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Which caliber would you pick for using on anything from pronghorn to brown bears? Well I don't got any rifles no more. My kids claimed them. I was just wanting to know which would be a good all around caliber. A 338 comes to mind but figured I'd ask you what you think. I do reload. | ||
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I think a 3006 would work as well. can load 115 gr up to 220 gr Nosler partitions for brown bear. Very versatile. Kodiak 2022 Namibia 2019 Namibia 2018 South Africa 2017 Alaska Brown Bear 2016 South Africa, 2016 Zimbabwe 2014 South Africa 2013 Australia 2011 Alberta 2009 Namibia 2007 Alberta 2006 | |||
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Yes, a lot of people would probably agree with the 30-06. But I think one of the 300 magnums would be a better choice. I've shot pronghorn with my .300 H&H. I used it because I wanted something with a flat trajectory and it was the flattest shooting rifle I had. I was a little worried that it might do too much damage and destroy a lot of meat but it did not. Regarding the other end of the scale, I've never hunted brown bears but I believe the 300 magnums are generally accepted as well up to the task. I hope things were amicable regarding...
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If I were hunting more big stuff, brown bear, moose and Elk,...I'd go 338 Win Mag. If I were hunting more of the smaller stuff, antelope, hogs, whitetails and mule deer, I'd go with a 300 Win Mag. Go Duke!! | |||
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I just got back from an AK grizzly hunt with Jake Jefferson. I killed a nice grizzly with my 30/06 loaded with 220 grain Nolser Partitions. It's killed everything from WY moose, CO elk, antelope, deer, black bears both in CO & AK, CO bighorn, CO mtn goat, mtn lion------the 30/06 just works---it's never a bad choice. Bob I'll also say that Federal 180 Nolser Partition factory load will work on everything. I don't think grizzly knew it was a 220 grain or 180 grain bullet that went thru it's lungs. | |||
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30-06. I load from 110 gr. VMax to 240 gr. Woodleigh | |||
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Not a lot of difference in the .30-06 and a .300 Magnum. A 180 Nosler will penetrate an elk or moose inside of 200 yards about as well whether launched at 2750 or 3000 fps. It's arguably a little easier to hit a pronghorn at 350 yards with the faster slug, but probably not enough to make a difference 95% of the time. I own a .300 H&H which is extraordinarily accurate, so it's what I'd pick. My son has the same rifle in a .30-06 and I'm sure he would choose it. I like the .338 and would prefer it a bit if facing a huge coastal Brown Bear, but on the other hand I'd somewhat rather have the .30 cal for any of the deer species. | |||
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I'm sure the bear was blissfully ignorant. I have a hunting partner who shot a bull elk with his .300 Win using 180 Nosler Partitions. His two shots at less than 75 yards went through both lungs and exited, but the bull managed to travel another 75 yards down into a gully where retrieval was "challenging", shall we say. After the fact my friend wondered aloud if he should switch to a 200 grain Nosler for a quicker kill. I pointed out that the 180's fully expanded and still fully penetrated the bull, so what is it that he would have gained with a heavier, presumably deeper penetrating bullet? He agreed that big elk sometimes simply don't admit to being dead for far longer than is reasonable no matter how hard they're hit. | |||
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I'm a big '06 fan but the 338 WM is a big step up. A 250 gr bullet just makes a bigger hole in big animals and the 185 TTSX is smoking fast for lesser game. 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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325 WSM or 8mm-06 AI. These two cartridges split the difference between the 338 WM and the 30-06 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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For me if I had to choose one gun from antelope to bears it’s the 7mm. 139gr for antelope, 200 plus grains for large bruins. Fits the bill for small to large without blowing the …. Out of the smaller game. Plus you have the advantage depending on the actual rifle of shooting extremely long range if needed. | |||
