I currently own a .270 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .300 Winchester magnum, .338 Winchester magnum and .375 H&H magnum. I can't say I'm bored with this selection but am once again in the market for another rifle. I'm having difficulties making a decision regarding caliber and thought I'd get some intelligent suggestions on this forum. Let me know if you get a chance.

Thanks,

jfm

I'm pretty sure that the 458 Lott crowd will be all over this!

223 Rem or 22-250.

Your collection is screaming for a varmint popper IMO.

I would say that it depends on what type of shooting you do. From your current choices you appear to b e more of a medium to large game hunter/shooter.

I would recommend a nice varmint rig if it interest you, even off the bench it's fun to shoot the little cartridges with virtually no kick. Try a nice 223, 22.250 or even a 204 and see how much fun they can be.

TBG types faster than me.

If I were in your dire predicament, I would get either a 22-250 Rem. or a 458 Lott. No, wait a minute, I think a 460 Weatherby Magnum would be better than a 458 Lott.

As Saeed wants to keep the forums on topic, why is this in "African Hunting"?

The question is not directed for suggestions for an African hunting rifle.

Just my .02

My next rifle purchased will be used for large game in Alaska and South Africa. I hope this clears up any misconceptions. Saeed is a very forgiving man and most likely will not excommunicate me for posting in the African forum without having explained my raison d'etre.

Thanks,

jfm

quote:

I'm having difficulties making a decision regarding caliber and thought I'd get some intelligent suggestions...

What sort of difficulties are you having? To give an "intelligent suggestion" we have to know where your problem lies. Need something to fill the gap between .338 and .375? Considering a true big bore? A stopping caliber? What?

Something bigger than the 375 H&H and still practical could a 416 rigby or remington.

Or then like others said the 458 lott

LottLottLottLottLottLottLottLottLottLott!!!!!!

This is kind of what I had been thinking. I know that what I have is a pretty versatile selection but I thought maybe something over .40 caliber would be prudent. .416 Remington and Rigby are both about 50% more expensive per box of 20 than the Lott so I had given serious thought to a Ruger RSM in the .458 caliber. Thanks for your replies!

jfm

.458 Lott. Or, perhaps a new double rifle. . . . .hmmm, what will it be? By the way, have you checked out the prices of ammo lately? A box of .470 NE TBBC's or TBSH's went from about $225/box to $299/box due to: "the most volitle activity and price increases on record" dealing with the world metal commodoties markets.

Emerge from the world of Bolt Rifle Trash.

Get a double rifle in .400 to .475 cal.

Get rid of the 30 calibers...designed for killing men not animals. You need 3 calibers for big game hunting around the world. (Ignoring varmint hunting for the moment). Your 270 or even better a 25 or 6.5 of some sort for deer and smaller plains game, coyotes, jackals, feral pigs etc; a 9.3 or 338 for big cats, large plains game, moose, elk, bear etc; and a 416 (Rigby, Taylor, Krieghoff it doesn't matter) for elephant and buffalo.

If you have to limit your big game battery to two rifles, then the 416 and a 7mm will do.

If you can only have one rifle, then make it a 375 ouch & ouch.

I may be the only one, but I don't see a place for a 30 caliber in any international battery. I will concede that if you are a one gun guy who only hunts NA, then the 30-06, 308 or 300 Win is a good choice.

quote:

Originally posted by jfm:
...but I thought maybe something over .40 caliber would be prudent. .416 Remington and Rigby are both about 50% more expensive per box of 20 than the Lott so I had given serious thought to a Ruger RSM in the .458 caliber.

Oh, so you want a cheap to shoot plinker? Get a 45-70 and cast your own bullets from the wheelweights on your car. Can't get cheaper than that.

No one should live happily without a 9.3x62,

When I saw the title of your post, I thought you were soliciting donations - and thought "ME TOO!"

quote:

Originally posted by jfm:
I currently own a .270 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .300 Winchester magnum, .338 Winchester magnum and .375 H&H magnum. I can't say I'm bored with this selection but am once again in the market for another rifle. I'm having difficulties making a decision regarding caliber and thought I'd get some intelligent suggestions on this forum. Let me know if you get a chance.

Thanks,

jfm

Jim, if you are thinking of going larger then the 416 Rem Mag, or a 458 LOTT, is all that is needed. If you are, however, trying to make your collection a group of better chioces, then you need to get rid on two, and replace them with three!

