Anything But A .30-06.....

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lightman said:
A 308 is a good as a replacement. Ballistics are about the same and there are an abundance of bullet choices. The old tried and true 270 Winchester could be another.
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After using the .30-06 for the first 20 years of hunting, I then slowly switched to the .270 Win. It's better on trajectory and a bit easier on the shoulder. I don't have to correct for trajectory as much and it seems to kill more quickly, especially within 300 yards, where I've shot most of my deer in Maine. I also killed a good-sized moose with it at about 270 yards a few years ago, when I was drawn for a permit, along with my son. I've also killed several deer with it, usually with one shot.

The exception was when a called-in deer ran under my tree stand where I'd stopped to rest after trudging around. I blew my call and heard one coming fast right at the stand. It passed under me and stopped about 35 yards away, as I reached for my rifle that was still lying on the stand platform, the buck saw me move and turned quickly, running directly away, toward a woods road. I grabbed the rifle and mounted it left-handed, put the crosshairs on the bucks back and FIRED!!! The buck went down in a somersault after running only about 25 yards, then tried to get up, but another round finished the job. I put the rifle back down and just sat there, relishing what I'd just done!!! I don't recall ever shooting a hunting rifle left-handed before, much less at game, and was so satisfied with the result, I just sat there for several minutes to let it all soak it in. Then, I called my son to come help taking care of the carcass and to use his tractor's bucket to carry it to the house.
 
foxtrot1 said:
With 250 grain accubonds it will match the 338 win mag trajectory with the same weight bullets. Very versatile round that fits a standard mauser action.

https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/the-93x62mm-mauser-html/
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9.3x62 will not even come close to the same trajectory as the .338WM with 250 grain bullets. The 9.3mm bullet has a lower BC and both Nosler and Hodgdon show MV about 200 fps slower for the 9.3mm. There is no way a slower, less aerodynamic bullet will have the same trajectory.

The 9.3x62 is a wonderful cartridge if you want a heavy, deep penetrating bullet while minimizing recoil, but flat trajectory is not its strong suit.
 
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wombat13 said:
9.3x62 will not even come close to the same trajectory as the .338WM with 250 grain bullets. The 9.3mm bullet has a lower BC and both Nosler and Hodgdon show MV about 200 fps slower for the 9.3mm. There is no way a slower, less aerodynamic bullet will have the same trajectory.

The 9.3x62 is a wonderful cartridge if you want a heavy, deep penetrating bullet while minimizing recoil, but flat trajectory is not its strong suit.
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These are using nosler custom ammo velocities. My handloads are a little faster. So within 1.4 MOA out to 500 yards. Not a significant difference on an elk or moose sized target.
 
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7mm Mauser (7×57): Developed as a military cartridge by Mauser and introduced way back in 1892, the cartridge first gained prominence after being adopted by the Spanish government and chambered in a limited number of bolt-action Mauser rifles. The “Spanish Mauser,” as it has since been known, was also adopted by Mexico and some South American countries for military use. In 1897, Remington chambered its old rolling block and Lee rifles for the cartridge, followed by its Model 30, and Winchester did likewise in its Models 54 and 70.

Despite its virtues as a military round, the 7×57 proved itself early on as a superb big-game cartridge. Today, hunters can load the 7×57 with bullets ranging from 110- to 175-grains, though most choose the 140-grain as the best all-around hunting bullet. Ballistically, it ranks just slightly below the .270 Win., a cartridge many consider one of the best ever for deer-sized game. Recoil is modest, meaning most all people can shoot it well. With a muzzle velocity of just under 2,700 fps with the 140-grain bullet, the trajectory is excellent, making this fine little cartridge a superb deer/pronghorn round.

The 7mm Mauser: A Classic Hunting Masterpiece - Big Game Hunting Blog (thebiggamehuntingblog.com)
 
foxtrot1 said:
View attachment 1066152 View attachment 1066153

These are using nosler custom ammo velocities. My handloads are a little faster. So within 1.4 MOA out to 500 yards. Not a significant difference on an elk or moose sized target.
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I doubt Hodgdon's reloading data center is using Nosler custom ammo velocities. The data I looked at are in the reloading data centers. Your 9.3x62 handloads are faster? Well someone shooting .338WM can hotrod that too.

I think you're cherry-picking data. Here is a comparison using reloading data from Nosler. The BC of the .338 bullet is 0.575 and the highest MV is 2,780. The BC of the 9.3mm bullet is 0.494 and the highest MV is 2,584 (about 200fps slower). As I noted in my earlier post, Hodgdon reloading data also shows the 9.3 running about 200 fps slower than .338WM with the same bullet weight. Here are the predicted ballistics using Hornady's online calculator.

.338WM 250 Accubond.png 9.3x62 250 gr Accubond.png

Come up at 500 yards (with a 200 yard zero) is 8.1 MOA for the .338WM and 10.1 MOA for the 9.3x62. 1 MOA is 1.047" per hundred yards, so that 2 MOA difference is 10.5". You may think that's close enough, but that ain't the same. Also, If you are concerned about shooting through brush at shorter ranges, the maximum height of POA for the 9.3 is 2.4" and the .338 is only 1.8".

Saying that the 9.3x62 has the same trajectory as .338WM is like saying that .30-06 has the same trajectory as .300WM. Using 180 gr Accubonds and Nosler published data, the difference in trajectory at 500 yards for these two is only 9.1".
 
Another vote for the .308.

When I was a kid, the night before opening day consisted of a fire and lots of stories. Some of those stories were about caliber choice and guns. Most carried either a 30-30, 30 ought 6, and I think there might have been one 270 in the bunch. When I saw my first 308 in the late seventies, I didn't know what to think. The guy who brought the .308 was kind of a weird duck - the boyfriend of one of the older men's daughter. I guess I thought .308 was weird because he was. I wasn't real bullet or ballistic savvy back then!

