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Ripp
.577 member


Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Re: Your Favorite North American Hunting Caliber [Re: Rod4861]
      #350339 - 13/02/21 07:14 AM

Quote:

When I think of a cartridge for North American hunting I see either the 300 Winchester Magnum or the 30/06.

When I finally got to go and hunt there I took a 30/06 loaded with the 180 grain Nosler Partition. In my mind you can’t get more apple pie than that. It’s worked well for me 👍.

Rod



The 300WIN is one of the most popular cartridges used here in the Western US.. especially when elk are involved.. I used only that caliber for about 15 years.. very accurate, hard hitting and can get ammo for it everywhere..well, when you could still buy ammo..

Agree, very apple pie..

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..

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450_EXPRESS
.333 member


Reged: 04/01/09
Posts: 341
Loc: S.C.Montana
Re: Your Favorite North American Hunting Caliber [Re: Rod4861]
      #350364 - 15/02/21 03:02 AM

Bought my first rifle when I was 16, Weatherby Vanguard in 30.06. Killed some game including what's still my biggest whitetail. Liked the caliber but thought recoil was a bit much. When I was in gun school I built an '06, '98 Mauser action, Douglas barrel, English Walnut stock (stock & barrel were blanks to begin) and with a stock that fit, the '06 was a pussy cat to shoot and it killed any thing it was pointed at. Had a friend that for years tried to get me to try the .338, but I liked my '06. Finally in the late 80's he shows up with a Winchester 70 (in the box) .338 and says "here you go, now maybe you'll try it ". First thing I did was restock it in a heavy dense piece of English and get some brass & dies & bullets. Since then that's all I've used, the load I shoot isn't hot ( going by the book about 2700 fps ) but with the heavier (225 grain) and bigger dia. bullet it sure does have a greater difference. I use either Hornaday interlock or Nosler Partition, both in 225 gr depending on the size of the game. I get far less blood shot meat than the smaller faster cartridges and with a gun that fits and handloading it is my favorite, kills like a "grown up" '06, have put literally tons of meat in the freezer with that gun. All that said though if I had to stick with factory loads I'd go back to my 30.06 and do just fine. Like has been said, it's the one all others are compared to.

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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26499
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Your Favorite North American Hunting Caliber [Re: 450_EXPRESS]
      #350369 - 15/02/21 05:59 AM

I bought a Browning A-3 in .300 Win. Mag. some time ago, now. I bought it for long range shooting, mind you, around here, 110yards or closer is the longest range for most all of my big game shooting. Some years ago, I 'took' a moose at something over 300yards, but that was with a .45/70.
Anyway, since the local gun store had a big sale on, I bought a box of 180gr. Winchester bonded loads & from a friend, a box of Remington 180gr. Corelocts.
Both of these clover-leafed on top of each other at 100 meters.
I downloaded a ballistic program, guessed at the BC's of the Winchester bullets and out to the range I went. With 4 shots, I hit the 200, 300, 385 and 500 meter 14" x 16" AR500 plates hanging, then got a bit cocky and said to my brother, watch the buffalo (1000meters). Of course, I held for the chart's 1,000 YARDS and shot just barely under it's chest, as it was 1,100yards, not 1,000. He said HA! you missed.
I said keep watching, added 1 1/2 MOA - 27 1/2MOA on the scope's stadia wires and shot the buff in the heart. So - took 2 shots to hit the 1,000meter buffalo, if I hadn't gotten cocky, I'd have hit it with the first shot. Well, so much for long range shooting.
I packed that rifle on an elk hunt, got called home due to Mom being admitted into the hospital, so shot no critters with the rifle.
Couple weeks later I rapped 5 off onto the buffalo in a row from cold to hot barrel, again with the Winchester factory bonded 180's.
I sold the rifle next spring at our gun show.
Don't need it, I have my '06 now & a bunch of thumpers, .375, .45 and .50 cal. Of course, there is my 14 bore Sporting Rifle moose thumper as well.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39234
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: Your Favorite North American Hunting Caliber [Re: DarylS]
      #350383 - 15/02/21 08:33 PM

I'm surprised not more .270 Win which would have been a big favourite a few decades ago.

7 mm Rem Mag? Once a favourite.

Not more .308 Wins?

No .338 Win Mags, except for Marrakai's .338/06 which copies the great .318 WR.

