One family of cartridges

357 or 327... probably 357 max but possibly 327fed if it had to be a rifle round I would go 30 cal, probably 308. All can be loaded hot as can be or weak as weak gets. That gives plenty r as nge on critters from rabbits and squirrels up to bears

For me 308.. used for 358 Win

.308 with a hot load of 47gns of CFE223 or Varget. A 150grain hpbt can approach 3000 fps. Stop anything.

30-06 All the Way.

6mm-06 for a poor mans over-bore magnum. Equals a 240 Weatherby.
25-06 for pronghorn. Nasty on long range mulies too.
270 and 280 for all around deer, pronghorn, elk, sheep and goats.
30-06 for anything north of Arkansas.
338-06 and 35 Whelen for big stuff that bite.

.375 H&H. As is or used to make-
.458 Lott
.358 Norma mag
.340 Wby.
.338 Win.
8MM Rem mag
.300 Wby.
.300 Win.
7MM Rem and Wby mags.
.264 Win mag.
.257 Wby mag
.240 Wby mag.

Just a few on that list would be a first class world wide hunting battery.

I would go with 30-06 family.

6mm-06
8mm-06
30-06
25-06
338-06
270
35 whelen

I stick with the 308 family simply because I prefer short action. I also really have a soft spot for the 7mm-08 and I have no true logic for it. I think we all know how that goes.

I do think that the 30-06 family is probably better all around simply because you have the 270 and the 25-06 (very underrated in my opinion). And let's face it, what can a 308 do that a 30-06 can't do better unless you are reducing loads.

Now, if I could have a cost effective 25-08 of sorts I would be happy as it would basically be the 257 Roberts but brass would be much easier to come by and I suspect it wouldn't be as finicky as the 25-06 for reduced loads.

I'm sorta partial to the .375 H&H suggestion of jim in Anchorage
But of the "families" you actually listed, I'd go with 30-06 every time.
A man with a trimmer and a neck turning tool can easily make anything in the .308 or 'x57 groups from '06 brass.

I use the .308 family of cartridges.

Varmint and Roedeer : .308
Larger deer, including moose: .308
Heavy hitter, stopper: .308

Usually I load them with 165 gr interbonds.

I definitely prefer the '06 family, the 30-06 with the proper bullet can drop any North American specie, including Alaska, with minimum effort and recoil, whereas the .270 via Jack O'Connor has proven to be the flattest shooting big game cartridge ever devised, at least for Muleys out to virtually unheard of distances, as well as elk. Now the 25-06 is a superb caliber for pronghorn, and larger varmints, again out to unequalled distances, in a variety of situations. Don't mind the longer actions either, quite possibly, because I own at least one of each.

Mine would be the .308 family of cartridges. Add the 270, 30-06 and 25-06 and you got yourself a very wide range of varmint, big game, and anything in between you can think of. Plus you don't have to change your shell holder in your press!!!

I don't like to be restricted to a "family", but I do own a .308 and a .257 Roberts and sold an old Spanish Mauser some time back in 7x57 and wouldn't mind another 7x57 with a slower rifling twist in a sporting rifle. BUT, there's lots of overlap here. The .308 can do anything a .30-06 can do with a 180 grain bullet or less....pretty much. But, then, for the reach out there and tag something big niche, I own a 7mm Rem Mag. It exceeds even the best .30-06 family IMHO. When I got it, I was really in to .280 Remington, but thought, "why limit myself with the 06 case when I can always download the 7 mag if I don't like or need the power?" So, I got the 7 mag.

Anyway, all THREE families cover most of any hunters needs short of Africa. For big bears in Alaska, I'd probably want a .338 Win Mag. For me, I really like the .308 because I really like the little light rifle it's chambered in, a stainless Remington M7. Very accurate and handy and light to carry and fast to the shoulder. It has plenty of power for the job. My .257 is a short action M722, quite light and handy, but the .308 offers a little more umph in a somewhat more compact package. The 7-08 is as good as the 7x57 and the .260 can run with the 6.5x55.

Like I say, lots of overlap. If you don't mind guns big and heavy enough to be chambered for a belted magnum, the long action .30-06 is fine. I just prefer a lighter package for similar performance. I got the big 7 before all the short magnums came out or I might have gotten a short magnum like the 7 WSM. I'd probably still hunt with the little .308, though, as it does everything I need it to do. It's just all an individual choice as I see it. I like what I've got, hope you do, too.

I do think that the 30-06 family is probably better all around simply because you have the 270 and the 25-06 (very underrated in my opinion). And let's face it, what can a 308 do that a 30-06 can't do better unless you are reducing loads.

Click to expand...

The better question is, "What can the .30-06 do with 180 grains of bullet or less that the .308 can't do? But, then, now days there are the controlled expansion bullets for the big stuff, so .308 can really do ANYthing the .30-06 can do and do it with a lighter, handier rifle.

