and watch make those 45 claiber clover leafs knowing you have a compact rifle with hard hitting accuracy. You can probably win some bets with the certain members of the bolt action crowd who think lever guns shoot 6in groups at 100yds.

I know you asked for an all around cartridge to compliment your existing .243 and 30-06 but you are also looking for a rifle that you will receive on your 18th birthday.

With that in mind, I would suggest that you get something different and special. What come to mind for me are the larger, somewhat exotic calibers like .370 Sako, .376 Steyr, 9.3 Brenneke, 9.3x62, and similar.

There are a lot of calibers you could get to fill the bill and your choices of 300 and 338 Win Mag are great for that, but since this is to mark a special occasion, I would think that something a little more remarkable would be better.

Given what you already own, I'd go for the .338. Will easily take any game in North America, it's relatively common, and it's a big enough upgrade over the .30-06 to justify getting it.

Honestly though, for most critters in your region the .30-06 should work fine.

If you pick a great rifle you will have it for the rest of your life, so you want the caliber to match a lifetime of hunting trips.
-Long action
-Fast
-Good energy at 300 yards

I vote .270 or .300 Weatherby, you can't go wrong with either one. And if a trophy stops in front of you, it will be enough gun.

Now which scope are going to put on top?!

Id say .375 H&H for a couple reasons.

A. You said there are possible Africa trips

B. I want one

Lots of good advice here.

I think the .338 makes the most sense and gives you the most flexibility and value for your money. This if prefaced on the assumption you will not be hunting dangerous game. I used a .340 Weatherby and 30 - 06 on an African Safari and it worked out perfect. BUT, I was only hunting non-dangerous plains game and the guides had .416 Rigbys and .375 H&H's for back-ups.

The minimum caliber for Dangerous Game in Africa is the .375 H&H. This is a strongly enforced rule. I do not know of any minimum caliber rules for Alaskan bear, but common sense would rule a .373 H&H or better.

If there is a good chance you'll hunt bear or dangerous game in Africa, then the .373 H&H would be the best choice in my opinion.

BUT, I was only hunting non-dangerous plains game

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One of the "serious hunters and handloaders" I know and was referring to has a wall covered with African plains game mounts. Took every one of them with a 7x57AI -- the reason I know is because I asked him about calibers, and got his good-natured "pshaw", followed by "See those? Every one of them was shot with a 7x57."

Like I said, a conversation with him will end up being about bullets more than likely, and he has literally hundreds of guns, and dies, and can and does shoot whatever he wants from some old .25-20 1892s to big DG double rifles. His take: 7x57mm (the European .30-06) and .30-06 will do just about anything you need, other than dangerous game as FSJeeper says.

Caliber? Not that big of a deal. But he's got some pretty strong opinions about what bullets he'll shoot at game.

For the record, he's a business owner who works hard and has a substantial income. He doesn't handload because he can't afford box ammo. Far from it.

Never been to Africa, myself. Getting more and more interested in going, though...

anything above the 300 win mag thru the big magnums will make a bad shooter out of a good shooter, most are way too much for anything in North America, the '06, .308 .270 will do it all and if you prefer a lighter recoil that is just as efficient go to the 6.5 Swede. there are good reasons it has survived as a hunting round for so long in Europe. here in Texas I have taken some humongous hogs with a .22-250. no recoil, the shot goes exactly where I wanted it.

I vote 30.06 as THE all around cartridge. Not many .270s around here.