Best all around Caliber???

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wisconsinfarmer

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What do you think is the best all around Caliber for big game hunting in the western states? If you could only put one gun in your truck for the rest of your life which one would it be?
 
Thats a tough call...as there are so many that could get it done.

For all-around use, I'd say anything between a .257 and .338, with just about any head stamp, would get it done and not leave much on the table performance wise when it comes to killing game.

Personally, I think the .284 and .308's have much in the way of being about as close to all around as you can get. Pretty good selection of chamberings, wide range of bullet weights, long or short action varieties, etc.

As much as it pains me, I'm starting to think that standard cartidges in .284 or .308 are the way to go...and give a slight nod to the various .284's...that hurt to say.
 
What Mr Buzz? no 6mm? LOL

I'd have to agree with you and your choices. The .284 amd .308 in various variations are pretty darn hard to beat.

The .284 Win, 280 Rem (or AI) and the 7mm Rem/ Wby are all tough to beat. On the other hand the '06, 300 Wsm 300 Rsaum, 300 Win, 300 Wby, 300 RUM are also right there on great calibers/cartridges for big game hunting. While there are others, these are some pretty basic cartridges that will work well within those 2 calibers.

I really like a good 8mm (325 wsm)and even a .338 caliber too. It's hard to beat a .338 Win or a 340 Wby for an elk gun IF the shooter can shoot them well.

Zeke
 
Buzz is correct, lots of good choices.
The question was "what would you take for the rest of your hunting out west?"

For me it would be my .300 WSM with my own loads. Yah its a little much for pronghorn and even most deer, but I like it.

I could get by with a .270, 30/06, 7mm mauser, .257 Robt., 6.5x55, they all work if you do your part.
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-02-12 AT 03:09PM (MST)[p]Zeke, If all I could hunt with ever again was a .243...I'd fill an ark, with ease, and never a second thought.
 
300 wsm shoot the goats back just a bit, but you still have the long range nock down power. For cheap all around I think you still can't beat the 30-06 or. 270.
For a the gun to use for the rest of my life time I would go with my old .300 weatherby
 
>LAST EDITED ON Mar-02-12
>AT 03:09?PM (MST)
>
>Zeke, If all I could hunt
>with ever again was a
>.243...I'd fill an ark, with
>ease, and never a second
>thought.

+1, that and maybe a 7mm-08 as a back-up and you'd be in high cotton:)
 
>LAST EDITED ON Mar-02-12
>AT 03:09?PM (MST)
>
>Zeke, If all I could hunt
>with ever again was a
>.243...I'd fill an ark, with
>ease, and never a second
>thought.


I agree, you would, but it's FAR from OUR top choices for western big game. There's no reason for you to do it unless simply for a "challenge". There are more capable choices out there. On that we both agree.

Best to you Buzz,
Zeke
 
I use a 270 for deer and antelope and a 7mm rem saum for moose and elk and both get the job done. I have no doubt either would be effective for everything. the fact of the matter is its most important to know your rifle and learn to shoot it well than to worry about having the perfect cartridge
 
Hard to beat 30 caliber for an "all around rifle", western hunting. Tons of bullets and weights to choose for any sized game your after. Im partial to my 300 Wbthy. However, for all around purposes I suppose I would go with 300 Win Mag, 30.06, or 308, finding factory ammo just about anywhere for those if you find yourself in a pinch.
 
25-06 for me. That is if I get to reload. If not go with
30-06 as you can find ammo at any where. DZ
 
I would go with my old .30/06. That was my go-to gun for any big game (east or west) for years. I have some other rifles I hunt with now as well, but I wouldn't hesitate to take it out after anything that was unlikely to kill me and eat me or stomp me to goo if I made a bad hit.
 
270 wby or a 240 wby. At least that's what my gun safe is telling me, as I got both of these in the past 6 months. Hope the rifles get a workout in 2012!
 
30-06. Great bullet selection in low cost factory loads & endless hand-load options. I have used my 30-06 to hunt everything from small game to large animals by simply changing the bullet size. Here are some examples: 110 grain bullet for coyotes, antelope; 150 grain Nosler bullet for deer; and a 180grain Barnes triple shock bullet for oryx, elk & buffalo.
 
I agree with TOPGUN , 30-06,best all around cal .I own or have owned several rifles in my life including a few magnums,but have settled on the 30-06.Plenty of bullet choices for any north american game.i have taken everything from antelope to moose with my favorite 30-06.
 
I like the mighty Mid's!

264 Win mag, 270WSM, 270 Weatherby, 7mm Rem Mag, 280Ai, and a few others.

any of these are great game getters, good on most anything out to farther than i care to shoot!

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
One more for a 300WSM.
I have owned lots of guns...not as many as Zeke, but if I had to get rid of them all, and only keep one, I would keep my 300WSM.
Enough gun for Elk/Moose, and not over-gunned for deer, antelope, sheep etc. Too much gun for coyotes!
 
