best caliber

[steelheadSABO]

Whats your guys favorite caliber for north american big game.
And what are your favorite rifles.;-)

[Poguebilt]

30.06 Thompson Center Prohunter

[Mini Moose]

X2 On 30.06

[todbartell]

north american big game is pretty broad. From 100 lb antelope to 2000 lb bison. Also, terrain and habitat varies from wide open prairie to thick bush you cant piss through. A do it all rifle is pretty hard to find, but if I had to have one it would be a stainless Remington 700 in 338-06, 21" barrel, fiberglass stock, Leupold 2.5-8x36 scope. 210 grain Barnes Triple Shock X @ 2700 fps would be the do-all load

Id much rather have a 260 Remington and a 375 Ruger though :D

[steelheadSABO]

when i say big game i mean deer to moose and grizzlys

[rocksteady]

30-06 nuff said

[oddsix]

oddsix=)

does the job.

[tomahawk]

There are many to choose from like some listed here, but its like asking what size engine is the best to drive in BC and what is your favourite vehicle, you'll get everyones personal fav which is great cause you they all have confidence in what they shoot.

[steelheadSABO]

thats easy 350 small block on a 78 chevy

[tomahawk]

thats easy 350 small block on a 78 chevy


Ha Ha, and so it is with clibers and rifle manufacturers, each to his own as long as the caliber is suitable.

[huntwriter]

My new do-it-all rifle is a .270 Weatherby Vanguard and I am happy with it. I am also pleased with my .30-06 and the 7mm.

As has been said, if you ask 100 people you will get 100 opinions. It all depends what you're comfortable with or think will do the job for you.

[alremkin]

when i say big game i mean deer to moose and grizzlys

For one rifle in BC: The Canadian '06 - 338 Win Mag. My choice for one rifle to hunt BC elk and moose in grizzly country.:smile:Of course I consider it cruel and unusual punishment to be forced to have just one rifle:-P

[ohno]

Your best bet is to decide what type of game you are primarily going to hunt. If deer are your primary quarry then a light flat shoot calibre like a 260Rem or 270 would be ideal. These would also work for moose and elk with the right bullets, but are not ideal. If Griz are on the menu a heavier cal like a 30cal mag or 338 would be good starting points.

No point in getting a giant big bore super smasher ultra magnum if you are primarily going to be hunting Whitetails.

[mpotzold]

45/70 marlin guide .(except for long range hunting) Quick,light, accurate ,easy to handle & POTENT.

[stickbow]

damn str8 :cool:

[riflebuilder]

If limited to only one it would be a 338 Win mag. IT is big enought for the big bears and an Antelope is just as dead as with a 243.

[moosinaround]

300 win mag!! BOOM!!!

[moosecaller]

.338 win. mag. gets my thumbs up. Good bullet selection, good ballistics, enough energy to get any job done.

[diggerpax]

What type of hunting you do makes a big diff- brush vs open ground. My rem 7 mm has been a great gun for antelope to elk- it is very flat, reliable, and pacs a decent punch. I like my 270 as well for an all around. I have a 30 30 that I can't shoot well past 150 yards, so I never use it, and a 300 ultra mag (375 necked down to a 300) that is too much for deer and antelope, so again, I don't carry it much.

[Kody94]

...and a 300 ultra mag (375 necked down to a 300) that is too much for deer and antelope, so again, I don't carry it much.

Its actually a 404 Jeffery (improved), necked down to .308. Bigger parent case than a 375 H&H.

The 375 H&H full length case necked down to .308 is (amongst others, including the 300 H&H) most well known as the 300 WBY.

And the 375 RUM came after, so its technically a 300 RUM necked up to 375.

Sorry, I can't help myself... :)

Cheers,
4ster

[Kody94]

Almost forgot, to answer the original question, I don't really have a favorite, nor consider any one the "best". I get attached to all of them, and there are a number of cartridges/calibres/rifles that could get the job done as well as any other. :)

[.308win]

308win is my all time fav. Also like all the 308 family. As for gun makers, Rem, Savage and winchester.

Perry

[sneg]

Rem 700, cal 30-06 ,bullet selection depends on game

[alremkin]

Its actually a 404 Jeffery (improved), necked down to .308. Bigger parent case than a 375 H&H.

The 375 H&H full length case necked down to .308 is (amongst others, including the 300 H&H) most well known as the 300 WBY.

And the 375 RUM came after, so its technically a 300 RUM necked up to 375.

