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Just for fun, if you had to choose only 4 rifles for all your worldwide big game hunting needs, what would you choose? Keep in my availability of factory ammo, recoil, etc. For me it would be: .416 Rem Mag .338 Win Mag .300 Win Mag .243 Win If I had to go with only 3, I would lose the .338. What would you choose? BH63 Hunting buff is better than sex! | ||
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.270 WSM or 6.5 X 284 .300 Win Mag .338 Win Mag .416 Rigby/Dakota ___________________ Just Remember, We ALL Told You So. | |||
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Hard to beat - perhaps I would swap 270 for 308 win. | |||
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What Saeed said but just switch the 270 for a 30-06. Not very sexy but moderate recoil, availability of ammo and shear utility are going to be tough to beat. Mark MARK H. YOUNG MARK'S EXCLUSIVE ADVENTURES 7094 Oakleigh Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89110 Office 702-848-1693 Cell, Whats App, Signal 307-250-1156 PREFERRED E-mail markttc@msn.com Website: myexclusiveadventures.com Skype: markhyhunter Check us out on https://www.facebook.com/pages...ures/627027353990716 | |||
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Are you an alias for arcory or just bored ? | |||
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This is the caliber list for centerfire only .224 .264 .308 .416 I couldn't live without a scatter-gun and 22lr! | |||
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25-06 30-06 35 Whelen 404 Jeffrey | |||
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I can do it in 3. 22lr 30-06 375HH Mike Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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270 Win 500 Jeffery Don't need anything else beside my 45  Regards, Chuck "There's a saying in prize fighting, everyone's got a plan until they get hit" Michael Douglas "The Ghost And The Darkness" | |||
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I can do it in one, .375 H&H! Even the rocks don't last forever. | |||
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I couldn't agree more with the above as my personal choice. The OP said 'world wide big game' hunting. That means NA and Africa for me. I can do NA with my 25-06 and 35 Whelen. I like the other two for Africa, plus the 35 Whelen. Because we're talking world wide BIG GAME, I would not need the 22lr or shotgun. If we were talking ALL forms of hunting, I'd keep both. | |||
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.224 specifically, .223 Remington. I load, so it meets all my .22 lr needs handily when downloaded and remains legal for big game here. and with monometal bullets is very effective on deer sized game out to 300 yards. .277 (.270 Winchester) Deer caliber par excellence. .375 (375 H&H) Can handle anything and can be loaded down a little and still work very well on large hoofed game. To come up with a fourth, I would add the 30-30 because it is small light and makes and outstanding rifle for chasing down non dangerous wounded game and with 150 grain TSXs at 2400 FPS it has range to spare for such work. Mine gives me that 2400 FPS across my chronograph with 35.5 grains of LeverEvolution with the Barnes bullet. Max load is 38.5 grains which leaves ample top end for such a modest round. Inside 100 yards with a bullet like the TSX, 150 grains should provide plenty of penetration for just about anything. | |||
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Saeed, Why the 12 gauge? | |||
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My four are: .223 .30-.30 .30-'06 .375 Ruger | |||
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If I was cutting down my arsenal to 4 it would have to be for some financial reason that means I'd not be going back to Africa so I wouldn't need big Boomers... I have so many favorites that it would be very hard to choose just the right ones. A .223 is pretty useful My .257 Roberts is one of my favorites and my 30/06 can do the rest Maybe keep my 400 Whelen just in case... A .22 rimfire and a shotgun would be a must as well. | |||
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.22 Hornet .308 Win .375 H&H .458 Win Mag Throw in a 12 gauge, an AR-15, and a 1911 Colt .45 and I am good to go. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ J. Lane Easter, DVM A born Texan has instilled in his system a mind-set of no retreat or no surrender. I wish everyone the world over had the dominating spirit that motivates Texans.– Billy Clayton, Speaker of the Texas House No state commands such fierce pride and loyalty. Lesser mortals are pitied for their misfortune in not being born in Texas.— Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Texas in May, 1991. | |||
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By asking for calibers I assume you are referring to rifles only. Mine would be .223 Rem, .270 WSM, .358 STA, and .416 Rigby, all of which I own and shoot often. Good Shooting. phurley | |||
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Bird hunting. | |||
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Bailey Bradshaw 500-416 NE Ruger M77 tanger 33 Nosler Light weight Sako action 25 Souper Heavier weight Howa action 222 Rem Mag. "though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression." ---Thomas Jefferson | |||
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30-06 and a 12 ga. the 12 ga is for more than bird hunting. 492 grs at 1350 fps is nothing to sneeze at, that is 45-70 territory except at 72 caliber. | |||
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My four rifles would be a .223, .270, .338 win mag and .416 Remington (Hoffman, since that's what I have). I'd also have to have a 12 gauge, as I shoot birds a lot. | |||
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Strictly big game. .375 H&H .300 H&H .270 Win .22-250 | |||
