My one gun is the 280AI. The 300 win mag is a close second but has more recoil and is way more than needed for speed goats, small hogs and the smaller deer. The 280AI shooting 160 gr Accubonds at 3000 fps is enough and not too much for me from smaller game to Elk.

Don't hunt bears and don't expect to come across any (at least bigger ones than 250 pound black bears). All my other calibers are just specialty type, the 280AI is the middle of the road.

quote:

Originally posted by woods:
My one gun is the 280AI. The 300 win mag is a close second but has more recoil and is way more than needed for speed goats, small hogs and the smaller deer. The 280AI shooting 160 gr Accubonds at 3000 fps is enough and not too much for me from smaller game to Elk.

Don't hunt bears and don't expect to come across any (at least bigger ones than 250 pound black bears). All my other calibers are just specialty type, the 280AI is the middle of the road.

An excellent choice.

Best all around calibre for North America is the same as the best all around calibre for Europe. The 9,3x62 is the champ...particularly on a continent like North America where there is a much greater likelihood of running into things that bite back or the occasional 2200 pound bison. Worried about long shots on pronghorn and elk? Get closer!

If one want's to temporarily set aside thinking about the existence of any bears (or Bison for that matter) in North America, then I think Mike Dettorre is right that the .325 is probably tops from a purely theoretical perspective (ignoring the ammo availability factor). .30 cal is too light for the heavy stuff and .338 is too heavy for the smaller stuff....sooo.....325!

what about 8mm? 8x57, 8mm rem mag, or like stated previously, 325wsm.

I HUNTED IN EUROPE ALL MY LIFE WITH 9.3X74R,WAS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT ROUND, NOW I HUNT IN CANADA,PERFORMANCE IS SAME 9.3 IS MY FAVOUTIE CALIBER

Varmints to Moose, Win.270 will do it all with the right bullets.

The .30-06 chambered in a quality rifle is never a mistake in North America.
-Col. Townsend Whelan

per specs, 325WSM.
per practicality and availability of bullets, costs, etc... 300WSM

Here in Montana I see more 300 win mags than anything else.I have taken about one half of my 50 years of hunting hunting with 30/06,the other half with a 300 Weatherby mag,358 win,35 Whelen,270.If I had to choose just one it would be a 30/06,my safe will always house at least 1 30/06.

I am suprised that no one has mentioned the 7mm Rem Mag. It's great on long range, up close it is very close to a .300 WM. It doesn't kick like a .300WM. Good selection of bullets. I realise that the 280 is very close, but try and buy ammo at the local farm store, they will have 7mm mag. Having said all that my 'go to gun' is a .300WM.......Tom

.338WM... or 30-06

another vote for the 3006.

338 WM

If I had to pick 1 rifle caliber to hunt all of North America it would deffinatly be the 338 Ultra Mag...

It wasnt on your list so I picked 7mm, assuming of course you mean the 7mm Mag. Its a proven long range rifle and still carries enough punch to take down any North American animals without problems.

Some people emulate Jack O'Connor, abhorring recoil; and learn animal anatomy so as to use the smallest caliber that will work. That is, if everything goes just right. They lean to guided hunts, so somebody has a big bore to deal with problem situations.

Some people choose the Elmer Keith school, learning to shoot a big bore effectively. That is best showcased if everything goes wrong. The bear in the brush scenario where he pops out about six feet away in a crabby mood. I'm one of those guys. I hunt on my own, and we now have Fish & Game admitting that, yes, we do have griz here in Idaho, and of course the wolf packs.

My opinion, shoot the biggest rifle you can shoot three three-shot groups under two inches at 100 yards off the bench in a row...
If you can do that, you can leave home without your American Express card.

Rich

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
Some people emulate Jack O'Connor, abhorring recoil; and learn animal anatomy so as to use the smallest caliber that will work. That is, if everything goes just right. They lean to guided hunts, so somebody has a big bore to deal with problem situations.

Some people choose the Elmer Keith school, learning to shoot a big bore effectively. That is best showcased if everything goes wrong. The bear in the brush scenario where he pops out about six feet away in a crabby mood. I'm one of those guys. I hunt on my own, and we now have Fish & Game admitting that, yes, we do have griz here in Idaho, and of course the wolf packs.

My opinion, shoot the biggest rifle you can shoot three three-shot groups under two inches at 100 yards off the bench in a row...
If you can do that, you can leave home without your American Express card.

Rich

Rich,

I have hunted sheep, bear, moose, caribou, wolves and deer in Alaska, Yukon, Territory, and British Columbia none of my guides ever carried a rifle on those hunts. They counted on me with my 270 Win to handle anything that came up. Maybe I'm just lucky that nothing did come up, huh?...

I moved to Idaho in 1967 and have lived here ever since then. We had griz in the Island Park area then as we do now. F&G has never said to my knowledge that we didn't have a couple of small griz populations in that area as well as in Northern Idaho along the Canadian border.

I can't think of a less suitable rifle for pronghorn than a Elmer's 338 Win unless it would be a Marlin 45-70 guide gun. Even Elmer went to 25, 26 and 284 caliber rifles for pronghorn.

465H&H

My favorate caliber is my 338 RUM.

The 9.3x62 Is my "Go To" rifle for every thing.
The power is great
The range is good
The recoil is not bad
The rifle is light
It does not destroy much meat

Now coyote's I'll grab my 6.5x55. It's another favorite. It allows me to shoot larger game if I happen to see them.

John

It would be a toss up between my .300 WSM and my .325 WSM.

What Temmi said: '338 WM...or 30.06'

.300 WSM.

