What two cartridges/rifles would you pick to cover game ranging from coyotes to cape buffalo with the following constraints?

Low end - 25 to 7mm

High end - 338 to 416

I would say 6.5X55 and my .416 Taylor for two cartridges. But if I can have two rifles first would be my Parker-Hale 30-06 and the other would be my Savage 110 switch barrel in 220 Swift, 270 Win, and 416 Taylor. I guess that's cheating though.

If there is only two rifles I would have to say;

1 .30/06 Load 130 speer HP for varmints up to 180 gr woodleigh's for pigs etc.

2 .416 Rigby with loads from 300 grains through to the 410 gr woodleigh's for big stuff.

Ideally if I were allowed a 3rd rifle I would have a 22/250 for Varmints and just leave the 06 with the 180 gr woodleigh's. You also need a lver gun in 45/70 for fun as well and.........

The 300 Winchester magnum and the 416 Rigby will cover the earth harvesting any game animal you choose to hunt.

Nebraska,

1) 7X57 Mauser
2) 9.3X62

Of there is many other combinations of caliber but I'll be happy with these 2 caliber.

Nebraska, first of all, thank you so very much for your kind gift, I truly appreciate it. You are a man with a good heart!

Based on you parameters, I'd select a 7mm Remington Magnum, and a .416 Remington Magnum. This combination will easily cover all of the world's big game, and under all conditions. The workhorse will be the 7mm Remington, and it'll work well for everything except for a handful of big, tough, and/or potentially dangerous animals that the .416 Remington can handle quite readily.

You'd be hard pressed to come up with a better two-rifle comb based on your parameters.

AD

We all jumped into the "one cartridge" question before. This is another false choice. If one can afford to hunt Cape Buffalo then one can afford another rifle or can rent one so we can skip that end of the game spectrum but the suggestions above are all good ones.

Since money is very important to everyone and only those who have plenty can forget it for a moment I would select rifles that would be suitable for where I lived.

For Eastern type hunting I would select a Winchester M70 Classic Featherweight in .308 Winchester. This will handle everthing out West also but the distances can be really long there so you may select a cartridge that carries more energy down range for such a situation. Out West I would select a Winchester M70 Classic Featherweight in 7mm WSM.

Once you become an experianced handloader you will appreciate cartridges that headspace on the shoulder and avoid belted cartridges.

A second rifle is really not needed for either situation but a backup is desirable so either rifle will be a good second choice.

In some locations a SS rifle and a plastic stock would be a benefit.

The neat thing about rifles is that they are not a permanent decision and if we practice with them and take fair shots there are many combinations that will work well. You see aiming is much harder than rifle selection.

1. 300 Winchester
2. 9.3x62 mauser

Those 2 will work for me

30-06, 375H&H

Either a .270 and a .375 or .300 H&H and .375.

I've picked the .30-06 and a .375H&H. This is what I usually take to Africa, and have shot everything from hyrax and jackals up to eland and Cape buffalo.

Those two would cover everything in North America or anywhere else in the world (with proper shot placement being critical on thick-skinned dangerous game).

George

Rem M700 BDL 7mm Rem Mag w/4.5-14x40AO Leupold and 160 gr Partition handload covers everything from deer to black bear and elk. A 140 gr load would be selected for Eastern Montana antelope abd long range mule deer and a 175 gr Partition would take the cake for moose if the opprotunity arrose. I could load a 120 gr BalTip or one of the market's 100 gr varminters for the smaller stuff if I had to.

If I only got two guns the next would be a Winchester or other controll feed bolt in .375 H&H with a 270 gr Soft Point load and a 300 gr Fail Safe, A-frame, or similar and a low power variable scope on QD rings.
Ideally I'd like another Remington in .338 Win and then a .416 Rem built on a Montana 1999 action.

.300 Winchester Magnum, and a 416 Rigby or Remington. In 20+ years of using the .300 Win mag, I have never found anything wrong with a belted magnum, I think that debate is a bunch of bunk. I full length resize, and have never had a lick of trouble, it is accurate much further than I care to shoot.

30.06 & 375H&H

Let's see, I have a 30-06 and a .375. So why is Jack building me a new rifle?

Jeff

I can't help this .....a 45/70 for light-game and a 450 Marlin for the bigger stuff

Thank you! I feel much, much better now.

Under your Rules.

7mm Rem. Mag. and a 375 H&H, only reason the .284 isn't a stw, is that it needs a longer run way, and that only works for me in a No. 1. and if I can only have two they need to be bolt action.

