Dakota Posted July 31, 2010 Report Share Posted July 31, 2010 Just wondering what everyone's favorite all around big game caliber is. This should be interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted July 31, 2010 Report Share Posted July 31, 2010 Dakota said: Just wondering what everyone's favorite all around big game caliber is. This should be interesting. Maybe you should define what game is included in "all around". Whitetail, black bear and hogs?? Are you including coastal brown bear?? Little help, here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Posted July 31, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2010 Strut10 said: Maybe you should define what game is included in "all around". Whitetail, black bear and hogs?? Are you including coastal brown bear?? Little help, here. All 20-is it 27?-North American big game species. Or whatever you hunt in general I guess... Dakota Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun_300 Posted July 31, 2010 Report Share Posted July 31, 2010 Well big game in this area is whitetail and moose. My favourite caliber for both is .300 Win Mag or .300 WSM. I use the WSM more than the Win Mag, the WSM is a Browning BLR and is a little nicer to carry than the big Rem 700, I like the short action and lever action a bit more too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted July 31, 2010 Report Share Posted July 31, 2010 "Other" To hunt everything from whitetails to coastal brownies, I can think of 4 choices..........none of which are on the list of choices by name: .340 Wby. .338 RUM .358 STA .375 Wby. Remove dangerous bear critters from the mix and my list lengthens considerably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Posted July 31, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2010 I'm of the opinion (and it's been done before, I guarantee you) that you can take down any North American big game animal with a .30-06. Not only is it a powerful cartridge, it's all about where you put it. I've shot a bull elk at 280 yards with a 150 grain bullet and he only went twenty yards and I dumped a bull bison in his tracks at 100 yards with a 180 grain bullet. If I can take a bison with a .30-06 in one shot, I can take a brown/kodiak/grizzly/polar bear too. Dakota Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted July 31, 2010 Report Share Posted July 31, 2010 Dakota said: I'm of the opinion (and it's been done before, I guarantee you) that you can take down any North American big game animal with a .30-06. I'm sure you "can". There's a difference between "can" and "should". Dakota said: If I can take a bison with a .30-06 in one shot, I can take a brown/kodiak/grizzly/polar bear too. Dakota All the luck in the world to ya, pal. Just be sure to have somebody behind you holding the right tool for the job in case things don't go like they should, but go like they can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Posted July 31, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2010 Strut10 said: I'm sure you "can". There's a difference between "can" and "should". All the luck in the world to ya, pal. Just be sure to have somebody behind you holding the right tool for the job in case things don't go like they should, but go like they can. lol Well obviously, Don, as long as it's on it's feet I'm going to continue shooting until it's down and out; I'm not going to put one round in him and call it good. The reason I got my bison in one shot was because I dropped it immediately on the first shot. Dakota Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flintlock1776 Posted July 31, 2010 Report Share Posted July 31, 2010 Deer: Hornady Light Magnum 30.06 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Givan Posted July 31, 2010 Report Share Posted July 31, 2010 The only big game I hunt is whitetails. I may hunt elk one day but my deer rifle will fit the occasion. My choice of caliber is the .308. It works great on deer, and it has enough power to take elk considering the ballistics are very similiar to the .30-06. It is also a fun rifle to take to the range and burn several boxes of ammo without it beating me up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJL Posted August 1, 2010 Report Share Posted August 1, 2010 220 SWIFT......................... Proper shot placement and bullet selection are EVERYTHING. AJ "learned us' that a long time ago. Actually, I'm somewhat partial to the 338 wm. Just enough for the big bears, and plenty of power for p-dogs and whistle-pigs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubleA Posted August 1, 2010 Report Share Posted August 1, 2010 I voted "other". I dont have a favorite big game cartridge, I tend to grab whatever best suits the type of critter/enviroment at the time.:gun2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted August 1, 2010 Report Share Posted August 1, 2010 JJL said: 220 SWIFT......................... :D :D I would expect no less of you, Sir Director. Where the heck have you been hiding???