30-06 in America

35 Whelen Imp Alaska

You left out the two very best in the poll. The 35 and 400 Whelen.

It is a toss up for me. I like my 9.3x62 and 358 Win equally as well for their utility.

I like 'em all.

My 7 pound 338 Win Mag: Elk, maybe bear. It loves 210 Partitions.

My UGH! Heavy 375 H&H Whitworth for big bear.

Building a lightweight 7x57 for Deer. Gave up on my Sako 270, it is getting heavier as I age.

Thinking about building a 280 AI on a M70. Might become my all around rifle.

Got the 40 year old Mark X 30-06 for backup.

Have a never fired Ruger No. 1 Tropical in 375 H&H. Need to think up a use for it.

Lots more, not worth bringing into the discussion.

Always did want a 9.3x62, if I can find a barrel I will build one.

What Grancel Fitz used.

Sorry but two rifles. .222 and a .35 Whelen. My reality!

I voted for the 7mm because for the big Bears you need ideally the larger bullets. My choice for the perfect chambering for North America would be .358 STA which I have taken to Alaska and Alberta. Having said that I took my 91/2 ft Brown Bear with a .300 Winny with 200 grain Nosler Partitions at 2900 fps. That experience prompted me to seek something larger the next trip into Big Bear country. Good shooting.

quote:

Originally posted by waterrat:
30-06 in America

35 Whelen Imp Alaska

Both are in America.

One of my favorite rounds is the 308 win. My son uses a 30-06.

Why resurrect a post from 2010.

Many calibers available can fill the Deer To Grizzly parameters.

This is a personal preference question. In actuality, and I am not a fan of any of these, but the .270/.308 and the .30-06 have consistently proven themselves as being able to handle anything North America has to offer.

The .30-06 has proven itself as being capable of killing everything or practically everything that walks the face of this planet.

Wouldn't it be a boring place if everyone had to use the exact same caliber or style of rifle?

In my opinion, there is no one All Around/Be All/End All caliber for hunting in North America, and I for one do not want it that way.

After you've said aught six, there isn't much to say.

quote:

Originally posted by ar corey:


Antelope, Whitetail, Mule Deer, Sheep, Goats.



Moose, Elk, Bears.


338 Winchester Magnum

with Barnes TTSX 160's and 210's.

338 WinMag

though I would go with the 185TTSX (.432BC) and 225TTSX (.514BC) bullets because of their better BC over the 160 (.342BC) and 210 (.482BC), and because the best wound channels start with 2650-2700fps impact velocity, something about perfect for the 225TTSX in the 338WM.

338 WM. Nuff said.

300 Win Mag...150gr to 200gr covers everything.

A 308 or 30-06 will do anything you need done if you do your part and use a good bullet.

For that matter, so would a .22lr.

for me,, 7x65R ALL AROUND,IF ONLY WERE BEARS THAN 9.3X74R

In my early days it was hands down the 300 Weatherby Magnum.

I only had 2 game rifles at that time, one of which was a 270 as I have always been a 270 guy. I started there as a young man as the first rifle I purchased, just like a lot of us . Then I added the 300 Weatherby Mag when I was out of college and working . So it became my go all and do all one rifle battery.

And it was good choice too. I did a lot of hunting in a lot of places with it . Even though I had more choices later, in some ways I wish I had just stayed there with that 300.

I had waited and wished for that 300 as a young guy too. I just knew I was ready for real hunting then when I walked out of Carters Country in Houston with that Weatherby box in my hand LOL.

As I got older I wanted to try different types of rifles and different cartridges. I learned a lot and acquired a lot of stuff I really didn't need so much or have time to shoot. But it is part of the process or was for me.

So the wheel turns again and you go back to just a few hunting rifles that you really use . It was a good trip around, and in the pre-internet days ( When was that - LOL ) you gained more of your knowledge behind the stock. Which still isn't a bad way .

Today after owning and trying the 30-06, 300 Win Mag , the 338 Win Mag, the 375H&H, and even the 378 Weatherby Mag , I made a full return to the 270s and to the 7MM Mag for hunting use. While mine are the 7MM Rem Mags, that is a decision based more on my reloading and brass ideas and my sons too.

My 2 gun hunt battery for everywhere today is the 7MM Rem Mag and a 416 Rem Mag both in Model 70's .

So today I would say 7MM Rem Mag as a one North American rifle with the exception of the largest bears. But I was very well served by that 300 Weatherby Mag in the USA and Alaska and in Africa too .

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
Some people emulate Jack O'Connor, abhorring recoil; and learn animal anatomy so as to use the smallest caliber that will work. That is, if everything goes just right. They lean to guided hunts, so somebody has a big bore to deal with problem situations.


Rich

I reject that assesment. Guides are for dweebs. Ive used lots of smaller caliber rifles and enjoyed doing it and I have never used a guide in my life and never will. I like to hunt, not follow someone else around like a lost puppy while they do my hunting for me. In fact, I would wager that the truth is the polar opposite, that the majority of "guided hunt" users are probably whiz-bang packers who think that ten more grains of powder and a 338 + caliber make a better hunter.


My pick is 7mm, as in 280 Rem. Loaded right it can do anytihing a 270 or a 30-06 can do, and that is good company.

quote:

My pick is 7mm, as in 280 Rem. Loaded right it can do anytihing a 270 or a 30-06 can do, and that is good company.

O'Connor and Carmichael called these the 'three sisters', the 270Win, 280Rem, and 30-06. They are obviously a great company, and really are hunting sisters and hunting buddies, despite all of the campfire debates.