Any shot you want: Three Centerfire Rifles for all big game, globally

[Robert]

I can understand why people use the .375s, especially given the poor historic availability of the calibers between .357 H&H and .458 Win Mag. IMO it's really a shame the M70 wasn't chambered in .404 Jeffrey instead of or in addition to .458WM. I think the .404 would have become the quintessential North American market rifle for Africa, and frankly a lot more usable at home in North America too. And I do really feel like .404 Jeffrey (or similar) is enough - decades of use as an elephant control rifle across the continent pretty much proved it's got the horsepower to get a solid to the back of an elephant brain.

I've shot a Dakota 76, M70 clone, in 404 Jeffery and it was one of my absolute favorite rifles to shoot.

 

[Legionnaire]

I'd be happy with .223, .260 Rem, 375 Ruger.

 

[BrocLuno]

In an ideal world:
22-250
308
375 H&H

In my world:
22-250
308
444

 

[DownInTheDark]

.223 for fun
.270 for deer and elk
35 Whelen for bear

 

[model86]

Same as Dr T and I have all three.

model86

 

[stoky]

.22 LR (suppressed)
.30-06
.458 Lott

 

[69Precision]

For a number of years, I got by fine with just 1, a 375 h&h. Took a grizzly in Alaska, shot a pronghorn at over 400 yards, and everything in between.

 

[BobTheTomato]

Ar in .223
Bolt action 30-06
Anzio 20mm

 

[cooltouch]

Well, since the OP wrote "big game," I'll dispense with smaller calibers, save one. I've never fired it, but I'm becoming increasingly interested in the 6.5mm Creedmore, mostly because of its outstanding long range accuracy potential. Should be really great for antelope at 1,000 yards and such.

For a middling cartridge, I prefer .308. I have a beautiful FN Mauser Sporter Deluxe in that caliber and it is a dead on accurate sub-moa bolt gun. .308 is sufficient really for most any north American big game. But often people want a bit more punch. And for that, I have a particular preference:

For the really big game -- moose and grizzly and the like, I don't really see the need for a very large bore cartridge. I prefer a smaller caliber where the bullet is traveling at a very high velocity. So, I would go with the .338 Lapua. A 250 grain soft-tipped bullet, traveling at over 3,000 feet per second, with a muzzle energy in excess of 4,800 lbf -- that should stop just about anything I think I'd ever want to hunt.

Now, if some targets were something less than big game, after some deliberation, I'd change one gun and trade out another. For the smallest caliber, I'd select 22-250, mostly because of the outstanding experiences I've had with this round. I don't want to discard the Creedmore, so I'm inclined to replace my .308 with it, but I do this with some trepidation because I really like shooting the .308. I'd also keep the .338 Lapua for a high-powered round.

 

[cdb1]

6.5 SAUM

.338 Federal

.404 Jeffery

 

[bannockburn]

I would probably go with:
.243
.30-06
.375H&H

 

[Poohgyrr]

Africa could be fun except for the armies running amok. Bad for PR.

Anywhere else:

For smaller big game: 357Magnum Lever;
For larger 308 bolt;
For bigger 45-70 Lever.

 

[JeffG]

.243, 7mm mag, .458 Win Mag. I have all three.

 

[ExAgoradzo]

[Win 94-22]

M&P15
M70 .30-06
AHR .375 H&H

12 ga 870

Kimber 1911 Gov
G26

Bonus:
Marlin 1895 .45-70

Why then do I have so many more gas than this???

Sorry OP for cheating...
Greg

 

[Bart B.]

Three Winchester CRF Model 70's in 243 Win, 300 Win Mag and 458 Win Mag; all stocked the same. Two scopes as identical as possible and interchangeable across all rifles, one a 1-3X variable and the other a 3-9X variable.

 

[zb338]

a .338 or a .340 Weatherby
and a .458 or a .416 Rigby
Zeke

 

[illinoisburt]

Since the op is talking big game hunting rifles, the answer is two bolt guns in 375 H&H so you have a back up in the event something breaks. Covers anything you might find walking the Earth. Somewhat overkill for small animals and certainly more than needed for 90% of hunters but we are trying to cover all the world here. Outside Africa I wouldn't feel undergunned or too overgunned with the old 30-06.

So I guess that's my 3. Comfortable to shoot, readily available ammo, plain and boring but proven reliable.