If you had to choose one caliber to hunt all North American game which do you choose?
- Thread starter blackops
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300 weatherby. it can kill anything on the planet. it is accurate well past 1000yards. you can load loads equivalant to 32 acp with trail boss powder and cast bullets, or to elephant stopping loads with the slow burning powders. the mark 5 action is the best and safest action made.
300 weatherby is a perfectly legimate choice; but saying that "it can kill anything on the planet" isn't especially helpful. After all, the same claim can be made of any calibre from the .22LR on up.
I wish people wouldn't make silly, categorical statements like this.
.30/06 can certainly be used for grizzlies and was for many years, before the magnums became widely available. It is not well known as a 'charge stopper', however.
A case can be made that a hunter who is recoil-shy is better off using a .30/06 and placing his or her shot(s) properly than blazing away with a rifle that s/he cannot shoot well. That said, with coaching and practice most people can learn to shoot a .338 or .375 accurately.
A case can be made that a hunter who is recoil-shy is better off using a .30/06 and placing his or her shot(s) properly than blazing away with a rifle that s/he cannot shoot well. That said, with coaching and practice most people can learn to shoot a .338 or .375 accurately.
dirt_j00
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Aught-6
cameron.personal
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- 369
.223/5.56 it's like putting a 1/4 stick of dynamite in the thing you shoot.
Cameron
Cameron
Polar Express
Member
Wow, what a thread!
I'm am in the middle of this debate myself.
It sure seems to me that there are 2 different debates going on here: 1) panic self-defense situations, and 2) a kill/drop shot for game.
Everyone here is making great points, and I have enjoyed reading/learning from this thread.
My JOB is panic situations (fireman), but I have never had to shoot in a panic situation. I have only been to Alaska once, and that was a fishing trip. I chose to take the 1911 for a sidearm against a bear if needed. To me, that seemed undergunned, but that's what I was most familiar with, and felt I could put as many rounds as I could in a panic situation. So that logic won out. Fortunately, for us and the local bears, we didn't need them.
In N/A, Moose, Bears and buffalo seem to me to be the largest of the game we have, right? Am I missing any?
When you are hunting to survive, you're getting A LOT of practice, and you use what you have - I know a guy that used a 22lr to harvest elk to survive by shooting them in the eye (he was alone on a wilderness farm many years ago) You use what you have.
If you're hunting by choice (sport), I believe it's proper and responsible to 'use enough gun'. I've used a 30-30 lever gun hunting elk before. Why, it had open sights and the terrain I was in meant any shot I might get was within 40 yards, and dense brush. So, to me, that wasn't irresponsible.
I have read before that most AK residents in the rural areas rarely use anything larger than the .308 or 30-06. Don't know for sure, but I've read that before on more than one occasion. Well, if you're harvesting several critters a year, and you have all kinds of time to practice shot placement and the effects of different shots, then great. But, if you're an occasional hunter, who logs a responsible amount of range time with their gun prior to a hunt, and picks ONE gun, perhaps it's not unwise to select one with a little more energy. Especially when you consider the range you may be presented with when you encounter your chosen game.
Here's an example: can you go get a load of gravel in a pickup truck? yup. would it be easier to have a dump bed on that pickup truck? uh huh.
So, I see a lot of folks here who love that 30-06. That's a darn fine round. Very versatile, and proven. But, for the occasional hunter, as most folks are, (I would suggest one critter or less/year = occasional) perhaps a bit larger gun might be a wise choice, especially if you don't have a hunting rifle already.
Yeah, Finn Aaguard (sp?) shot everything on the African Continent with a 7x57. Great for him. I'm not Finn Aaguard. I'm not a professional big game hunter. So if I'm gonna go after dangerous game (I'd argue that bear and moose qualify as dangerous game), I think I'd rather have a bigger gun. Especially since they are available.
That .308 is a darn fine round to punch paper with out to, and past 1000 yards, as many have argued. But, if I'm going to go to AK or Canada after moose, I think I'd rather have the extra energy that a Magnum cartridge can offer (more energy at longer distances) in case my skills aren't as spot on perfect as the locals who harvest several critters each year.
I don't think anyone should go hunting without being responsibly familiar with their hunting gun(s). That being said, a little larger gun might make up for some human errors we all might (and will make) when we take our shots.
To answer the OP, I think it's asking a lot to try and do it all with one gun. Would it be a good idea go have two, with a little 'overlap' in the middle. And, we can always home-load to cater our loads according to our game.
I think I've decided on what my smaller gun will be: .308 for Mulees and smaller, now I need to figure out what my larger one will be for elk and larger.
I'm am in the middle of this debate myself.
It sure seems to me that there are 2 different debates going on here: 1) panic self-defense situations, and 2) a kill/drop shot for game.
Everyone here is making great points, and I have enjoyed reading/learning from this thread.
My JOB is panic situations (fireman), but I have never had to shoot in a panic situation. I have only been to Alaska once, and that was a fishing trip. I chose to take the 1911 for a sidearm against a bear if needed. To me, that seemed undergunned, but that's what I was most familiar with, and felt I could put as many rounds as I could in a panic situation. So that logic won out. Fortunately, for us and the local bears, we didn't need them.
In N/A, Moose, Bears and buffalo seem to me to be the largest of the game we have, right? Am I missing any?
When you are hunting to survive, you're getting A LOT of practice, and you use what you have - I know a guy that used a 22lr to harvest elk to survive by shooting them in the eye (he was alone on a wilderness farm many years ago) You use what you have.