Many Thanks

HBH

The .30-06, though a great cartridge, bores me a bit, so I would go .280rem. & .375h&h.

Since you specify 25 caliber as the smallest at the low end, I would choose a .25/06 and a .375 H&H. But I would go lower on the low end, to a .243 and couple that with a .375 H&H. That combination would work well for everything in the world, from prairie dogs to elephant and cape buffalo.

If you permit three, I would choose a .22/250, a .270 (or 7x57 or .280 or one of the 7mm magnums or .30/06 or one of the .300 magnums) and a .375 H&H.

[ 11-07-2002, 23:21: Message edited by: LE270 ]

7mm Wby or Rem and a 375 WBY

30-'06 and 375 H&H--if I found a really good deal on a 416, then it would replace the 375. And if I couldn't secretly keep my 300 Win, then it might have to replace the 30-'06. And if this really ever happens, then it will be a nightmare!

However, after reading the original post more carefully, I'd have to say 270 Win and 375 H&H.

[ 11-13-2002, 02:13: Message edited by: ACRecurve ]

6,5x55 and 375 H&H. You shouldn't have too much gun for the smaller game. Also a smaller rounds makes a better practice and "plinking" rifle.

But I'm biased, this is my combo

I think the .30-06 and .375 H&H combo the best but that is outside of your parameters, isn't it.

Then give me a .270 Winchester and a .375 H&H.
Small animals - .270 with 100 or 110 grain bullets.
Any medium to large game far away - .270 with 130 or 150 grainers.

Big stuff far away, out to 300 yards or so - .375 with 270 grainers.
Big stuff in timber facing the wrong way or really big stuff close in - .375 with 300 grainers.

A .270 and a .416 Rem. mag would work just as well if not better on the high end.

Gentlemen,

I think my 2-rifle battery wouldn't be too different than Mr. Day's...

1.) 7mm Rem Mag
2.) .416 Rigby (just because I like it, not because it is better than the Remington)

A nice matched set of Ruger Express Rifles would be nice, but I would probably just keep my synthetic/stainless Ruger M77 MkII. It has worked for me on game from jackal to eland, and I have a lot of confidence in it.

Joel Slate
Slate & Associates, LLC
www.slatesafaris.com

7mm Rem Mag Page www.slatesafaris.com/7mm.htm

I could probably get by fine with a 338 and 416 if I had a 222 for varmints...

If not then I would take a 222 and a 416 Rem. 404 or something like that....but only today, might change my mind tomarrow...

270 Win.....and a 375-404...........

.270 WIN
.375 H&H

BOWHUNR

[ 11-08-2002, 04:30: Message edited by: BOWHUNR ]

If I have to stay with 7mm or under for my smaller rifle my 2 choices would be:

7mm-08 (I would prefer a .308)

.375 H&H

1)257 Roberts
2)378 Weatherby Magnum

Brian.

1)M70 pre 64 in 300 H&H
2)M70 Classic in 416 Rem Mag

7-08 and 9.3X62

no make that a 257 AI and a 338-06

or maybe a 280 and a 338 WM,

Dernet, I cant decide..!

[ 11-08-2002, 07:54: Message edited by: Wstrnhuntr ]

I'd prefer a 30-06 as the "light gun" but it's not in your criteria so...........

.270 win 375 H&H

JimF

Two rifles for big game...

1. 257 Weatherby 120 grain Partitions really fast.

2. 375 H&H 300 grain Partitions.

Both with really high quality scopes and both on M700 actions.

If you can handload your ammo ... 300 Win Mag and 375 H&H. the 300 can be loaded across quite a range of projectiles with good BCs, and across a good range of velocities. Really a 30-06 with a wider range of performance.

The .375 is still useful in North America. Can be loaded from 35 Whelen characteristics to full house nasties with partitions or solids. .416 Rigby doesn't go down the scale quite as well I wouldn't think.,

If handloading is not an option ... the .270 and the .375 H&H make a lot of sense to me.

This is a much more sensible question than a single gun for everything under the sun.

The only big game rifle I have and use in Alaska is a .338WM. The next "big enough" step over the .338 would be one of the .416's.

.338
.416

My choice would be .300Win Mag and .375 H&H

Hamdeni

I think I would take a 300 win mag, and probably a 257 weatherby mag. I had a little trouble with choosing the smaller end, but the 243 just doesn't quite do it for me.

I would take a 308 and 375 h&h magnum.