For one rifle I would think you would have a tough time beating a 7mm RM, 30-06, or .300 WM. I like my .338 a lot but I consider it more a complimentry rifle than an all purpose round.

Jeff

30-06 Springfield

Another vote for the 30-06, with bullet weights from 110 - 220 grains there nothing it cant do in North America.

Craven

I am a 30-06 shooter but have issues with the idea that any one rifle will shoot 110 to 220 grain bullets well. What twist do you use for this?

My vote is a wildcat round combining the best features of all the ones mentioned here.

I'm in the camp that says decide on which rifle fits and feels best first.

Have a smith build a rifle that fits well and chamber it for the .30-WSM ULtra Rem Improved Super Magnum - WBY-06

Since you established a lower limit of 7mm, I would choose the 300 WSM as an all around cartridge. It can be loaded light or heavy. Because it is a short mag, you can get it in very light guns (mine weighs 5.25 lbs with scope).

I think a .308 caliber bullet weighing 180 grains and clipping anywhere over 3000fps at the muzzle is about perfect for trajectory and penetration on most any big game animal around here, and they grow big up here! Ideally, a svelt .300WSM shooting down a 24" tube with a lightweight synthetic stock should be about right, it'll stay nice and compact but still have "big stick" power. A straight pull stock with a Decelerator and a few hundred rounds of practise will take care of the recoil.

But there is no fun in a perfect caliber, now is there? If there was, it would be hard to justify all the other I want I think no one shoud be without a lightweight "carry" rifle in a smaller caliber, say a .257 Bob or .260 Rem. Then you need a treestand deer rifle, maybe a 24" barrelled .270 Win or WSM, or a 7mm RM. Then, you definately need something for the heavier critters like a .300WM or maybe a .338. No collection is complete without a handy .17HMR/.22LR/.22MRF and a hot .22 varmint gun, and every collection needs a big bore, just because. Now you're about ready to start hunting!

if you cant do 2" groups at 200 yards at the bench it is too much for you. aagard said if he was going to get another "profesional hunter rifle" he would get a stainless mod 70 or 700 24" barrel in 30-06. do you need any more info? if you need to go big, custom load some north fork or buy off the shelf federal h.e. or hornady light mag.

35 whelen +1

I'm a bit late to this thread but couldn't help but notice that nobody suggested the 338-06 or 338 Federal... Might be a very good "tweener"...

Ken....

I hunt whitetail deer in eastern Texas and NW Oklahoma and shoot an occasional wild hog as the need arises, and I have mainly shot a 270 wcf. I bought a 9.3x62 at the urging of a friend and have come to believe that it may be the "ultimate North American caliber". I reload for it and can load it up or down very easily, and every load has literally shot one hole at 100 yards (I can't say that about any other caliber that I load for). I also know that a lot of guy take it to Africa for plains game. It is a caliber that I believe at least deserves a consideration.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

Originally posted by bartsche:
.280 roger

The .280 is a very underrated and overlooked cartridge. It's only rival is the .30-06 and I'm not sure if the old '06 is better.

I wouldn't ever feel undergunned carrying a .280 for the game this thread is started for.

Well said.

The 280REM almost makes the 7mm MAG redundant. Anything you'd shoot with the 7mm MAG the 280REM will neatly handle.

quote:

Originally posted by Heat:
I'm a bit late to this thread but couldn't help but notice that nobody suggested the 338-06 or 338 Federal... Might be a very good "tweener"...

Ken....

I'll tell you right now that if someone arbitrarily just gave me one rifle and it was a cartridge that ranged between the .260 on the bottom end and the .338-06 on the top, I'd have no issues. I'd even extend that up to the 9.3x62 excluding of course the whelen just becuase I don't like it for no good reason.

That's just me. I've never had the need for a magnum but if I lived or hunted where 300 yd shots were short then I'd probably pick the .300 or 338 Win.

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Sullivan:
I hunt whitetail deer in eastern Texas and NW Oklahoma and shoot an occasional wild hog as the need arises, and I have mainly shot a 270 wcf. I bought a 9.3x62 at the urging of a friend and have come to believe that it may be the "ultimate North American caliber". I reload for it and can load it up or down very easily, and every load has literally shot one hole at 100 yards (I can't say that about any other caliber that I load for). I also know that a lot of guy take it to Africa for plains game. It is a caliber that I believe at least deserves a consideration.

Jeff, you have stated what was in the back of my mind when I made my last post. Because of the plethora of good bullets and the range of weights in just about any caliber these days a handloader can easily make do with but one rifle.

Still, I doubt many of us will become the one gun hunter.

Original Post
Posted 13 August 2005 07:56
Guys looking for a new rig, I live in Fl and mainly hunt there, SC, TX for whitetails, but also elk and mulies are in the works plus sheep and maybe even plains game in africa, im only 23 so i want this to last me many years and cover many miles. .284 as a minium,, but a faster 30 cal sounds best, 24 or 25 in barrel, in 7.5lb
rifle.

So lets see a " Faster ".30 cal. Lots of bullet choices that's good . Load up or down for different animals close and long range , that would be good also . Flatter shooting also real good .

One comes to mind .

30-378 fits the ticket to a tee .
Other wise a .300 Mag for less flexibility and down from there . JMO

Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ...