If you're hunting by choice (sport), I believe it's proper and responsible to 'use enough gun'. I've used a 30-30 lever gun hunting elk before. Why, it had open sights and the terrain I was in meant any shot I might get was within 40 yards, and dense brush. So, to me, that wasn't irresponsible.
I have read before that most AK residents in the rural areas rarely use anything larger than the .308 or 30-06. Don't know for sure, but I've read that before on more than one occasion. Well, if you're harvesting several critters a year, and you have all kinds of time to practice shot placement and the effects of different shots, then great. But, if you're an occasional hunter, who logs a responsible amount of range time with their gun prior to a hunt, and picks ONE gun, perhaps it's not unwise to select one with a little more energy. Especially when you consider the range you may be presented with when you encounter your chosen game.
Here's an example: can you go get a load of gravel in a pickup truck? yup. would it be easier to have a dump bed on that pickup truck? uh huh.
So, I see a lot of folks here who love that 30-06. That's a darn fine round. Very versatile, and proven. But, for the occasional hunter, as most folks are, (I would suggest one critter or less/year = occasional) perhaps a bit larger gun might be a wise choice, especially if you don't have a hunting rifle already.
Yeah, Finn Aaguard (sp?) shot everything on the African Continent with a 7x57. Great for him. I'm not Finn Aaguard. I'm not a professional big game hunter. So if I'm gonna go after dangerous game (I'd argue that bear and moose qualify as dangerous game), I think I'd rather have a bigger gun. Especially since they are available.
That .308 is a darn fine round to punch paper with out to, and past 1000 yards, as many have argued. But, if I'm going to go to AK or Canada after moose, I think I'd rather have the extra energy that a Magnum cartridge can offer (more energy at longer distances) in case my skills aren't as spot on perfect as the locals who harvest several critters each year.
I don't think anyone should go hunting without being responsibly familiar with their hunting gun(s). That being said, a little larger gun might make up for some human errors we all might (and will make) when we take our shots.
To answer the OP, I think it's asking a lot to try and do it all with one gun. Would it be a good idea go have two, with a little 'overlap' in the middle. And, we can always home-load to cater our loads according to our game.
I think I've decided on what my smaller gun will be: .308 for Mulees and smaller, now I need to figure out what my larger one will be for elk and larger.
cameron.personal
Member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2004
- Messages
- 369
Exactly.
Arkel23
Member
300 wby mag.
Here is another one...did you read the entire thread before posting that statement of yours?? I suggest to you to do it...what my shooting skills or my lack of bear hunting has to do with this???
By the way, no all outfitters start with a 338 Magnum and up or suggest bringing a 50 BMG to camp if you can handle it....
Define "charge stopper"... a charge stopper is a solid CNS hit....30-06 or 458 doesn't matter....you are not going to stop an enraged grizzly at short distance with 460 Weatherby gut shot or shoulder shot....the big boomer may make you feel better...but that's dangerous...
TX Hog Hunter
Member
Without an official talley I'd say the good ole 06 is winning this one 
With modern ammo and premium bullets in a good reliable and accurate rifle let's face it there just isn't a lot you can't successfully hunt with the good ole .30-06.
If the airlines looses your ammo or you just plain run out you can get ammo just about anywhere in the world that ammo is available. This could be real important at times.............
With modern ammo and premium bullets in a good reliable and accurate rifle let's face it there just isn't a lot you can't successfully hunt with the good ole .30-06.
If the airlines looses your ammo or you just plain run out you can get ammo just about anywhere in the world that ammo is available. This could be real important at times.............
Maverick223
Member
.458Lott...it'll kill anything on Earth...including squirrel if loaded right. If you don't want to handload, go with the 45-70, it'll take anything in NA.
Uncle Mike
Member
Don't quote me on this, but I was watching one of those Alaska shows...there was a game warden talking about the biggest bear killed to date, was shot by a hunter or fisherman, can't remember, but this guy was not hunting bear... he was defending himself and a friend from a charge....
What rifle did he use.... none other than the 7mm Remington Mag.
Shot that poor bear like 3 or 4 times, in the head.....
If I'm remembering right, it was some time ago....
What rifle did he use.... none other than the 7mm Remington Mag.
Shot that poor bear like 3 or 4 times, in the head.....
If I'm remembering right, it was some time ago....
Maverick223
Member
AKElroy
Member
Ditto. 103, in fact.
Maverick223
Member
The 45-70 has been thumpin' for 136 years.
kwelz
Member
I say .308.
elktrout
Member
Objectively, we have to admit that numerous existing calibers could qualify, and all for valid reasons. The problem is that too many assumptions go along with the description of "all around" caliber.
"All around" to a resident of Alaska is likely different than "all around" to a resident of Virginia, primarily because each has a different concept of the typical game that would fall into the definition.
But my choices are segregated. Primary use in Alaska: .338 or bigger, largely because of the danger involved. Primary use in the lower 48: 30-06 or magnum in 7mm or 30 cal.
"All around" to a resident of Alaska is likely different than "all around" to a resident of Virginia, primarily because each has a different concept of the typical game that would fall into the definition.
But my choices are segregated. Primary use in Alaska: .338 or bigger, largely because of the danger involved. Primary use in the lower 48: 30-06 or magnum in 7mm or 30 cal.
Why don't you tell us about yours as well! This isn't actualy fact, but I'm going to assume 99 percent of shots on bears aren't when they are charging preparing to induldge on you for a meal. In most all cases the bear never even knows the hunters are present. Unless you are using a bow will a bear make any kind of contact and I have seen a bear charge at a guy after a guide called him in and the black bear received a Rage broadhead straight through the chest, ran away, and blead to death. Not all guides start with a 338 either.
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