Sorry, I can't help myself... :)

Cheers,
4ster

SSSSter, it's ok I understand and I suffer somewhat from the same affliction.;-)

[Gamebuster]

the .338 win mag gets my vote as well

[Barracuda]

The 375 H&H full length case necked down to .308 is (amongst others, including the 300 H&H) most well known as the 300 WBY.

dont you think the 300 win mag is the most well known .308 cal 375H&H derivitive? not to mention the other two H&H based rounds that are very common ,the 338 win mag and the 7mm rem mag?
sorry cant help myself... :wink:


And the 375 RUM came after, so its technically a 300 RUM necked up to 375.

Sorry, I can't help myself... :)

Cheers,
4ster
.............................................

as for my choices . favourite rifle is 375 H&H Winchester mod 70 classic SS .

[Hank Hunter]

another vote for the 338 win mag

[Kody94]

dont you think the 300 win mag is the most well known .308 cal 375H&H derivitive? not to mention the other two H&H based rounds that are very common ,the 338 win mag and the 7mm rem mag?
sorry cant help myself... :wink:


Absolutely... :) That was why I made sure to specify "full length case" (so as to compare more directly to the original case). All the others are shortened to 30/06 length (-ish)...but you are correct, they are the more popular "derivatives"!

Cheers,
4ster

[Kody94]

SSSSter, it's ok I understand and I suffer somewhat from the same affliction.;-)

Thanks for understanding. :lol:

Cheers,
4ster

[abbyfireguy]

300 Weatherby Mag, 180 gr., ballstic tip handloads....Great moose round and small enough to drop a deer with not too much damage..
Never had any animals complain..:mrgreen:

[ibehuntin]

.338 WM Would be my choice as well.

[ROM]

biggest caliber you can shot well. For me that was the 300 wsm. Almost got the 270 wsm though. If one could shoot the 338 wm or 325 wsm they would be better for grizzly. I have seen lots of big guns sit in the safe cause peolpe don't like the recoil. What a shame that is.
R

[kutenay]

Well, I am getting bored with my .338WMs, .375H&Hs, 9.3s and all those other puzzy rifles in my safe. SO, today, I bought a Browning Safari .458 WM, now, THAT oughta knock 'em over!

[mainland hunter]

I've only got one rifle I'm sad to say. I went with the 338WM and have been happy with it. Kick aint to bad and I think it's enough for grizz(I know you can get away with less) and It's not too big for deer imo. That being said I'm looking to get a lighter gun for sheep in the future, possibly a .280 rem

[Mattimoose]

.338 Win. Mag. My personal favourite is my LA Browning BLR with Whitworth Expresss sights from 0-300 yards, Leupold Vari-X III compact 1.5-5x and Lyman 1-piece front ramp. Bought-it used in 7mm Rem. in 1998 for 550.00 and had-it re-bored to .338 for 200.00 and never looked back. if you can't tell, I love my gun. With the auxillary cartridge, I shoot Grouse and Hares with-it too, and as soon as they come-out with a .338 Sabot that shoots 55gr.,6mm bullets, I'll be whacking ground Squirrels with-it!

[Mattimoose]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the Weaver Grand Slams on the scope; and the hammer extending I did. I hope to get the shell-trap installed in the butt before this fall too.

[kennyj]

7 MM Rem Mag.
Kenny

[FlyingHigh]

7mm Rem Mag. i have a Remington 700 chambered in it. pretty sure it'll drop everything from offending gophers to pissed of grizzlies. good enough for me. :)

[257WBYMAG]

300 Weatherby Mag, 180 gr., ballstic tip handloads....Great moose round and small enough to drop a deer with not too much damage..
Never had any animals complain..:mrgreen:

Whoo Hoo!!!!!! Minus the ballistic tip,Speer grand slam(no disrespect intended)

[T-man]

I love my 30-06 Ruger with Federal 180 grain, will never change!!

[Vader]

Stick with my 270 winchester model 70 with 140 gr BTSP..

No Uber mag for me :eek:.

Each to their own.. Do the animals a favor.. Shoot often and learn to shoot well.. Don't take poor percentage shots..

[Fixit]

i dunno what these other guys are talking about, 50 cal is the only way to go, kills squirrels to elephants no problem!

[Junorr500]

1950 Model 70 in .270 Will drive tacks all day long as long as i shoot it well.

[huntwriter]

The old trusted .30-06 has taken more game around the world than any other caliber. It’s still the most widely used today as a do it all cartridge.

I shoot a .30-06 and the equally popular .270 Win. My favorite rifle at the moment is the Weatherby Vanguard.

Caliber and rifle brand are not nearly as important as what has been said here a few times. Learning to shoot, good shot placement and keep in good shooting shape by shooting all year long.

[puppychow]

7mm Rem Mag and a 300 wby mag in stainless for northern hunting.

[ruger#1]

6.5x55sm in a CZFS works for me.

[308Lover]

You guys never learn. Back off and listen to 308 Winchester. He knows the real answer. LOL LOL

[Night Hawk 3]

Ah, my first post after lurking for months. There's so much good information shared on this site.

