Most of my hunting is done solo, in Grizzly country, so I prefer my .338 Win Mags with 250 Nosler Pts. and this combo is less destructive on meat than any of my smaller bores. For packin', I have an HVA 4100, steel bottom metal with a Brown Kevlar stock and Wisner safety, in 7x57 or a Brno 21-H, roundbolt, 60 cm. bbl. rechambered to .280 Rem. both of these are consistent sub m.o.a. rifles.

Another real favourite is my Merkel drilling in 12-12-9.3x74r, instant kills with no meat waste. Actually, I like all of the approx. 3 dozen c.f. rifles I have and need quite a few more!

Off topic, but Kutenay, it's great to see you back!

Chuck

The 270 winchester

Thanks Chuck, my computer went south mid-summer and I was too busy to get it fixed, great to be back and talk guns with all these great folks.

A 30-06 with 165 grs handloads to 2900f/s. Shoots as flat as anyone will need and offers plenty of penetration for quartering shots.

Actually a 30-06 will be all you need for everything except big bears and DG.But that is terribly boring for us gun nuts

I think the question is impossible to answer unless you divide it geographically too. ( I love impossible questions, by the way).

Most people would err on the high-powered side, simply to CYA. I don't see any cartridge that has the versatility, or the respect that the 30-06 has without being overly shoulder-thumping. No matter what chambering you use, you simply can't beat the variety of 308 cal bullets.
It appears the PH in Africa are liking the 30-404. OUCH!!

I don't own one because I like to use specialized stuff, 44mag for hunting heavy timber, 204 Ruger for the long vamints, 25-06 for the bigger long range stuff, 22LR pistol for plinking, and .177 pcp air rifle for the hush-time.

Why settle on one?
Jim

In the east I use a Model 94 30-30 with 3x Weaver attached. Out west in the big country I use a Sendero in 7mm Ultra Mag with Leupold 6.4x20x40. Both are pretty well tailored for the game and country they are used in . If I just had to go to one rifle for all It would be my Model 70 Classic Super Grade in 30-06 with 3.5x10x40 Leupold VariXIII. Good hunting.

if money was an issue... a Savage in .308 w/a Nikon or Leupold 3X9