The one that you have confidence in. The 30-06 has killed more big game than any other caliber probably besides the 30-30. If I had only one big game rifle for the rest of my life it would be a 30-06. That is just my opinion.
 
My Sister is coming for a week or so visit today and bringing along her tribe of doggies so i'm in a mood i guess. Forgive me but a couple things i have long contemplated"

Previous poster said, "The 30-06 has killed more big game than any other caliber probably besides the 30-30."

I heard that said since i was a kid and though i believed it at the time, i SUSPECT that the 30-06 has finally caught up and past the old 30-30. 1890's thur 1940 or so, the thity-thity may have reined king but soon after, the modern bolt gun, along with the pump, semi-auto, and single shot's in 06', easily outsold the carbine for "BIG GAME" hunting purpose. I don't have any facts at hand to support my statement but i think the ol 06' has by now, taken the throne as king of big game hunting cartridges.

Though there is no doubt that the 30-06 is a great all-around cartridge, i think that there are other cartridges that are better suited for individual purposes. To some out there, this goes without saying but to say the o6' is best for a particular job, is a stretch and not necessarily true in my opinion

Have a good one!

Joey.


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
I've often wondered about the .30/30 or .30/06 thing. I'm sure both have killed tons of critters over the years. I work with hunters a good bit and having always had more than a passing interest in guns, I often ask what brand/caliber of rifles people are using on deer and elk hunts. It is noteworthy to me when the answer isn't .270 or .30/06. I'm sure both of those rounds, but particularly the .30/06 have been quickly making up ground on the old .30/30 for some time. I know that none us can know for sure about an all-time record, but I also wonder if the .30/06 has taken the lead. I bet the .270 isn't far behind.

Regarding the .30/06. I posted earlier that it would be my choice if I had to go with one rife. Much of that is because for years that was all I used (poverty, not a lack of interest in other calibers). I agree it probably isn't the perfect choice for many, if any, applications, but it sure does work over a wide variety of situations.
 
The lastest figures I could find for top selling calibers in factory ammo in the US are as follows:
#1---30-06
#2---.223 and it's the #1 seller in the world
#3---.270
#4---30-30
#5---.308
#6---.243
#7---7mm mag
 
TG,
That's a pretty potent line-up of cartridges. While there are other great choices, with the right bullet they about cover all North American needs.

Zeke
 
It could be the sentimental value of one particular rifle in my case. I have a pre-64 Winchester Model 70 chambered in 30-06. It rests near my Weatherby, the 300WSM, the 7mm, and a few others. all good rifles for hunting the big game of the west. Invariably when I gear up for the hunt, I grab the old trusted 30-06 that my dad hunted with and that he handed to me as a parting gift quite a few years ago. It is a wonderful feeling to "feel" him along with me as I walk the same hills and valleys that I used to follow him on. I just wish I could still see the amount of game that we used to see together. Some things just don't get better with time.
 
When I decided to get a little more serious about hunting I asked a wise old hunter over lunch this exact same question. (emphasis on wise, not so much on old, just in case he reads this) "If I was gonna buy just one rifle for the rest of my life, what caliber should I buy?" He said "Unequivocally I would buy a 300WSM, its great for deer and big enough for Elk and Moose." So that's what I got. GREAT DECISION. I have found it is also a great plains game gun if you ever get a hankerin to go to Africa. Perfect for kudu, gemsbuck, wildebeast, waterbuck etc. not too big on impala or warthogs and big enough for Eland. PERFECT choice if you could own just one gun!
(and yes I did say hankerin)
(man I miss those lunches)
 
Wyowill said, "It is a wonderful feeling to "feel" him along with me as I walk the same hills and valleys that I used to follow him on. I just wish I could still see the amount of game that we used to see together. Some things just don't get better with time."

Amen Brother! +1

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-13-12 AT 01:06PM (MST)[p]Make that a another +. I have that same rifle that my Dad gave me well before he died last 9/11/11 and I've been able to take it out west every year for some time now, while he only made it out there one time. Now I'll be going down to San Antonio next week to get the one rifle he had left that he said I could call mine, but couldn't have until he died. It's a beautiful .243 Sako that he said was the most accurate rifle he ever held in his 89 years of life and that we've both shot a lot of critters with. I'll be working up a load and hope to shoot a good antelope with it this October along with a mulie with that Model 70 while he looks down and smiles as I squeeze one off just for him! Thanks Dad!!!
 
et al,

Some rifles just have the "feeling". It can be sentimental based or just because it's a great performer! +1 here too.

Hey TG,
Is your little .243 Sako an old Forester action? I have a couple and love them. One in a 257 AI and one in a single shot bench rest Forester chambered in 220 Swift... soon to be rebarrelled as a 22x6.5x47 Lapua.

