Most powerful reasonable caliber?

[xtphreak]

thanks for the link , I would have never known that a 30-06 had more power than a 300win mag what a joke , and they list the 30-06 over the 7mm rem mag, and the 300 Wby mag. and the 300H&H didn't even make the list and no 270win but they put the 44mag on the list I shoot a lot of 44mag and 270win , there is no way a 44mag will do more than a 270win, or a 300win mag , I think the USDA had some misinformed 30-06 fanboys working on this and yes USDA Forest services not the DNR !

I just left Prudhoe Bay AK and over the year of rotations, had a lot of discussions with Alaskans who have shot BIG browns.

I read the study in question and will say this.

Some of the more powerful rounds tested ranked lower due to excesive fragmentation and loss of penetration.

Also a criteria was what forest workers could handle recoil-wise if they weren't big or firearms experienced.

.30-06 was ranked highly for being managable by smaller less experienced shooters recoil-wise,
Being available in pump, or semi,
Having greater magazine capacity,
Getting the job done with the right bullet.

Brown's skull is thick and sloped and rounds you'd think will do well just won't penetrate.

For one of these guys, he shot an 800 lb brown charging with a .416 Rigby in the chest with no stop.
The third round was just above the left eye and she fell about 8 feet from him.
I watched the video his girlfriend shot.
Hyperventilating to say the least.
Oh, the first shot was to scare her away.
His CZ holds 3 rounds.

He hunts browns every year and said a lot of newer calibers weren't on the list from 1983, but smaller faster bullets won't stop a big grizzly as fast or as well.
YMMV

 

[Nom de Forum]

I just left Prudhoe Bay AK and over the year of rotations, had a lot of discussions with Alaskans who have shot BIG browns.

I read the study in question and will say this.

Some of the more powerful rounds tested ranked lower due to excesive fragmentation and loss of penetration.

Also a criteria was what forest workers could handle recoil-wise if they weren't big or firearms experienced.

.30-06 was ranked highly for being managable by smaller less experienced shooters recoil-wise,
Being available in pump, or semi,
Having greater magazine capacity,
Getting the job done with the right bullet.

Brown's skull is thick and sloped and rounds you'd think will do well just won't penetrate.

For one of these guys, he shot an 800 lb brown charging with a .416 Rigby in the chest with no stop.
The third round was just above the left eye and she fell about 8 feet from him.
I watched the video his girlfriend shot.
Hyperventilating to say the least.
Oh, the first shot was to scare her away.
His CZ holds 3 rounds.

He hunts browns every year and said a lot of newer calibers weren't on the list from 1983, but smaller faster bullets won't stop a big grizzly as fast or as well.
YMMV

An interesting rifle/cartridge choice for a thin-skinned, even if heavy boned, sub-1500lb predator. He used a rifle with limited magazine capacity due to a very large cartridge diameter, shooting a cartridge designed for thick skinned, even heavier boned, dangerous game weighing far more than any bear. The decisive shot was placed where a cartridge with half the KE and bullet weight, a third the recoil energy, and a size making it possible to carry twice as many rounds in the rifle, would have been just as effective. I am not suggesting he would be better off with a .30-06, but something with a little less power and girth than a .416 Rigby would seem to be a better choice. It is my understanding that .375H&H and 45-70 are the most popular of the calibers over .338, and .300WM and .338WM are the most popular of all the heavier .30-06 cartridges.

 

[d2wing]

There are lots of contenders but the 30-06 is the most logical. The logical step up would be the 7MM Rem Mag. Or the .300 Win Mag. I don't know why some think a 150 yard cartridge is good for much. I can shoot 600 yards and hit a man size target. I want a rifle to be able to do that that much and still be able to kill anything on this continent if needed. Elephant guns and black powder guns are fine for some folks but they won't do what I like. They hurt more and do less for what I want. I am a rifleman.

 

[PJSprog]

For me, I think the .30-'06 is at the top of the reasonable scale, and for all the reasons already delineated in previous posts.

Although, I really like my 7x57 Mauser, as it seems to have just the right amount of "umpf" without punishing my shoulder (or back) ... especially with handloads.

 

[blue32]

12ga

 

[varanid]

the largest rifle caliber I've shot is 30-06 and it was manageable in a decent sized gun. I've also shot a .50 AE that a friend has, and it was more doable than I thought--but that might have been the muzzle brake helping!