The 270, and the 30-06 are too close together, and the 338 WM, and the 375 are too close together, and the 375 isn't large enough, on the top end, if you intend hunting cape buffalo much!

I'd sell the 270, and the 338, and replace the 270 with a 243Win, and a 223 on the low end, and buy a 416 Rem Mag, or 458 LOTT for above the 375.

Now you will have a 223, 243, 30-06, 300 mag, 375 H&H, and a 458 lott, so you are covered for anything from a Texas Jack rabbit, to a 100 pound per side elephant.

The 223 is fine for all varment shooting, and the 243 Win will handle wind much better than any 22, for windy varment shooting, and is a fine deer round for the mountains of the west,with 100 gr premium bullets. The 30-06 is very well suited for larger deer like Elk, and moose, and the 300 Win Mag has all the mountain sheep covered, while the 375 H&H will handle all the bears, of North America, and everything in Africa, through the cats, and Buffalo, while the 416 Rem Mag or the 458 LOTT will handle any of the big bite backs, for even tight cover, close range stopping, of buffalo, hippo, Rhino, an Elephant!

If you now have a 22 lr , and a 12 ga shotgun, you will have all posible bases covered very well. The next buy, after those, will have to be a fine S/S double rifle!

I agree, get a .416, in the Rem. or Rigby, suit yourself, or a .458, in the Lott, of course, as the Win. no longer has any reason to exist.

Either add a nice Heavy barreled 22/250 or get a .458 Lott !!

quote:

I currently own a .270 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .300 Winchester magnum, .338 Winchester magnum and .375 H&H magnum.

Nice collection there, but you've got a lot of overlap. Another vote here for a .416 Rigby or .416 Rem.

A .300 Win Mag and a .416 of any flavor will cover anything except varmints. Sell the others to finance a .416 and put money towards a safari.

2 rifles is all you need ... a 260 rem and a 416 Rem mag...prarri dogs to elephants ... I would jetesen the man wounder also....too boreing..

jfm,I think you covered everything but it's nice to experience new calibers and improve on the current ones.You might want to try the 458 Win Mag.That is what I am planning on doing.It will give you a little power over the 375 and will not bruise you.Also,it fires a heavy 450-500gr bullet that will give you the penetration and bullet strength you need for very big game.Its catridge has a shape that will provide for easy loading and feeding.The diameter of the 458 might allow for reduced pressure and a longer barrel life.Last,it's a Winchester cartridge and behind the name lies some extraordinary talent.Whoever was calling the shots at Winchester was a genius.I don't know who it was,it could have been the plant janitor for all I know but he was a very smart guy.He was so smart that he beat the British gunmakers at their own game.American things like Winchester make me wish I was an American.

9.3 X 74 double Merkel.
barring that, 9.3 X 62 bolt rifle.

Recoils less then my 375,yet will take anything...

450 ackley otherwise...

S

quote:

Originally posted by Russ Gould:
Get rid of the 30 calibers...designed for killing men not animals. You need 3 calibers for big game hunting around the world. (Ignoring varmint hunting for the moment). Your 270 or even better a 25 or 6.5 of some sort for deer and smaller plains game, coyotes, jackals, feral pigs etc; a 9.3 or 338 for big cats, large plains game, moose, elk, bear etc; and a 416 (Rigby, Taylor, Krieghoff it doesn't matter) for elephant and buffalo.

If you have to limit your big game battery to two rifles, then the 416 and a 7mm will do.

If you can only have one rifle, then make it a 375 ouch & ouch.

I may be the only one, but I don't see a place for a 30 caliber in any international battery. I will concede that if you are a one gun guy who only hunts NA, then the 30-06, 308 or 300 Win is a good choice.

Yep, you're the only one.

I'll take a different vector on this one.....

As I've said elsewhere, my observation has been that shot placement counts for more than caliber, assuming one is in the right ballpark of "enough gun". And, when it comes to placement, comfort and experience usually trump statistical esoterica about caliber.

With that in mind, I've personally tried to constrain my battery to rifles that have similar body fits, handling and reliability characteristics. It's the next best thing to owning one gun and knowing everything about it.

The caliber debate can often be a fool's errand. For your next "heavy", focus on what already works for you, and pick a caliber that isn't impossible to find or exorbitant to buy in a factory load.

Better advice was never given.