***

The .30-06 and the .300 Win Mag make sense, as does any .300 Mag, whtether H&H, Norma etc. The .30 calibre after all is a USA calibre design.

Seeing the nature of our membership, I'm glad we do not see a lot of these new wannabe sales and marketing choices. Good old vintage choices.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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DarylS
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Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26499
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Your Favorite North American Hunting Caliber [Re: NitroX]
      #350402 - 16/02/21 05:37 AM

Most or many of us are of "vintage" age ourselves.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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Iowa_303s
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Reged: 22/03/13
Posts: 1014
Loc: Iowa, USA
Re: Your Favorite North American Hunting Caliber [Re: DarylS]
      #350411 - 16/02/21 11:22 AM

The title is "Your Favorite North American Hunting Caliber*.
I see a lot of caliber "X" or caliber "Y" would be the "best" all rounder.
My favorite North American hunting caliber is neither flashy nor popular (south of the 49th parallel).
From mice to moose, the .303 British just plods along and knocks critters over without much recoil or muzzle blast.

--------------------
Matt

formerly known as Iowa_303

"Once your reputation is ruined you can live your life quite freely."

"Enkelkinder über alles"

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tinker
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Reged: 12/03/05
Posts: 4835
Loc: Nevada
Re: Your Favorite North American Hunting Caliber [Re: Iowa_303s]
      #350412 - 16/02/21 01:51 PM

I've killed more with the 22lr than anything.
I'm not sure that makes it my favorite.

Really, the favorite changes from time to time.
Recently the 22 Hornet has been high on the list.
It's a dandy of a hunting cartridge.

I don't expect any time in the foreseeable future where I'll have or want to settle on a single rifle cartridge.
If I *had to* I hope I'd be able to be handloading for it. I'd probably have to choose 308 or 30-06

Thankfully right now I don't have to limit myself to just one.

--------------------
--Self-Appointed Colonel, DRSS--



"It IS a dangerous game, and so named for a reason, and you can't play from the keyboard. " --Some Old Texan...

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szihn
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Reged: 24/06/07
Posts: 2109
Loc: Wind River Valley, Wyoming
Re: Your Favorite North American Hunting Caliber [Re: Will]
      #350420 - 16/02/21 05:59 PM

I can't say I have a favorite caliber or cartridge because I often have the most enjoyments using guns that are not as easy to make kills with. Flintlock Muzzleloaders and old fashion guns with irons only, and a lot with regular holster revolvers are most fun for me.

But the one cartridge I have killed the most big game with is without a doubt the 270 Winchester. The reason I don't use it all that much now days it that it is just too easy and my hunting stops too soon.

In the last 54 years I can't count the number of game animals I have killed but I would guess that I have used about 60-70 different cartridge's to kill them all. If I were to divided the number of kills in half I would guess that 50% were killed with 270 Winchesters. The other 50 % with the other 60-70 cartridges combined.

Thinking back and trying to remember them all they are:

22 LR rifles and handguns
22 WMR rifle and handguns (Nothing larger then a coyote)
222 Rem
223 (Nothing larger then a coyote)
22-250
6MM Rem
243 Win
250 Savage (Nothing larger then a coyote)
257 Rob
25-06
6.5 Swede
6.5X54 M/S
6.8 SPC
270 Winchester
270 Win Short mag
7X57
280
7X64
7MM Rem Mag
7MM S/H
7MM Weatherby mag.
7MM STW
30-30
30-40 Krag
7.5 Swiss
308
30-06
300 Norma mag
300 H&H
300 Win Mag
300 Weatherby Mag.
30-378 Weatherby
7.62X39
7.62X54R
7.65 Belgian
303 Brit
8X57
8X68
32-20 (Nothing larger then a coyote)
338-06
338 Win Mag
348 Winchester
35 Remington
9MM Luger handguns (Nothing larger then a raccoon)
38 Special handguns (Nothing larger then a coyote)
357 magnum handguns
9.3X57
9.3X62
9.3X74R
375 H&H
41 Mag handgun
416 Taylor
416 Rigby
404 Jeffery
44 mag handguns
44 mag Rifle
44/77 Sharps
45 cal Ruger Old Army cap-and-ball
45 ACP handguns
45 Colt handguns
454 Casull handgun
45-70
458 Win
460 G&A
50-140 Sharps
577/450 M/H
50 cal flintlock round balls
54 cal flintlock rounds balls
58 Cal Cap-Lock Hawken with Lee REALs and round balls both
62 cal flintlock round balls
Wood arrows

And I may have missed a few.