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I used a .300 Wim Mag to take a 9.5 Brown Bear at Cold Bey Alaska using a 200 grain Nosler Partition loaded to 2900 fps. A one shot kill but that encounter made me feel like I had a pea shooter in my hands after seeing the power and speed of the big Bears. The next time I hunted in bear country I packed a .340 Wby and felt much better having shot it enough at several Elk and take a huge Alaska Yukon Moose with it. I then got a couple .358 STA’s and now feel even better when in Big Bear country loaded with 270 grain Northforks at 2850 fps. It is all in the comfort of the hunter and his confidence in his rifle. Personally I am much more confident in the bigger chamberings when in Big Bear terrotary. Good Shooting. phurley | |||
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Something fairly powerful and easy to get. 300 Win, 300 Wby, 338 Lapua, 338 Win. | |||
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We don't know your ability to handle recoil. And not that I would ever carry one into the field, (too common) but a 30-06 will do anything. If you think you need a 300 mag, then get 50 yards closer. 30-06. Personally, I go bigger, and more unique. Never want to have something anyone else in camp will have. | |||
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30-06, with the expectation that if you can book a brown bear hunt, you can find a 338 or bigger to tote along. Although, my new Savage 338 has a recoil pad that rrally soaks up recoil, even with a 20" barrel and 8.4 lbs with a scope. I put 40 rounds through it off a bench in one session, no issues though it was starting to get a little old. I am impressed with the recoil pad. | |||
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A 338 mag is way more than what's needed for most N.A. game. The 30-06 will do it all with the right bullet. Nothing more than a 30 mag would I suggest for all around N.A. | |||
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Below is an excerpt from "Outdoor Life's Guide to Spring Bear Hunting," which I wrote some time back in the 1990's. The outfitter was Roy Pattison from British Columbia. He died from natural causes a while back. *********** "Earlier our binoculars had located two dark spots in a swath of emerald green grass more than a mile distant. Although the sighting prompted Pattison to assemble his spotting scope, I surmised he already knew what he was seeing after having chased Canada's bears for over 20 years. Once, however, it was the other way around. On a fall hunt a few years ago, a lady from Germany put a bullet through the hump of a big grizzly. Armed with a 30/06, Pattison, along with his German shepherd, Radar, followed the bear into the bush. The dog soon found the wounded grizzly, and Pattison put three 220-grain bullets into it. Still, the enraged animal managed to launch an attack, tearing a huge chunk of flesh from Pattison's left buttock and biting his ankle. The dog's persistent harassment and Pattison's kicking and screaming while hanging upside down with his ankle in the bear's mouth eventually caused the bear to let go and flee. While Pattison spent a week in a Prince George hospital receiving numerous skin grafts and treatment of a chipped ankle bone, his brother and friends unsuccessfully searched for the bear. The following spring the lady from Germany returned and wounded another grizzly. This time, with a new-found respect, Pattison borrowed his brother's .458. Radar again located the bear, and two shots from the big-bore rifle put it down for keeps. When Pattison removed the hide, he found four healed gunshot wounds and recovered two 220-grain, 30/06 slugs; it was the same grizzly that had mauled him the previous fall. The 10-foot tall, life-size mount sitting in the main lodge now serves as a grim reminder of the guide's close encounter." Tony Mandile - Author "How To Hunt Coues Deer" | |||
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Sounds like a tall tale. | |||
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My dad said he wouldn't go with me to Africa because they wouldn't let him hunt cape buffalo with his 30-06. He often said that the 30-06 would knock an elephant off his feet with one shot. Personally I believe the best all around cartridge with the proper bullet makes the one rifle for the world is a good rifle chambered for 375 H&H with 300 gr bullet. However, My pick for North America is a good rifle chambered for 7MM Mag, but I use my 375 H&H for Alaska. ........................  MacD37....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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I have both a 30-06 and a 300 H&H, that I would be completely confident to hunt anything in North America with. Although I will add to your list of perfectly acceptable cartridges for North America, the cartridge I most often use, 35 Whelen. It has been my go-to for over a decade now and I am still very happy to carry one now. Good luck with your choice, nobody has listed anything that would not be appropriate. Just find a rifle that fits you well, then go hunting. | |||