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluelund79 Posted August 1, 2010 Report Share Posted August 1, 2010 300 Win Mag, lots of bullet options to make it an all around gun. Does it have enough oomphf for the larger bears, I'll never find out, they are not on my to hunt list. But for black bears, whitetails, hogs and antelope, it'll more than enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted August 1, 2010 Report Share Posted August 1, 2010 If I'm forced to choose just 1...it would be the .340 Wby. Mag. With that said though I'm not going to hunt a specific big game animal with a so called "all around big game caliber". I'll pick what I feel is best to do the job. The vast majority of my big game hunting is whitetail. I also prefer hunting them in cover so my shot opportunities are almost always inside 100 yards. When hunting whitetails in cover I'll take my light weight Model 7 in .308. No sense wagging one of my heavy magnum rifles around when I'm facing short range shot opportunities. It's easier for me to shift from shooting right handed to left handed when I have to with a light weight rifle too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJL Posted August 2, 2010 Report Share Posted August 2, 2010 Strut10 said: :D :D I would expect no less of you, Sir Director. Where the heck have you been hiding???? There's plenty to do in Colorado......................:D:D I've been watching elk and mule deer for the past several months. Bow season opens up the end of the month and lots of blood will be spilled. I've got 9 tags to fill in the family and do not plan on eating one of them. It should be a great year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted August 2, 2010 Report Share Posted August 2, 2010 If I had to pick just one, I'd pick my 300 Wby. Good round to take any animal down easily, but I generally take whatever rifle I feel in the mood for. I'm thinking about getting the old model 94 out a little this year, it hasn't seen action in a lot of years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted August 2, 2010 Report Share Posted August 2, 2010 redkneck said: If I had to pick just one, I'd pick my 300 Wby. Good round to take any animal down easily, but I generally take whatever rifle I feel in the mood for. I'm thinking about getting the old model 94 out a little this year, it hasn't seen action in a lot of years. The .300 Wby would be my next choice after those I already listed. A 200 gr. Partition at 3000 fps. would have to be awfully hard on a critter. A 165-180 gr. Scirocco at .300 Roy velocities would reach as far as most fellers could hit something. Good choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted August 2, 2010 Report Share Posted August 2, 2010 JJL said: I've been watching elk and mule deer for the past several months. Bow season opens up the end of the month and lots of blood will be spilled. I've got 9 tags to fill in the family and do not plan on eating one of them. It should be a great year. O.K. So I'm envious.................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Posted August 3, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2010 Looks like the .30-06 is a popular one. Dakota Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texan_Til_I_Die Posted August 4, 2010 Report Share Posted August 4, 2010 You ask what my favorite is so I answered 7 mag. But then again I've never hunted griz. Here's an interesting list - these are the preferred calibers for the 10 hunters in my deer camp. 30-06 x2 7 Rem Mag x3 7 STW 300 WIn Mag 338 Federal 338 Win Mag x2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted August 4, 2010 Report Share Posted August 4, 2010 Aside from a .223 the only other centerfire rifles I have are 30-06s. So I guess I'm on the band wagon and pick the 30-06. I don't mind being there though. I could take a bear with an 30-06 if forced, but I'd rather have a mag. Overall regardless of my situation... I'd probably pick a then 7mm Mag, 338 RUM, then .300 Wby, and I don't know probably 300 win mag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gzilla45 Posted August 5, 2010 Report Share Posted August 5, 2010 Since the only big game I hunt and probably ever will hunt are whitetails, hogs, and black bear I'll settle on my .270. However if I decide to step up and hunt elk, I think I'll be using the .300 win mag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted August 6, 2010 Report Share Posted August 6, 2010 For deer, the .270 has been pretty good for me so far. If I were looking at an all around for most North American big game though I would have to opt for something in a .30. The .30-06 has proven to be incredibly versatile, would probably come down to that or a .300 win mag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearcat Posted August 7, 2010 Report Share Posted August 7, 2010 The 30-06 is my favorite all-around caliber. The 7mm Remington Magnum is a close second. If hunting in more open terrain the 7mm Rem. Mag. would be number one. I also like my .300 RUM. If I could hunt all over the country and some in other countries, it would be my number one. I can't think of too many critters on this continent that a .300 RUM with a stout 180- 200 grain bullet couldn't reek serious havoc on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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