I would say, that if you're getting just one rifle, then either a .308, .270, or 30-06 are very good bets - and note that they are all very closely related calibers. They are big enough, yet small enough to get the job done.

Things to consider: cost of ammo, variety of ammo available, recoil, availability of ammo (if you shoot a less common caliber). You do not need to get a really big caliber that has lots of recoil - you probably won't enjoy shooting regularly if the recoil is any more than what a typical 30-06 has.

As I have shot more at the range and in the field, and have become a much more accurate marksman, I have moved to a few "intelligent" calibers that get the job done extremely effectively and with less recoil (which is not to be underestimated if you spend a lot of time at the range).

My latest picks are:

.223 Remington - brilliantly accurate, affordable to shoot, lots of support. This is a great caliber to spend an afternoon with at the range - but not one that falls into the "best caliber" equation.

6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser - a really accurate, low recoil, fantastic shooting caliber. Not many choices in factory ammo generally available, but hand-loading solves that.

I realize I've wandered off topic now... how can there be just one "best caliber" ?

[Night Hawk 3]

This might be helpful:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

[outdoorsman812]

30-06, load and bullet versatility, all around good cartridge. As for the rifle Rem. 700, and Tikka M65

[BEARSLAYER]

have to say 30 06 with 190gr hornady or200grnosler partiton in a browningb78 single shot

[Schutzen]

Its the rifle that you have total and complete confidence in, caliber/cartridge are small players compared to that statement.
In the Coastal Mtns of BC there lived a man who's only protection from the Coastal grizz was a Win mod 94 LA in 30-30 win. he had total and complete confidence in it and it saved his bacon on more than one occasion.
In Africa it might be a old battered H&H 375 or 9.3 X 62 mag, in the Arctic something real small like a .22 Rem or a .243 Win, Alaskans a 30-06 or 338 win mag., etc. Many fella's have a rifle battery of quite a few different chamberings but usually one or two that have that good ole comfort goto thing about them are the ones that see the Lions share of the work.

[dirtybucker]

IMO definatley my .270 is my fave on any game except grizz

[eaglesnester]

If you want to include Grizz then you need a 338 and a partner with a 12 gage back up loaded with slugs to be safe. The 338 can take deer, moose, anything in north America. All you have to do is select the correct ammunition for each intended purpose. Yes the 30-06 and the 308 will do the job all right, but why go under - guned Grizz are tough critters and once you get one riled up he can run dead on his feet over 100 yards with his heart exploded and his lungs full of blood and still kill you before you even know you are dead.

[browningboy]

Another for the .338 WM, it seems to reign king in BC for all aspects of large game IMO.

[riflebuilder]

340 Wby with 225g Accubonds. It will kill anything that walks in North America. But I preferee my 6.5 for the deer and under game.

[eaglesnester]

338 magnum do all for everything in north America. Just select right bullet and load for the type of game you are after.

[6 K]

Chaulk up another vote for .338 win mag. In a stainless model your choise of action, mine is a Rem 700.

[gone hunting]

If you ask 100 people, you'll get 100 opinions and at least 50 of them will be 30-06. (mine will be in that 50) But, if you intend to spend a lot of time in grizzly country, and especially if you intend to go looking for a grizzly, then I'll jump on the 338 W/M band wagon. As for my own personal favourite rifle/cartridge combination; I like my Old Belgium made Browning Safari in 35 Whelen with Federal's 225 grain TBBC bullets.

[kgs]

30'06 and 300 rum

[duckhunt]

if I was limited to one rifle it would be the 375 H&H you can load 210 grain bullets for deer and sheep, 250 or 270 grain for moose and elk and 300 grainers for grizzlys.
some may think it is overkill for grizzlys but I would rather drop a grizzly when its charging with one shot than have to unload a magazine when its almost on top of you, even though an attack rarely happens I wouldn't like to be seriously injured or killed becuase I was under gunned but it's your choice.
A 338 win mag is also good but it causes more meat damage.

[The 'Hummer']

Picking only one favorite caliber/rifle combo from what I have;

308 Norma Magnum
Schultz & Larsen M65-DL
Leupold 3-9 VARi X-II
Reloads using 200gr Sierra SBT'sThen for a hunting trip there's a spare, but that's another thread.:biggrin:

[Bushman]

My rifle of choice for big game hunting throughout all of BC is tried, tested and true 375 H & H Magnum. From the smallest blacktail to the largest bear the 375 H & H will handle them all with ease.

