Top Five Cartridges for Medium sized to Large Game?

[.308 Norma]

In my 40 years of hunting, I've used the following (besides recurve and compound bows and pistols) to kill whitetail deer:

30-30
.308
.270
.300 WinMag
7.62x39

...and a .50 caliber round ball muzzle loader.

What?!? In 40 years of hunting, you've never used a 30-06 to kill whitetail deer??? Why that's almost un-American!
I'm just kidding around, desmobob. For mule deer, I've used all of those you listed plus a 30-06, a .338 Win Mag, and my .308 Norma Mag of course.
But then again, I've been at it for close to 60 years, so I've had more time to use more guns. They all worked.
For that matter, I don't want to get into the whole long story, but the year I got out of the Navy (1972), I killed a large, mule deer buck with a .30 Carbine. He was no more than 5 yards away, and I put a bullet right behind his left ear. He went down as fast as any deer I've ever killed went down.

 

[desmobob]

What?!? In 40 years of hunting, you've never used a 30-06 to kill whitetail deer??? Why that's almost un-American!
I'm just kidding around, desmobob. For mule deer, I've used all of those you listed plus a 30-06, a .338 Win Mag, and my .308 Norma Mag of course.
But then again, I've been at it for close to 60 years, so I've had more time to use more guns. They all worked.
For that matter, I don't want to get into the whole long story, but the year I got out of the Navy (1972), I killed a large, mule deer buck with a .30 Carbine. He was no more than 5 yards away, and I put a bullet right behind his left ear. He went down as fast as any deer I've ever killed went down.

It has always bugged me a little that I never bought a 30-06. Once I already had the .308 and .300 WinMag I couldn't really justify it (not that I ever really needed to justify buying a new rifle!). It's about as American a caliber as there is, and I don't think I've ever even fired one!

PS -- It was a Navy buddy that got me interested in guns, shooting and hunting. Thank you for your service, sir.

Good shooting,
Bob

 

[CowboyTim]

Assuming whitetail deer on up, North America...

8x57is
8mm Gibbs
.300 Winchester Magnum
35 Whelan
9.3x62

...because .270 and 30-06 are just too obvious.

 

[outdoorman63]

223
243
6.5cm
30-30
308

 

[desmobob]

Assuming whitetail deer on up, North America...

8x57is
8mm Gibbs
.300 Winchester Magnum
35 Whelan
9.3x62

Looks like an emphasis on the "on up" sized game...

6.5cm

Dang! That's a real big bore; 6.5 centimeters is over 2.5"! You must mean the 6.5 Creedmore!

 

[outdoorman63]

Looks like an emphasis on the "on up" sized game...



Dang! That's a real big bore; 6.5 centimeters is over 2.5"! You must mean the 6.5 Creedmore!

Lazy with typing

 

[CowboyTim]

Looks like an emphasis on the "on up" sized game...



Dang! That's a real big bore; 6.5 centimeters is over 2.5"! You must mean the 6.5 Creedmore!

I'm a firm believer in "bring enough gun"...if it had maxed out on deer, it would have been a different list.

 

[Catpop]

My 300 HH using 150 to 220 gr would cover all the requirements.

 

[Jed1124]

.223, .308, 300wm, 12ga., .375 H&H about covers everything from medium to large game in North America.