What one caliber for North America?
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quackslayer
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One caliber;
The animals you are planning to hunt will die with any of the calibers listed BUT the choice YOU must make is dependent upon budgets and the ability to practice; some loads are cheaper than others as far as practice rounds; with that said,
30/06 first choice
270 second choice;
Either caliber means nothing but death in the lower 48 as long as you do your part;
The animals you are planning to hunt will die with any of the calibers listed BUT the choice YOU must make is dependent upon budgets and the ability to practice; some loads are cheaper than others as far as practice rounds; with that said,
30/06 first choice
270 second choice;
Either caliber means nothing but death in the lower 48 as long as you do your part;
Hangingrock
Member
The guide most likely laughs at a lot of clients no matter the caliber. The guides question most likely would be “What is the last thing you saw before closing your eyes and jerking the trigger”. A 30-06 with a 200Gr premium bullet placed properly beats a miss. I’ve done my share of shooting with the 338Win-Mag, 375H&H and the 416Rem-Mag. May I add that I’ve shot them all accurately. With in reason placement is primary.
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kmrcstintn
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for its wide variety of weights and bullet designs, I would say .30-06 if you want to run bullets heavier than 180gr and lighter than 150gr; I would follow that with .308 due to its wide acceptance among 'short action' shooters
My answer was based on the comments of a guide for brown bears hunts in Alaska; it was in last month's field and stream magazine. He stated that if you hunt bear enough, you eventually will be charged, and that the bigger the bear, the more hits it can take before it stops. He used a 375 H&H.
I remember reading somewhere where the British had used their vaunted .303 Enfield to take dang near every living animal that roamed the African plains, if they can brag about their .303 and the .30-06 is better, and we're not shooting elephants, I don't see what all the fuss is about the .30-06 not being enough for North America.
I don't ever plan to shoot elephants or hippos or cape buffalo, but for any animal in North America, I'd feel perfectly fine with the .30-06.
I don't ever plan to shoot elephants or hippos or cape buffalo, but for any animal in North America, I'd feel perfectly fine with the .30-06.
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The .375 H&H is truly the answer but it wasn't listed so I didn't mention it. I like the .375 better than the .338 and there is simply no doubt that it's a more versatile round than the .30-06. You hear people mention that elephants have been killed by this or that small light round but the facts are that a .375 is THE round which is considered the beginning of useful and legal elephant rounds. It is also a great deer and elk round a fantastic bear round and one heck of a great cape buffalo round. There simply is nothing else that even comes close to the versatility of the .375's.
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Arkansas Paul
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I would say the most powerful round you can shoot accurately. It's been said here several times, a hit with a .30-06 beats a miss with a .338. However, if I could shoot the .338 Win just as accurately and brownies were on the menu, that's the one I would take.
Hope that makes sense.
Hope that makes sense.
Leaky Waders
Member
I've been doing a little reading on medium and large bore rifle catridges recently...mainly because I plan on a bison hunt next year. I can afford nearly any rifle within reason and so...
From what I've seen:
1) The 30-06 and 375 H & H are about the same age.
2) Despite approximate equal number of years of service, the 30-06 is nearly alway recommended as the universal cartridge of North America.
3) The Alaska Game and Fish website recommends that hunters bring their 30-06 to Alaska vs an unfamiliar magnum.
http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=hunting.firearms
4) People have been successful at killing bison - the largest animal on this continent with a 30-06 and 270.
5) For the non-reloader...it is much easier to find specialty rounds for the 30-06 ie varmint, medium and big game sized vs finding similar cartridges in a 375 or 338 winchester magnum etc.
6) If I were going to get a 'medium bore' for North America then I was looking at 358 winchesters and 35 whelen's...however, both fall in the to same plight of the 338 and 375 H & H if you're not a reloader.
So, I'm sticking with a 30-06.
L.W.
From what I've seen:
1) The 30-06 and 375 H & H are about the same age.
2) Despite approximate equal number of years of service, the 30-06 is nearly alway recommended as the universal cartridge of North America.
3) The Alaska Game and Fish website recommends that hunters bring their 30-06 to Alaska vs an unfamiliar magnum.
http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=hunting.firearms
4) People have been successful at killing bison - the largest animal on this continent with a 30-06 and 270.
5) For the non-reloader...it is much easier to find specialty rounds for the 30-06 ie varmint, medium and big game sized vs finding similar cartridges in a 375 or 338 winchester magnum etc.
6) If I were going to get a 'medium bore' for North America then I was looking at 358 winchesters and 35 whelen's...however, both fall in the to same plight of the 338 and 375 H & H if you're not a reloader.
So, I'm sticking with a 30-06.
L.W.
Kernel
Member
+1 on the 7m WSM.
You don't hear much from this cartrdige, but it has a lot going for it. My vote for best of the new shorter magnums. Will do a number on anything in North America, all without putting much of a hurt on your shoulder.
That or a .30-06.
You don't hear much from this cartrdige, but it has a lot going for it. My vote for best of the new shorter magnums. Will do a number on anything in North America, all without putting much of a hurt on your shoulder.
That or a .30-06.
ccsniper
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You guys and your poor feeding low mag capacity WSM's are going to make me cry!
I have to admit that of all the WSM's the 7 makes about the most sense especially for a long range paper puncher. If you can get it to feed reliably.
I have to admit that of all the WSM's the 7 makes about the most sense especially for a long range paper puncher. If you can get it to feed reliably.
H&H
We were talking about North America...the 375 H&H would get my nod in Africa....
However, personally I like the 338 WM better than the 375 (we are not talking about Elephants here)
The 300 gr. .338 cal. pills have a tremendous SD and are well known bone drillers....and the 338 WM really leaves the 375 behind when we are talking about long range shooting...shoots flatter and hits harder...if you remember we are already compared the two rounds in another thread using a ballistic calculator
We were talking about North America...the 375 H&H would get my nod in Africa....
However, personally I like the 338 WM better than the 375 (we are not talking about Elephants here)
The 300 gr. .338 cal. pills have a tremendous SD and are well known bone drillers....and the 338 WM really leaves the 375 behind when we are talking about long range shooting...shoots flatter and hits harder...if you remember we are already compared the two rounds in another thread using a ballistic calculator
Art Eatman
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People are obviously posting without having read the first post in the thread.
Closed.
Closed.
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