The 06 still gets it done, though. It's all nuance.

Would have to say H&H belted mags. I always been intrigued by the 300 H&H, so intrigued I now own 2 of them. The 1958 Rem 721 is my shooter. That is before my right shoulder retired from the abuse! Still love em though!
Now this big wuss is reloading 223 mouse farts! I hate it, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Least it will get me back into long range rifle shooting AND RIFLE RELOADING.
CATPOP

I have a 30-06, 270, 25-06 and .35 Whelen. Several others might be added, but I'm happy and feel that I've got all the bases covered that I need covered.

My go-to rifle is a pre-64 M70 Winchester in .30-06. My "Heavy" rifle is a .35 Brown-Whelen, the most radical form of the Whelen.

loose noose said:

I definitely prefer the '06 family, the 30-06 with the proper bullet can drop any North American specie, including Alaska, with minimum effort and recoil, whereas the .270 via Jack O'Connor has proven to be the flattest shooting big game cartridge ever devised, at least for Muleys out to virtually unheard of distances, as well as elk. Now the 25-06 is a superb caliber for pronghorn, and larger varmints, again out to unequalled distances, in a variety of situations. Don't mind the longer actions either, quite possibly, because I own at least one of each.

Click to expand...

Noose, Don't forget The Elmer Keith 333OKH. He could take out mulies as far as he could see them and with a 250 grain bullet.

As every cartridge in the op's list, all three groups, can be formed from the .30-06 this seems like a no brainer........

--kBob

They are all good. And are close to equal. I like the 30-06 as the go to. I like the 7-08 as my lighter deer rifle. I would be fine with any of them.

I like this kind of game as well. Since Africa is not on my plate, the -06. Why get out into the field and wonder, "do I have enough gun?" I don't have a .25-06 instead I have a 6.5x55. But .25-06, .30-06, and the .358-06/Whelen and a .22lr and you got all the rifle you need. 12 gauge, 9mm and .44 mag and you're done. (Don't ask me how many guns I have!)

Greg

I'm with Jim in Anchorage. If you like belted cartridges as I do there are so many choices. I have rifles chambered for .300 Win Mag and .375 H&H Mag and plan to buy a Caprivi in .458 Lott, but I've never thought about any belted cartridge for varmints or antelope. That .264 Win Mag sure sounds interesting. I bet that would make a great antelope cartridge for shots in the 300 yard to 600 yard range.

244 H&H Magnum
.257 Weatherby Magnum *
.264 Winchester Magnum*
.270 Weatherby Magnum*
.275 H&H Magnum
7x61 Sharpe & Hart Super*
7mm Remington Magnum*
7mm Weatherby Magnum*
7mm STW
.300 H&H Magnum
.300 Weatherby Magnum
.308 Norma Magnum*
.300 Winchester Magnum*
.338 Winchester Magnum*
8mm Remington Magnum
.340 Weatherby Magnum
.358 Norma Magnum*
.375 H&H Magnum
.375 Weatherby Magnum
.400 H&H Magnum
.416 Remington Magnum
.458 Winchester Magnum*
.458 Lott
.465 H&H Magnum

It seems you are only considering factory cartridges. Since I reload, that opens it up a bit more. From the -06 cartridge, I would like the 6.5-06 for a light rifle, the 30-06 or 338-06 for medium stuff and the 411 Hawk for large animals. Ample power and an ample supply of brass. Slightly less power could be found using the 308 family of brass for the same calibers.

Unless you had a switch barrel rifle, I do not see a need for such a grouping. But, a switch barrel would be neat, and fun.

Kevin

At one time I'd have said 30-06, but today it'd probably be 308. And I'd not waste my time with the rest of the family either. It'd be 30-06 or 308. I've owned most of the 30-06 family tree, 270, 280, 30-06, 338-06, and 35 Whelen. The 30-06 loaded with 150 gr bullets @ 3000-3100 fps shoots so close to the trajectories of 25-06, 270 and 280 to be insignificant. With 200 gr accubonds it shoots flatter and hits harder at any range than 338-06, and is a 500 yard elk gun. With 220-250 gr bullets will out penetrate anything you can load in a 35 Whelen. If that won't do the job, you need a 375 mag at the minimum.

Today I'd probably pick 308 to get about 20% less recoil and to carry a lighter more compact rifle. It'll shoot the same bullet weights (up to 200 gr) about 100-150 fps slower than 30-06. That might limit the effective range by 50 yards vs 30-06. It is still capable farther than I can shoot though. The same analogies apply, with lighter bullets it'll do anything the rest of the family tree will do, and with 180-200 gr bullets anything the 338 Fed or 358 Win will do.

If I just have to have 2 guns in different calibers then I'd likely go with the 2 at the extremes. That'd be 6.5-06 and 35 Whelen in a long action or 243 and 358WIN in a short action.