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The 30/06 huh. I like the 30/06. Killed a few animals with the 06. So what do you guys think about the old 8x57 German round? 220 grain bullet? For the bears? It's just a dream. I'm 43 now, my son made me realize I need to go get my dream. That's my dream a rifle for anything. | |||
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I shot both the 8x57 and the 30-06. they both throw a 150gr. bullet to the same speed and a 165-170 close-nuff you nor the animal will know the difference. if I had to pick something and wander the north American continent shooting stuff I'd probably go with the 325 WSM. it ain't too much for the small stuff and it's big enough for the big stuff without being obnoxious. | |||
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I always like stories like this.  But no where is it ever mentioned where the -06 bullets actually hit the bear which of course would have made all the difference.As others have said a .30-06 or if it makes you feel better something bigger. Enjoy your time hunting. Roger ___________________________ I'm a trophy hunter - until something better comes along. *we band of 45-70ers* | |||
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While a 30-06 would work just fine, I’d go with a 338 win Mag. There is nothing in North America which it isn’t a good choice for. I’ve shot Game from pronghorns & blacktails up to elk, bison & brown bear with my 338 and never felt it inappropriate. It’s about as versatile a cartridge as exists for North America, IMO. | |||
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How did he know four 30 cal. Slugs came from a 30-06?? | |||
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Good 8mm ammo is not that common here in the US. Something to consider. If you don't reload, 220-gr 8x57 could be tough to find, and may not shoot well out of your rifle. Good caliber for sure. | |||
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I have a 30-06, 300 H+H, 338 WM and 35 Whelen. Pick the rifle that you like best and any of the chamberings will do fine. | |||
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There is some validity to such statements. Still, there ARE differences between the cartridges that push those "slugs". Otherwise, we could next ask, "How did he know four 30 cal. Slugs came from a .308?". And then, "How did he know four 30 cal. Slugs came from a 30-30?". And even, "How did he know four 30 cal. Slugs came from a 300 Blackout?" Who here would say there is no difference between the terminal ballistics of a 300 magnum and a 300 Blackout? Of course there is, and the difference is significant, just as is the difference in their bullet trajectories. If we are to accept the huge differences between a 300 Blackout and a 300 magnum then we must also recognize that there are incremental differences in the various 30 caliber cartridges in-between them. The question then becomes one of whether or not those incremental differences are significant in the field. I will grant that for the most part, differences between 300 magnums and the 30-06 are not. However, I say that there are some times they can be. For example, it is difficult to dismiss the additional 400-500 ft lbs energy with heavy bullets the magnums deliver over the 30-06. Sure we can just get 50, 60, or 75 yards closer with the 30-06, right? But what if you would like that extra 400-500 ft lbs energy and the shooting is within 100 yards? Is it reasonable to ask that shooter to stalk to 40 yards, and if you did could he make that happen? What if we were talking about something at 50 yards, maybe closer? An extra 500 ft-lbs is excessive for a 50 yard shot at a deer but what about a bear? Wouldn't it be nice to have that extra 500 ft-lbs energy? If one is fully satisfied with the performance of a 30-06 in any and all situations then maybe not. But I can think about times I'd want more. Again, I'm talking about incremental differences, a step up. I won't be taking a 300 magnum on every hunt, but if I make another trip to Alaska, go on another open-prairie pronghorn hunt, or enter the dark forests of western Washington for elk, I'll be carrying a 300 H&H. I won't be doing that because the trajectory and downrange energy are astronomically greater than those of a 30-06 or any 30-06-class rifle. I'll be doing it because the extra oomph and flatter trajectory of the 300 H&H are a step up from the 30-06. Surely, anyone who espouses the use of a 35 Whelen or a 338 Winchester Magnum for any hunting in North America can understand that. But we all have our preferences. So, if someone's happy with a 270, 7mm or 30-06 as their "1 caliber for USA and Canada" then, by all means, go for it. Just don't try to convince me a 30-06 is a 300 magnum. . | |||
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And I ask again. How did he know those 4 slugs came from a 30-06? | |||