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Most of the posts weren't that far apart. For the record, the question was "rifles for world-wide big game hunting" and availability of ammunition was also something to be considered. I was reading "Last of The Few" by Tony Sanchez-Arino last night and this was his list. .300 H&H .375 H&H .416 Rigby .500 Jeffery He listed the .500 Jeffery as the "go to" stopper rifle for sorting ellies in thick cover. BH63 Hunting buff is better than sex! | |||
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17HMR 20 ga 6.5X55 9.3X62 | |||
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What I own. 375 H&H 300 WM 270 Win Zim 2006 Zim 2007 Namibia 2013 Brown Bear Togiak Nat'l Refuge Sep 2010 Argentina 2019 RSA 2023 SCI Life Member USMC | |||
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If availability of ammo is a big consideration as the OP has suggested, then I would change my battery to: 458Lott 375H&H 30-06 223 Rem Ammo availability would be superb and this battery would cover everything I would hunt in NA & Africa. But I would sorely miss my 35 Whelen and 404 Jeffery. And my 9.3x62, 338WM, 280Rem....well, you get the picture.  | |||
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Best is pretty subjective. If I had to choose 4 for all big game... I really would only have to have 3 for everything I have done. 12 gauge shotgun 3.5 chamber (deer and such in non rifle areas. With the 3.5” and buckshot it can serve for leopard back up and you can shoot any 12 ga shell in it .30-06 from varmints to moose it just works. .375 H&H meets legal minimums for DG anywhere and also just works. Not needed but helps a bit is some fast magnum type rifle for longer range shooting- I would use a .300 RUM because I have it, but anything with decent BC bullets and MV at or above 3000 FPS serves this role, and it’s not needed for anything, just raises success chances at rare game in this day and age of limited hunting time and tags. | |||
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22 long rifle 257 Weatherby Magnum 300 WSM 375 H&H | |||
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For "BIG GAME HUNTING" 1. 30-30 2. 3-06 3. 338 wIN. 4. 416 REM.. Rifles for all hunting: 22 L.r. or 12 ga. double 222 7x57 338 Win. If shotgun is allowable a 12 ga. and scratch the 22 L.R. and load the 222 down to take the LRs place..That should work..but it ain't gonna happen. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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I don't know Ray. I think the 3-06 is a little small for big game, to say nothing for extremely overbore.  | |||
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29 replies before this one, 11 of them list the .375 H&H. Got to be something to that choice. Even the rocks don't last forever. | |||
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22 LR 7 mag 416 Rigby Since I only need 3 rifles, I will take an extra shotgun. 12 and 20 gauge. | |||
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For strictly big game as the OP requested, I would have to go: 223 Rem (can handle deer under the right conditions, and I'm sure more, and also gives me a .22 rifle for cheap practice / range time in a full-sized rifle that more closely resembles the balance and weight of my other rifles as opposed to most .22 rimfires out there) 35 Rem (My current favorite woods / limited range rifle) 30-06 (I have owned a 270 for over 25 years now, and do not own a 30-06 at the moment, but if limited to four total big game cartridges, I would have to go to 30-06 due to its ability to handle slightly heavier bullets) 375 H&H (Does anything really need to be said here?) I have no need of anything heavier than 375 H&H, as I am too poor to ever hunt anything that really requires more gun than that... and truthfully, I might never have a need for that one. But what fun is only wanting what you actually need?? "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." | |||
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22lr 223 3006 9.3x62 Only because I was asked to list four I could do without the 3006. | |||
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yep, 30-06 for the 270 and keep the rest. | |||
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1. 243 2. 6.5-284 3. 300 Win 4. 375 H&H | |||
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+1 Almost my exact setup as well. Have a 300 Weatherby instead of Win Mag, but only because I got a steal on a Rifles INC. in that caliber. Would have picked the win mag if I could spring for a new one. ____________________________ If you died tomorrow, what would you have done today ... 2018 Zimbabwe - Tuskless w/ Nengasha Safaris 2011 Mozambique - Buffalo w/ Mashambanzou Safaris | |||
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If we're keeping to factory ammunition availability and centerfield only then like Mike I can do it in three rifles I currently own. .223 Rem .270 Win .375 Ruger If we're talking about handloading I'd swap out this way with rifles I currently own. 6X45 as it's more versatile in my state of CO where the .224 caliber isn't legal for big game. .270 Win .338-06 simply because it's a lot lighter than my .375 Ruger and all I need to hunt NA game with. | |||
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I wouldn't want to restrict myself to only four rifles, but if the law made it illegal to own only four RIFLES. that would be: no1- 22 mag. rifle 9422 win lr-action no2- 243 win Mannlicher Shoenauer 63-MCA no3- 7MMmm Rem mag Mauser no4- 375H&H CRF Mauser I already have these, but the other 45 or so rifles at my disposal, aren't going anywhere as long as they are legal to own! .......................................................................   ....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1 DRSS Charter member "If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982 Hands of Old Elmer Keith  | |||
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