[BC4Bowhunter]

I'm kind of partial to the 50 cal but I think it's a little heavy to pack around sheep hunting.:tongue: My vote would go for the '06 or 338 win. especially since I got both:wink:

[leadpillproductions]

338 lapua in a sako m995

[green machine]

sako finn bear in 30-6, and my favorite 30-30 model 94, can't wait to try the new williams sight.

[Will]

I don't think a man would starve to death if all he had was a 30-30.......

My Favourite list though...
71 in 348 Win !

[MichelD]

Well I don't hunt all of North American game, just what is in BC and even then not everything.

Essentially, if I'm hunting deer but may have a chance at a black bear or moose or elk in an open season I carry a 270.

If I'm blessed with an LEH for moose or elk but may see a deer, I take my 300 Winchester magnum. The 300 is my go-to black bear rifle too.

[The 'Hummer']

I don't think a man would starve to death if all he had was a 30-30.......

My Favourite list though...
71 in 348 Win !

Ahhhh, you've got good taste Laddy. I'm waiting for better weather and access to the range then I'll be testing mine. I've got two cast bullets to play with, probably light loads, a 230grGC & a 262grGC. For jacketed, 200gr Hornady as well as 220gr & 250gr Barnes originals. Lucked out and picked up 6 boxes of brass at the Duncan gun show. Now, go snow go!!!

[riflebuilder]

340 Wby, great on the big nasty stuff and so what if it is over kill on an Island bt. Dead is dead and with the 340 its always dead.

[kyleklassen]

rem. 7600 30/06.

[Lorne]

Id go for a 270 win or WSM both shoot flat and fast. shoot 150 grain winchester XP3 ammo. i find it makes a big difference in my shooting if i don't switch grains just pick one and stick with it, No problem dropping elk deer and everything but would be a little sketchy going for Grizz but realisticly how many grizzly's are you going to shoot in the next little while

[eaglesnester]

north american big game is pretty broad. From 100 lb antelope to 2000 lb bison. Also, terrain and habitat varies from wide open prairie to thick bush you cant piss through. A do it all rifle is pretty hard to find, but if I had to have one it would be a stainless Remington 700 in 338-06, 21" barrel, fiberglass stock, Leupold 2.5-8x36 scope. 210 grain Barnes Triple Shock X @ 2700 fps would be the do-all load

Id much rather have a 260 Remington and a 375 Ruger though :D
2X on what todbartell says here. Now for me I like the 06 Springfield in a Remington 700 BDL right hand in Long Action. Wonderful rifle. Now when you bring grizz into the picture you want to use something a little heaver. Although they are taken with a 30 cal rifle it is not recommended. You want something in a 338 magnum or heavier. I like the 375 ouch&ouch. Have been seriously thinking about buying one in a Weatherby to add to my growing collection of Weatherbys
Cheers & Tighter Groups: Eaglesnester

[Ron.C]

When I rifle hunted some time ago, I shot a 30-06 which I personally think is a great all around rifle. Now the only gun I have to hunt with is a TC Prohunter Muzzleloader. I'm mainly a bowhunter and wanted something that I could use on the days when I want to put the bow down and try something different while still making it a bit more challenging.

[JeremyCarrano302]

a 30-06 cuz u can load it from around 140gr up to 220gr bullets can take everything in BC with it

[Fallkniven]

Sako finnbear in .25-06, OK a little light for the big stuff, but great on deer. First time I used a .25-06 was this year and its agreat round, flat shooting, plenty of energy and that sako is sooooo smooth.
If I had the choice of any scope, Schimdt and Bender 6x42 A7 ret, but untill i can save up for that, my Leupold does pretty well.

[bc sportsman]

The 308/3006/300 Win Mag/300 WSM. Great versatility for the variety of game we hunt, reasonable recoil, reasonable cartridge costs.

I haven't included the 300 Weatherby or Ultra Mags because what you get in added range/velocity is offset by recoil and expensive rounds.

308/3006 will meet all your needs if you select the right bullets. The 300 Mags will give you that edge for longer ranges and flatter shooting. But again, good bullet selection is the key for this caliber as well.

[kyleklassen]

.177......

[huntwriter]

.270 Winchester and .30-06 is all I ever needed. It does the job perfectly on everything from deer to moose and even would do for bison if the regulations wouldn't say otherwise.;)

[SAVAGE300]

I chose the my winchester 70 featherweight in 270 win 20 years ago and have been more than happy with it but you will do well with anything from a 7mm on up the scale, just remember its not how big the gun is, its how well you know it, and mostly where YOU place the shot, just my 2 beans

[steelheadSABO]

you guys are still posting on here i bought that rifle a long time ago:)

[vanislehunter1]

either 30-06 or the 300 win mag but 300 if youre goin after moose - bison.

[Camuro]

I love my Winchester model 88 in .308 caliber and also my Husqvarna sporter
6.5x55.