3 Best Hunting Cartridges?

[Bullet]

I just finished read the thread ( Poll: Most Worthless Rifle Caliber). I'm not sure how many rifle cartridges there are but I bet 3 cartridges would kill any animal on earth. I'm not trying to get rid of any cartridges but if you had to pick the 3 best hunting cartridges what would you pick?

 

[rock jock]

.22lr, .243, .300 Win Mag

 

[RandyB]

.30-06
.338 Win Mag
.22 LR

 

[griz]

For the folks who prefer pre-1900 rounds:
22LR
30-30
45-70

 

[Soap]

.22LR
.30-06 or .308
.375 H&H

 

[Brian Williams]

22lr
308 or 30-06
416 rigby

 

[unreal45]

.22 mag
.270 winchester
.375 H&H

 

[saddlebum]

22lr 223 308

 

[RCL]

.22LR
.223
.30-06
Those three will cover what I hunt most of the time.

 

[Dionysusigma]

The three most effective I have:
.22 LR
7.62x39mm
6.5x55 Swede

Of any, though?
.22 LR
.308/ 7.62x51 NATO
.600 Nitro Express

Any of the latter three will kill anything effectively...

 

[dfaugh]

Well....

realistically, same as someone else mentioned:

.22LR
30-06
.375 H&H

HOWEVER, if you really want one for everything on earth, up to and including elephants, I'd have to go to:

.22LR
.338 Lapua Mag
.600 Nitro Express(or maybe 50 BMG)

 

[Gunnutz13]

My 2 cents...

.223
30.06
12 guage

 

[Preacherman]

Well, "hunting" is not necessarily the same as "stopping". If you have to stop a charge from something large, hairy and hateful, even a .577 Nitro Express will feel like a toothpick. On the other hand, that same large, hairy and hateful animal will fall to a well-placed 7x57mm. if it's not alert to your presence. So, my selection will be governed by "hunting" rather than "stopping" principles:

.22LR
.308
.375 H&H

 

[mtnbkr]

22lr
6.5x55
338WinMag or 375H&H

That'll cover anything I'm likely to hunt in my lifetime.

Chris

 

[Black Snowman]

For performance, I'd have to say:
243 WSSM (varmits to medium game)
338 Weatherby Magnum (medium to large or potentially dangerous game)
458 Lott (dangerous game)

For balistics I prefer the 408 CheyTac over the 458 Lott but it's poor bullet selection knocks it out of the competition for a hunting round IMHO.

Bang for the buck none of those 3 calibers would probably be in the running. If you're going value for the dollar I'd have to say:
22 LR
30-06
50 BMG
Hard to beat the price/performance mark and usefulness of these cartriges.

 

[Fumbler]

If I had to pick 3 for anything I would ever hunt it would be;

22LR
243 Win
30-06 Springfield

If I had o pick 3 for any situation possible all over the world it would be:

22LR
270 Win (or .308 or 30-06, there are plenty good ones in this category)
50 BMG

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

The 3 most usefull for 95% of North American hunting.

.22LR
.308Win
12ga shotgun

 

[Gewehr98]

My trio...

.22LR
.30-06 Springfield
.45-70 Government (loaded Ruger #1 hot, for the biggest, baddest critters)

 

[jem375]

mine would be:
223
308
375 JDJ

 

[tc300mag1]

22 Lr
30-06/300 win mag
45/70

and for a shotty 20 gauge

 

[yorec]

.22 lr
.30-06
.50 bmg

That about covers it though at the top end most would not use the 50 for hunting, but its still probably the most "capable" of covering the range above the ol' 06's.

 

[rbernie]

22LR, 7x57, 375H&H

 

[WhiteKnight]

.22LR
30/06
.338

*12 gauge*

 

[McCall911]

1--.22 LR
2--7mm (in general, and I would put .270s under this heading.)
3--.375 H&H

 

[Fatelvis]

22 LR
30-06
12 guage w/birdshot