When I got into reloading in my early 20's I realized the .308 could do just about anything the 30/06 could do.

These days, hunting in the piney woods of East Texas, a 60 yard shot is the longest I've taken in years. It's usually done with a 94 in 30-30 or a 336 in .35 Remington.

Back in the day, I was a 25/06 junkie and took many a deer in south and west Texas with it. It's just way more than I need these days.

So. .308 is my choice to replace the 30/06 if I had to make that choice.
 
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WrongHanded said:
Just for fun, and to challenge the idea of the .30-06 Springfield being the best "all-rounder" cartridge for big game in North American, let's see if we can narrow down an alternative.

Someone wants one rifle, chambered in one cartridge, to hunt all legal big game species in North America.

You cannot choose the .30-06, so what do you recommend? And if you have a good reason, what is it?

I'd recommend the .375 Ruger. The reason is that dead is dead, and it'll make it dead. (Providing the shooter, yadda yadda yadda)

But the real reason is that the more demand for the cartridge, the higher the levels of production, which means it gets cheaper....for fools like me who have one and actually want to shoot it more. :D

So what's you choice?
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M70 Winchester Magnum Rifle pre-64 caliber 338, will take down any animal walking the face of this planet, 200 grain Winchester Power Points to use everywhere, African big five ??? 250 grain solids will full-on pass thru a 1/2" thick hard steel railroad switch plate. That same bullet will also pass thru 4' of ponderosa pine, so I am quite sure it will do the same with large bones, penetration of the 200 grain PP ?? Well one year last day of general hunting season in Wa State elevation 5000' + - it started SNOWING hard, so headed downhill when I could just make out the shape of said quarry, asked quietly of two other people should I shoot, yes, yes so I fired, upon approaching said slain deer not one but 3 big bucks were lying on the snow, first two bullet passed thru ribs, DOA, 3RD deer bullet cut it's throat clean as a very sharp knife, dead but still bleeding out. Bought nib in 1958, has accounted for more than 1,000 game animals LEGALLY taken in game seasons in 7 western states, all one DOA shots. Rifle HAS NEVER FAILED me. Tested every bullet on the market, in my book Winchester PP is tops & BLK Talon then Speer Grand Slam, Hornady FMJ 250 grain ( have several thousands in stock ), Barnes original solid brass solid, oh yes, Hornady Interlock.
 
Choctaw said:
375 H&H because I really want one and it just sounds cool.
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Another truly long-lived fantastic proven worldwide cartridge, if you handload using powder burnrates similar to 4227 or 4198 ( check Ken Waters volume of Pet Loads ) you might find loads close to 30-30 Winchester, good for woods hunting at close range or 70 grains 4064, 270 grains soft point bullets at full power house dangerous game loads. Had a M70 Winchester .375 H&H in prestine condition, pulled the barrel changed it to .416 Hoffman use 350-400 grain hardcase paper patch ( hardcase ) bullets, does anything a copper jacketed bullet will do, PLUS for Penny's a bullet. Can't go wrong with a .375 H&H.
 
Jackalope 1 said:
Another truly long-lived fantastic proven worldwide cartridge, if you handload using powder burnrates similar to 4227 or 4198 ( check Ken Waters volume of Pet Loads ) you might find loads close to 30-30 Winchester, good for woods hunting at close range or 70 grains 4064, 270 grains soft point bullets at full power house dangerous game loads. Had a M70 Winchester .375 H&H in prestine condition, pulled the barrel changed it to .416 Hoffman use 350-400 grain hardcase paper patch ( hardcase ) bullets, does anything a copper jacketed bullet will do, PLUS for Penny's a bullet. Can't go wrong with a .375 H&H.
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Man, I've spent a lot of money on guns this month and this isn't helping lol. Thank you very much for this information.
 
When I was hunting Wyoming regularly in the 90's 7 of the 9 of us were using 7mm Rem mag. I was using 30-06 and there was one "something" Weatherby Mag. The 7mm Rem Mag seemed to be all the rage back then.

I still have the '06 and still do not have a 7mm Mag. Now almost 25 years later I really have no use for the big magnums for me anyhow. Hunting in MI a 308 would be a good as anything or what I think is ideal would be a 7mm-08. That's for me and what I hunt though. Location and intended game can change the decision. :)

-Jeff
 
I don’t own a 30-06 but I have two 9.3x62mm rifles (along with .308’s, 8x57’s, .45/70’s, a .375 and others).
I killed my biggest WTD here in WV and a Kudu in So Africa with the 9.3, they are the last guns I’d consider selling.
 
Another member Rat107 has posted hitting a target one mile away with a stock Remington 700 shooting factory 30-06 ammo and with a cheap scope. I am impressed. Very.
 
d2wing said:
Another member Rat107 has posted hitting a target one mile away with a stock Remington 700 shooting factory 30-06 ammo and with a cheap scope. I am impressed. Very.
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I have to read that thread. Because that would be a ton of bullet drop!
 
My two favorite rifles are a Tikka T3 lightweight in .308 and a Winchester M70 Classic in .270, both LH. I guess I would pick one of those. I’m fairly certain I’ll never be hunting anything bigger than maybe an elk, and likely only whitetail. I’m pretty sure a Nosler Partition 150 from a .270 will reliably kill an elk.

Should I ever have to shoot a bear it will not be a hunting situation and likely not with a rifle.
 
If big brown bear were in the picture I would want the biggest gun possible. 416 Rigby or something silly. No Chance I would want that for deer
 
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