Heat,
From my previous post.

quote:

I could replace the 270 and 338-06 with one of the 30's and reduce my inventory. Or I could just use the 338-06 and get rid of the 270, but what fun would that be?

I did not mention the 338-06 strictly because of the ammo/rifle availability.

You can use 165/180 grain Barnes/Noslers on deer/antelope and not be overgunned. Go up to 250 grain for bigger game and not be undergunned. I think the 338-06 is actually more versatile than it's parent for big game hunting.

I would not hesitate to use mine on on everything up to Cape buffalo, and even then I feel I could the job with stout well constructed bullets in the right place.

If you reload then the 338-06 is perfect. 180/185 gr bullets at 3000 FPS thru 250 gr at 2500.
Barnes has a 160 TTSX in 338 and Swift a 275 gr A-frame if you need anything more or less. Like SDHunter said anything up to Cape Buffalo

300 weatherby for a one gun do all. 30-06 will work for 90% of North America though.

Shootone:
For what you gave as requirements, what in the world is wrong with the old .30-06? You yourself stated that you MIGHT hunt elk once a year and maybe a trip to Africa. The '06 is just fine for anything you mentioned you might hunt in North America. IF you go to Africa, perhaps you'd wanna step up in caliber but to that I don't know.
That '06 will do just fine for everything you mentioned and I've seen it put down many a bull moose. If it does a job on a moose, it'll surely do the same thing on an elk. Just my 2 cents so take the advice for what you think it's worth. Bear in Fairbanks

Unless you need to shoot out to 300 yards (how many do?), a non-magnum is fine.

That being said: .30-06 or .338-06.

another vote for the 35 whelen, or maybe a 358 norma.

Ideal Alaskan rifle in my mind is either 358 norma or 9.3x64 (could play it safe with either a 338 or 375Ruger)... fun shopping and fun to think about.

Buy yourself a .30-06, A Ruger M-77 or a Tikka would be were I would start looking, then mount a good fixed 4x or 6x power scope on it and then learn to shoot, then go hunt for a decade or two, With it. You want a common cartridge and one were the recoil is not such that you don't shoot much. The 30-06 fits the bill, a 308 Winchester or a 270 or a 7mm-08 would do as well.

This Montana boy respectably suggests reconsidering the 338 Winchester. Most men who should be heading to the woods can easily handle it and the caliber is capable of responsibly taking anything in NA, and the plainsgame of Africa asides. It has a trajectory similar to the 30-06 but is able to deliver a heavier bullet when needed. Ammo is everywhere. For a "one-gun" guy, in my view, there is no better choice.

I'll take the .338 too!! "All of NA" includes animals that can hunt you too if i'm right. I want something that will shoot some heavy (250+)bullets!

7mm Remington mag, 30/06, 338/06, 35 Whelen would be some choices besides the 30 magnums.

.308 180 grain @ 2700-3000 fps

Shootone now that this thread has been going for 2 years what did you choose. and how is it working for you?

quote:

Originally posted by MontMike:
06 or 7mag, they'll kill everything on your list and won't beat you up doing it.

Absolutely.

The 35 Whelen get's my vote!

Interesting debate.... same old favorites!

FYI.... The poster "ShootOne" has not replied/posted since 12/16/2005.....

My guess, he bought the 300 he wanted and/or gave up hunting...

Still, an interesting debate

quote:

Originally posted by AzGuy:


FYI.... The poster "ShootOne" has not replied/posted since 12/16/2005.....

It is a pet peeve of mine when the original poster will not respond back to their threads, but damn, it has been TWO and a HALF YEARS. I guess I can over look this one.

quote:

Originally posted by Auke Bay LT:
Shootone now that this thread has been going for 2 years what did you choose. and how is it working for you?

Back in the 70s I use to fish out of Auke Bay. My buddy ran the power company there. roger

There is no doubt that because of available bullets and cartridges, .308" is THE ultimate caliber for NA.

my choice would also be a 338, but if that is too much -- 35 whelen or 30-06 would be fine. I've shot several deer with the 338 using nosler partitons at 210 grains. All were bang-flops.

quote:

Originally posted by AzGuy:
Interesting debate.... same old favorites!

FYI.... The poster "ShootOne" has not replied/posted since 12/16/2005.....

My guess, he bought the 300 he wanted and/or gave up hunting...

Still, an interesting debate

You got that right. Might as well stick my two cents worth in here.
Many years ago, before I could afford more rifles, I bought a J.C. Higgins M50 in, you guessed it, 30-06. Anyway for quite a few tears I only hunted deer in several states and the good old 06 with 150 gr. Sierras did just fine. One day, i decided that then150s were tearing up way too much good eating mat and switched to the 180 gr. Sierra Pro-hunters for deer. After working up a load that was potent and accurate, I dropped back a couple of grains and worked back up with the 180 gr. Nosler Partition. I was able to use the same charge with both bullets and if I mixed and matched them in the magazine, they would all hit in the same group. Both bullets will do 1.25" from that well worn rifle, all if mixed up, will still all be in the 1.25" groups. For me, that's serendipity.
I think that if I were hunting up in Brown or Polar bear country, that I would be more comfortable with something bigger, but if I have my M50 and a goor 200 or 220 gr. handload of my makings, I wouldn't be all that worried. What would worry me is can I stop shaking long enough to hit him in the right place.
Paul B.