A Rifle For Large North American Animals

[gotboostvr]

...The .308 will do anything the .30-06 will up to about a 180 Gr bullet and definitely with a 150 or 165. When you start getting into the 200 Gr weights a .308 falls flat on its face. If I want something with more reach or knock down than a .308 the.30/06 is not what I’m grabbing.

Especially with the introduction of the newer copper solids, heavier jacketed lead bullets aren't quiet the necessity they once were.

Driving something along the line of a 150gr TTSX and any advantage of the 30-06 is small over the 308win.

 

[.308 Norma]

If I want something with more reach or knock down than a .308 the.30/06 is not what I’m grabbing.

Amen to that!

 

[WoodchuckAssassin]

Love the classics. 270 and 30-06. I went with the 270 just because I've owned a Ruger 77 in that caliber and enjoyed it very much.

 

[Alaskamike]

I'm a huge fan of the .375 H&H because of the flexibility. With 270 grain loads it has the trajectory of a .30-06. When it hits it doesn't turn a bunch of meat into bloody goo like some of the smaller bore magnums can.

As a handloader I can also use the Speer 235 grain bullet and download it a bit using 4895.and have a great combo for deer sized animals.

I originally bought it years ago because every moose hunting story I ever heard always involved an encounter with a 9 or 10 foot brown bear. I had no idea at that time what a wonderfully capable and flexible round it is. I imagine the .375 Ruger is the same way.

 

[Picher]

I don't hunt much larger than whitetails these days. My .270 Win does a great job on them and it killed a moose a few years ago with one shot at about 270 yards, as it crossed an old haul road in the North Maine Woods. Of course, I load my own hunting rounds that push great bullets a bit faster and more accurately than available factory rounds.

 

[alsaqr]

My 9.3X62mm

 

[CraigC]

My 9.3X62mm

Automatic style points.

 

[silicosys4]

I voted .375 H&H, because of the range. However, in my particular case, since my only .375 H&H was a Ruger No. 1 and a single shot isn't fit IMO for some of the more dangerous animals on the continent, I will say I'd pick my 1886 SRC in .45-70 over the No. 1.
It may not have the range of the .375, but its got faster follow up shots and .405gr. at near 2000fps will get the job done within 200 yards or so.

 

[StrawHat]

and .405gr. at near 2000fps will get the job done within 200 yards or so.

The same bullet, from the same cartridge, has been doing the job at 1200 fps for over a century. And at further distances.

Kevin

 

[BBarn]

I chose 338. It and the 375 H&H are the only ones specifically listed that I would use.

 

[Gordon]

I chose the .375 H&H , my two current .375 s are both reamed to .375 Weatherby which is an Improved .375 H&H . You can shoot the .375 H&H with maybe 50 FPS loss of velocity but head space is controlled by the belt so you get perfectly formed .375 Weatherby fired cases. You can get up to 200 FPS more velocity with the .375 Weatherby as it holds about 10 grains more powder if you want to. For me the last ten years I have settled on the Nosler AccuBond Bullets 375 Caliber 260 Grain Bonded Spitzer Boat Tail for everything on this continent loaded to 2700+- FPS a mellow shockingly accurate load to 600 yard testing . It would also be a perfect African Plains game choice, even tho when I last went was limited to 270 grain Nosler Partitions and 300 grain solids then . My 260 grain accubond load at 2700 has tolerable recoil for hunting out of my 9 pound all up 1.5-6x scoped, slung and loaded Brown Precision Rem 700 22" all Stainless rifle with Gentry porting and shoots very flat . It is a pussycat in my heavy 25" barreled unported 11 pound Whitworth Mauser English sporter with 4-14x scope that weighs just over 11 pounds and doesn't get carried that far and is shot off a tripod. I will be using that next month in Oregon at an elk "honey hole" near my place.
I shoot a .270 WSM with 130 Barres TTS bullets in my Fiberglass restocked 1998 Winchester Stainless Ultimate Classic model 70 first bought for California unleaded bullet mandate but became my go to deer rifle since. It does not change zero so is ready to go always. It kills deer DRN and has very moderate recoil at 8 pounds all up weight. I have all the other cartridges around but I could live with those two rifles and a good 5.56 AR if I had to . Since Elk hunting is a lot of heavy work the .375s will be shed first, then the .270 WSM and the Noveske Infidel AR pried out of my cold dead fingers as the jingo goes ...