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To me, most 35 caliber rifles can be downloaded or uploaded to handle all North American game animals. Bob Nisbet DRSS & 348 Lever Winchester Lover Temporarily Displaced Texan If there's no food on your plate when dinner is done, you didn't get enough to eat. | |||
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If you're limiting yourself to just one rifle (ugh) then something in a more powerful 30 cal is in order. You can go bigger or smaller but the one-gun thing would have me leaning hard on the 300 WM. Easy enough to shoot well, big enough to handle it all with proper bullets. I also agree when one of the posters mentioned a 300 Win since ammo is usually readily available... that is if you don't reload and have a lifetime supply of goodies already. I cannot imagine having this conversation! Zeke | |||
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325 WSM. And, yes I've already killed Alaskan Grizzly with the 325 WSM. | |||
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What's the cost of a brown bear hunt these days? Point being, if you've got the scratch to book a brownie hunt, you've got the scratch to purchase a second rifle.  | |||
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270 Win with 140 grain Partitions or 30/06 with 180 grain Partitions for 1 gun, 1 load for a simple do all for what you're asking. There are other options but these two cartridge/load combinations are time tested and proven to just flat work. All We Know Is All We Are | |||
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Four holes from 30 cal. bullets even from a 30-30. Unless they were just flesh wounds and not internal he could have survived but internal would have been eventually fatal from infection alone. | |||
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I've used (still own) both the .338wm, and .358 norma for Canadian game. The magnums are fine, but for most shooting, even with the larger game like moose and the big bears, a 30-06 can be versatile enough to handle anything. I went to Alaska a few years back for a brown bear hunt, and the outfitter was more concerned that I bring a gun I could shoot, than the actual caliber. 30-06 was still his preferred minimum. Lately, I have been on a 30-06 kick, and I feel confident to handle anything that comes my way. Flat shooting and I can load it up or down to suit the tag I am filling, but I typically like to load a bit "heavy for caliber". I once had an old P-17 in '06, and it loved the 220 grain round nose bullets. Used it on coyotes and antelope; little hole in, little hole out! Deer were only restricted by yardage. | |||
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35 Whelen would be my first choice, 338WM second choice, and 30-06 third. But I think any of them make a sound choice for all NA game. Since the question was for all NA game, which of course includes the large bears, I'd personally feel better with large caliber and heavy bullets. But the Whelen is not overkill for pronghorn or deer either. I have taken Elk & Moose with my Whelen. I would use 280SAF for the big bears, and the light bullets for Pronghorn & deer. Just my personal choice, but would be happy with the other two as well. | |||
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There are a lot of fine choices mentioned above. I am a little weird in caliber choices anyway. 9.3x62 You can drop down to the 232 gr for more reach and lighter animals or run the the traditional 286 gr For elk, moose and bears. 338/06 (or even better the AI version) it runs right on the heels of the 338WM and again you can drop down to the lighter bullets for antelope and deer and scale up for the bigger stuff. If you want to 8mm then my choice is the 8x68S. There are no flies on any of the 30 calibers and the 06 has been killing the big animals for over a century now. As dcpd said above. No chance of someone having something more interesting in camp with these choices. If you are not recoil shy then take a look at the 358 STA. It can push a 200 gr to bear 3300 FPS, a 225 to jut at 3200 and a 250 gr to 2950. I’m betting you can get a 180 gr to 3400. I picked one up a few months ago and I am looking forward to trying the 180’s or 200’s on whitetail in 2022. DRSS Kreighoff 470 NE Valmet 412 30/06 & 9.3x74R | |||
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Another option if you are stuck on the “one rifle thing” is something like the Sauer 200/202 series. One action and scope and you can do everything. 243 for the pronghorn and other little things. 6.5x 54/25-06,270,308,30-06 for whitetail and elk 9.3x62 for moose and bears. Like the others I cannot understand the “one rifle concept if you can afford bear hunts. DRSS Kreighoff 470 NE Valmet 412 30/06 & 9.3x74R | |||
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