PS: I still shoot a few that I got from my dad who passed in 1989. I shot a Bighorn ram in Colorado a year later.. to the day!

Yatran, I like the "wise" but I also resemble the "old". Let's do lunch soon....maybe with Tony!

Zeke
 
ZEKE---Yep, It's a Forester and will shoot dime groups all day every day. Dad always said of all the guns he ever shot it was the most accurate, bar none. Most of the guns I have in my two safes came from him. I'm going to email you a couple pictures of the Henry 44 rimfire he gave me and it's valued at between $20K and $30K! It's too bad it's so valuable because I'd really like to diplay it out on a wall here in my man room! As best as I can tell from the 4 digit serial number below the rear sight, it was made in 1863 or maybe 1864.
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-13-12 AT 03:12PM (MST)[p]
Maybe the guys would like to see a couple pictures of it as its pretty neat. It was designed by Tyler Henry and the Wichester 73, the gun that won the west, was based on it. The Confederates said it was a gun the Yankees could load on Sunday and shoot all week, LOL! I believe it held over a dozen 44 rimfire cartridges.

8342henry_rifle_015.jpg


5837henry_rifle_016.jpg
 
Wow! That is an interesting old rifle. I wasn't expecting to see one in such great condition. Thanks for posting that photo.

I also understand totally what you guys mean about a sentimental favorite. Thankfully, my old man is still kicking. However,if our lives follow the normal order of things and he heads to the happy hunting ground before me, I am sure that I will be packing his .270 on hunts. He had a bit of a scare with his ticker last spring, but everything has turned out OK. I am so thankful that we are still hunting together and I am not just carrying his rifle. I appreciate you guys for making me think about that!
 
6.5,.264, built for Wyomings big open country. Fast and flat, 44" bull moose never took another step! They may sell allot of 30.06 but are they built for wyoming? I don't know if I would feel confident on a once in a life time sheep Hunt wih a 30.06.
 
I don't know if I would feel confident on a once in a life time sheep Hunt wih a 30.06.


Why's that?

Heres a once-in-a-lifetime ram shot by my Father with a pre-64 model 70 in 30/06...all time net B&C Ram. I wont ever forget that day...

IMG_0745.JPG
 
Amen Buzz! The ole '06 is still a viable cartridge for darn near everything. I can't think of a sheep that I wouldn't use it on.

That's one helluva ram too! Congrats. (oh man, I love wild sheep)

Zeke
 
> I don't know if I
>would feel confident on a
>once in a life time
>sheep Hunt wih a 30.06.
>
>
>
>Why's that?
>
>Heres a once-in-a-lifetime ram shot by
>my Father with a pre-64
>model 70 in 30/06...all time
>net B&C Ram. I wont
>ever forget that day...
>
>
IMG_0745.JPG



Beautiful !
 
A gorgeous Ram, a great rifle and caliber, along with a Father/Son team doing their thing! What more could you ask for in life!!!!!
 
I will be the first to say .257 wby mag for all around western big game but I love most 30 cal and love my 300 win but it's just not as pleasant to shoot!!
 
For sheer effectiveness, I don't think any caliber is better than a .338 win mag. However, for ease of shooting and still being big enough to hunt anything in the west, I'll go with a .270. I do most of my hunting, from blacktails to elk, with my .338, though I use a .264 win mag or .270 anytime I don't take my .338 with me.

So, I guess that all means that a .30-06 may be the perfect caliber to use for western hunting. It does seem to be a perfect blend of effectiveness and shootability. I have a wonderful and superbly accurate Pre-64 model 70 featherweight in .30-06, yet I hardly ever hunt with it. I don't know why, either.
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-20-12 AT 11:08AM (MST)[p]I agree with you CAelknuts,

Sometimes we confuse effectiveness with efficiency.

The BEST round is the one which will EFFECTIVELY place a properly constructed bullet, of sufficient weight, perfectly on target.

The 22LR is the most efficient but hardly the most effective.

While the '06 is the undisputed champ, I'd rather hunt with a 300 mag of some sort for all the reasons above. It has the potential to be more EFFECTIVE in the right hands.

Like many of you, within reason, I will hunt with what I think to be the MOST effective round available matched to the game at hand. Efficiency be damned, I want effectiveness.

Why use a little gun when a bigger one has the potential to be much better under a wider set of circumstances?

Zeke

PS: I couldn't possibly see myself limited to only one big game hunting rifle...or so I tell my wife! LOL
 
I AGREE ZEKE........THATS WHY I THINK THE BEST ALL ROUND CALIBER HAS TO BE ONE OF THE .300 WIN MAG TYPES. I WOULD LIKE A .30 CALIBER AT LEAST FOR THE BIG BEARS, MOOSE,ELK AND SUCH............AS I SHOOT NOW, THE .300 WSM..................YD.
 