But if I look at all the kills I have made of game over 50 pounds in all my life, probably close to half of them were killed with 270s.

Edited by szihn (16/02/21 06:01 PM)

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Rule303
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Reged: 05/07/09
Posts: 4912
Loc: Woodford Qld
Re: Your Favorite North American Hunting Caliber [Re: Iowa_303s]
      #350447 - 17/02/21 09:58 AM

Quote:

The title is "Your Favorite North American Hunting Caliber*.
I see a lot of caliber "X" or caliber "Y" would be the "best" all rounder.
My favorite North American hunting caliber is neither flashy nor popular (south of the 49th parallel).
From mice to moose, the .303 British just plods along and knocks critters over without much recoil or muzzle blast.



I have to agree. I tried a 30-06 and it left me cold, wouldn't do anything the 303 wouldn't. Best thing the 30-06 can be used for is to neck the case to a 270,280, 338 or 35. :-)

If it is a North American calibre then it would be a toss up between the 270win & 35 Whelen.

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DORLEAC
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Reged: 22/01/12
Posts: 464
Loc: Perpignan, France
Re: Your Favorite North American Hunting Caliber [Re: Rule303]
      #350722 - 22/02/21 02:29 AM

I'm sorry if I offend the sensibilities of some members but I'm definitely a .270 Winch. man!
I love the 250-3000, a superbly balanced cartridge that requires a 10 " twist to get the most out of its capabilities.
The .338 is excellent, especially with us, continental hunters, on heavy game and although it isn't purely an US creation the .300H&H is my second favorite cartridge ... after the .270WCF.

DORLEAC
www.dorleac-dorleac.com

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JHeath
.224 member


Reged: 26/07/21
Posts: 30
Loc: British Columbia and Washingto...
Re: Your Favorite North American Hunting Caliber [Re: DORLEAC]
      #356319 - 24/08/21 04:51 AM

Quote:

I'm sorry if I offend the sensibilities of some members but I'm definitely a .270 Winch. man!
I love the 250-3000, a superbly balanced cartridge that requires a 10 " twist to get the most out of its capabilities.
The .338 is excellent, especially with us, continental hunters, on heavy game and although it isn't purely an US creation the .300H&H is my second favorite cartridge ... after the .270WCF.

DORLEAC
www.dorleac-dorleac.com





I just saw this, hope it is not too late to reply.

You love the .250-3000, but did not mention the .257 Roberts. I am curious why. I moved to Canada from the USA was surprised to discover the .257 Roberts is almost unknown here. Ammunition is not for sale and most people have never heard of the cartridge. In the USA, the Roberts is fairly common and has a long history as a factory offering.

Is the .257 Roberts unknown in Europe so you prefer the .250-3000?

The Roberts has slightly better ballistics and is almost perfectly balanced re case volume. But more importantly, the Roberts is a necked-down 7x57 so a simple rebarrel in a '98.

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Ripp
.577 member


Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Re: Your Favorite North American Hunting Caliber [Re: JHeath]
      #356335 - 25/08/21 12:06 AM

Quote:

Quote:

I'm sorry if I offend the sensibilities of some members but I'm definitely a .270 Winch. man!
I love the 250-3000, a superbly balanced cartridge that requires a 10 " twist to get the most out of its capabilities.
The .338 is excellent, especially with us, continental hunters, on heavy game and although it isn't purely an US creation the .300H&H is my second favorite cartridge ... after the .270WCF.

DORLEAC
www.dorleac-dorleac.com





I just saw this, hope it is not too late to reply.

You love the .250-3000, but did not mention the .257 Roberts. I am curious why. I moved to Canada from the USA was surprised to discover the .257 Roberts is almost unknown here. Ammunition is not for sale and most people have never heard of the cartridge. In the USA, the Roberts is fairly common and has a long history as a factory offering.

Is the .257 Roberts unknown in Europe so you prefer the .250-3000?

The Roberts has slightly better ballistics and is almost perfectly balanced re case volume. But more importantly, the Roberts is a necked-down 7x57 so a simple rebarrel in a '98.



The reason, and you can check with Daryl on this, is Canada is not a very advanced nation.. Give them another few decades, it will probably catch on by then..

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..

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