Zeke stated:
PS: I couldn't possibly see myself limited to only one big game hunting rifle...or so I tell my wife! LOL


***That's sort of what I told the wife when I had to buy a second safe last year to hold them all!!!
 
Zeke said, "Why use a little gun when a bigger one has the potential to be much better under a wider set of circumstances?"

Are you serious?? For one, i'm not a Elk hunter and don't plan to be. For another, i don't enjoy shooting a gun with a lot of felt recoil and the guns that i do hunt with, at times, i like to shoot a lot.

The mighty-mid's cartridges that i listed above are, when loaded with good bullets, PLENTY of gun, a clear notch above what's needed, to cleanly put down any critter one may care to shoot excepting maybe the big bears.

Who's guns are you calling little? :)

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
LOL. No Mr Sage, I'm not calling your gun little. I was just expressing MY opinion.

When the original poster said "best all around" I assumed he meant elk, moose and the big bears too. Also, if you look at my posts they're always tempered with "If the shooter can/will shoot them well".

I don't use a "big" gun for everything because it's not needed for everything. I like to match the caliber/cartridge to the game. This way I can convince my wife that I need more than one. Life would be a bit boring if I had to stick with just one!

But, if I had to only have ONE for all NA big game it would probably be a 30 cal mag of some headstamp.

Zeke

PS: The BEST big game caliber is anything I'm using while I'm on a hunt!
 
I'm just messing with you a bit Zeke, i did get a kick out of your question though when looking at it from my perspective. Certainly, i respect your opinion and enjoy your posts but i've not yet met the guy who i agree 100% of the time when talking guns, calibers, cartridges, bullets, and ballistics!

My gun ain't little! :)

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
tough call but when i think about it would be my 30-06. great caliber but no matter where you go you can find ammo. a lot of gun stores you cant get 6mm, 25-06,280 in my neck of the woods. and 30-06 ammo is $20 dollars up to any price. compared to a 338 or a 308 warbird you cant find ammo less then 50 bucks
 
I love both my 300WSMs but if I were to do it over, would have gone with 300 Win Mag just to save that $10/box.
 
If I could only have one gun for Wyoming, it would be the 264 Win Mag. I can remember shooting jackrabbits, coyotes, fox, a pine grouse, antelope, bear, mule deer, elk, and a moose with mine. Haven't gotten a lion, bighorn, or mtn goat yet. But when I get them, my 264 will be hiking the hills with me.

If they didn't make a 264, I would get the 7mm Rem Mag as my second "only one" gun choice.

But owning only one gun isn't very fun though is it?

And the reality of it is, the critter that you choose to put that well placed slug into, really doesn't care as long as you actually take care in placing that slug.
 
> I don't know if I
>would feel confident on a
>once in a life time
>sheep Hunt wih a 30.06.
>
>
>
>Why's that?
>
>Heres a once-in-a-lifetime ram shot by
>my Father with a pre-64
>model 70 in 30/06...all time
>net B&C Ram. I wont
>ever forget that day...
>


An experience dreams are made of. My own 30/06 just does not reach my performance standards. I have made several demanding shots with my .264 that I would not have attempted with my 30/06. I pull out the 6mm or one of four 270s before reaching for the custom 30/06. If I have a BC ram at 500 yards and I have an ethical shot,no question what gun I will reach for. With 15 WY sheep points I hope to get that chance in he near future.
 
I never leave the state with 1 rifle, but I'd have to side with the 300wm guys. Next in line for me would be 7mmSTW and if I just needed a third one in the event of a wildlife rebellion, a 270wsm pushing 140gr ABs.
 
Blistering velocity and super flat trajectory aren't as important with modern rangefinders and scopes... Only making the 30-06 better. It has reasonable recoil, long barrel life, enough ommph for anything in North America, great ammo selection... The 30-06 would be my only rifle if I could only own one... I'd shoot it a lot... I do shoot mine a lot... I feel bad shooting the 1000 round barrel burners a lot, but do like them since I can have more than one rifle :)
 
My Christensen Arms 7mm Rem Mag is the only gun I hunt with and ever will hunt with the rest of my life.

4746wy_lope2.jpg
 
+1 TG

We've all heard an old saying which goes like this; "beware of the man with one gun"

While there may be some truth to the old saying, the best rifle shooters are more rounded and taylor the cartridge selection to the animal or shooting sport.

I'll limit myself to one woman but I refuse to limit myself to one rifle! hehe

Zeke
 
I don't know what the best caliber is. I have a couple of .243s and and a .270 that are fine rifles, but along the lines of what the original post was--my go to rifle is my .06 and if I could have only one, it would be the one.

There may be better all around calibers, but this gun has served me well and its capability exceeds my skills. To each his own.
 

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